Ground hog

What is the best bait to use.

I always had luck with green apples and any commercial lure. I also put carrots in for color. I liked fully enclosed traps (plastic or metal) once you catch one and it smells like a ground hog the others have no problem entering. But I did use my fair share of cage traps as well. When I did ADC work I made sure I had separate traps for ground hogs and raccoons. It seemed to make a difference.

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my go to is cantaloupe..

Sometimes I'm not sure if some of those who are new to ADC are aware of the value in positive den setting and trail sets with double door cage traps and nose cones for woodchucks. The combination pretty much means you can "chuck" the bait. For the past ten years I have successfully and quite easily trapped hundreds of woodchucks with no bait or lure as well as doing the same with a large portion of skunks too. The system saves money in bait, time in replacing old bait, frustration in bait in which they are not interested, as well not attracting non-targets with sets that are virtually maintenance free. It's the same as using a conibear, while cage traps are not dangerous to pets in residential high traffic neighborhoods.

Den sets with end cone on traps is the easiest way. You got them coming or going. I’ve even used Jim Comstock’s end cone with two traps and scored a double. Give it a try

I try to do the same but some customers just have them eating in there yard and garden, not following a
Trail or using den on there property. As was stated earlier cantaloupe and muskmelon work well!

Where there is nothing to work with you could do some drift fencing to steer them into an unbaited trap. Last year I watched 3 dive into a hole, so I just surrounded the hole with 3 traps. Had them all in about an hour. Yesterday I ran 5 traps in the morning, got 3 chucks. Pulled the ones that caught, filled the holes and added a trap to one more hole. Had two more a few hours later, 5 chucks in 6 traps to add to the 7 chucks from the week before. When traps are set I usually explain to the resident that they will likely be calling shortly. Set a spot up north at noon last week. Got the call I had one at 2. Went back but by the time I got there I had 2 in the 3 traps, pulled them. Same thing two days ago, one trap set, had the chuck in two hours. Because this system is so productive you really don't need many traps as the jobs end quickly. Almost feel guilty about getting paid, but not quite.

One out of every 10 jobs I set up will be a posi set. I have very good results with baiting the traps. I use my baits and will use 2 baits and 3 lures with eye appeal. Paul Brooker and I did a pod cast show together many years ago and he mentioned fake flowers. so I tried them and I will tell you they make a difference. I like commercial baits but If I was not using them I would go with strawberries, watermelon and broccoli with some castor in the back of the trap. I also put the baits in from the top so I get two scent cones high low and eye appeal also.

Every kind of setting has advantages and trade offs. Each of us finds his own style due to circumstance and situation. I know there are plenty of guys who have taken more chucks at a single location than I have, but I am currently having fun making "the sweep through" with positive sets, setting dens and filling them in behind me, now up to 19 chucks with no non targets. There is a second aspect to the positive setting that is not bait or strictly positive set oriented, but lure related in dirty traps. Dirty traps and a dirty set are certainly an asset, which can help with either bait setting or positive sets. Territorial rodents smell another chuck and have to check it out, like beaver to castor. When replacing a positive set I make sure to leave the saturated dirt in place as is and merely work the next trap down into the smelly dirt. Having a panless wire trigger trap makes that really fast and easy because you don't have to worry about clogging a pan as the trigger is up in the air off the ground. Also, if the next trap has feces remnants of the last catch, all the better. A smelly dirty trap can be placed on its own free standing, with or without other attractants and can take the next chuck whether in a positive set or not.

Like you said Jim there are many ways to get it done. Positive or forcing vs baiting each has a place. In the snaring and trapping school Newt Morgan and I give we teach both style for capture. Location based on method mindset and method based on location mindset. The professional should know both as I know Jim does. A trapper doesn't get in a hall of fame by just knowing one method. Jim you prefer positive setting, and in your place it is working for you, but I know also, you know how to bait a trap if you need to, say if a customer has a open yard with a flower bed and the ground hog is walking in from then open field with no forcing there, and you can't go on the property the hog is living on. It is a baited trapping site. I prefer baiting traps as my method, and it is based on locations many times where I can't force. But you know I will force in a heart beat or if I have more than one animal in a den I will guide set also. There is a method from old school LOL Things are still a little slow for me with GH work but this week I have caught 8 plus hogs 5 cable, 1 forced 1 guided and 3 baited. I have a coon right now that is forced and she is inside and will not go in. 5 days. I caught 2 skunks one baited and one guided and I have no idea how many squirrels all baited. I am just saying there are many ways to get it done.

Please anyone reading this do not take me bashing forcing the set. I do my share of that method. but what I have seen in the recent times in Wildlife control is the folks that can not do anything but force. As professionals we need to be masters at all methods At least in My humble opinion, I can be wrong.

For open trapping IE not directly over the den/hole/positive set etc. I like to use a sweet edible paste bait hung in the back of the cage on an apple slice.

Flexible is what is needed. Be a good positive set guy like Comstock and a good bait and lure guy like Jonesie. Whatever will take the Hog. They "Comstock, Jonsie, and many others" give away a lot of great free advice on this site. Knowledge that use to take trappers years to acquire is now obtained with a click of the mouse.

The one place that is an aggravation with positive setting is those stinking rock walls where the chucks live behind the entire wall, have many ways out and can find more any time. Just set one best I could using light assorted sheet metal pieces I carry which are really handy. Blocked of the obvious exists with stone, all but 2. Could have set a trail set or two out front that might have been easier. With standard den setting the only thing that derails a day and changes travel plans is that quite often you have to go right back after catches are made in as little as a few minutes to a couple of hours. Headed back now.

Oh, I'm wondering if anyone has had experiences with well lit places. Wonder if diurnal woodchucks can become at all nocturnal where the whole place bright all night long. Just got 23 chucks at one well lit place but only saw a few of them in the daylight.

I working night shift in a factory years ago and the company was getting the parking lot paved . I would go outside for my breaks and I would see woodchucks all hours of the night .

Thanks for confirming what I suspected Rick. There were just too many chucks in a confined area not to see more of them. I had a feeling that the bright lights would alter their behavior since there was a lot of activity in the day, people, trucks etc. At night it was bright as day but very quiet, a chance to feed undisturbed. With a gate around the place I doubt predators would get in either. Good to know what's going on. Thanks for your kind words ponyboy. I know beside Tman Jonsie has provided a lot of additional info in his podcasts too that anyone can tune in to listen and participate in. There really is a lot of helpful information for out there for those who take the time to "tune in" to many outlets.

YEP ! , on some crumpled cabbage......and drag the loupe on the ground from a few feet outside the trap all the way to the treadle leaving a scent trail he can't refuse.

Jim, I have seen hogs out walking around the den in march with snow, not a lot but have seen it. I have seen hogs just after dark. and I have a customer that hears the ground hog moving around in the dirt crawl space under the house at all times. day or night but does not want to spend the money for me LOL I think when you put a hog into a non predator area that the behavior Will be different than say a hog out in the field where fox and yotes are going to be. By the way I have a lady that just called with a fox den under the porch. she tells me every morning early she has to go out and get rid of the ground hog parts or other critters like chipmunk parts off the porch I ssum the way she was talking that would be at first light.

Jonesie, Would have to agree that animal behaviors can definitely be changed by unnatural altered environments. The bright lights going all night long surely is not natural. With all the late snow we had in April and as cold as it was, I was surprised to see them out foraging, making trails in the snow. What is interesting is that in the fall, when the weather is still warm, 50's-60's with food available in October, our chucks bail out and go under for the winter. And yet on the other end, when its cold, snowy and nasty in early spring, there they are. Yes, getting some fox calls too, with "parts" all over the place.