Nocturnal Groundhogs?
Small Game
Couple nights ago around 11 PM, turned on the back light and stepped out on the deck and there about 5 yards away standing on his hind legs looking at me is a big fat groundhog… The moon phase for the 3rd is waning last quarter so it’s way dark outside and I was surprised to see one that late at night…
Although I’ve hunted and had dealings with them since a kid, there's a couple burrows near the house (one under my shed) but I let them be, I like watching them so I won’t kill them… This one I see all the time, but first time at night...
Have a little dachshund of blood trailing bloodlines and she’d would luv to get hold of one…8^) She’s a little hunter and chases them and any other critter in the yard…
Been well experienced with these critters and know they’ll climb trees and other unusual things about them, but never knew or heard of them being nocturnal...
The only thing I can figure is the dogs keep them underground during much of the day and the only time they can feed peacefully is at night, and lights from the house benefit...
I had no idea they could climb trees until I watched our dog chase one up a tree about 20 years ago.
That's funny zbone... I caught a trail cam pic of one a week ago at about 1 in the morning. That was a 1st for me seeing one after dark.
I’ve gotten trail camera pictures of them at night.
My dogs treed this little guy one night and he got stuck in a fork in the redbud tree. I thought he was dead when I found him the next morning. Started trying to dislodge him with a stick and he came alive. Took off on a dead run when he hit the ground.
I would NOT suggest turning your weiner dog loose on a full grown ground hog... that might turn out VERY badly for the wiener dog!
I agree about any little dogs for sure. I have three 100+ pound German Shepherds who have killed a medium size bobcat & a large copperhead, not to mention multiple domestic cats. If it come into their fenced area, it dies. No break-ins at my place.
Size of a dog doesn't really matter. It is grit and ability to kill. I would take a Jack Russell vs. pretty much anything living. LOL!
Thanks for the info on other night sightings... Had no idea they came out at night...
As for my wiener dog, she's only 16 months old, but a little badazz for her size with a heck of a nose, although on her first real blood trail at 9 months old, we come upon the buck and he was still alive, she freaked...8^) But, I watched her fight a big coon this summer... She ended up with a couple battle scars on her long snout but did alright before calling her off... She's from one of the few German bloodlines in the States trained to blood trail... As a kid had a Redbone coonhound that was a groundhog killing machine... I bought him as and adult and he spot a groundhog in a short field a hundred yards away, and take off full bore (silent, no barking) as fast as he could run and sometimes by the time a groundhog figured it out and began to run he'd cut them off at the hole or tree them... He was a big dog and crunch them and shake them like a rag dog... He was deadly and no groundhog was too big for him... I thought it unique he was silent sight hunting groundhogs until treed, but was open mouthed on coon trails... Had a chop bark at the tree...
I also would warn of turning a dachshund loose on a groundhog. They are so tenacious and will not quit. A friends VERY tough dachshund would kill them. But he went under a house after one and didn’t come out after the battle. Pete had to crawl under and retrieve him. He was torn up pretty bad. The vet did save him but it was close. They are a tough dog.
Agreed on the Jack Russell - pound for pound. The farmer at one of my spots for turkey hunting had an old Jack Russell that had all kinds of ground hog battle scars. He was a wood chuck killing machine!
I do think that there is a huge difference in the aggressiveness and athleticism of a Jack Russell vs a Dachshund.
Jack Russels are incredible dogs
I had a neighbor that had two of them. Hell on rats mice squirrels and possums I had an old Maine Coon housecat, 23 lbs, Bob was his name Bob was smart. Stayed in the yard, 12 acres. Can't tell you why he just did
I warned my neighbor that Bob was a bad ass and I was not sure what he would do if confronted by the Russels
No worry
Well within six months Bob killed both of them.
We don't have groundhogs maybe they would have taken care of him.
WOW! I can't hardly imagine that a cat would be capable of killing a jack russell! Sounds like old Bob was a badass cat!!!
My beagle when I was a kid on the farm liked to roam the place but either had the sense to know when he was "out-gunned" or was a devout coward. Many times we saw him come back to the yard from somewhere out in the field and bark at our collie who was always right there near the back porch, until she'd go with him to whatever he'd found and couldn't or wouldn't try to whip. Then a few hours or a day later he'd come dragging some dead critter back up near the yard to show off or roll around on as his trophy, until I had to take the smelly thing out and bury it. Most often they were groundhogs. Never saw a mark on the collie. She was a great mother to anything young that she came across, but had no sympathy on other adult critters that she suspected might be up to no good.
Nocturnal groundhog was out again last night... Sorry for blurred photo,,, had to go back in, grab phone, turn on camera and by that time he way getting away,...8^)
