groundhog problems

 

  There is a HUGE groundhog living under my shed.  I see it in the back yard
once in a while, eating my morning glories.  Today I went out to check on
the kale I planted in a raised bed, and I found that every single plant had
all the leaves eaten off! (about 4 inches up)  I had really been looking
forward to having kale salads this fall - hopefully the plants will recover,
but I'm not so sure.

  Anyway, is there any way to ensure that this groundhog won't do it again?
I live in the city, where unfortunately, I'm not allowed to simply shoot the
darn thing.

 



Hav-a-Hart makes a spendy live trap that is a little bigger than a paper
half a gallon milk carton.  You can catch it and relocate it.  I suggest
that you wire the trap so it will not function, and put food in it for a few
times.  Then when the animal thinks it is a source of food, you remove the
wire, and the door drops down.  What you do with the animal depends on your
conscience.  They can, do, and have returned from great distances to their
home territory.

Poison is not an option, because he may crawl under somewhere and die, and
stink to high heaven for a month.

Traps that kill them are an option, but that's up to you.

The trespassing offenders I get are given a 5/5 water treatment.  Five
minutes under water in a five gallon bucket.  Then they're hawk food.

BE AWARE THAT SOME SPECIES ARE PROTECTED, SO BE VERY PRIVATE ABOUT THE
DISPOSAL.  DO NOT PUT IT IN YOUR TRASH, AS THE GARBAGE MEN MAY SEE IT AND
REPORT YOU.

Steve

 

SteveB wrote:

Good advice but I'd make sure Hav-a-hart was big enough.  When I bought
mine it was the 2nd largest which will take a groundhog but is too small
for the large raccoons that often torment me.

Local laws are funny.  I've relocated animals, even once in front of a
county cop, but on the books you are not allowed to relocate but you can
trap and kill them.

 

Frank wrote:


You may not have to buy one.  Various local organizations (Animal Rescue
League, Animal Control, Dept. of wildlife conservation, etc. may be set
up to lend you one for the duration.  Call around.

gloria p

 


The trap idea only works once for a smart animal. I had a raccoon who
would reach *under* the trap and pull the bait apart and then eat the
scratchings. Nothing would get him to go in the *door* of the trap,
since he had been there and done that and got the shirt and once was
enough thank you very much.