Thanks! My groundhogs tend to come around between 6:30-8:30a, and then in the afternoon, from 1:30-3:30p. I put the bait out this afternoon, but didn’t catch anything. I’ll close the trap this evening, as I don’t want to catch any raccoons or skunks, and set my alarm at 6a to go bait the trap for ”breakfast”.

Even though the lots are large. I live in a neighborhood and hunting isn’t allowed in my township. Or I swear I would be waiting for the beasties with a weapon in hand.

Actually, that's exactly what I see written. That groundhogs eat early in the morning and then in the mid-afternoon. Knowing that, you could time your trap more smartly, perhaps.

Groundhogs in my area like Brassicas, like cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage. They always attack those plants. I've seen them trapped with bait like cauliflower and broccoli stems, and they liked carrots.

Groundhogs seem smart but rude, but I don't think they have good eyesight. Probably attracted by scents.

Groundhogs love cantaloupe. If you bait a trap with cantaloupe you should be able to catch it.

Thanks, I already tried cantaloupe this past afternoon; unfortunately the chipmunks love it too and stole all the bait from the trap.

I think i’ll try broccoii tomorrow morning and hope the chipmunks will leave it alone. I also read hard boiled eggs will sometimes work. Getting discouraged reading past posts about getting rid of groundhogs! i had no idea they were such crafty, persistent little creatures.

I think groundhogs are about the most difficult of all varmints to catch in a box trap. I've never been able to do it. You might try hiding/covering the trap with hay except of course the opening. And use the most appealing food you can find. You'll have to change the food often--ants will get into it and the heat will make it unappealing.

I use sweet potatoes as bait for GHs here. I'd slice a thin piece of SP (like a potato chip) and place it at the trap entrance. Then place a larger piece of SP inside the trap just past the trigger plate.

In general, that's a smart strategy, putting the bait beyond the trigger plate. Many people start out putting bait ON the trigger plate, but it is easy to get that bait without springing the trap. In my small Havahart, I actually block off one end of the trap, to force the animals to step on the trigger plate in order to get the bait. In my large one, I just put bait on both sides of the trigger plate. That doesn't work quite as well.

For Big critters like GHs I found this trap below for $20 at a thrift store, they can be rather pricy (>$50 new). I use the smaller 2 ended opening traps for squirrels where I installed a screw through the trip plate. I'll attach the bait to the screw so the squirrel will have to tug at the bait and trigger the trap more easily.

The trap i purchased from Home Depot looks very similar!

No luck so far. But no further damage to my garden this morning either. But I know they’ll be back, they never stay away for very long. :-(

That's a Havahart Large 1-door. Squirrels aren't heavy enough to trip it reliably, but they're great for larger beasts.

If the garden is fenced (mine are) the ground hogs will dig an entrance hole. Placing the live trap just inside the entrance hole, covered with hay & baited with dried apricot, has been very effective for me... I usually catch them within 1-2 days. Fortunately for me, there does not seem to be a large population near me, so I only get a ground hog every 5 years or so.

If the trap is outside the fence, no telling what you will catch. It may be necessary to use fencing, to exclude other animals & direct the ground hogs to the trap.

But from the description, it almost sounds like chipmunks (ground squirrels) are a problem too. Those can be very difficult to catch. Chipmunks are a serious problem if growing peas, or any kind of bean for seed. They 'harvested' nearly an entire crop of soybeans last year, before I caught one in a rat trap.

Can you build a fence?

Lead works very well for me. A single shot now and then from a 22 cal. shouldn't startle the neighbors too much. A high powered rifle probably would but a 22 could be easily mistaken for a nail gun. I live in a neighborhood of 3-6 acre properties where firearm hunting is not allowed and probably shoot 4-5 whistle pigs and year. Nobody has ever said anything or complained.

Oh man, I would love to shoot them. My late father left me all his guns, and I know how to use them. Alas, I do not have the makings of a scofflaw, at least to that extent. I do have a pellet gun, I wonder if that would work?

My garden is fenced with 3ft high decorative fencing. I could put the cage inside, but my dogs might get inadvertently trapped! Right now I have it positioned where I think they are entering - next to a yew they are climbing to get over the fence. Baited it with broccoli this morning, but no activity has been seen thus far.

And yes, I have a huge chipmunk problem, they are everywhere!! My neighbor also uses rat traps, but I have so many I’ve been considering giving them the 5 gallon Home Depot bucket pool of death treatment. The thought makes me feel bad, though, so I haven’t done anything yet.

I've always felt that we humans are the ones who have taken over the wildlife's territory. I believe in out-smarting them. We live in the woods and have lots of challenges with animals. Finally, a couple years ago, In the garden, we put up a 4' tall fence with a foot of 1" chicken wire lining the bottom........and the most important thing was to add an electric wire around it with a solar charger. So far, so good. And I know of people who have had to bury some fencing around the outside of the fence, to keep groundhogs from digging under the fence. Some people can just kill without a thought............I'm not one of those people. Yes, it's a lot of work. I've planted hundred of trees around here and always have to put fences around them until they are larger, to protect them from deer. It's just what I want to do........but others do differently.

Thanks, I’ll look into a solar powered electric wire, just worried about my dogs, I’d have to do some research first.

Instead of burying fencing, I pounded 12” landscaping staples into the ground every two inches around the perimeter of the existing fence. I know they’re not digging underneath any longer, they’re climbing over.

We have heavy deer pressure as well and have fenced off dozens of newly planted trees also. I admit, though, if I ever move to an area with more lenient fencing ordinances, an 8ft deer fence is going around my entire property. I’m done with the wildlife. I live near miles and miles of parks and forested land…there’s plenty of room for the wildlife to roam and forage for food, they don’t need to come to my house to do it.

apple.

Well, I didn’t catch any groundhogs. On the plus side, the simple act of placing the cage near the location I thought they were entering my garden seems to have deterred them? is that possible? I haven’t seen a groundhog in over a week…it’s so weird!