Groundhog air gun?

[adsm08]

Are there any air-powered guns on the market that might be strong enough to take out a groundhog? I would actually prefer if they do not die right away.

They are getting brave on my property, they are into the yard, into the garden, into the wood pile, driving the dogs up a wall all day long, causing unneeded and unpredictable reactions.

They are coming out of the woods and getting quite far into the yard, and I would like to eliminate them, but I am in a residential area that is a little too dense for powder to be a good choice.

I have maybe 80 feet from my back porch or windows to the wood line, and I can usually get as close as 60 feet away.

Anyone know of anything other than traps, poison, or a bow that might let me kill these buggers?

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

Cantaloupe and a livetrap.

I got 5 of them this spring/early summer. Got one loose with a 20ga and 4 in the trap with my .22. I didn't want to get too rowdy with the trap in case I got a curious barn cat instead, with a livetrap you can just release bycatch.

I would rank them similar to a possum for toughness. I wouldn't want much less than a .22 so look for a pellet rifle that can come close to matching a .22 (not sure if they exist but in a livetrap it will basically just be at the muzzle)

20ga was almost too fun but they caught on really fast what was going to happen when they saw me, if you are going to shoot them loose you may run into a similar issue.

 

[rangerenthiusiast]

Careful now. Ever seen Caddyshack? lol

 

[Ranger850]

I have a pellet gun from Wal-Mart, don't have groundhogs but do have stray cats. It's a single pump, barrel break type that really puts the hurt on those damn cats. They run away and rarely come back. Pretty sure I killed some but I like to think they are smart and just don't want to come back to my yard. I live in a pretty dense neighborhood so even a .22 would get the law called to my house.
this is a pic of the one I have.
https://i5.walmartimages.com/asr/86....jpeg?odnWidth=180&odnHeight=180&odnBg=ffffff

 

[adsm08]

I have a pellet gun from Wal-Mart, don't have groundhogs but do have stray cats. It's a single pump, barrel break type that really puts the hurt on those damn cats. They run away and rarely come back. Pretty sure I killed some but I like to think they are smart and just don't want to come back to my yard. I live in a pretty dense neighborhood so even a .22 would get the law called to my house.
this is a pic of the one I have.
https://i5.walmartimages.com/asr/86....jpeg?odnWidth=180&odnHeight=180&odnBg=ffffff

Yeah, that's the kind of thing I am after.

With my crackpot neighbors I don't want to be seen toting a gun around outside, I'd rather lure them out into the yard and nail them from a bedroom window. An my lot is only 130' x 150', so like you, powder guns are a no-go.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

Yeah, that's the kind of thing I am after.

With my crackpot neighbors I don't want to be seen toting a gun around outside, I'd rather lure them out into the yard and nail them from a bedroom window. An my lot is only 130' x 150', so like you, powder guns are a no-go.

With a live trap you can transport to dispose of elsewhere.

I just hauled a big feral tomcat up to my grandfather's farm last week to help with mice.

 

[RonD]

While it is fun to shoot them, I doubt you could get enough to matter much
They are not stupid so would quickly learn to stay hidden when you are around

Air gun's muzzle velocity is not high even with lighter pellets, so very short range

Their population rise around your place means predators are lacking.
Larger birds do go after the young ones.
Full grown adults have few worries, coyotes, foxes and bobcats are about it
Most dogs and cats will chase them but won't hurt or kill them

But there are dogs that go after groundhogs, smaller terriers were bred for that, but they do dig, going after burrowing animals, so trading a few smaller holes for a few larger ones, lol.
But they do kill them when they find them

There are cheap home made brews, non-toxic to pets, that can be spread around to discourage groundhogs from returning, usually HOT Pepper reductions
Along with strong scents like cayenne pepper and black/white pepper

 

[adsm08]

With a live trap you can transport to dispose of elsewhere.

How well do they swim?

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

How well do they swim?

Never asked one. About the only things that is on my catch and release list is possums and cats. The woodchucks trying to burrow under the barn we just put a new cement floor in... they were on the other list.

I wiped out the whole family, two adults and three little ones (this years litter). I don't think it would take much to tame down a little one, they were not very mean.

 

[planeflyer21]

For several years I worked on a ranch, surrounded by city. At one point in time the rabbits (cottontail and jacks) got so bad that, when we received a truckload of hay in the morning, by afternoon all the sharp corners and edges would be rounded off.

After some experimentation, we put one of these in the trunk of the old lady's (ranch hand and personal assistants, what a life!):

https://www.crosman.com/pumpmaster-760-rifle-177

With pointy "magnum" pellets and Kentucky windage, they had no real safe distance. In two months we went from hundreds of rabbits down to just a few.

The old dogs that were still around on the ranch, hawks, and the occasional coyote ate them all up.

 

[Dirtman]

Just get a crossbow. Much quieter and way better chance of actually killing them instead of just pissing them off. Most of the break barrel guns are loud as hell and even with really good ammo they often wont do any more than leave a flesh wound on a big groundhog. An arrow on the other hand is almost guaranteed kill shot as long as you hit it. 20-30 yards is perfect range for a crossbow as well.

 

[adsm08]

Never asked one.

Well there is a large lake near me, and I have a boat.

 

[pjtoledo]

Aguila no powder .22 ammo, it's virtually silent. about 700fps with a 20 grain bullet. penetrates 3/4" wood at 50'.

it's .22 Super Colibri. regular Colibri is much slower and actually bounces off hard woods.

I have a Ruger break barrel .17 air rifle that puts out 1200fps, its louder than a regular .22LR and also penetrates 3/4" wood.

 

[Will]

I have a Benjamin .22 air rifle. A pellet thing. About $200. You have to buy a scope built for a shotgun. A pellet rifle recoils forward and rifle scopes are designed for the opposite. Shotgun scopes are designed for everything.

All that aside. You need quiet death. In town. You need a .22 pellet rifle. It will kill a cat or a groundhawg instantly with a headshot. Since you don't plan to need the body of either--you can do a body shot and neither will come back again.

I live in the country. I blast varmints with whatever suits me. Lately it's been a B-Mag. Awesome. But when I need to do a stealth death--I slip out the Benjamin.