GROUNDHOGS!!!!

I'm posting this for no particular reason other than to vent, and maybe ask for experiences with these critters.
I gots me some groundhogs now that my beloved dog is gone. She killed, on average 4 a year (plus other various critters). Now that she's dead we have the groundhog version of the freaking Brady Bunch under my shed.
I want to shoot them, but I can't discharge a firearm in the city limits and I'm not sure of a pellet gun would do it. I'm thinking either a .22 cal pellet gun (950 fps) or fumigation. I don't want to catch and release for a few reasons. Any of you have any experience getting rid of these?

Used to pick em off with a .22 with my grand dad. Didn't have the city ordinance thing to deal with although I understand there are some "quieter" .22 ammo out there.

You want to get ahold of Carl, the local grounds keeper at the Golf course.....

My parents had them at their retirement house in Fl., pitchforked paths and multiple aerosol bombs placed down the holes helped

triumph5 wrote: You want to get ahold of Carl, the local grounds keeper at the Golf course..... My parents had them at their retirement house in Fl., pitchforked paths and multiple aerosol bombs placed down the holes helped

I know that there are those things that are basically a spring-loaded pitchfork and other lethal traps. But my daughter would be horrified if her kitty got in there. I'm still liking the .22 pellet gun. Though I wonder of .22 and 950 fps at up to 75' would do it.

this guy

carl is actually just the assistant groundskeeper, but he'd probably still do a pretty good job.

.22 pistol so it can be hidden easily. Fire one round hopefully taking out on ground hog. Put gun away for several hours. Repeat daily till epidemic under control.
One round going off probably won't attract attention if you don't do it when others are watching.
.22 pellet might do the job but it would most likely take more than one round and/or pretty close range. I've set snare up also but that might get daughters kitty also.

that is probably the best way...

Does your city allow firecrackers? Fire off a shot.. let off a few firecrackers....

I've killed rabbits w/ first cpl shots from a pellet rifle, good head shot on that dirt pig oughta do it.. silently

in a rifle, this sounds about like a bb gun.

Yeah, CB's out of a pistol should do fine. No powder, just primer, quiet. Favored by Eastern Bloc assassins.

Correct me if I'm wrong, Sandy, but if I kill all the golfers, they'll lock me up and throw away the key.

Air (pellet) guns aren't just Ralphie's "Red Ryder" BB gun anymore. They can get expensive, but they can damn sure give you some killing power on something as small as a groundhog (especially if you're a good shot).

http://www.myoan.net/shootingart/sm_air_overview.html

They're even made with rifled barrels nowdays..

http://www.crosman.com/airguns/

EDIT: The original link was to a vendor for Crosman rifles, I got 404 when I doublechecked it. You'll have to click around a lil' bit to find the rifles on Crosman's main site.

If you're worried about Johnny Law go read that firearm ordinance - where I grew up at least a "firearm" includes air guns. My high school rifle team (yes, we had .22 target rifles and a range in the school!) switched over to high power air guns a couple years ago. Where I now live I could take deer off my back porch, but my immediate neighbor behind might get pissed... And Crossman air guns are made 15 minutes from my house; one of these days I need to see if they have a factory outlet there.

shoot the berkeleyers

Just Google varmint air guns, they are quiet.

Did you happen th see my thread on my 10/22 build? 60gr SSS rounds out of it are dead quiet and the impact makes more noise than the shot itself.

when doing my hunter safety class we shot some .22 shorts... don't know if they would do he truck... but those things shot quieter than my 700fps .177 cal air rifle...

Go old school and get a bow.

Around here, we have prairie dogs. And they carry the bubonic plague. No kidding, we have the black death walking around.

Whatever the weapon choice be discreet. In the city an unsympathetic neighbor, animal lover or passerby could burn you in for weapons or even animal cruelty.

Otherwise shoot, shovel and shuddup

I have moles in my yard.

I mentioned it to a friend of mine and he said that his father uses something at the ranch called a "mole gun".

Apparently, it hooks up to a propane tank. You stick the end down the hole, open the valve a bit and push the ignitor.

There's a nice "FOOMP" sound, some loose dirt comes out of the holes and the mole is no more.

Maybe it works on gophers too.

Shawn

bow could be messy...

But if you are going that route.. crossbow?

I used to have standoffs with one that lived near the place I worked during college. I'd go outside to throw out the trash, and he'd just be chilling there.

conibear trap. 220 will suffice.

DrBoost wrote: I want to shoot them, but I can't discharge a firearm in the city limits without a silencer and I'm not sure of a pellet gun would do it. I'm thinking either a .22 cal pellet gun (950 fps) or fumigation.

Catch and release, but I'm told you have to cross water before releasing them, otherwise they find their way back.