A Groundhog caught in a cage trap.


Go back to the main photograph page or the home page.

Let’s Celebrate Groundhog Day - Every time I look at this picture, I can’t help but say ‘awwww’. This is one adorable groundhog and I cannot take the credit for catching it since it was caught by Bruce, a friend of mine currently living in Massachusetts. He asked for my advice first since this groundhog was digging up his garden and killing his precious plants, but ended up trapping it on his own after I pulled a prank on him. Ultimately, he searched online and found a site that explained how to catch a groundhog.

When I was a budding animal trapper, I was an apprentice with a guy who would use lethal traps whenever he got called for groundhog trapping. In fact, there are many animal removal experts who do the same in order to exterminate these animals once and for all. I have always been skeptical about using lethal traps because I do not want to kill the poor animals. I prefer catching them through live trapping and releasing them in the wild later on. For catching an animal the size of a groundhog, you need a big metal size, usually with dimensions of 10’’x12’’x32’’. This is the size Bruce also used. I recommend the Havahart brand as it is sturdier than others.

To make the trap more effective, you have to set it up with bait like corn or broccoli. Next, the trap has to be set up either on the mouth of the burrow the groundhog has created, as chances are that it will use the same path again. Alternatively, you can set the trap on the groundhog path and ensure that the groundhog walks directly into it by adding barriers on either side. The barriers could be made out easily with wooden planks.

This is the simplest way of explaining it, although the process is not that simple. I would still suggest hiring a professional to do the job for you.