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Trying To Catch a Ground hog ...Keep Catching Racoons


caddyman
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Damn critters...woke up this morning to two baby raccoons in my trap with a crazed mother patrolling outside the trap. Hate to have to shoot the mother in front of the babies. Any suggestions?

 

Shoot the babies first? :wacko:

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Set your traps out during the day and bring them in at night.

 

Selecting the Right Groundhog Trap

The essential piece of equipment that you’ll need for trapping a groundhog is the trap itself. I use a Havahart trap, which works great and will catch animals without harming them so that they can be relocated and released safely.

 

Havahart makes metal “live-catch” traps that are suitable for catching groundhogs. The trap’s dimensions should include an opening that’s at least ten inches wide and about a foot tall. There are two popular Havahart styles for you to choose from.

 

The first stlye is open on both ends with a bait tray/trap release mechanism in the center. This model is supposed to make animals less cautious about entering because they do not see an obstruction at the opposite end of the trap. This style can be a little more difficult to set and also tends to be easier to trip accidentally.

 

The second style of trap has only one entrance and is closed on the other end, with a trigger release plate towards the rear end of the trap. This model is easier to set and not as sensitive to accidental triggering, but requires a little more care and effort to release the trapped animal. For trapping groundhogs I prefer this closed end style of a trap.

 

Bait, Who Needs Bait to Catch a Groundhog?

Groundhogs are active during the daylight hours and spend their nights sleeping underground in their burrows. They usually don’t wander too far from their burrows when foraging for food and at the first sign of danger they will quickly dash to the safety and cover of their hideout’s hole.

When it comes to dinner groundhogs really aren’t choosy, they’ll eat just about anything. In the garden they seem to target leafy greens and succulent, tender vegetation. This season the groundhogs in my garden were especially fond of okra leaves and green heirloom tomatoes.

 

They also snacked on carrot tops, cabbages, and melon vines, but weren’t too fond of the peppers or eggplants growing nearby. In the past I’ve successfully baited woodchuck traps with everything from cut apples, to watermelon rinds and fresh organic carrots.

 

I like to use carrots as groundhog bait because they will remain fresher over a long period of time, but the quartered apples may be a little more enticing to groundhogs. However as you’re about to discover, the bait that you use doesn’t really matter if you’re wise about where you place your trap.

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Damn critters...woke up this morning to two baby raccoons in my trap with a crazed mother patrolling outside the trap. Hate to have to shoot the mother in front of the babies. Any suggestions?

 

If I solve your problem do I get to keep the meat and pelts?

 

I've always wanted to have a pair of baby raccoon slippers.

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If I solve your problem do I get to keep the meat and pelts?

 

I've always wanted to have a pair of baby raccoon slippers.

Sure...we were able to get them out of the cage. Mom and babies are doing fine. Until those babies grow up and mom gets a cap in her ass.

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Damn critters...woke up this morning to two baby raccoons in my trap with a crazed mother patrolling outside the trap. Hate to have to shoot the mother in front of the babies. Any suggestions?

 

spank them. they will resent you forever.

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I forgot to inquire... Why the fu(k are you trying to catch a ground hog?

 

If you really want one I can steal one from the petting zoo in Stone Mountain and Fed-Ex it to you.

 

BTW - the next time you catch some baby coons can you put the trap in a large cardboard box and Fed-Ex them to me?

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I forgot to inquire... Why the fu(k are you trying to catch a ground hog?

 

 

I assume its because those bastards absolutely ravage gardens. They destroyed my brothers vegetable garden so bad that he probably wont plant one next year.

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I assume its because those bastards absolutely ravage gardens. They destroyed my brothers vegetable garden so bad that he probably wont plant one next year.

 

Makes sense. Aren't they relatively lumbering creatures, doesn't seem like they'd be too hard to chase down and choke to death.

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Makes sense. Aren't they relatively lumbering creatures, doesn't seem like they'd be too hard to chase down and choke to death.

 

 

Thats redneck talk. Up North we prefer to shoot them from a safe distance while posting on facebook

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Thats redneck talk. Up North we prefer to shoot them from a safe distance while posting on facebook

Amen...yes he is killing my realtively small garden and my sweet little Italian neighbor lady is beside herself. She has a fairly large garden for aound here and he is ahving a field day. Plus he is living under my shed. He has to go. And go he will. I did not know about the day night thing. I will set an early morning trap and then throw his 9mm ravaged ass in the garbage. :wacko:

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