Groundhogs, or whistle pigs as some know, are amazing creatures. They live throughout the Commonwealth in both urban and rural settings. They are equally at home under your garden shed as in the middle of an alfalfa field. They are also a common sight along most highways, as they perch on their hind legs, surveying their surroundings. But they are also quite destructive. While a hole under that shed where they hid after raiding the garden may be a nuisance, that hole in the farmer’s field can be deadly to a farmer’s livestock or a tractor’s axle. The latter is why many landowners happily open their land to hunt the furry little varmints.

Due to their short, stubby legs, groundhogs find running from predators quite difficult. Although capable of short bursts of speed, in the long race, they will usually lose. For this reason, they live in burrows located near a food source. Locating these holes is as simple as glassing for piles of dried dirt near the entrance or taller vegetation that equipment cannot reach. In some crop fields, such as soybeans, you will also see a path of circular destruction moving away from the entrance.

Like most animals, groundhogs are most active during the cooler hours of early morning or late afternoon/evening. For this reason, the best time to locate active burrows is to glass possible locations while looking for live animals to emerge to feed.

Hunting groundhogs may not be as easy as shooting fish in a barrel, but it is fun. Plus, spending a couple of hours picking off targets from the range can help sharpen your marksmanship skills as well.

The equipment needed for hunting is simple. A firearm, binoculars, snacks, a bottle of water, and much patience. Most hunters will use a rifle, while those hunting in closer quarters may choose a shotgun or bow. A favorite caliber is .22 or .223, although many hunters will use this as a chance to pull out the 6.5 Creedmore for some long-range practice. Shooting will not be constant, but should be steady once you have identified an active field. The key is to glass active holes identified while scouting and be ready to shoot quickly- they will look around when emerging and periodically while eating, but disappear when not on their hind legs.

Many hunters target groundhogs simply for target practice and to fill the void between big game seasons. Others do it to help farmers prevent injury to livestock or damage to equipment. However, groundhogs were once a common source of food as well. Although there are plenty of recipes available, I find that when slow-cooked, shredded, and mixed with barbecue sauce, it is hard to tell the difference between them and shredded pork.