Groundhogs, also known as woodchucks, are a familiar sight across North American yards and gardens. Often seen as quirky characters in movies and even heralded as springtime predictors, these creatures hold a unique place in popular culture. Yet, for homeowners who take pride in their meticulously kept lawns and thriving gardens, groundhogs can quickly become unwelcome guests. Their burrowing habits and appetite for vegetation often lead them to be classified as pests, and once they decide to settle on your property, eviction can be a significant challenge. While some might consider coexisting with these furry neighbors, sharing a portion of their garden, many others seek ways to remove them entirely.
Options for dealing with groundhogs range, but they rarely conclude with a simple relocation to a more suitable environment. In many regions, trapping and euthanizing are the only legal options if groundhogs cannot be naturally deterred from your property. Relocating them is often restricted, leaving homeowners with the difficult choice of humane extermination or seeking professional pest control services – which can be a costly endeavor. For those on a tighter budget or with a reluctance to harm these animals, preventative measures like tunnel filling, repellents, reinforced fencing, and raised garden beds offer a more compassionate approach. Sprinklers can also be used as a deterrent when weather permits, discouraging groundhogs from establishing residence in your yard.
However, one option that should never be considered is trapping a groundhog and attempting to keep it, or an entire family, as a pet. Keeping wild animals as pets is illegal and unethical. Not only does it involve trying to domesticate a creature inherently unsuited for captivity, but it can also lead to the abandonment of young groundhogs in the wild if a mother is captured, or the disruption of a family unit. Confining a wild animal like a groundhog to an outdoor cage, often considered the only feasible option, also exposes them to dangers from larger predators, putting both the groundhog and potentially your property at risk by attracting unwanted wildlife.
Groundhogs are fundamentally unsuited to be pets. Their natural instincts to dig and chew are deeply ingrained, meaning they are likely to damage property and escape confinement. Even if housed in what seems like a secure cage, their persistent digging and chewing will likely lead to an eventual escape. It is especially crucial to resist the urge to take in baby groundhogs, even if they appear orphaned. While seemingly vulnerable, these young animals require specialized care and are best left to wildlife professionals. Contacting local animal control or a wildlife shelter is the most responsible course of action if you encounter seemingly orphaned baby groundhogs, allowing them the best chance of rehabilitation. Despite their undeniable charm, groundhogs simply do not make good pets, and attempting to keep them as such is detrimental to both the animal and potentially to you.
