A buddy has just asked me to help him out with his woodchuck issue. The woodchuck is big and old, but a menace. He's pretty tame, but I'd appreciate any advice you guys have, I'd be shooting him In a larger backyard. Think I'll need to camo up and actually sneak up? Or just walk up inside of 20 yds and send a shaft after him?

Whatever you do,use a broadhead. Way to tough of a critter to use any of the small game heads.

Planning to try out my Eclipse 2 blades on cedar shafts.  Should I shoot heart and lungs or head on these guys?

Not a woodchuck killer,but would think that either would work

Just make sure it is shot well enough to kill it right where it is. Nothing worse than a dead groundhog rotting under a shed!

I've killed over 200 with traditional equipment, the vast majority dragged arrow and all back into their hole. If you get one arrow into it I would keep shooting 'til it was dead.

I'll second the broadhead advice. They are tough animals. The adult groundhogs here are more skittish than the deer I hunt in the fall. Use any trick you can to get yours. Best of luck and let us know how you make out.

Sharp head and aim for the vitals, you can glance off their hard head. I have killed a bunch with a bow, had a bunc make it into the den with arrow shots that would have killed a deer quicker!

broad head and make sure you chase him after the hit as alot of times he will try to bite your arrow in half or go under ground with it. that is if your arrow dont pass through. best is to let him come out and be comfortable before trying to move. and hunt like you would any game... HIDE. also if you know where his hole is and come out and heads same way all the time. most hawgs do. set up behind his hole up close and wait it out and he won't look back towards his hole much, but ahead and to the side. you can take advantage of him like that. almost always when its hot and you get a rain shower in the evenings make sure your there set up, cause he will be out for sure. movement will get you, just wear earth tone clothes and keep still. also they dont come out everyday. i have seen them not come out for 2 days or more. i have at time hunted specific hawgs. biggest i got was almost 17lbs and guys around here shot them in fall up to 22lbs. they have ground hog hunts around here that go by weight. pretty fun. good luck

Thanks Gents!

Just outta curiosity... A these pelt animals or can you actually eat them... Don't mean to sound ignorant, I just have no idea.

You can eat them. Par boil with bay leaf then BBQ

I'd use the biggest broadhead you can get your hands on. A big Snuffer would be great and some kind of "stopper" to add shock.

I've killed a bunch with the Magnus blunt with blade. My wounding loss dropped dramatically when I started using them.
 

You can eat them but they have glands between the bigger muscle groups in the hind legs that should be removed.  Smaller ones are better and none of them like to give up there skin.  They are better used for trapping bait or fertilizer for the garden.  All of the broadhead advice above and the approach from behind advice is solid.  Be prepared to lose your arrow and kill the little bugger!  Good luck.  Also, pelts are not worth much of anything.

Best,

I've shot a number of them with a bow and arrow.  Be prepared to loss your arrow.  For me, they would pull the arrow in the hole or break the arrow in half as they are going into the hole.  Even with a broadhead all have made it to the hole and I lost my arrow. I was using wood and aluminum arrows.

use a fishing arrow, with the string tied to it.  also, a broadhead with a stopper, like charlie said.

The only one I've ever hit took an aluminum shaft and bear razor head down the hole with him.
 I could hear him crunching on it!  :rolleyes:

I've killed a few.  Deer hunting is a whole lot easier in my opinion.

I like spot and stalk and I use Snuffers

They do make it to the hole sometimes they are tough critters

Thanks for all the feedback guys! Theres is a  good amount of information here. I think I'm going to use a pretty big and nasty broadhead that will shred the buggers vitals apart. Hopefully it'll kill him before he runs off. It will pass the arrow through too and leave a big ol hole. Supposedly this guy is pretty tamed. But I wont take chances. I'll camo up and stalk him down in the backyard and put the arrow through his chest.  The edges of the yard are wooded and will provide good cover. When this gets done, I'll post up the pics. It will be my first trad kill!

Shoot em right behind the front leg.
if you shoot him with a good sharp Bh a ways from his den, he'll never make it back to his hole. If you miss your mark say good bye to your arrow.  Good hunting