How to deal with problem Woodchuck in Massachusetts

Woodchuck (groundhog, chuck, whistle-pig, whistle pig)

Woodchuck

Woodchuck in backyard
Woodchuck

Woodchucks are large (up to 10 pounds) rodents native to much of North America. They inhabit open areas, backyards, and woodland edges and forage on grasses, flowers, vegetables, fruits, nuts, and crops.

Woodchucks are well adapted for digging, and live and hibernate in burrows, which typically have a main entrance and one or more escape entrances. They also are good climbers and can scale fences and climb low trees. Woodchucks have few natural predators. When threatened, they prefer to retreat to their burrows, but will climb and swim away as well. They are active during the day and sleep at night, and enjoy basking in the sun. True hibernators, they enter their dens in late October or November and reemerge in late February or March. Woodchucks damage garden vegetables and fruits, eat ornamental flowers, and debark trees. Their burrows can undermine foundations and fences and pose a hazard to equipment, animals, and people. They give birth in April and May with litters averaging four to five pups.

Legal, Regulated Hunting in Massachusetts

Legal, Regulated Hunting in Massachusetts

The use of legal, regulated, hunting by licensed hunters can be useful for reducing local wildlife populations and can help reduce nuisance problems in Massachusetts. You can allow hunters on to your property, provide a place for them to park to access nearby forest, and/or give them permission to hunt within 500 feet of your residence. Please also keep in mind that each town may have additional by-laws that restrict hunting and the discharge of firearms.

Information about hunting seasons and regulations in Massachusetts

Solutions for woodchuck problems

How to keep woodchucks from burrowing and denning under my porch, deck, or shedExplore this solution

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Laws and regulations to be aware of

Regulations for Massachusetts

Relocation of Wildlife

No person shall transport any fish or wildlife species in Massachusetts. 

Exceptions to transporting and liberating wildlife in Massachusetts include: (a) Permitted Massachusetts wildlife rehabilitators may transport within Massachusetts and liberate rehabilitated wildlife; (b) a permitted Massachusetts problem animal control agent may liberate problem animals at the site of capture, or may transport within Massachusetts such animals to a licensed wildlife rehabilitator or for the purposes of euthanasia.

Killing of Wildlife by Owner or Tenant of Land

Under Mass.General Law 131, Section 37, a property owner or tenant of land may hunt or take by other means, except by poison or snare, any mammal which he finds damaging his property, provided that such killing is not contrary to any federal law or regulation.  Animals killed under this law, must be reported to authorities within 24 hours.

Trap Types Restricted in Massachusetts

A person shall not use, set, place, maintain, manufacture or possess any trap for the purpose of capturing furbearing mammals, except for common type mouse and rat traps, nets, and box or cage type traps, as otherwise permitted by law. A box or cage type trap is one that confines the whole animal without grasping any part of the animal, including Hancock or Bailey's type live trap for beavers. Other than nets and common type mouse or rat traps, traps designed to capture and hold a furbearing mammal by gripping the mammal's body, or body part are prohibited, including steel jaw leghold traps, padded leghold traps, and snares.

Firearm Discharge

A person shall not discharge any firearm or release any arrow upon or across any state or hard surfaced highway, or within one hundred and fifty feet, of any such highway, or possess a loaded firearm or hunt by any means within five hundred feet of any dwelling in use, except as authorized by the owner or occupant thereof.

Legal, Regulated Hunting

The use of legal, regulated, hunting by licensed hunters can be useful for reducing local wildlife populations and can help reduce nuisance problems in Massachusetts. You can allow hunters on to your property, provide a place for them to park to access nearby forest, and/or give them permission to hunt within 500 feet of your residence. Please also keep in mind that each town may have additional by-laws that restrict hunting and the discharge of firearms.
While we attempt to provide guidance about state and federal regulations pertaining to specific species and control techniques, we do not provide information about local jurisdictions (city, town, county, etc.) where regulations may be more restrictive, especially as it applies to discharge of firearms, transport of animals or use of trapping equipment. Contact your local city or county government to inquire further. No guarantee is made that information (or lack of information) associated with a species or control technique is completely accurate or current. You should become familiar with federal, state and local laws before beginning any wildlife control activities.