68 American Shooting Journal // August 2019
for that reason.
The animals often dig a separate
hibernation burrow, for they will
hibernate from three to seven
months, depending on the severity
of the winters at that location.
Obviously there’s no hunting then.
Most people are surprised to find
that groundhogs are good swimmers
and tree climbers when pursued or
when they just feel like it. You may
find them up in apple trees after the
apples, or out in the field or in the
garden. Wherever crops are, they are
at one time or another.
They are also aggressive defenders
of their burrows, using their long
incisors and claws to good effect.
While they might appear cute and
cuddly, their aggressiveness makes
them poor pets. If you think a pet
squirrel can put the hurt on you fast,
you ain’t seen nuttin’ yet! Remember,
these things get up to 13 pounds or
more and their incisors and claws put
a squirrel’s to shame!A LOT OF FARMERS really hategroundhogs and may welcome careful
hunters. Care is necessary because
the quarry is often found in extremely
close proximity to buildings, people
and livestock. You have to know where
your bullet is going after it hits the
target in many cases.
Groundhogs excavate about 6 cubic
feet of dirt for each of their dens and
they like to put them next to buildings.
Taking 6 cubic feet of dirt out from
beneath the foundation at a time is a
very bad thing. Once under a house
they can gnaw everything in sight,
from heating pipes to screen vents,
which they may take out to have more
exits for themselves and allow entry for
their guests, rats and mice. Coming up
inside a corn rib or feed stall in a barn
is common and rats and mice quickly
follow, as a woodchuck hole is like the
Holland Tunnel for rats and mice.
Of course being vegetarians they
love crops and gardens and can make a
huge dent in the harvest. That’s as bad
as it gets for a farmer. Their holes are
a serious threat to cattle and horses.
Having to put down expensive livestockbecause of broken legs is a nightmare
event. Those holes and the excavations
under them can also pitch a tractor
over if the dirt gives way under it when
on a slope, a rare but potentially fatal
occurrence. These burrows are not as
deep as you might imagine, with one
study finding the deepest point to be
49 inches, with the burrow extending
up to 30 feet with side chambers that
may be from 14 inches high and 16
inches long and only 20 to 36 inches
below ground. All these reasons
ensure that the groundhog will never
be held in fond terms by farmers.
Anytime you can endear yourself to a
farmer by removing pests as safely and
unobtrusively as possible, you greatly
increase your chances of them letting
you hunt other game on their land.
However, don’t be put out if they do
not, as many farmers regard the game
on their land as their own private food
source and consider letting others hunt
it as the same as taking food out of
their children’s mouths. City folk don’t
always seem to grasp the realities of
rural living.775-253-1264 • 916-708-2051 • [email protected]
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