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I agree 100% with Glennster about the body traps. They work great for groundhogs, and unlike poison bait or those gas bombs (gopher-gassers) you put in the burrow and light off, there are no ill side-effects and you know when you have been successful. I used to use a 16-gauge shotgun on groundhogs, but the trouble with that is you need to keep a close eye out for them, and they're not always so foolish as to be in plain sight. Also, you may not be able to get a clear shot, if there's a house or a road nearby. I have what looks like a #110 (4"x4" jaw spread) trap that I found down in the barn a couple of years ago. (Only has spring on one side of the trap.) There is a chain on one end so you can nail it into a stake so it won't get dragged off, but I use a little extra chain (like old tire chains that were laying around) and attached a retired flail from the Bush-hog. Heavy enough so it won't go far. When the trap is set, the trigger is a small fork that juts into the square opening. I place the trap over the burrow hole and sprinkle a few stems of fresh hay and/or weeds over it. Just a few, as I believe the groundhog needds to be able to see through it somewhat. When the groundhog pokes his head up through the opening (or tries to rush down into his hole, either way works equally well), the trap is sprung in an instant and comes down across the neck or chest and also across the hindquarters. It is a quick finish. Most of the ones I have trapped move little, if at all. (I hate to see things thrash.) If you have serious groundhog problems, buy a half-dozen of the traps. They are well worth the money.
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