Catching a groundhog can be especially difficult for beginners that don’t have any knowledge on how to deal with this animal. So, the best option is always to call a wildlife expert as he has the necessary tools and expertise to permanently take care of the groundhog problem. With that said, you can always try to use bait and trap the groundhog from a safe distance. This method doesn’t have any safety issues and yields acceptable results in most situations.
While applying this method, the primary question that most people ask is what type of bait to use to catch a groundhog. So, if you’re also unsure about the bait, here is what you should try.
What Bait To Use To Catch A Groundhog?
- Fruits
Many experts have pointed out that the groundhogs have a preference as to what type of food they will be attracted to the most. So, depending upon the region, you might have to try your luck with different kinds of fruit if nothing seems to work. The primary thing that you should focus on is sourcing high-quality juicy fruits like apples, berries, or melon. These are known to work quite well for many people and will likely work for you too.
After deciding on what fruit to use as bait, you need to ensure that the placement of the fruit in the trap is optimal. Otherwise, you won’t have any success with catching the groundhog. These animals are medium-sized and can break out of fragile traps. So, you might need to get one professionally made for your groundhog problem.
Making a trap yourself is always a viable option but doesn’t provide satisfying results in most situations. So, it might be better to buy a trap and then use apples or melon as bait to trigger the trap once the groundhog is inside and trying to eat the bait.
- Vegetables
Aside from the juicy fruits, many groundhogs prefer vegetables like beans, corn, and peas. People have also mentioned successfully catching groundhogs after using lettuce as bait. So, once again, the preference of the groundhog might vary depending upon the location of the groundhog. You should try different vegetables if you’re not noticing any substantial progress with a particular type of vegetable.
While the location of the bait in the trap is crucial for triggering the system, you also need to find an optimal space to put the whole structure. Ideally, the trap placement should be a few feet away from the groundhog hole. However, keeping it closer can have a better impact in some situations. So, if you don’t see any trapped groundhogs in a few days, it might be time to change the trap placement along with the bait.
Other than that, you should try installing many traps to maximize the chances of catching a groundhog. Keeping the trap near a plant or a bush is also an effective method to lure this medium-sized animal without raising suspicion. So, try different methods if you’re not able to catch the groundhog within the week.