Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Trapping Trying to trap groundhog....need tips

OK, so I saw a groundhog running around my place the other day and thought cool, dont see too many around here.
While mowing today I saw a hole next to my foundation and chimney...NOT cool.
So I guess this means war.
I have some MB550's I use for coyotes, maybe put around entrance and hope he steps on pan?
I also have a large HAVAHEART I can try.
Whats a good bait?
I understand they can be hard to trap?
Looking for tip/tricks.
Thanks Nick

it is hard to catch the first one,, but if you leave the first one in the trap until he/she pees and poops. then kill it in the trap.. remove the GH but dont move the trap.. the pee/poop/blood will attract other GH.s just re set the trap.. I have caught three a day doing that.. no bait is needed... they seem to always come looking for the missing GH and will walk right in a smelly trap... I caught 33 one summer and never moved the trap or baited it...I usually get about 20 a month..I use hava heart traps.. don't turn them loose no matter how far you take them away they will return..

Difficult to bait an animal that is happy eating grass. I've had the best result using cantaloupe melon. A .22 is better. Got my last one with my 22 Hornet.

The GH s I caught were eating my chickens food , so that was what I used to catch the first ones. sorry I forgot about that..

Cantaloupe is my bait of choice, nothing I've tried works as well for groundhogs. Cut a slice and put it at the rear of the trap so they have to walk over the trip plate to get it.

Works for turtles too

Well I found some smoke bombs for killing gophers moles groundhogs so gonna try that first.
Put 2 down hole next to foundation dumped 1/2 wheelbarrel rocks over them and dirt on top.
Only see the one deep hole, saw couple other spots where he must have been diggin but they shallow.
I filled them in and sprayed coyote urine around them.
So hope I nipped him quick...just first saw hole yesterday.
Time will tell

160 conibear staked down flat in the entrance to the den. No bait needed or wanted. Make sure the trap can fire unimpeded. Hope the yard is fenced so some dog doesn't come sniffing the 'yote pee.

I have two living under a neighbor's shed, her son in law's got a Hav-a-hart out with cantaloupe bait but hasn't caught one yet, The entrance holes are too far under the shed to put a trap.

I've got my ,22 loaded up with CCI Quiet HP (houses are pretty close together) they are really spooky and don't come into my yard close enough to get a safe shot

He killed one last year with high powered pellet rifle. I told him another one would be under the shed unless they got the area between the shed floor and the ground blocked off some way.

I have a good spot to put a trap out but they don't seem too interested in the cantaloupe. I keep my grass cut short.

Caught several using a live trap baited with canteloupe.
Phil

woodchucks can be a bitch to trap , i bait them at least 75 yards from the house by a window that opens easy and quietly then shoot them with a centerfire rifle like a 22 hornet but last week i used my 220 Swift dang near tore him in half . best trap system seems to be a lite wire snare system, i have never had much luck with a have a hart live trap on woodchucks .

Gotta chum the area with some freebies,small pieces of cantalope .

cantaloupe is the best I've found for live traps but they are hard to live trap in my experience.

My preferred way is a 220 conibear set over the hole.

my parents called me about one getting into their green beans last evening, I went over there and found his hole and set a conibear over it. Mom texted me this morning at 7:30 and said he won't be eating any more beans.

Tomato slices in a Havahart, but you'll catch a lot of squirrels too.

I did the poison gas smoke bomb and immediately dumped half wheelbarrow of gravel in hole.
Hole still sealed so I hope I got it.

Conibear in their hole(s) is a great method, if legal.

My Dad swore by pouring Drano around the hole.
They get it on their feet. It itches and burns. They chew on their feet and poison themselves.
They die in their hole, and others dont move in where a dead one is....... worked for him.
Other wise, We we shot them.
Awful destructive critters.

Funny how fast it goes from cool there's a woodchuck to death by the most inhumane way possible...

On your foothold trap set a stick across prior to the trap, they will instinctively step over the stick onto the pan.

Keep the stick away from the trap. Good chance it will be bumped into it and allow escape.

I just set the trap in the hole a ways and cover the hole.
Can use sticks/ bark to make a curtain and put dirt behind it. Trap is ahead of curtain/ fill.

Trap tied to a drag or staked.

Youll either find a tumbleweed nearby, or see the chain go into a mound of freshly ground dirt.

Be careful yanking on that chain. They can kind pop out of the dirt and fly towards ya LMAO.

Cool to be hanging onto the chain w a 16lb boar on the end super pissed off.

Just put heavy stuff over othrr holes and force it to come out of the hole w the trap.

Hell last ones caught got a live trap. Block other holes w concrete blocks and just make an arch over the unblocked hole to force travel into the trap.

Works even without bait.

Conibears i really like. But are a no go most times due to neighbors letting cats n dogs wander.