I’ve caught a few for my neighbor this summer. They have done a lot of damage inside and around his barns. Been using 220’s and the results tell me that’s a bit too big of a trap. I don’t have any 160’s. Chet suggested I set some snares. What size loop would be appropriate? Should I expect all body catches?
I’ve never had an issue with 220’s. I catch lots of them on my nuisance license. They are my main moneymaker
I’ve caught pile in 220s and 160s never snared eny. I hate trapping them though cause there so fun to hunt with a bow or 22. And the little ones is some straight up fine eating. I mean fine
Yes they are fun to shoot. When I was in high school in the 80’s we would road hunt and shoot bunches.
I’m thinking in this particular location a smaller trap would be better. There are several den entrances beside posts and walls and the 220 seems big in those spots. I may pick up a couple 160’s next month. I set some cage traps but the cows mess with them.
What I find fascinating is how many
Ground hogs you catch going
IN a Hole vrs going out
They do move a good bit
Yes they do move around. Doing nuisance work for many years now, I have found that if you have an established family group, one that has raised several seasons, you will catch the initial female or two and some half grown ones, possibly a male as well. After that, things go dry but if you leave the trap in place you will begin picking off another one every week or so all going IN as you said and they are usually all males (usually). I know they are going in because I use wooden boxes with a 220 wired in it and they don’t move once the 220 bites. I had a job go on for two months last summer. I have seen this many times now but it is when homeowners let the problem exist for a long time or in barns where there is not someone around all the time to monitor the holes. You begin to notice the pattern after a few years.
Neat looking boxes and good idea
DOA. I like em like that
So the box is open ended and put up to the hole?
Yep, open ended and no bottom. Sometimes you gotta do a little blocking to keep them from going around, depending on the location of the hole. Works great up against a house, shed or barn. I also wire one spring to the box to keep them from trying to push the conibear out of the box without going through the trap (happpened once with a really smart groundhog). Also helps to pile dirt up over the bottom jaws of the conibear to make it look more natural.
1 Like