WOODCHUCK BAIT

I have a woodchuck problem in the garden. Yesterday I was at an auction and bought a HavaHart trap. What is the best bait to lure the little bugger to his doom?

I use peanut butter.

Don't know if I was doing something wrong, but I had no luck at all with live traps. Leg holds in the garden and conibears or leg holds at their dens at both the main entrance and the secondary hole.

Would be interested to know if you do have any success with live traps.

I don't know about in the garden but in the shed I put bales around and on top of the cage leaving the door accessible, and baited with dry cat food. In the shed it's what they were after. Caught a few cats but never the same one twice. Then I started catching woodchuck and coon.

I have great luck with fresh fruit like mush melon.

Ripe or over ripe banana, but you may have to be really coy about bait placement, I think the instructions are to put it under the center of trap, but this was an old style but that brand with the center plate that you balance,when disturbed it sets it off. All of them got wise to it here, though I have caught them previously with that trap, last year, it just would not work, other animals set it off, + hair trigger, really had to fuss to set it, funny how it worked fine, then didn't.

They over ran me last year, some were dispatched, others I used a leg grab trap, but was nearby, and could here it go off, I saved 2 that way, as I have handled them over the years, probably had sore legs, but I did my best to be fair when I could. I see victor has soft grab leg hold traps, not sure if they work well but will try them if they come back. Already had one on my front porch. When handling these, its best to wear thick gloves to the elbow, fire place gloves work for me. One fluid motion to the back of the neck, pin to the ground and or hold firmly, they will submit. Might not be for everyone. When I was a kid, I had a knack for getting in between them and their hole in tall grass, and could have them come right to me by flanking them and making a disturbance near them with a rock or stick, they'll freeze and that's when you pounce. Caught the same one 3x one year. Once free of the trap, I use a steel garbage can with some bedding in it, and a lid, they will pea and leave droppings because of fright sometimes. I then transport to an abandoned field a few miles away. One time I went about 3/4 mile on our land, with one, painted the tail orange, and sure enough he came back through all the vegetation! Its easier to shoot them, most will do that, and I've had no choice do to it like was done last year. When they over run this place its terrible, just can't keep up with them, nor can the neighbors, who both dispatched 2 or 3 each. A dog would keep em out, but I don't have time for one here, and there's a busy road nearby.

Leg grab traps are highly effective near a den if you narrow their path with 2x4's to it and hide it under dirt. One thing is for sure, stay on them, they will take over in a season or 2.

Billy NY- If you are concerned about hurting their leg with a foothold trap and are thinking about buying 'soft grab leg hold traps", then just get some 12 gauge soild copper wire and wrap around each jaw of the foothold traps you now use.

It will serve the same purpose as a soft grab leg hold trap and no damage to the varmints leg.

Apple is another favorite. Woodchucks will climb apple trees to get the fruit--I've shot a few out of trees over the years.

I have good luck using over ripe strawberries, A couple cut in half in the very front of the trap seams to work real good to catch them. Bandit

I have been wondering lately if "lead poisoning " is contagious. Last year they were getting annoying so I went on the offensive and got three of them This year I haven't seen a one. I took a walk around checking where they have had holes every year, and there is no sign of occupation.

Not sure, but a Shindawa #37 rod and reel set -up could work.

I use a 22 mag. Gets them almost every time

.22 Hornet works well too. Don't ask how I know.

Conibear at the den hole. Went out one day with AR for possible long shot, ended up needing to shoot one 20' away! That never happened before. Had to dial my scope wayyyy back

I usually use the 22 magnum but the neighbors next door don't like the noise and NY rules say I can't use it within 500feet of a residence. I could use the 22cal Gamo air rifle but my wife wants me to get busy and finish ripping out the chimney. I will use it to dispatch one when he or she is in the trap. I tried throwing the trap with a squirrel in it into the rain barrel but it escaped and never came back. If I use the Gamo, it won't damage the trap, kinda like shooting fish in a barrel.

Apples.

I can't for any reason understand why anyone would live trap a groundhog, and even more disdain for someone that would transport one to an "abandoned" field and release them! That's what I call hatred of farmers. Ask any farmer if he wants your rodents released on his property.

larrystn- I agree with you. I only posted this option because Billy in NY posted that he may buy new traps that don't harm the varmints.

This is what I use to trap fur bearers (Bobcat, Coyote, Mink, River Otter, etc.) to sell their hides to taxidermists that don't want any damage to the fur caused by the trap.

I was just trying to offer him a cost saving suggestion that may meet his desires.

I've used marshmallows & they seem to work good for bait. Also put a couple handfuls of wrapped bubble gum down hole & the groundhogs seem to disappear. They get the gum out of the wrappers & eat it.

I have used a number of thing including just setting the trap so it sees cabbage behind it and they just walk in the trap trying to get to the cabbage. They do make a good BBQ by the way if done right

If your trap has doors on both ends, leave one closed and set the fruit near that end- a big chuck can back out if the door hits them on the backside- this way they go farther in to get the bait.

I still want to set up a super snare using a garage door spring to catch that one pesky rascal that is holed up near the neighbor's house in my hay field...

I don't get that. Why shoot the fish? You already have them in the barrel. They aren't going anywhere.

Put a few chunks of musk mellon on the ground and place havahart over them. Chuck will go crazy trying to get to it. Will surely trip trap. You figure out how to go from there.

I have used conibear traps but grandpa used to run a pipe from the tractor exhaust into the hole and plug all the holes with rags.

They are very savvy, learn fast. Once in a trap, unlikely to be fooled again.
Don't take them 2 miles away and dump them.....they will return.

What a nuisance they are, tough to get rid of.

Tractor exhaust in the hole seems to have worked best for me.

as a person that used equipment in field inhabited by chuck kill them any way you can they are a danger to you , equipment , and your animal that might break a leg in their holes, we used to pour gas down hole wait 5 minutes for vapors to settle in low throw match to it,, Know where (holes) are first!!!!

Offset traps work even better with the gap between the jaws the foot is able to swell up and then it can't be pulled out plus it still has feeling so they won't chew it off.

Your missing something here, I asked permission, that would be quite rude if it were not. The fields were in hay years ago, but are in limbo, development pressure, so it works out. I've dispatched more of them than I'd like to remember, its more work and risk, but at the end of the day its a good feeling to know you were fair and were able to give em a chance where there is no harm done. We have a strong population of them around here, you'll never get rid of them all that is for sure, sometimes too many (and I hate being the one to make the decision but...) and the population has to be culled.

2 traps I have are old, but I never thought you could modify one of these, sounds like it provides some relief from the spring and dampens the pressure of the jaws. I cannot consciously allow an animal to suffer, and really try to make sure that never happens.

The only times I have to use these is when they get under the wood shed or the front porch, the latter of which is to get a skirt of hardware cloth to keep em out.

Boy did they all get wise to the havahart, even stole the bait at times, I had to laugh, they are not stupid, rather quite intelligent.

One of the last times I had one under the wood shed, I harassed the heck out of this family of 3, they were not able to dig in and build a den because of it. I set up a funnel with 2x4's and buried the trap. The spring was weak and its hind leg was slipping as he dug in with the front to try and stop me from dragging him out, time for some new ones anyway.

I'd set the trap and go where I could not be seen, got 2 or 3 while in ear shot, but on different days. I'd rush over, pin him down and get him off the trap as humanely as possible. I've seen the results of a poorly placed bullet too, that's rotten in my book and often times you just cannot get a shot at them. I nailed 3 last year, all head shots, closer range where I happened to be at the right place at the right time, or I could quietly open a door and poke the barrel out with a good rest, very close range. So its combination of the 2 that I must use, for me it balances out if I can take some live and be fair.

I've also changed the blades on a late model JD disc mower, due to their mounds, of course once known, I would remember where, 2nd cut the taller grasses left behind from going around is a good marker. If were my fields, I'd try to get rid of them or at leas stake off the dens, usually one or 2 per field. They seem to like to be closer to hedgerows for the most part.

I had one as a pet and the experience was something I'll never forget, he free roamed around here for 8 years, I'd look forward to seeing him every time, they are territorial and this guy was king of this hill, literally fought with others who tried to move in, was missing a finger and thats how I knew it was him year after year. This happened right after I had to put down the best dog I've ever had one Sunday afternoon. It made me realize all is not lost, helped me cope with something that was terrible given how it went at the end of his life. I'll share a photo, have posted it before, he could put a smile on the face of the worst grouch ! He brought the wife and one pup around, neither liked me at all. He also tried to take a broom under the porch, I had to tug on it to get it back. I've never seen anything like him before or since.Funny chapter in my life, me and the woodchuck I named woody. Hence my soft spot for em. Before, I'd dispatch every single one I could, + we had horses in pastures, and that is a bad combination unless the den is isolated somehow.
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I don't think I've ever seen one, seems I need to use these when nothing else will work, can't get a shot or they get wise to a havahart.

Greg much appreciated, the advice, I'm no experienced trapper. It use to be popular and paid well, lot of people used to run trap lines in marshes around here, in the 70's, non existent now. One trapper I knew as a kid still does taxidermy today, he's really good at it, he ran trap lines all around here for years.

My groundhogs got a reprieve from the governor. Being they ate every dandelion in my lawn they get to live longer.Never noticed them eating those before.

I just use dogfood, works good for me.

Make sure your leg hold traps are on the large side, so they grab the shoulder or ham. I had one chuck who drove me crazy. He just dug a new enterance instead of going through the conibear. So I took every stinkin' leg hold I had and laid them all over the place in front of his den. Next morning I had him.

there is an ideal size, I used what I had, but would like the right size, I don't like having to use these, but some situations are just fine, boy can they be hard to deal with at times, can't get a shot, get wise to the live trap. I prefer to set them when I know they are active, I'm here and can respond to it. I had one die in the heat while the front leg was held, I was here but did not get to him quick enough, did my best. The one site I was looking at had 5" from jaw to jaw when open, looked about right, but a trapper would know best given what they do, to protect the hide and dispatch them humanely and without wrecking the hide.

Celery.

(quoted from post at 21:15:16 05/10/15) I can't for any reason understand why anyone would live trap a groundhog, and even more disdain for someone that would transport one to an "abandoned" field and release them! That's what I call hatred of farmers. Ask any farmer if he wants your rodents released on his property.

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Not to mention, its usually illegal and its always immoral. Its a bad way to check out of this world to be dumped into a new area, no idea where to get food, water or shelter (ya, animals need all that too, not just humans). Its usually a slow, painful death. Sad, really.

They do it naturally, the bottom of this hill is loaded with dens, I cannot keep up with them. When those pups are of age, they get the boot and then here and all the neighbors end up with new dens and populations. If I could get around to some of those dens, maybe I'd be able to keep em back. Dogs latch onto them and rip/shake em til dead, maybe the neck breaks quickly. I did ask permission to release, fields are likely to never be used again, no houses nearby them either. Those things are resilient, can climb trees if in danger and will wait until its clear, with so much vegetation here, and being its summer with plenty for all critters, I can't believe every single one will meet that fate. Lush vegetation, and lots of streams. The young are forced to do it, same as beaver,(those are also a pain around here) and it happens ever year right in front of me, they all come to the top of this hill and then I've got leg breaker holes in no time, literally in a few hours there's a new den near posts of my shed, in embankments, the back stairs, undermining things etc. One literally moved inside the fence of my upper garden. I don't have a hatred of them, but they are darned frustrating as heck sometimes. If the state says we can't release them, then I guess the .22 WMR will get a work out this year. I don't disagree, just tried to be fair and do what I could to make it so. There was never so many when the fields were all in use, scant few of them, now theres way too much habitat.

My grandpa swears by watermelon.

T in NE:

The fish are Piranha, so you really DON'T want to stick your hand in there to grab one. LOL

:>)