Outdoors
The BDN outdoors section brings readers into the woods, waters and wild places of Maine. It features stories on hunting, fishing, wildlife, conservation and recreation, told by people who live these experiences. This section emphasizes hands-on knowledge, field reports, issues, trends and the traditions that define life outside in Maine. Read more Outdoors stories here.
As I pulled my truck into the driveway, much to my surprise, there sat a fat groundhog sunning on my front steps. While my wife thought it was cute, I knew better. When it scurried down and under the enclosed steps instead of across the lawn, we both were unhappy. There was only about a 4-inch space between the steps and the house foundation, and I was astonished it was able to fit through the small opening.
After several more encounters over the next week, it became clear the nuisance woodchuck was living under my front cement steps and digging tunnels beneath them. With concrete, wood and the house so close together, using a rifle, shotgun or bow wasn’t an option. Traps weren’t either, with skunks, raccoons, squirrels and neighborhood pets around. The wary furball stayed out of sight and only came onto the lawn to feed when we were inside or away.
My solution was a fast, potent pneumatic .22 pellet gun and a plan. One morning, I quietly opened a corner window a few inches. My wife followed our normal routine and left, and I took up position. With the house quiet, the groundhog came out about 15 minutes later for what turned out to be its last meal.
A couple of months later, the damage from those tunnels began to show. By digging under the steps and into the edge of the driveway, the groundhog had removed the packed soil that supported both. What started as a small opening had turned into a network of burrows beneath the structure. Cracks spread around my steps and into the asphalt. Soon after, holes appeared, and sections of the driveway collapsed into the tunnels. A few thousand dollars later, I became a regular spring groundhog hunter.
Groundhogs don’t just show up in remote fields. Around homes and farms, they can cause real damage by digging under structures and undermining the ground beneath them. They eat gardens, weaken lawns and can create hazards for livestock. Because of that, hunters usually have little trouble getting permission to hunt them.
For many Maine outdoorsmen, May means trolling for trout and salmon or wandering wetlands for fiddleheads. Shooting opportunities are limited this time of year. Coyotes and squirrels are open year-round, but spring isn’t ideal for predators and few people target squirrels. Turkey season offers a short window.
Groundhogs, however, are active as soon as the frost leaves the ground, making May prime time. Also known as woodchucks, they are sharp-eyed, wary and rarely far from a burrow entrance.
Most shots come down to patience and awareness. Groundhogs nearly always have more than one escape route, and they seldom stray far from cover. Spot-and-stalk tactics along field edges or slow drives along back roads near pastures and second-growth fields offer the best chances to locate one. Once spotted, it’s a matter of getting into position and taking a safe shot with a clear backdrop.
They are small targets, roughly a foot tall, and their brown coloration blends into the landscape. That makes them a challenge even for experienced shooters.
I’ve eaten groundhog prepared a few different ways, including stew and meatballs. It’s mild, but not as good as moose. The fur is also useful for fly tying, especially for wings, tails and spun hair bodies on wet and dry flies.
While May is a prime month for fishing, it also offers a chance to get out with a firearm when few other seasons are open. Groundhogs offer that opportunity across much of Maine’s rural country each spring, and in some cases, removing one can prevent far more damage than most people expect.
