tinman.."from what I'm noticing, they don't see that well, but detect motion".is correct.they have very poor depth perception also follow side to side motion but not straight on motion well.their hearing is excellent.I saw one run right off a ledge and plummet 60 feet to the river below it.I wouldnt have believed it if I hadnt seen it overshoot its den entrance.
they climb trees,swim if theres water nearby and do most anything a overgrown RAT will do.I dont like them at all as they do serious damage to just about any farm building they get into,consume vast amounts of soy beans when they first start coming through the soil and not to mention broken tractor axils hitting a hidden den system,broken legs on cattle and their habit of eating tree bark off the young trees.
groundhogs are plentiful here as well and some farmers pay to have them eliminated by trappers and hunters.if you cant shoot them,put a piece of fruit flavored bubblegum down the den entrance.they will eat it but cant metabolize it,it wont "pass" out its system neither.safe for family pets but poison to rodents.
When I can get out to hunt them,Ive had best luck just after sunrise till about noon then after 3pm till 6pm.rain or shine.I use a 12 gauge on the ones close in to farm buildings and a .223 varmiter,6-24x scope with vmax loads on the ones out in the fields and always carry an extra pistol for the groundhogs that pop up along fence rows and in heavy brush.theres no gun that wouldnt work for these rodents.its all good.