To control the pest and protect the land from the hungry groundhogs, sometimes you as an owner will need to shoot them using an air gun aka pellet gun.
But, where to shoot a groundhog with a pellet gun? Aim in the chest near to the heart to get the max killing advantages. Other than that, you can kill them by hitting on the head and torso vital organs like lungs, livers, and kidneys.
In this guide, I’ll describe the logic behind hitting on these parts only and you’ll also find some other interesting topics. Shall We Start?
Shoot a Groundhog at Right Spots with A Pellet Gun!
As a farmer of land that contains rich crops, you should know the exact shooting point that can hunt the groundhogs humanly. Aim at the most sensitive part of groundhogs that cause them to get shot. Let’s learn where to shoot using the pellet gun:
Shoot At the Chest or Nearby Parts
Out of all the body organs, the chest is the most sensitive part of groundhogs. They will immediately stop running if get one perfect shot of a pellet gun straight to the heart or nearby parts.
Yes, the power aka velocity of pellet gun does matter at a good distance to catch and aim at the groundhogs. I would suggest you fully focus on their behavior and when they don’t move shoot at the front-middle area of the chest (close to the heart) to successfully knock them.
Aim On the Head
If you have a few years of skill using the pellet gun, just hit the groundhogs on the head. But make sure your rifle contains good muzzle energy and velocity to knock them when you hit on this organ.
Hit In the Torso Vital Organs
It will be a solution where everyone benefits if you hit the groundhogs using the same gun on the torso’s vital organs.
Most folks can think it’s an inhuman activity but a farmer who gets earnings from the crops which they damage badly will need a suitable knowledge of groundhogs hitting spots.
FYI, the torso’s vital organs are the lungs, livers, and kidneys. So, aim and shoot at these areas if you want to get rid of them in a human manner.
Warning: Do not shoot groundhogs on the belly or muscled areas as it’s more like ‘Not Human’ activity!
Pellet Gun for Groundhog:
It’s vital to catch the difference in pellet guns to make out the right one for killing the groundhogs. Yes, you’ll need to bait some foods like nuts which is what do groundhogs eat to trap them properly.
So, what type of air guns can kill a groundhog? It depends on the range of caliber to call one ideal pellet gun for killing groundhogs.
Most pro hunters find the 0.22 caliber best to hit groundhogs with significant impact, accuracy, and penetration for the mid-size game and pest control. Others suggest 0.177 caliber air guns which I find a bit weak.
The 0.22 caliber pellet gun will easily kill woodchucks at 20 yards or less distance while using 14.3 gr pellets (like the Crosman Pellets with 500 pieces per box) at 400 – 975 fps.
Plus, this will move at +/– 1000 fps (feet per second) or less where the velocity is stable with at least 18 ft-lbs. muzzle energy.
You can verily try the Gamo 611006875554 Air Rifle to hit 10 pellets nonstop that don’t make loud noises to irritate neighbors.
It Is Legal to Kill Groundhogs in Virginia
As far as the query is concerned, there is no solid law that goes against killing groundhogs in Virginia. However, the official government site does state that it is unlawful to trap and relocate any kind of animals including groundhogs to another place.
To put it simply, you can’t trap and capture them to make business after shifting to a new place in Virginia. Since killing groundhogs in Virginia or other places is not illegal, you can do it if they are digging and damaging the land badly.
To do that, you won’t need a license or permission. But be sure to do it more HUMANLY!
3 Reasons To Shoot Groundhogs
From the perspective of a farmer or ranch, shooting groundhogs is something that can’t be avoided. Some hunters shoot them to eat, have fun, or for training reasons (which is against animal rights). Here’s the proper reason behind this kind of behavior:
1. Requires More Expense on Land Maintenance
Protecting one’s land is a basic need of a human. And this is the first thing why most farmers or ordinary folks kill them via shooting.
As they dig holes for up to 8 feet that look like a tunnel, this thing causes electric wires and other stuff to get damaged. To fix these, will require more bucks than you have ever imagined.
It’s still unknown who wins and causes more damage if the male vs female groundhog digs on the ground. Whatever gender they have, the groundhogs will cause severe damage to property as well as others.
2. More Holes Causes Issues
Due to the uneven shape of the burrow, the groundhogs raise the chances of humans facing falls during normal walks. It can even cause weak kids and old folks to face serious issues when walking in that kind of landscape.
3. Ruin The Food Source in The Land
Lastly, groundhogs consume any kind of crops from the landscape. A farmer won’t want their challenging work to face ruin at the mouth of the woodchucks.
To get rid of the damage to the food source, most farmers shoot them to protect their crops. The food that woodchucks eat includes nuts, beans, clovers, and soybeans. This is what do groundhogs eat from the farm!
Ending Note
Getting success in killing is only possible if you know where to shoot a groundhog with a pellet gun. All you need to do is to get the right air gun and shoot at the targeted areas.
After learning it all, it’s your turn to protect your farm from them. Skill is essential for this kind of action so is knowledge!
