# Groundhog



## jenv101 (Oct 13, 2010)

I searched the forum but didn't find much so I thought I'd ask just to be double sure... groundhog - ok to feed? I got one off a neighbor who has a family member that hunts them. It is whole and frozen - I will keep it frozen for a few weeks (or ask her how long it has been frozen for) to kill parasites, but other than that is there anything I should know?


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## jenv101 (Oct 13, 2010)

Bump? Maybe no one has fed it, and I will be the test subject? lol


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## Serenity (Dec 30, 2011)

I've never heard of it ever and truthfully IDK if its the best idea... I would be too concerned on what the animal may have had or can carry. Ask your vet maybe?


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## jenv101 (Oct 13, 2010)

I've seen on here people feeding squirrels, mice, rats... is there a difference really? I'm not asking my vet for raw feeding advice.


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## AveryandAudrey (Sep 20, 2010)

I know raccoon isnt good to feed so I'm not sure. I feed jackrabbit tho and ya I know some feed rat. So maybe its ok? Groundhog dont exist here so I honestly have no clue.


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## jenv101 (Oct 13, 2010)

Thanks! I just looked them up to be sure - they are a rodent, wolves do eat them, they are mostly herbivore and they are not scavengers... sounds like it should be ok.


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## AveryandAudrey (Sep 20, 2010)

Ya then that sounds ok, and freezing like you are is good. I froze the rabbit for 2 weeks. Scavengers are yuck I wouldn't feed those.


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## Makovach (Jan 24, 2012)

My dogs get fresh ground hog about once a month or so. We are surrounded by feilds and they hunt them, I've always let them have them. They never have a problem. I'm planning to feed groundhog to my dogs once they are more active and I can get to them eaiser. I have permission to hunt about 300 acres of feild for groundhogs. Just another protien source  and they are not a major carryer of rabies like ***** or opposum.


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## wolfsnaps88 (Jan 2, 2012)

JENV. your dogs are so pretty!


My dogs caught and killed a groundhog last summer. I took it home (we were on a walk in the woods) and my husband skinned it. Poor thing was full of pus and was probably very sick so I just burned the carcass. They have a LOT of fur and are very scrawny inside. If you do feed it, you will see what I mean. It was less meaty than a rabbit (although the one we had was not a huge one). I am not sure if its ok to feed or not so this is just a guess...Make sure you are getting them from areas that are not over pesticided. (Yes, I made that word up!) Since these guys live underground and eat stuff on the ground, that is the only thing I can think of that would be bad for them, an animal that lives where people go crazy with insecticide. 


Let us know how it goes, I am very interested to find out.


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## jenv101 (Oct 13, 2010)

Thanks everyone!



wolfsnaps88 said:


> JENV. your dogs are so pretty!
> 
> My dogs caught and killed a groundhog last summer. I took it home (we were on a walk in the woods) and my husband skinned it. Poor thing was full of pus and was probably very sick so I just burned the carcass. They have a LOT of fur and are very scrawny inside. If you do feed it, you will see what I mean. It was less meaty than a rabbit (although the one we had was not a huge one). I am not sure if its ok to feed or not so this is just a guess...Make sure you are getting them from areas that are not over pesticided. (Yes, I made that word up!) Since these guys live underground and eat stuff on the ground, that is the only thing I can think of that would be bad for them, an animal that lives where people go crazy with insecticide.
> 
> Let us know how it goes, I am very interested to find out.


Good points thanks! I will ask the person I got them from and see if I can find out any more info. I guess I will have to open it up to double check how feed-able it is. Any skinning tips? lol


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## wolfsnaps88 (Jan 2, 2012)

JENV, have you ever skinned before? A rabbit is very easy. A deer is moderately easy. A groundhog is a pain in the butt! They have tough skin. Best tip I can give is have a very sharp knife and go slow.


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## jenv101 (Oct 13, 2010)

No I have never skinned anything before - should be interesting lol!


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