# Should I Kill My Groundhog?



## big rockpile (Feb 24, 2003)

Ok I was happy having a Groundhog down at my Barn and was in hopes of having more.

My problem is my Jack Russell is going nuts and doing plenty of digging trying to get to this critter.

So I'm thinking to just keep my JR from getting into trouble I need to kill the Groundhog?

Got any other ideas?

big rockpile


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## hunter63 (Jan 4, 2005)

I'd shoot him, one/more?, turned the shed into a undergraoud condo till I picked him/her? off with the porch gun.
I see your point in "raisin' um up", but not for me...............


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## Pops2 (Jan 27, 2003)

sounds like it's time to try a new recipe.


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## Oldcountryboy (Feb 23, 2008)

Naw, try to save em for late fall. Then polish him off. Then use his hide for some kind of leather craft ideal. Moccasin, bow string, or arrow quiver!


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## Murray in ME (May 10, 2002)

If it were me, I'd shoot him before he found my garden. Those critters can devestate a garden in a hurry.


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## Micheal (Jan 28, 2009)

If you let "him" live till fall, how do you know you'll have more?
I'd shoot "him" and enjoy the fruits of the kill. That groundhog isn't going to do much more growing other than fattening up and I've never liked fat from a groundhog myself.....
The problem I can see in letting "him" live till fall is you could end up kickin' yourself in the butt because any damage that groundhog does between now and then could have been prevented by only one shot today.
You'd get "him" in one shot - right????????


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## tallpaul (Sep 5, 2004)

big rockpile said:


> Ya could shoot the jack russell since he is the one with issues ,,,
> 
> 
> 
> Hey its another Idea- ya did not say it had to be a good one


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## big rockpile (Feb 24, 2003)

tallpaul said:


> Ya could shoot the jack russell since he is the one with issues ,,,
> 
> 
> 
> Hey its another Idea- ya did not say it had to be a good one


The way my wife talks about my kid she would probably do it 

big rockpile


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## GREENCOUNTYPETE (Jul 25, 2006)

when ground hogs are sitting on state land they are fine but when they are in near or around the house outbuildings and garden , they are done.

my wifes aunt had one that dug down under the frost wall for her attached garage the burrowed back up and thru the asphalt floor of the garage (why asphault for a garage floor not sure alwasy wondered my self but i suppose grandpa was cheap , never met him died before i was born, he had the house built.) but it chewed the crap out of the garage door and jam finally they got him out of the garage with a trap.

so when they would lay out in the yard by the garden that was all the reason i needed to shoot them.

it don't take them long to do a few hundred in damage.


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## Oldcountryboy (Feb 23, 2008)

Anyone remember the movie "CaddyShack"?


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## tamarackreg (Mar 13, 2006)

Murray in ME said:


> If it were me, I'd shoot him before he found my garden. Those critters can devestate a garden in a hurry.


+1 
Happened to me 2 years in a row. Last year it had a stomach full of summer squash blossoms. The one 2 years ago came in a little later and ate almost all of my post blossom winter squash.


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## Murray in ME (May 10, 2002)

tamarackreg said:


> +1
> Happened to me 2 years in a row. Last year it had a stomach full of summer squash blossoms. The one 2 years ago came in a little later and ate almost all of my post blossom winter squash.


Two years ago I lost over 200 broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower plants in just two days. They can destroy a lot of garden in a hurry.


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## JJ Grandits (Nov 10, 2002)

Had one wipe out my garden twice about 12 years ago. My wife said the heck with it and planted the whole thing in flowers. A couple of months later I got laid off and we ended up going into the flower growing business. Been self employed now for 10 years. All because of a woodchuck. Anyhow I'd still shoot the [email protected] thing. A fox or coyoye will get the chuck and a skunk will move into the hole. Your Jack russell will still keep going out there and end up getting sprayed. This will upset your wife and you will spend a period of time with your peaceful karma destroyed and a smelly dog.


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## simplepeace (Oct 29, 2005)

Why not let the dog do what he is bred to do? Let him take on that responsibility and let him work on it all day, every day. 

That should make for a good, calm, Happy, worn-out JR. If he doesn't actually get to it, he might worry it to death . Or... maybe the groundhog will eventually move? I know chances of that aren't good. But a JR is not going to stop.

To tell the truth I wouldn't own a JR if I didn't have a job like that for it! You have one lucky dog there if you can let him go for it. Maybe search hunting terriers + ground hogs and see if you can teach him a thing or two. Some people pay for the situation you have on your property just so their terriers have a training spot / workout.

You could also look up earth dogs / earthdogs and see what you can do to encourage, or train your dog to do more, or less?

Have fun!


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## nitestalker (Jan 13, 2007)

simplepeace said:


> Why not let the dog do what he is bred to do? Let him take on that responsibility and let him work on it all day, every day.
> 
> That should make for a good, calm, Happy, worn-out JR. If he doesn't actually get to it, he might worry it to death . Or... maybe the groundhog will eventually move? I know chances of that aren't good. But a JR is not going to stop.
> 
> ...


Exactly!!! his breed was developed for the hunting of ground vermin. Let'em get it on, u might be surprised on how well he'll take to it. My jagd terriers love **** and groundhog hunting.


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## JJ Grandits (Nov 10, 2002)

It is kind of a shame not to let him go at it. Sort of likr slappin a setter because he points your canary.


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## Homesteader at Heart (Aug 11, 2003)

Groundhog's gotta go.


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## Wis Bang (Feb 20, 2009)

Banannas! I saw a recomendation for using them to get rid of groundhogs in a urban situation. 

Recomended it to my mom who had one under the shed and two holes in the bank between the driveway and the field. 

In a months time she is groundhog free!


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