Let him live another year, and reproduce. You could have your own managed woodchuck shooting preserve.
SECOND THAT !
I made a mistake of teaching Wife to shoot. One day I’m woken from a Saturday nap to be shown 4 dead baby Groundhogs laid out. She’s smiling as she’d whacked them all with my .22 AZ Rapid. Great, I told her. Good shooting. I wasn’t happy but pick & choose your battles ya know.
I’m very surprised to read that Groundhogs are rare in your area/State? I’m in NE PA & grew up nailing them with Grandpops old Savage .250-3000. I graduated to a Savage Model 112 .22-250 26” Bull Barrel. Not made anymore, the 112 was a long bolt action.
You obviously can do as you want but if I were you I’d be practicing stalking & shooting whatever air gun you can afford. It’s a Varmint so I won’t preach on necessary required ft lbs per lb of animal.
Keep this in mind. I was told of a Southern Gentleman who told his workers he’d pay $5.00 for any Groundhogs shot & field dressed ( gutted) as the meat was his favorite. It is a very clean white meat and allegedly the younger they are the more tender the meat. For older ones I haven’t met anything that 12-16 hours in a Crockpot on low can’t be made to fall off bone. I admit, I never tried the meat. Those 4 young ones Wife shot would have been a good chance to try it; but alas, she nor the ONE I brought home as a teenager would be allowed in Wife/Mother’s pans or pots.
They like the softest freshest Clover, Soybeans covered in early morning dew. Blow across a spent brass casing of any .22 after washing well. The very high pitched whistle will usually make a Groundhog stand up on hind legs to look around as they’re curious & naturally afraid of attack from above. Hawks. A .17 case should theoretically be even higher pitched but they’re short, so try to get a .17 Remington center fire one. Cases are like calls, experiment with spent brass at a range, after washing.
