A bow hunter friend suggested an idea last week. I have a similar problem
to
yours, involving woodchucks doing a number on my garden. It's not safe to
use firearms in my neighborhood, other than maybe a pellet gun, and that
would only be safe in a limited area (which is never where the woodchuck
seems to be). My friend knows I have a shoulder injury that prevents me
from
hauling back on your typical hunting bow. But, apparently, there are bows
with lighter pulls, designed for kids. He feels that even with less
velocity, it should be more than sufficient to deal with small mammals.

One more hobby. Just what you need, right? :-)

Crossbow will do it.