What is with all the groundhogs?

[cww]

22 mag in my yard, my lot isn’t big or wooded, if one of them is in my yard it is a target and needs to go, immediate neighbors are aware and ok with it

 

[LRNAD90]

You want quiet, can I suggest a 9mm Air rifle?

 

[Phoenix_1295]

We live in the woods surrounded by wildlife. If I’m not going to eat it I don’t hunt it. We really enjoy watching all the animals. Unless they start fvcking shyt up. Then they are done.

We have not had any problems with any of them. An occasional new/young squirrel might be seen considering gnawing on a deck board, but then I spray deck with Repels-All and they don’t bother it anymore. I usually get ahead of them and spray it around the time the young ones start leaving their nests. We enjoy the wildlife. We have had a fawn born on our property each year for the last three years. One time the mother left the fawn under our deck for a day. We frequently have deer bed down within 20-30 feet of the back of our house.

I think the wildlife gets familiar with safe (“sanctuary”) properties.

 

[RRomig]

We have not had any problems with any of them. An occasional new/young squirrel might be seen considering gnawing on a deck board, but then I spray deck with Repels-All and they don’t bother it anymore. I usually get ahead of them and spray it around the time the young ones start leaving their nests. We enjoy the wildlife. We have had a fawn born on our property each year for the last three years. One time the mother left the fawn under our deck for a day. We frequently have deer bed down within 20-30 feet of the back of our house.

I think the wildlife gets familiar with safe (“sanctuary”) properties.

Absolutely
Although I hunt my property occasionally but it’s very low impact so we’ve always had deer in the yard , woods and field. I’ve only had to shoot one ground hog and two coyotes. Deer will domesticate very easily so my only concern is if they totally lose their fear of humans. Hunters I know wouldn’t shoot said deer but there are many that will. At my cabin in western Md a neighbor feeds them and I can all but walk up and pet them. To me they’ve lost their edge and are easy pickings for the wrong hunter. We had a neighbor abuse a crop damage permit
( hunting year round even though plants were protected by a high fence) and it almost wiped out our heard. They still haven’t recovered 100% but now it’s more on the coyotes.

 

[cww]

We have not had any problems with any of them.*

*I think the wildlife gets familiar with safe (“sanctuary”) properties.

Lucky for you. My local animals must be stupid because they can’t seem to learn to stay outta my stuff. I’m not so lucky. Groundhogs cost me a starter, 4x4 capability, and a big hole under the deck. Chipmunks in the engine compartment making nests and chewing on stuff. Squirrels up inside the siding, chewed up the swing set, and digging up stuff. Skunks under shed holding us hostage late evening s and spraying the local dogs when let out to do their business.

 

[4g64loser]

Lucky for you. My local animals must be stupid because they can’t seem to learn to stay outta my stuff. I’m not so lucky. Groundhogs cost me a starter, 4x4 capability, and a big hole under the deck. Chipmunks in the engine compartment making nests and chewing on stuff. Squirrels up inside the siding, chewed up the swing set, and digging up stuff. Skunks under shed holding us hostage late evening s and spraying the local dogs when let out to do their business.

Make sure you headshoot the skunks from a respectable distance.

I have a genset at work that got a LOT of wires chewed. It's going to be a project to rewire. The boss won't let me cap the offending rodents so I think a box trap baited with apple slices and peanut butter may be called for. You should try it. Then either shoot the little bastards in the trap or drown them.

 

[cww]

The skunks were handled but it took a while. Tried some of the non-lethal internet and professional advice - noise, moth balls, rags soaked in alcohol, barriers-but they refused to cooperate for two weeks. Got a call one night, an hour after dark, from a neighbor asking if I was outside shooting a lot!!!! Nope not me, so I went out to investigate. Another neighbor was out there on his 3 acres (non-hunter) going through a 25 round mag in a S&W M&P22 in one hand and a flash light in the other. It was hilarious to watch but not very affective, lots of dirt flying. My flashlight revealed 7 sets of eyes. I informed him that hunting season was in and I had a better suited solution. Needless to say three left the area by the next day, 4 did not! Smell ain’t so bad as long as it isn’t on you!

 

[4g64loser]

The skunks were handled but it took a while. Tried some of the non-lethal internet and professional advice - noise, moth balls, rags soaked in alcohol, barriers-but they refused to cooperate for two weeks. Got a call one night, an hour after dark, from a neighbor asking if I was outside shooting a lot!!!! Nope not me, so I went out to investigate. Another neighbor was out there on his 3 acres (non-hunter) going through a 25 round mag in a S&W M&P22 in one hand and a flash light in the other. It was hilarious to watch but not very affective, lots of dirt flying. My flashlight revealed 7 sets of eyes. I informed him that hunting season was in and I had a better suited solution. Needless to say three left the area by the next day, 4 did not! Smell ain’t so bad as long as it isn’t on you!

That's why you do em from a respectable distance.

 

[N3uka]

Went to let my pup out yesterday. Luckily I looked out the window first. Had a big sucker a few feet from my back door just chilling. Corner lot in College Park so couldn't do anything but bang on door to get him to run away. Not sure what would have happened if he and my lab tangled.