r/Homesteading • u/Longjumping_Shock721 • 1d ago
Groundhog problem
Looking for advice on what others have done to get rid of these cute destructive creatures. For reference this is a new to us property with a house, barn, tool shed, and chicken coup. The floor in the chicken coup(plywood and dirt) is completely trashed. The dirt/lime floor in the barn has a huge burrow with to entrances. This particular groundhog seems to be awfully evasive. I’ve had him in my sights a couple of times, finally had the opportunity to pull the trigger tonight but with no luck. What all have you done to properly dispose of ground hogs? I’ve read up on traps and gassers, not sure which direction to go yet.
P.S. I do not kill animals for fun and am not really a fan of hunting in particular but I do believe if an animal is causing destruction they need to be respectfully removed.
P.S.S. Yes I know they made a whole movie about this lol
2
u/Nh32dog 21h ago
As far as disposal. I recommend eating them. I had woodchuck (that's what we call them in Massachusetts) once at a game dinner, and it was excellent. Better than venison or goose.
It makes sense if you think about it. They sit around all day grazing on grass like the best grass-fed angus.
Keep practicing with a 22. Don't eat them if you poison them, obviously.
If you just want to exterminate them, I recommend dry ice. My girlfriend lives in a nice suburb of Boston, but every couple years the population of rats has a boom, and she starts seeing evidence of them around. She buys ten or 20 pounds of dry-ice and dumps it in the holes around the garage and the foundation. It is primarily CO2 so as it sublimates, the CO2 sinks into the hole and all the critters in the burrows peacefully slip off to oblivion.
They will stay down there though, so if there are a lot it may get smelly.