Have you tried those little plastic windmills? I haven't, but I hear burrowers don't like them.

The only thing I've had luck with is using a road side flare! I saw this on the internet and tried it. Don't do it near the shed. Find one of his holes, light the flare, and push it all the way in. Cover the end of the hole with something that won't burn, maybe a piece of metal. The flare will burn 15 minutes and the smoke seems to either kill or frighten them away.

That sounds cruel. Do you think a strong odor would be as effective as smoke?

Those Flares are such a hazard they should be banned, which may be why I don't see them for sale around here and only find them on the internet, besides they will not chase off a groundhog or much of anything else although they may set the organic matter in your soil burning which could burn for years. Some goof down the road cleared a large tract and piled the removed trees (destroyed the habitat of Indigo Buntings doing that) up and tossed a Flare on the ground to get that pile of wood burning and that flare caused the organic matter (a bog) to burn for some years and it was kind of interesting to drive by on a snowy winters day and see that field barren of snow while it piled up everywhere else.
Your best option is to contact a wildlife removal specialist to live trap this bugger, something you could do if you had someplace to go with it and the necesary license to move wildlife. In most states transporting wildlife without a license is illegal.

Today we removed some of the rocks around the shed's bottom and discovered a hole that seemed to go straight down. it's pretty hard to see under there, but there wasn't a lot of dirt piled up so we dont' think it could be much of a tunnel yet. We also have thoroughly checked within a 50 feet radius of the shed and are sure there is no other entrance.

We tried putting a hose down the hole and running it for quite a while. Didn't see any water come out anywhere, but no groundhog either. We threw a bunch of mothballs and some dog droppings under the shed, but I think since the hog has nowhere to go but out into the fenced garden he is staying entrenched.

I think your suggestion of a professional exterminator is unfortunately our next step. Hopefully they guarantee success? If his quote is too high we might try fencing the hog *in* by fencing all around the shed's bottom first.

I have some nice 'lopes and watermelons not to mention alot of okra (which the hog appears to enjoy also) still in that garden and I don't want to lose them all. Already I am unable to plant fall stuff lest it just be nipped off as it comes up and I don't want to waste my seed and labor.

It is illegal here to move trapped wildlife although recently my kids saw someone letting a groundhog go in a local park. Off the record, animal control officers have hinted that you can move a trapped pest yourself, but that may be because it's a pain for them to repeatedly come out and pick them up. There are times when we catch 'coons night after night (we have chickens). One officer said something about "go about a mile" which I guess would help avoid the danger of moving rabies all over the county.

I think it is unlikely that a homeowner would be prosecuted, but we always call animal control to pick up our trapped animals. AC destroys them. Letting a pest go would violate the golden rule by giving someone else our problem. Suburbanites tend to think it's ok to drop off unwanted dogs, cats and wild animals in rural areas where they will supposedly be less likely to bother anyone. But we country farm folks don't appreciate having our fields, gardens and livestock threatened.

Keep in mind that burrowing animals learned long ago about what to do in the event their burrow is flooded so your trying to fill it with water is pretty much an exercise in futility.
Using moth balls in any manner not specifically listed on the lable is illegal, a violation of federal law, and the active ingrediants in moth balls are classified as class 1 carcinogens. Putting moth balls down a burrowing animals barrow or just spreading them around the garden is not one of the listed, acceptable, uses of that product.

Put mothballs in the hole and add laundry bleach. Make sure you cover the hole right away. The chlorine gas will kill you new found friend. Make sure you have everything ready to cover the hole as the gas will kill you if inhaled.

Today we removed some of the rocks around the shed's bottom and discovered a hole that seemed to go straight down. it's pretty hard to see under there, but there wasn't a lot of dirt piled up so we dont' think it could be much of a tunnel yet. We also have thoroughly checked within a 50 feet radius of the shed and are sure there is no other entrance.

We tried putting a hose down the hole and running it for quite a while. Didn't see any water come out anywhere, but no groundhog either. We threw a bunch of mothballs and some dog droppings under the shed, but I think since the hog has nowhere to go but out into the fenced garden he is staying entrenched.

I think your suggestion of a professional exterminator is unfortunately our next step. Hopefully they guarantee success? If his quote is too high we might try fencing the hog *in* by fencing all around the shed's bottom first.

I have some nice 'lopes and watermelons not to mention alot of okra (which the hog appears to enjoy also) still in that garden and I don't want to lose them all. Already I am unable to plant fall stuff lest it just be nipped off as it comes up and I don't want to waste my seed and labor.

It is illegal here to move trapped wildlife although recently my kids saw someone letting a groundhog go in a local park. Off the record, animal control officers have hinted that you can move a trapped pest yourself, but that may be because it's a pain for them to repeatedly come out and pick them up. There are times when we catch 'coons night after night (we have chickens). One officer said something about "go about a mile" which I guess would help avoid the danger of moving rabies all over the county.

I think it is unlikely that a homeowner would be prosecuted, but we always call animal control to pick up our trapped animals. AC destroys them. Letting a pest go would violate the golden rule by giving someone else our problem. Suburbanites tend to think it's ok to drop off unwanted dogs, cats and wild animals in rural areas where they will supposedly be less likely to bother anyone. But we country farm folks don't appreciate having our fields, gardens and livestock threatened.

petzold, you've GOT to be kidding!!

NO! All the old timers out here use this method. Granted it is very dangerous but it works.