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I saw a grounnd hog in the area of my garden yesterday. None of
my plants have been touched. Should I smoke him or let him be.
There a lot of grass around for him to eat.
The problem with them is you won't notice your plants are dying until they fall over. I have rodents that killed a 30 foot Aspen in my yard. I put my hand on it to steady myself and Timber it fell over. I had tomato plants that just fell over with after the root system was gone. They will find the root system and instead of you having Vegies they have an underground Buffet. We are going to try the Straw Bale method this year. I have heard the rodents won't go up into the bales of straw.
I trapped and released about a dozen possums, 4 squirrels, and a rat last year. I shot about as many, and this is in a somewhat dense suburban setting. They have it in their DNA that my tomato patch is easy food. I'm taking a year or two off to try to break their instincts. Keep shooting!
Unfortunately shooting firearms are banned in my town. I use the have-a-hart traps. Unfortunately for raccoons and ground-hogs they don't swim well in the cages.
My parents live in the country and Dad caught a guy dropping off raccoons he had caught in town, the guy didn't understand why anybody would be upset. Dad has fought the raccoons for years because they get into the feed for the cattle.
Coons are in to everything...and hard on any and all eggs...
But back to OP. I have never eaten groundhog and have always wanted to try it. Young ones are out now. I have heard they are quite tastey. Premium grass fed whistle pig
When you're lowering the cage into the water, don't be swayed when he starts spouting off about the weather and how many weeks until Spring, however shooting is probably more humane.
I had a family move into my alfalfa field....I couldn't have imagined how much they ate until a section of the field was bald........20 ga with #4's and 2 weeks later the 9 family members were gone.....
I suppose they would have been pretty good eatin' after grazin' on alfalfa......I can't bring myself to eat a rodent, not that hungry I guess.....
If you are in the neighborhood there are plenty of 'em to eat here...stop by and fill your freezer............