I started to post this in the gland lure thread but then decided it probly didn't belong there. I use clean traps usually and once I start catching hogs if I am using cage traps I transfer to anothe cage and keep using the trap that caught the ground hog. I save his skat and put it in other traps and take a dirty groundhog trap to other groundhog jobs. I will also put the skat in a plastic bag or jar to use on other groundhog jobs.
My favorite cage set up is a stabilized trap with silk flowers an or other silk greenery or plastic apples with Jamesons formula 1 or 2 to make the hole scenario believable to Mister Ground Hog.
An attractive womman who I'm sure has received her share of flowers watched me set one up and when I stuck the flower behind the trip pan she said "You're a dog". I think it made her realize the traps she had been in with a similar set up and she was feeling a little stupid. When you think about trapping there are a lot of parables and lessons in life to be learned. I wish Jesus had been a trapper I would have loved those parables. I'm sure King Jamesons version would be hard to put down.
My all time favorite ground hog set up is when you are in a position where you don't have to worry about pets is the hole for bait with a belisle 120 thru 220 over it.
Finally I think Jesus has a sense of humour and doesn't mind me bringing his name up.I'm sure he talks about us so If I made you mad forgive me.
Amen

Watch my son catch four ground hogs in a row in four days last summer , we ran out of apples so he just set the trap up and planned to bait it up later in the day . Within 5 min we got the call on the first one . It was nothing more than a trap that had caught one on a differnt job . So then dads not allowed to bait it up , he had a good time schooling dad on ground hogs . Got a skunk call today rumor has it there's a skunk in Shelby twp . I thinking it could be true seeing its been feeding at bird feeder and spotted by two sources . I haven't even smelled a skunk this season. I hope they have hit there bottom and there population will start to grow . I've got more calls on timber wolf than skunks .funny how people in the city all freak out when a bear or wolf gets lost and ends up to fare south but when there up north a boy don't control them it's just nature.

I've become the laziest woodchuck trapper in Wisconsin. No lure, no bait, no clean traps ( They ain't dirty ) I just set a Comstock in front of the hole, deck, garden ( and maybe two pieces of screening ) and wait for phone to ring. Like last year, when the woman called my daughter to tell her that her old man didn't know how to trap woodchucks, but never the less, he had one already. Well, it did take all of ten minutes!

Up date on the possable skunk in shelby twp , well I guess I will never know seeing I didn't have one of them yuppy trappers round skunk trap tube thing , I offered to cover the trap but seeing as he said the skunk could still raise his tail he would spray. Tried to tell him it won't spray , sometimes you need to laugh it off and it gives us something to talk about . Just glade I had a pickup on the next street so no gas lose . Off on a chimney coon job hope my tools are approved on this one , hard to write and drive

Glade in the pick-up is always good when trapping skunks with uncovered traps. I often use aboved tools so I no gas lose.

About like this?

Yeah, it's kind of amazing. I have seven of those two door Havajunks and never had much luck. ( I can hear the yelling already, They were given to us by customers. Alright? ) It's like the woodchucks want to run through the Comstocks. You certainly have the right idea!

Hey Paul you should have been more complimentary Sniper had the hog in the trap. I am going to get me some of those comstocks and aegs so I can feel like I have all the modern stuff. I have some of those double door havaharts and they are bench warmers but when I use them I catch stuff. My preferred double door is the tomahawk in all sizes.
Sniper I like your setup but to speed it up I have permanently attached a nose cone to the door side connected to the trip pan with j hooks or cage rings then I can use it as a single door flush mount if I want. Leaving the bottom open as 90 percnt of the holes against buildings need the bottom open.
A lot of them I hinged a door on one of the sides so I could close the bottom if the situation called for it. Did the same for the top of the nose cone so I could flip it down if needed. I usually just put a 3/8 rebar thru it to hold the doors to the nose cone in place or th very small zip ties. I also add a couple of wires horizontal across the trip pan to cause the animal to have to slide under an not be able to step over the trip pan. I think because it's a different material some animals particularly feral cats will sometimes step over the trip pan.
Another trick I sometimes do is cut a piece of card board the size of the bottom of the trap with a bend in it so the first step into the trap doesn't pressure the trip pan. Or cover the hole bottom of the trape in newspaper trip pan and all it doesn't pressure the trip pan until the aniimal steps or nearly steps on the trip pan.
Just some of my ideas for when things don't go as simple as planned or I want them to.
I have had my share of gimmes though. I had just pressure washed the inside of my truck so my grandchildren would quit complaining about animal smells and making me waste a contractor bag on the seat before they would sit in it. I bought an RC cola and a box of moon pies to get me between drive thrus. I stopped to set up a ground hog job. I left the door open to my truck so I wouldn't have to open it again when I was ready to leave. This eliminates a lot of extra work and saves the door hinges. When I got back to my truck a ground hog was sitting in the passenger seat eating a moon pie and drinking an RC. Needless to say I did not euthanize him. I gave him to turdleman to use on his shows. So sometimes simple things do work but location, lures, baits, blind sets, comstocks etc. do add to your success.
Top that Mr. Winkelmann!! :-)

Trapperpaw, I believed everything you have said in this post except the first part where you said you used clean traps. I have seen your traps, and yours are like mind.

For your information Mr. ProLine sunshine is the most effective and cheapest disinfectant money can't buy. Remember that whether your voting or building a dog kennel. The more sunshine the less disenfecting you need to do. The one thing that I do add to the cleaning of my traps is I take a shower with soap causing me to leavelessodoronmytrapsthanyou!
Another lesson you taught me is smart people don't need spaces to read.
Another thing the last time I ate out of your cooler I had diarea for a week.

You get the triple Ps (Paul, Proline, and Paul ) arguing and this could go on all night. And you wouldn't learn anything about trapping but you'll know way more about insulting.

:-)

I wish you guys could tell how to trap a wood chuck. All these post and nothing telling how and with what bait. Please give me some instruction.

Hazel Hill Blues,
A few "groundhog/woodchuck" threads-
http://www.trapperman.com/forum/ubbthrea...tml#Post2701609
http://www.trapperman.com/forum/ubbthrea...tml#Post2715503
http://www.trapperman.com/forum/ubbthrea...tml#Post2485140
http://www.trapperman.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/2090315/Groundhogs_in_a_cage.html#Post2090315
http://www.trapperman.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/2006197/GROUNDHOGS_HELP.html#Post2006197
http://www.trapperman.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/1899423/Groundhogs.html#Post1899423
http://www.trapperman.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/1347079/Woodchuck_Experiments.html#Post1347079

No bait needed if you can find the holes.

Ground hog holes also make great test holes for gold mining , there tailing piles can be panned out and checked for gold , saves you from digging a 12 foot deep hole , you could also train one of them blue tricks to dig gound hog and then the dog would dig the mining shaft , If i do use bait apples or cabbage or both . Rub a apple on the inside of the trap for scent seems to work for me , helps remove coon scent ,

Hazel Hill Blues,
I see the hole, apples, jamesons formula 1 and 2, nothing and silk plants for lure, pictures of set ups, links to posts, clean traps, semi clean,a little playing with friends. Maybe I'm sensitive because I started the thread but I thought it was an informative one.

He could of meant that sarcastically, as well ALL know how well sarcasm shows up online [/endsarcasm]

I started trapping groundhogs at about age 10 with legholds and sold them to a guy who had dogs in the coonhound field trials. Sure seemed easier back then. I have been working on a few near the house to no avail yet. I changed bait today and added a few more traps to gang set. Trying the soil in the bottom/uncovered with cherry tomatoes, carrot, and bananna. I understand the need for a commercial bait and will be ordering some asap. Hope to close the deal tomorrow. I appreciate the old threads about baits, lures and technique!

Sand/dirt from another groundhogs den diggings. just bring some in a 5gal pail with a hand spade.

Some come easy, some are tough, a little grose trick is to Put some Groundhog Crap (with your gloved hand) in a flip top bottle... and add glycol 50/50 ...shake and let it disolve, Use it as a trailing... With the dirt and other Groundhogs poo smell they climb right in.