Has anyone successfully evicted a groundhog (woodchuck)? How?

[Andrew S.]

I have been battling a groundhog in the backyard of one of my rental properties for quite some time now and I'm running out of things to try (very persistent groundhog...).  The fellow lives in a fairly overgrown buffer space behind my fenced backyard.  For some reason, it has decided that it wants to get into my backyard in spite of the fact that there is only grass, and not, say a vegetable garden...  The fence is a 6-foot wooden privacy fence, and the groundhog has taken to digging under the fence into the backyard.  I have been playing the game of blocking the holes with rocks, rebar, wire mesh, etc but the groundhog's patience is endless.... just digs a new hole right next to the blocked one.  While my local Lowes does seem to have a nearly endless supply of rebar, it has become apparent that a better solution to the problem is probably to evict the fellow once and for all.  Does anyone here have experience with this?  Obviously, trapping it is one option, but what do I do with him once he's trapped?  I don;t have the heart to kill him, and I assume there probably aren't any groundhog shelters where I can drop him off....  Any thoughts?

[Jacob Rhein]

Options: 

(1) Ask a second amendment lawyer for advice about whether you can use "self help" in your jurisdiction. 

(2) Post a notice to vacate at the entrance of this groundhog's burrow, and then proceed to eviction.

(3) Sue him for trespass. 

(4) Get an injunction. 

(5) Build a wall and make the groundhog pay for it.

Incidentally, does anyone know how many lawyers it takes to remove a woodchuck?