Live Trapping Woodchucks for Relocation

March 28, 2025Countryside ContributorHomesteading, Self-Reliance

Reading Time: 5 minutes

Help ward off unwanted rodents in your yard, and learn about trapping woodchucks humanely and safely relocating groundhogs or woodchucks. Acquire groundhog prevention techniques for rodent control.

by Gina Stack

It was a beautiful, sunny spring day when I walked leisurely from the mailbox past our exposed basement. There, a large wooden crate stood empty after being full of wood to burn through the winter. I thought it was empty anyway, as I spotted something out of the corner of my eye that didn’t belong — little brown furry bodies lying in the sun at the bottom of the crate. Like lightning, they scattered off at the sight of me. They were not small like the population of gophers around our property, and there were at least three of them. Could it be what I suspected, baby woodchucks? Nooooooo! Knowing the destruction these critters can cause from previous encounters, my ire was aroused. I got myself ready to discover what I was up against. As this area of the house was heavily frequented by me going through this entry, I was now sneaking up to the windows on the inside first to see if they were out.

The next time, I peeked out the window into the wood crate, which I now called their “deck.” There they were, totally unsuspecting, two or three young ones basking in the sun. I almost could imagine, with my mind’s eye, them wearing swimming trunks on small lawn chairs complete with beach towels laid out, and when they saw me, they scrambled underneath the crate slats, chairs and all. I’m sure they were getting frustrated, too, with me interrupting their precious lounge time. How dare I?

Later on, as I peered out to see what the little munchkins were up to, I was horrified that one had climbed up on some tall shelving. I had no idea they could climb! I thought they only dug holes and lay in the sun. It was happily chewing on a leather glove of my husband’s. These things were more destructive than I had thought. They had to go!

Trapping Woodchucks Humanely

I got a couple of small live traps, threw a glove in each one as a lure (why not?), and waited anxiously, hoping to fool them. I figured since they were young, they’d be curious and couldn’t resist those scrumptious old gloves.

Those chucklings didn’t take long to take the bait; two sunbathers were caught! I needed to do more research to see how many there could be and eliminate the rest.

A few little facts about my new neighbors are that they’re from the animal family, Rodentia. God allows tremendous variation within a kind. The origin of the word “rodent” comes from the Latin verb “rodere,” meaning “to gnaw,” referring to the most obvious feature in this animal family, the upper and lower sets of endlessly growing incisor teeth that all group members have. They must constantly chew to wear them down. The Rodentia family includes guinea pigs, rats, mice, hamsters, beavers, woodchucks (of course), muskrats, porcupines, prairie dogs, chipmunks, squirrels, chinchillas, marmots, lemmings, voles, nutria, and many other variations.

groundhog-prevention-relocating-groundhogs — Photo by Adobestock/Brian E Kushner

Woodchucks weigh close to 13 pounds, are about 25 inches long with a 7-inch tail, and are various shades of brown. They live for around three years and have four to six young. They’re solitary animals except in spring when babies arrive. They’re hibernators with a body temperature going down to 37 degrees Fahrenheit and their heart beating only five times a minute during hibernation.

The name woodchuck isn’t the only name this large rodent has. It has nothing to do with wood or chucking, as they don’t eat wood but will eat tree bark. “Woodchuck” is derived from the Algonquin name, “wuchak,” which means “digger,” or it could mean “consume.” Groundhog is another name from the Anglo-Saxon label “grundehogge.” Yes, this is the animal used for Groundhog Day. Whistle pig (not to be confused with another cousin in the west that’s actually a marmot) is a different term that comes from Appalachia, since they make a high-pitched whistle when threatened. The pig part of the name is because the guinea pig is a squeaky cousin.

Woodchuck & Groundhog Prevention

Additional names for these creatures are land beaver, thick wood badger, moonack, weenush, and red monk. I like the wuchak name the best as they truly are created for digging. They can move 700 pounds of soil to create burrows that can be five feet deep and 60 or more feet long with multiple chambers for nesting and waste. These tunnels may weaken foundations and destabilize rock walls or driveways. They provide housing for other burrowing creatures when the woodchucks leave. They’ll climb, staying less than 10 feet from the ground. They also will gnaw on decks, outdoor furniture, and underground wiring. They aren’t so great to have around your property.

Small, woody vegetation, grasses, and broad-leafed herbs are part of their diet, along with ornamental, agricultural, and garden crops such as your newly growing vegetables leafing out, blackberries, cherries, raspberries, and large insects like June bugs and grasshoppers. I discovered they also love flowers. Actually, they don’t bother with the green part — just the blooms. When I discovered this, I had just planted my flowers. I never thought these little pests would bother them. A day after planting my beautiful petunias, ALL the blossoms were eaten off. Petunia salad was apparently dinner that day. I had to catch the rest!

A few ideas for heading them off in your garden are to use 18 inches fencing above and 6 inches below ground. An electric fence 5 inches high might exclude them. Motion sensors, noise emitters, or water sprays could help, but they may become used to them and invade anyway. Live traps with sliced apples, lettuce, old garden gloves, or flower blossoms work, too.

Relocating Groundhogs and Other Rodents

Since live traps were working, I continued to use them and caught four more babies and the mother. I left the live traps open and baited for quite some time after that, with no hits, so the varmints were gone. Our excellent relocation services were employed, all for free! We transported them to a place more spacious and unencumbered by houses and other structures. Not having time to pack up, they left behind spacious living apartments for gophers, chipmunks, fox, and other woodchucks. So many stories to tell!

Editor’s note: Before you trap, kill, or relocate any wildlife, check into local laws to see if it’s permissible where you live. Also, check with local wildlife experts to make sure the babies are old enough. You don’t want to separate lactating mammals from their babies as part of your process.

Resources

Gina Stack is a freelance writer in southwest Wisconsin. She, along with her husband and son, reside on five acres with 22 laying hens (some as old as 10 years!), a large vegetable garden, perennials, and Lily the pug.

Originally published in the January/February 2025 issue of Countryside and Small Stock Journal and regularly vetted for accuracy.