Overview
The groundhog also know as a woodchuck or whistle pig is a member of the squirrel family. Their omnivore appetite deem them as pest to many landowners due to their feeding on most garden plants. Their tunneling nature also make them a less than desirable species to many for fear that they will destroy the foundations to building and cause unwanted holes in yards and pastures.
Management Options
Legal Considerations
The groundhog is designated a nuisance species in Virginia 4VAC15-20-160. Virginia law allows the taking of all nuisance species at any time. While groundhogs are classified as a nuisance in Virginia a landowner should use lethal alternatives only after all non-lethal controls have been exhausted.
In Virginia it is illegal to
- transport or release a groundhog anywhere other than the property it was caught on. 4VAC15-30-50
- poison any animal (including groundhog) other than rats and mice on your property. 4VAC15-40-50
- set a trap where it would be likely to injure persons, dogs, stock or fowl. §29.1-521.
- not visit all traps once each day and remove all animals caught. §29.1-521