How to Capture a Groundhog?

[Johnnysapples]

I have lots of apples I use in the fall. You could use a couple apples and as the apples get older they won’t refuse them. Even the coons will go in and eat them too. @galinas I have used peanut butter on bread. That works great too.

[IL847]

ground hog is very smart animal，I am glad you outsmarted him and got him in the cage, well done.

[jkuo]

I think the bubble/chewing gum trick with groundhogs is a myth. It might work with smaller rodents. I’ve had groundhogs go through packs of chewing gum with no apparent effect. Now I just use it as bait for the trap.

Since the groundhogs always seem to take up residence under my neighbor’s shed, my approach has been different this year. I’ve tossed egg shells and past prime lunch meat under the shed. I figure it shouldn’t be stinky enough to bother people in the far back corner of the yard, but hugely offensive to a groundhog’s sensitive nose.

[ross]

Went out this morning to see the groundhog’s new mess. It’s alive! I just threw in more gum. I’m thinking maybe 4 pieces of double bubble wasn’t enough. We’ll see. I may have to trap it. At least it’s great bait.

[Steve333]

I have had luck in the past, capturing a small one with a large rat trap baited with peanut butter.

[BobC]

Don’t be surprised if you see them out there blowing bubbles!

[Courtney]

This same scenario happened to me…I forgot to closed the door to the trap for the night and I ended up with a skunk so I didn’t know what to do…then, in come the hubby…boy, he was so mad at me for weeks on end…he got sprayed and were covered in stinks when he tried to unlock for the stinker to get released. I had asked him to call work and told them that he needed to take a day off cuz he had been sprayed by a skunk…he didn’t listened…he smelled and stunk up the whole house. I had to put his clothings in a trash bag. Meanwhile, as he stepped on the gas out onto the street, he saw me running after him to “just stay home”…but he said,” I hated my boss, I wanted him to suffer!” So, off he went! I got a call at about noon that day. Everyone at work wanted him to go home cuz he stunk up the whole work environment… I never forget the lock the door to that trap ever again. He refused to talk for almost 2 weeks😭 I had a good laugh!

[mamuang]

Courtney,

I have used a tarp or a cheap plastic table cloth holding it in front of me while walking quietly to the trap. Then, I cover the trap with the tarp and use a pole or a bamboo stick to lift one side of the lock to let skunk out. I’ve never been sprayed as I did not spook the skunk. They can’t see you, they won’t get scared and spray.

[fruitnut]

I agree, tell your hubby he needs training on the ole skunk release. I’ve used the blanket approach and never been sprayed.

[Courtney]

Well, i left out the part how he was dressed when he approached the trap…he put on a black construction trash bag over his head, cut the holes for the arms and neck, then he took the boys’s Dark Vader mask and put that on, as he walked out at 6am to deal with the skunk…that was his way of trying not to spook Stinker

[mrsg47]

No camera! Would love to see that pic!

[bleedingdirt]

A few days ago, I embarked upon replacing the kitchen faucet. Of course it was all rusted and wouldn’t come off. And of course I broke all the pipes without a plan for doing dishes for two more days. I had the pleasure of using the bathroom sink.

Your hubby makes me look good!

[mamuang]

If I were the skunk, I’d be so spooked seeing your hubby in the gear

Well, he covered the wrong part of his body. Had he held the large trash bag in front of him walking to the cage, it’d be been a happy ending story.

[SMC_zone6]

First of the season. I think this was the one that I couldn’t catch last year. But it just woke up and there isn’t much food around yet so it went for the lettuce in my trap.

[Derby42]

That’s a great tip, I bet they are much more likely to take a risk for green food right now

[tonyOmahaz5]

Does it growled and hissed like a coon?

[mrsg47]

I don’t Remember ours ever hissing, but I was very surprised as to how large they can grow. They whistle .

[SMC_zone6]

They don’t hiss. They whistle, like @mrsg47 said. And they also grunt and chortle. This one was very angry and kept ramming the cage when I got near it.

[mamuang]

Congrats. Maybe, I should do the same thing.

[Cafeaulait]

Ours stay not far at all from our woods, so we are very lucky. They never bother the gardens or orchard. Of course, I have a gazillion broadleaf weeds and clover in their fields, so they stay fat anyway, lol.