I have a ground hog in my backyard ...?

Question

my kids and i loved seeing it everyday at first... when it's home was in the shrubs behind my house... but now it has been digging under my deck and it has gotten too close to my screen door and i'm worried it'll get close to my kids..how can i shoo it a way without hurting it?

Answer 1

Groundhogs are shy critters.  I had one burrow under the front stoop.  It lived there for one season and never showed itself when we were coming and going.  It certainly came out to eat my Petunias, though!    ha ha

If you want the groundhog gone from your property you will need to trap and relocate it.  Groundhogs are territorial and will return to their burrow if not moved a good distance.  Once removed, fill in and seal off its' burrow.  Otherwise, you are inviting any other local groundhogs to move in to the vacant burrow.  Check with your local animal shelter to see if they loan out animal traps.  Ours does.  If not, you can order Havahart traps online or buy them at stores like Tractor Supply and Southern States.

Answer 2

good luck. groundhogs can be quite viscious so i would suggest either trapping it and relocating far away or killing it. have you ever heard a clicking sound coming from the ground hog? when you hear that it is standing its ground so shooing it away isnt going to work.

you could try putting fruits and veggies on the other end of the yard or where you used to see the groundhog on a daily basis to keep it away from the house but i would recommend getting it away from there altogether. if i remember correctly groundhogs dont eat meat and that is why i suggested fruits and veggies.

you could also kill it and cook it up....lol..just a thought because i know plenty of people who love groundhog meat saying it is tender.

probably be best to either kill or relocate it as they can be very nasty if they feel threatened and NEVER should your kids be allowed to appoach it