Trapping Groundhogs / Woodchucks

We are often asked, “What is the best and easiest way to catch a groundhog?”

We almost always answer by stating that successful groundhog trapping is best accomplished by putting the right trap in the right place.

Easy to say…but what exactly do we mean by that? That’s what we intend to show with the video, pictures and descriptions in this post. We’ll describe both the right trap and the right place.

The Right Trap for Woodchucks

There are a number of styles of traps with which to trap groundhogs; all of which can be effective.

That said, here is a picture of the style of trap we use in most instances.

This is a two door, spring loaded, hanging-wire-triggered trap.

We believe it is the right trap because:

It has two doors. This is important so that when it is placed in the groundhog’s travel path (see right place below) it allows the groundhog to look through it and allows entry no matter the direction of travel.
The doors are spring loaded. When the trigger goes off these doors close quickly and powerfully. A good, fast mechanism helps ensure a catch and keeps the animal in.
Hanging wire trigger. Bendable wire hangs in the trap and when it is moved by the animal trying to brush past, the trap fires. Animals don’t have to step directly on a floor pan as some traps require. We believe most animals are more conscious about what they put their feet on versus what their sides brush up against. Most groundhogs brush past grass and sticks all the time as they travel.

We generally don’t use bait to attract woodchucks to traps. Some people do, but we don’t believe it is as efficient as trapping travel paths.

The Right Place for Groundhog Traps

The right place to trap a groundhog (especially with this style of trap) is directly in its path of travel.

Therefore, one of the best places to trap a groundhog is right where it goes in or out of a hole.

Hole entrances (like the one shown to the right by this shed) are often obvious and well defined paths of travel.

And, if a groundhog is really using that hole, it will be captured quickly.

Setting the traps described above will catch any groundhogs coming or going from under this structure in short order as long as any other entrances are covered with traps as well.

This method even work great in an open space, right on a groundhog’s entrance hole. An example of this is pictured to the left.

Setting the trap in place and using some extra wire to block things off gives the woodchuck only one way in or out: right through the trap.

Other great places for traps are other well defined travel paths like right along a fence or, better yet, where a groundhog consistently crawls under a fence.

Putting It Together : Groundhog Capture Video

To help visualize the right trap and the right place take a look at this video.

Ryan actually showed to check a job and found a groundhog out in a yard. Knowing he had a trap set by the shed, he wanted to get it running.

The groundhog runs through the trap and the trap is plenty fast enough to catch it. The other entrance was covered as well so there was no doubt the woodchuck would be captured in this instance.

Canton, Akron, Kent Area Groundhog Removal

Successful groundhog trapping is all about putting the right trap in the right spot.

If you get these two pieces of the puzzle right and the groundhog is actively using the area, groundhog removal is quickly accomplished.

We encourage you to give it a try yourself or call a professional nuisance wild animal control operator in your area if you need help.

In the greater Akron, Canton, Kent, OH area, we offer experienced and efficient removal of groundhogs/woodchucks for homeowners and business owners alike.