Goodbye, Groundhogs

Image Gallery PHOTO BY ROBERT W. HINES, COURTESY OF THE U.S. FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE

A woodchuck can wreak havoc with your garden... if you don't know how to stop the critter!

by LOUISE K. DOOLEY

Sooner or later, most every farmer or homesteader runs smack up against the problem of one or more marauding groundhogs, The burrowing busybodies may only weigh 5 to 12 pounds, but—once they've found you—these unstuffable greens lovers can carve their way through your vegetable garden, your hay field ... and even your flowerbed!

And—as if that's not enough devilment—the energetic rascals (scientists call 'ern Marmota monax down east and Marmota flaviventris out west, but the locals call 'em woodchucks, rockchucks, marmots ... or just plain trouble) dig billions of pounds of dirt a year! A cow, a horse—or even a human—can easily break a leg in one of their steep den entrances. Heck, tractors have been known to overturn in collapsed burrows.

Of course, groundhogs aren't all bad. They do aerate the soil, provide dens for other wildlife, and—come February—signal the end of winter. But when a family of the earth sheltered squatters decides to belly up to your butterbeans ... you have to do something about it.

GIVE A GROUNDHOG A GARDEN

Now there're A sorts of ways to deal with a problem chuck ... and the most considerate of these would be to simply plant the critter a garden of its own. Just find the ground-grubber's burrow holes (a den may have as many as five) and sow some nearby crops of those woodchuck favorites, alfalfa and clover. This cooperative approach won't keep the mining marmot from digging more holes (and I can't even swear he'll stick to his greens and stay out of yours) but—for folks who're opposed to sterner measures—it's certainly worth a try.

TAKE A WOODCHUCK TO LUNCH (SOMEWHERE ELSE)

Some folks transport their groundhog problems away. This isn't as big a moving job as it may seem, because the territory-minded rooters either live in one-family units, or bunk alone and "batch it". So, if you can capture your current landmates, drive them away to wilderness country, and then plug their vacant holes (to keep any home-seeking "buck" chucks from moving right in) . . . your troubles may be over.

The best way to capture the mammals is to use a live animal trap. [EDITOR'S NOTE: The Havahart people—at 119—J Water Street, Ossining, New York 10562-make a darn good "catcher". Or you might read "This Humane Trap Can Guard Your Vegetable Patch!" in MOTHER NO. 52, page 153 and build your own!] Such devices won't harm the marmot ... or any innocent critters who stray in. Simply bait the cage with vegetables (use all the tricks you can think of to keep your "giveaway" human scent off the trap), then set it in a likely spot and wait for results. One more tip: When you finally re lease the furry felon, keep your mitts away from its teeth!