Up in that tree – its a bird, its a squirrel, no it’s it’s a GROUNDHOG?

I arrive yesterday afternoon out at an industrial job that wanted some groundhogs removed. I had not located the burrow but was told they are in the front landscaping. So I placed two cage traps in the landscaping the day before. I had one baited cage near where they had indicated the den might be. I had another two door Comstock Custom cage set up in a likely travel way, serving as a blind trail set.

As I got out of the truck, two guys on a smoke break yelled to me “He’s up in the tree!” I looked at the low yew bushes and they waved “No the crab apple tree!” I looked about 4 feet up and could see the grizzled grey back of a medium sized ground hog! (Now don’t get me wrong i have seen groundhogs up in trees before. but usually the tree was inclined or there were grape or honeysuckle vines allowing easy climbing. But this tree had at least 2 foot of straight trunk!

“Reach in and grab him barehanded!” the crowd roared. NO thanks I thought that is why I have leather gloves and a catch pole in the truck. I went and grabbed my gear out of the truck and approached the groundhog. He was giving me the evil eye  as I approached with  the catch pole. He decided he had a better offer elsewhere and bailed out of the tree and hit the ground RUNNING.

I have seen many a groundhog run but this lil booger was the Usain Bolt of the groundhog world! He took off liek a bat out of well you know, and headed right for the blind set I had up against t building. I though HAHA GOT HIM as I heard the doors slam shut. But old Usain the Groundhog had enough speed to go completely through the trap   (even with it’s super fast  spring loaded doors) and out the other side without getting caught.

I saw him head out the other side of the bush and toward the cover of the front yew bushes and my other cage. I thought he was going to miss he cage, but at the last second he swerved tot he right to avoid a large weed I had moved to sort of fence int he baited trap. Usain the Groundhog ran right into the baited and cage and got caught instantly!

I gathered him up in the cage and hauled him here behind the office and released him into the small woodlot. He tottered off with a sniff of disgust perhaps.

So yes Virginia groundhogs can climb trees if and when they want to.

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Tags: capture, exclude, nuisance, relocate, relocate. damage. nuisance, woodchuck