Groundhogs

I have been trying for the Last week to Catch a Groundhog that is causing Damage to a Home Foundation...I am at my wits end....would appreciate any tricks
that I haven't tried. I know it's late in the Season to try to Catch one...need to get this one S.A.P.

is it possible he is hibernating and not coming out?

Have you seen the groundhog? I've never seen one active at this time of year. Maybe it's an armadillo.

Maybe its one of these

Santa has been looking all over for that reindeer!

No tricks to share. If it isnt active of course you wont catch it. Ghogs are in and out of their burrows throughout the winter locally as temps warm they emerge to feed as the conditions permit. Then its back to snuggling into their nest chamber until the next warming trend. Just their nature during the winter.

This certainly is not the time of year for a fast closure of this job if it is a ghog. Knowing the nature and identifying your target animal sign makes your job alot easier. I wouldnt have taken the job until conditions were most favorable. If a ghog they typically already did the digging ( damage ) long before you got the call if it is a ghog. They dont typically do much if any excavation this time of year as they are usually well established with their winter burrow sites and conserving as much energy as possible for their sleep periods since feeding opportunities may be far and few in between this time of year.

On the other hand if its an armidillo they continue to root and dig off and on also depending upon the weather conditions in your region. As temps warm their activity will resume.If it is fresh digging as previously stated (armidillo) that is most likely the animal. Dillos and skunks will dig also thru out the winter for accessing shelter areas and digging for food.

I would have to see the damage and conditions to identify the offender most accurately.

I have seen the Groundhog out several times. The last week was Warm for Central Missouri.

This is one of the reasons it's not that easy to give advice to different parts of the country. I would have a better chance of

singing a Christmas carol with Carrie Underwood than seeing a woodchuck at this time of the year.

I have seen the same ghog out munching around for the past 2 days..

Find the primary burrows or access points and posi set the holes. Set up during the warmer weather forcast trends that are expected and it should be a done deal in a few days.Several ways to catch depending upon site conditions and your state regs.with regards to equipment that can be used. If they are moving to feed they are catchable fairly quickly.

Have you tried positive sets with either a double door cage and nose cone or conibear? Last year in two locations, at the right locations where there were no pets involved, I set my old bobcat 1 3/4 Northwoods footholds and caught each chuck first night.

A few years ago, I posi set what I thought was a skunk hole. it was the middle of Feb. and 5 below that night. The next morning I had a groundhog. Was very thin, no fat at all.

Thank you Guys for your Reply....I will be Waiting for awhile now with the Cold Weather that has set in to see if he's had a Nap or left to return Later.

I took a groundhog call on Friday Paul, the neighbors in a subdivision responded to the sounds of a dog fight and found One dog and a groundhog ... The story goes that the owner of the dog tried to restrain the dog and got chased around the fenced yard by the groundhog. Temps were in the low 30's... Who knows whats going on... the Lady that called wanted to know prices so she could talk to the 3 connecting Neighbors and find out if they wanted it removed. We will see... Funny but wierd stuff... If they call it will be some posi set Advanced traps...

That's probably the reason I posted that line. They usually come back to bite me. I still want to do the Christmas duet. I sounded

real good in church! ( We're very fortunate to have 4 grandkids in different Christmas programs this time of year )