Where To Shoot A Groundhog With A Pellet Gun?
Having a groundhog in your yard is not as fun as celebrating Groundhog Day every February 2nd. And with that note, we must tell you that the species might look cute but they are dangerous to your property, both the house and the crops!
So, if you see your crops destroyed, get out your gun and aim! But do you know where to shoot a groundhog with a pellet gun to kill the? Hello hunters, we will tell you how to trap them and shoot!
Where to shoot a groundhog with a pellet gun?
When shooting a groundhog with a gun pellet, aiming for the head or near the chest near the heart will maximize your killing advantage while ensuring you kill the animal in the most humane way possible.
You can also focus on the groundhog torso’s vital organs such as kidneys, lungs, or liver.
Aiming for the head is recommended for those with years of experience using a pellet gun. Your pellet rifle should also pack enough muzzle energy as well as velocity to quickly knock down the groundhog once you hit the head.
The chest kill zone remains the most sensitive part of this small game. If you deliver a perfect shot to the chest kill zone area (i.e., straight to the heart and other nearby parts), the woodchuck will stop running instantly.
Shooting the groundhog in the torso’s vital organs namely the liver, and kidneys, or liver, is also a humane way to knock them down provided your gun packs enough power.
However, you should avoid hitting the groundhog on the belly or in muscle areas as this is considered inhumane and will cause a lot of pain and suffering to the animal before it dies.
Keep in mind that even if you hit the areas recommended above, the shot may not always result in instant death to the groundhog.
In case you wound a groundhog, you should take it upon yourself as an ethical hunter to locate the animal and follow up your initial shot with a quick kill shot. This will help minimize pain and suffering for the animal.
Should you Shoot Groundhogs?
The first thing that you need to know before you even think about shooting or killing a groundhog is should you shoot it! They are cuties in your garden for sure. But they are the destroyers of your plants too! Yes, your lawn can never be safe if there is a single groundhog.
· Threat to the Crops
First, groundhogs feed their bellies with vegetation. Well, not to mention, the crops that you grow with a lot of love in your garden! If you think they are small and eat a little then no, they don’t eat a little.
In the fall, they prepare for hibernation and they gain one pound weight every day. And where does the food come from? Yes, your yard! Does one pound a day seems little to you? You already know why to shoot the groundhogs, don’t you?
· Threat to the House
Secondly, groundhogs are not good for your property! Not only the plants but they can be highly destructive for your house too. Groundhogs make dens underground. Underneath your house, they keep digging holes.
The tunneling system woodchucks follow can do significant damage to the foundation of your house. The tunnels can be 8 feet to 60 feet long. They will leave droppings everywhere. Also, their method can damage the electric wiring and ruin the walls of your house too!
Both male and female woodchucks can destroy the land equally! Check out the differences between male vs. female groundhogs here and learn which one is more dangerous!
· Hunt and Eat
And then, we never forget about the love for hunting you have! If you love hunting, you can do it do. Just the way you hunt down birds, you can hunt these rodents.
Did we tell you before that groundhogs are edible and extremely delicious? Just like other rodents, rabbits, and squirrels, groundhogs are fed on vegetation. And so, if you cook them for your dinner, the meat will be tender, no doubt!
Step by Step Shooting Groundhog with a Pellet Gun
So, you have a pellet gun which is an air gun with a non-spherical projectile. These are mostly used for shooting and hunting games. Here, we have promised to tell you where you can shoot a groundhog with a pellet gun. So, let’s dive into it directly!
Step 1: Keep your Eyes on the Groundhog
Catching a groundhog can be extremely tough if you are not careful enough. But if you have already used all other methods of catching and getting rid of it and nothing worked, this one might be a good way to go for it.
However, for this, first, you have to work a little hard. Woodchucks are highly-patternable. So, it’s necessary to keep your eyes on a woodchuck before you kill it. But wait, we are not telling you about noticing it for a few hours, no!
We are telling you to keep your eyes on the groundhog for a week or two. And once you find it, it’s easy for you to kill it. For trapping them, you can also use their favorite veggies! Check out-what do groundhogs eat to trap!
Step 2: Set up Cameras
However, if you are unable to keep track, make sure you use to set up trail cameras for the job. Rodents like woodchucks are smart and they rarely leave any track for their movements. No matter you are dealing with a large groundhog or a baby, they are tough to find.
They walk very carefully on the soil and leave no tracks. So, you should set up cameras and keep your eyes on them. With the videos, you can easily get your hands on the weaknesses of the groundhog that resides on your property. Once you know where they live, you can shoot them easily.
Step 3: Spread Flour on the Ground
Once you have checked out the groundhog for a week or two and you know how it works, it’s time for you to follow a little trick. Get some flour on your hands and spread it all over the floor of your property.
With the flour on the ground, you can track down the groundhog and learn about the holes where they reside. Also, you can check out the directions of the woodchuck with the entrance and exit hole. And check the camera and note down the time when the groundhogs come out.
Step 4: Set up the Gun and Shoot
Once you have known when they come out and checked out their holes, prepare the gun when it’s time for them to get out of their burrows. Stay in position with your pellet gun for shooting, Keep in mind that they usually get out of their dens when it’s the first 2-3 hours of the daylight.
And then, they get out in the last several hours to dusk. Get into the position and right when the groundhog gets out, shoot! You can wait till the rodent is stable after it gets out of the den and goes to any of your plants to eat it. Don’t forget to check out what do groundhogs eat here!
They will get out of the den and go for the greens of your garden. Check the flour on the ground to follow him. Aim the pellet gun at him and shoot him right away!
Guns to Shoot Groundhogs
We know you have already decided to shoot the little woodchuck with your pellet gun. However, there are other weapons that you can use for the job. Mostly, people use rifles for hunting these small animals. But you can use shotguns for them too. Especially, for the barns and sheds, it’s easier to shoot them with shotguns.
But if you are in a hardcore or urban setting, you might bring a change in the plan. In such situations, the crossbows can do the best job. Or instead of the crossbows, you can rely on the compound bows too. With compound bows, it’s less complicated to target the rodent.
Is Shooting Groundhogs Legal?
So, here comes an important question- is it legal to shoot or kill a groundhog? In most of the states, you can hunt groundhogs any time of the year. And this has no seasonal limits. They are mostly permitted to be shot if they are damaging your personal property.
However, some countries have strict laws against killing groundhogs. Some specific states will ask you for a small game license tag for shooting groundhogs. Is it legal to kill groundhogs in Virginia, Michigan, or Georgia if they are damaging the property? Not at all!
These states consider groundhogs as nuisance species and so, it’s not illegal to kill them on your property! However, you must check your state laws before putting effort into killing these small species.
Wrap Up
Trapping groundhogs, aiming and shooting can be fun for the hunters! This is not only safeguarding the property but also practicing a little hunting skill. No matter you have a pellet gun or a shotgun or a compound bow, get it out and kill them all!
