How long can a groundhog stay in a hole?

A long, long time if he's scared!

I have had several stay in a hole up to 2 weeks had traps set on both holes ended up catching all 4 of them on 1 exit no other way for them to get out took me 2 weeks to get the last one.

Derek

reason I asked is I have a customer that is plagued by a hog that keeps digging a hole under the cement around his inground pool.I cannot find a second entrance[just 1 from whatIcan find].He is in there! When I approached the hole to set a trap he was sitting in the entrance and just backed down in the hole when he saw me approaching.I figured this will be easy enough. That was 4 days ago and still he has not emergered from that hole.He is either in there or there is a 2nd entrance that I cannot find..which raises another question..how far away could a second entrance be?

I've had entrances go almost 30ft, from one yard to another. This is just from my experience.

I would check carefully for another less obvious blended exit/entry point or dig out. Groundhogs need to feed and are compelled to feed daily in the behavior that I have experience with. My assessment is you are missing a hole or two close by.

What kind of trap are you using? Cage or conibear type. Could it be getting past or thru the trap without being captured?

Don't recall having chucks den up for long periods, always have come out quickly and caught in positive sets, but if they were traveling may not return for weeks. When feeding is interrupted, forcing them to dive down a hole, still hungry, they come right back up in a few minutes.

Yeah I thought it was strange they were not coming out. I caught the momma the first night then it took almost 2 weeks to get the last one. I just figured they were waiting on her to come back.

I am using a 160 conibear.I am positive the hog is not getting around the trap. The layout is the house garage and pool surrounded by a perimeter of 20-25 yds of lawn.Yes when I saw the chuck back down the hole my thought was this will be quick.There is an outdoor deck that is enclosed at the far end of the pool beyond the cement I cannot find any activity or sign of a hog on the outside of it.I can see I am going to have to inspect this more thoroughly.I haven't done much residential stuff..mostly farm groundhogs.

How sensitive is the coni trigger? Could it be moving just enough to allow the chuck through without firing?
Has the chuck been seen feedinv outside indicating a new hole?

trap in use is a belisle.trust me this hog is not going thru the trap... answer to the 2nd question..no

Like to share some common observations about home owners on chuck jobs I'm sure many have experienced and find amusing. Often arrive at sites with a brand new Havahart front and center, failed attempts by clients they don't always reveal before you get there. Seems to take a home owner about a week before he calls. Fortunately the chucks aren't always wised up to a different approach.

I will never understand precisely why, after a client finally makes the call to request woodchuck trapping, he then will choose to alter the site immediately after he hangs up, i.e. fill in holes etc. Looking for crawl unders yesterday in a nicely fenced in yard that I knew had to be there, the homeowner mentioned he had just filled the hole a few hours before I got there. Just don't get it. I guess they need to feel they are involved. Of course we re-opened the hole and set what was the main woodchuck ingress and egress to the property. Seems like after a home owner hangs up some are compelled to sprint to the yard and start removing helpful sign as if destroying evidence of the critter is somehow "helpful." I guess that's why we have a job and they call us, as they have no clue about what to do to remediate the problem. I still do enjoy playing with a client when they usually ask, "what kind of bait do you use." Love the vacuous, perplexed reaction when I look them squarely in the eyes and say, "I don't use any." That blank grin makes the job fun. Most think you're just goofing on them. Maybe the next time I'll just say, "oh no, what am I going to do, I forgot my bait, guess we'll just have to make do and hope it works without any."

Check for another hole. may be some distance from the spot.

good news..upon further inspection I found 2 more holes..one hid behind some tiger lilies along the cement and one under the outdoor deck against the basement of the house...this is getting interesting...more tomorrow

Many times those back door holes are very discreet and not obvious. That is when your trapping skills of reading sign should kick in. Some with not much trapping background find many challenges in this kind of work due to the lack of identifying the slight detail or the mere suggestion of a trail or pathway.

When you have a lot of vegetation, flower beds, ivy etc. you have to look for the slight impressions of a trail that the memory of the plants and greenery have made upon them due to the infrequent activity. Sometimes that is all you have to look for. Then it is just a matter of following it back to where it came from. That is where you will find the hole or a dig out under a deck, concrete apron or a lattice enclosed area under a porch.

Just some food for thought. Pay attention as to whether they are caught going into a hole or coming out. That is if you are using lethal means traps. That will teach you something over time.

also considering use of a bomb.. and then pull traps and fill in holes...what is the downside?...can the liner in the pool be affected..not really sure how close the burrow gets to the liner

If you have all the holes covered with traps for a few days you can do a clean out. Then you have to watch for returns from those familiar with the den site like past litters reared and adults etc.

Lots depends upon how long the den has been occupied thru how many seasons as to those that are past homesteaders or just frequent visitors. Then you have the migrating den hunters that come during the course of the fall season each year looking for available den opportunities.

Filling in the holes and monitoring them will tell you in time about the past occupiers and how many there may be.

A good education about groundhogs is to be learned thru the course of your job.

Thanks Bob..I have learned quite a bit since June 1st.One thing I have learned is I never know;how many..COULD BE 1-6..I usually fill in holes when I pull traps...return later to see if they are dug out..reset and that is usually 1 hog and I get him in 1 day...I have found out they bloat fast and stink!!Since June 1st I have caught 218 hogs 3 coon 4possums and 2 skunks for 1 farmer on 3 places he farms..keeps me busy..now the residential job turns into the hardest ground hog I have tried to trap,,but I think things will change tomorrow.

They hibernate all winter, so these rodents like all this type can live indefinitely, and that includes digging to eat roots in their tunnels to prolong the siege.

Depends what time of the year you're trapping. They're thin in spring. They're also short on water.