I need to learn to shoot!!

As most of you I'm constantly pulling weeds so I purchased one of those collapsable heavy plastic green thingys to throw the weeds and old dead plants in before putting them into heavy garbage bags. Well this morning as I was getting ready for work something was trying to drag this plastic thing full of weeds across my patio. I had no clue what it was but it sure was strong. So I went outside and there it was..about 6 feet away from me....a dang groundhog. At least that's what we call them up here. Normally once they see people they take off. This guy wanted to drag that plastic thing back to his hole at the nasty (yucky) neighbors house. I stomped on the patio and this dang thing hissed at me...and squeeked. Then it took a step towards me. Well thinking that maybe it's rabied I decided to second think my going after it. As I started walking backwards it was coming towards me. Needless to say I got back into the house asap. We do have a BB gun so I grabbed it and went back outside. I know it won't kill it..but hopefully it would sting just enough so it wouldn't come back. Well, the groundhog was gone. We had seen it in the neighbors yard all summer long and I was pretty sure it was eating up my tomatoes from my veggie garden. We have a trap setup in the garden but we haven't gotten anything. Hubby won't teach me how to shoot his 22 for fear I'll actually use it. LOL Since we live in an area where there's lots of children I can see his point. LOL Does anyone have any suggestions? I can't catch it and the local police or authorities only laugh. Can I poison it?

Thanks... "T" :)

Well, did he see his shadow? lol Sorry

Maybe this info will help

Using novel stimuli to harass and frighten away unwanted groundhogs will often do the trick. Tactics like putting a beach ball within the area they are disturbing and letting it blow in the wind and using scarecrows, balloons, and pinwheels can deter them. Visiting your garden often and mowing long grasses can also help. Specific plants can be protected by sprinkling them with Epsom salts (needs re-application after every rain) or covering them with fabric or gallon milk jugs with the bottoms removed. You can also try placing rags soaked in ammonia on posts placed at intervals around the perimeter of the garden. The odor is enough to deter most unwanted visitors. The rags must be re-soaked when the smell of ammonia fades.

The most effective means of ridding small gardens of hungry woodchucks is to use wire fencing around the perimeter at least three to four feet high and buried one foot underground. Woodchucks are proficient at digging, and have no trouble going under a fence that is not deep into the ground. Making sure the fence is somewhat loose and not pulled taught will make it more difficult for an interested groundhog to climb up it. If you have persistent visitors to your garden, a single strand of electric fencing in front of the fence four to five inches high will give your garden an extra step of protection.

Woodchuck burrows can sometimes cause problems for homeowners if they are under buildings or too close to gardens. In these cases it is best to try and harass the woodchucks out, and then permanently exclude them from getting back into the burrow. Removing ground cover around the burrows, partially digging out the entryways, and placing ammonia-soaked rags just inside the entrances can help to encourage them and other animals to leave. It is important to never use toxic substances like gasoline to try and get woodchucks or other burrow inhabitants to leave, as they are inhumane and toxic to both people and animals. A one-way door can be used to evict woodchucks from burrows, however, should never be used when young are present (usually May through August) or when other animals are using the burrow system. You can check to see if the burrow is being used by loosely placing hay or grass into the entrance. If it goes undisturbed for several days, then the burrow is most likely unoccupied, and then you can permanently close it. To close the burrow, excavate the area around the entrance, and bury heavy-gauge welded wire (three inch squares) at least one foot deep around the entrance. Because woodchucks are such great diggers, the wire should extend well past the burrow entrance on all sides (about three square foot sections of wire). After closing burrow entrances, it is a good idea to observe the area and make sure no new groundhogs are trying to gain access

CoCobean,,think of something of a more "permanent" solution. :) very permanent!!! The place they are coming from is full of some major MAJOR weeds. Not from my yard....the yucky neighbors. Since the children are back in school the neighborhood is very quiet during the day so I'm quite certain he/she is having some serious eating in my yard. I think he's coming to my house to eat cause I have the better plants...higher quality feed. :) I've seen him nibbling on my MG, my brugs, and even my roses. Not my annuals mind you...my more $$ plants. This thing has got to go...big time. LOL

Do you have Animal Services in the county that you can call to get it? They do that here for wild critters and feral animals (cats, dogs, etc.). I had a possum (yes, a possum!) living in the wall of my house a few years back. My dog found it. That had to go--they can be rabid. I called up a private company. The possum was trapped the first night. It cost me $175!!! They covered the hole in the wall with wire mesh and everything (something I had planned to do myself and had already bought all the materials to do). I didn't use the county animal services, which are usually free, for a couple of reasons:
1.Once the animal is caught, it can take them up to 10 days to retrieve the trap and animal (you call them when it's caught)
2. While the animal is in the trap you CANNOT provide food or water or they charge you a fee (I think it was $10-15/day)
3. They kill the trapped animal usually

I just didn't feel it was humane to leave it in a trap to starve like that. And since it was just a baby, I felt it was better to just relocate it to the woods. After all, it wasn't HIS fault he was born in the burbs and my wall just happened to work out as a perfect little den... The private company relocated him to the woods and came within 24 hours of you reporting the capture. This would be a more permanent solution that you might look into.

You might want to talk to the neighbors and mention they may have a RABID woodchuck/groundhog living in their weedy backyard. If I had kids, that would sure motivate me to clean the place up!

I wouldn't have a problem talking to this particular neighbor but 99% of the time they are "under the influence" if you know what I mean. I have a hard time chatting with a drunkard. Quite frankly I don't know why the state hasn't taken their children but that's another whole different story. If we would've caught something/anything in the trap we would've relocated it. But we never caught anything. The trap is still in the garden. I'm at the very least going to move the trap to where I know it's path is to my patio. Any suggestions on bait? The plastic bag won't fit inside the trap. LOL

You can also call the city and file a complaint on the tall grass in your neighbors yard. The city will usually give a warning, and then if it's not cut, then the city will do it and charge the party with the tall grass. Anyway, that is done in and around the cities here.
Like mentioned before, call Animal Control and tell them about the situation and above all; keep an eye on your kitty if it's outside, just incase the groundhog does have rabies.

Sledder, maybe it would be more effective to put a keg of beer in the trap and catch the neighbors! LOL!

Definitely move the trap to where it's in the path that the groundhog walks on. From the sounds of it, they really like your veggies, roses, etc. Maybe put a little feast of that stuff in there.

Butterfly, I like your way of thinking with the keg. :) Trap isn't big enough for both neighbors. LOL I moved the trap to the hog's path. **crossing my fingers**

"T" :)

Butterfly, I was drinking coffee when I read your post and I couldn't stop laughing and coughing - lol.

Sledder, I have problems with groudhogs too. They love my garden. They live under my neighbor's shed. I haven't seen much of them in my fenced in back yard this summer, but I don't have ripe tomatoes yet. They're quite bold, last year one was sitting up in my tomato bed and I slammed the screen door and it just looked at me and continued eating. We have searched and searched and cannot figure out how they get into the backyard.

I did put two large pinwheels in the tomato bed this summer and I haven't seen them around lately. I was hoping the movement would keep them away.

What did you put in the trap as bait?

Easy solution, sledder--get a bigger trap :) Then get the keg. I hope you find a way to get rid of the groundhog. Too bad you're in the city and can't just shoot the thing.

Hope you're OK, elsie! Didn't mean for you to choke on your coffee (sheepish grin). My creative twin (I'm a Gemini) has been making regular appearances as of late. I think it's this long medical leave that's doing it (6 weeks total, 4 weeks into it now). The mind is active, but the body isn't able. Posting allows me a creative outlet and keeps me out of trouble--well, not *all* trouble...like last week when I tried to empty and move a concrete bird bath (I am not supposed to lift anything over 20 lbs. due to my abdominal surgery 4 weeks ago--OOOPS!)

I have a couple almost ripe tomatoes in the trap but so far nada. I heard the "hog" this morning chewing on something outside but couldn't see him. Then there he was...'twadling' along the yard. I just may have convinced hubby to shoot. I'm really concerned this thing has rabies considering how close he's coming to my home.

BINGO!! We caught a groundhog in the trap. YIPPEE!! Did you know that groundhogs roam at night? Yep..cause we caught this guy somewhere between midnight and 3:00 a.m. I'm sure there's more than one so we'll reset. Hubby took the captured critter to a park for release. And he didn't appear to have rabies.

YEAH! Must've been those yummy tomatoes that did the trick!

One down.... I thought the groundhogs had gone elsewhere this summer. Wrong - they were waiting for the tomatoes to start to ripen. I only have green ones, but they already knocked one plant down -ugh.

I know it sounds awful, but a heavy object like a ball bat or splittng mall to the head is very effective. I hate doing that but if I can't get to a gun quickly enough I will.

Go to your local sporting goods store and ask for a "Wrist Rocket". High-tech slingshot. They give you steel balls for ammo. Save those. Go get a bag of kids glass marbles. A little practice and the chucks won't visit more than once.