# The Groundhog is dead ..



## Geoff Empey (Jan 8, 2008)

Yes the ground hog is dead. I looked out the window and I saw my female freaking on something in the back yard in the corner. This is a usual ocurrance as both dogs are always lighting up on squirrels and chipmunks who run the telephone wire but this was different. They have been lighting up at that corner for a bit and I think she pulled in this groundhog that squeezes in between the 2 fences. Or maybe the groundhog thought the grass was greener on my side we have nice clover too, and my female let it come in and stalked it who knows. I didn't see it enter. 

So any ways .. The Groundhog was backed into a corner and my female was laying down guarding the dumb thing. The pup bolted out the door when I ran outside in my haste, it was a bit of mayhem trying to control both dogs and when the pup seeing what was in the backyard he nailed the groundhog and killed it with one bite and prey shake on the neck. Damn, he sure has a deep pushing grip when dispatching large rodents! :-& It was pretty gruesome woulda made Suttle's Raccoon videographer proud! 

So I don't see any punctures on either my dogs there was a fair bit of blood under the pup's jaw from the kill, but no cuts I could see. Same on the female nothing I could see. 

I took the rodent body with a shovel and chucked it over the fence deep about 15-20 feet into the bush. 

I called the local health unit and asked if there was any rabies reported lately with ground hogs which was negative. The female has been vaxxed against rabies but the pup hasn't. So outside of knowing the pup will dispatch them with no quarter. Should I be worried about anything else? 

I'm sure this is not the first time a WDFer's dog has dispatched a groundhog so somebody here should know something.


----------



## Lynn Cheffins (Jul 11, 2006)

What kinda raw feeder are you?! lol - chucking away aperectly good g'hog! :-D
Groundhogs are usually no problem and as they are slow they get dispatched pretty often. Dogs usually manage to dispatch them with no injuries without more than a gash to the nose or something.

I would have gutted it out and fed it.....


----------



## Don Turnipseed (Oct 8, 2006)

Geoff, If a groundhog bites your dog you don't get puncture wounds. Those big chisel teeth open dogs up pretty good. I have seen den terriers with part of their muzzle missing. Nasty bites. Good job for the pup.


----------



## Geoff Empey (Jan 8, 2008)

Ha ha Lynn, I thought of it. But the type of RAW feeder I am, is I buy my lips and arseholes off the back of the truck pre-ground in frozen blocks. LOL! 

Yeah Don I hadn't thought of that, the groundhog made a couple of good passes at him and me, (I was wearing shorts and flip flops) but thankfully Wiarton Willie missed. I was trying to get control and figure if I could grab the groundhog I'd throw it over the fence myself. But the pup got him first. It was quite a panic trying to keep the pup off, trying to figure a way to snag the groundhog and throw it over the fence. All I kept thinking during the hoorah was "damn where is my iPhone I need to get some video for the WDF!"


----------



## Tammy St. Louis (Feb 17, 2010)

we had a groundhog attack last week here, on a bush walk, couple dogs got it , Chelseys Toller had it the most, but it bit her in the nose, her auzzie went in and chomped on it ,, I am not into watching that stuff, felt bad for the little guy really , but was happy we did not end up with a 20 dog , dog fight because of it also .


----------



## Bob Scott (Mar 30, 2006)

I've eaten them myself. BBQ, stew, fried. 
I did find out that eating one that has been shot from a distance is a ton better then eating one that has been worked by a dog for an hour or so in the ground. Can you say gamey?!!! :-&
I was only dumb enough to try that once! 
I know many terrier men that reward their dogs with the raw heart of the game worked. 
The down side to a dog making a kill on game is many of them (most ALL terriers) can become obsessed with it. 
That first good bite from one will also change a lot of dog's minds about what makes up having a good time. He who hesitates gets busted up!
I often tailed them out of a hole and had them put some pretty nice chunks in my wolverine boots when I attempted to hold them down. 
Groundhog and Possum has never been a big concern about rabies with any of the terriermen I've hunted with. Not so with skunk, fox, and raccoon. I used to get yearly rabies shots for myself when I hunted.
Groundhog can also be a vector for heart worm.


----------



## Ben Thompson (May 2, 2009)

Candian woodchucks are about the size of a South Carolina chipmunk. Cuz theres always snow in Canada so the chucks ain't got much to eat! Thats why no southern man goes squirrel huntin in Canada less he be liqoured up on shine.


----------



## Laney Rein (Feb 9, 2011)

The only thing I would worry about is if the rodent had fleas and your pup ingested them. Many fleas carry the eggs of tapeworms which hatch out and then grow inside the dog. Eating various birds can also cause the ingestion of fleas meaning tapeworms. Might want to consider prevention or treatment.


----------



## Daniel Lybbert (Nov 23, 2010)

Peanut likes to kill and eat gophers. There is no problem with groundhogs or marrmots.


----------



## Geoff Empey (Jan 8, 2008)

To bad I didn't live more in the country Daniel, I used to love picking them off with a .22 with a scope.

Cool info Bob the more I hear about ground work the more fun I think it would be. As it was quite a panic our little impromtu ground hog melee. So I can imagine what it would be like when you actually planned one out.


----------



## Bob Scott (Mar 30, 2006)

Geoff Empey said:


> To bad I didn't live more in the country Daniel, I used to love picking them off with a .22 with a scope.
> 
> Cool info Bob the more I hear about ground work the more fun I think it would be. As it was quite a panic our little impromtu ground hog melee. So I can imagine what it would be like when you actually planned one out.



Panic is the first time your dog dissapears down a ground hog hole and you don't see him for an hour or more. :lol: 
I've dug to dogs that were in the ground overnight.


----------

