Once I understood that for every groundhog that was shot/relocated, a new
one would move into the vacant (and lucrative for a groundhog) territory, I
changed my strategy. I put up chicken wire fencing around the parts of the
veggie garden that contain the most enticing plants. It act as a deterrent,
but not an absolute barrier. I then bribe the hog by placing kitchen scraps
it likes, such as melon rinds or corn cobs, at the edge of the compost pile,
which lies between its main burrow and the garden. I employ negative
reinforcement by running out screaming and stamping when I see it venturing
near the garden. And I let the some of the drops from the apple tree lay on
the ground to serve as fattening-up-for-the-winter food.

This year I lost two swiss chard plants and a good section of a row of peas
to the groundhog. They are understandably hungriest early in the growing
year. I admit to being annoyed about the peas, but not to the point where I
was ready to do something elaborate like burying fencing or electrifying it.

Better the devil you know than the devil you don't.

Sue

--

Zone 6, South-central PA

"How about just letting the critters whose territory you moved into
stay and learn to live?

ding ding!!! I think we have a winner!