Posted by Billy NY on August 31, 2012 at 08:28:55 from (67.248.100.3):
With all the garden posts, and similar about dealing with these particular creatures, I though maybe y'all would get a kick out of the latest woodchuck "follies" around here :)
So a few days ago, I see a row of lettuce mowed right down, well it will probably come back but a nice even trim job, same height like a mower did it, got to hand it em, they are neat LOL !
Ok, set a live trap, at the front of the house where I saw him, and the darned thing has a hair trigger, but I get it set but the bait pan won't balance, ok, add some extra bait & wait. He shows right up and is in the trap, it does not go off, I sneak around, good cover, have a nice round staghorn sumac burl, closest thing I could grab that would work, try and get close enough to lob it in, hit the trap and set it off, closing the doors. Nope, he knows something is up, trap still set, less bait, next day he has to reach further for the bait, got him !!! Seeing its good exercise, I walked him down back across a field, 1000 yards or so, sent him packing, doubt he will be back, too far and too disorientating for them. Well great, that's done, now I can plant another row, not worry...... whoa, not so fast, head out the back steps this morning, there's a 'chuck poking out under the 2nd to last tread !!!
%$!@#.... not the same one either ! Get trap, set it, while doing that, its a hard to reach place, vines growing in there, and buckthorn been trying its luck to grow there too. Clear what I can reach out, and he's got the concrete blocks the stairs rest on strewn about, big rocks and pile of dirt, small hole. So I start in on moving a few things in there he comes right out, and wants to leave, had I welders gloves I'd have grabbed him, but had short leather drivers, not the best angle to reach, pounce etc., he's cornered a bit too, but finds a way out, runs off, I pack the hole up. I've handled and caught them many times, you need to get em by the back of the neck and have long thick leather gloves on and a clear path to grab or pounce, they will lunge at you sometimes, you miss, it could hurt !
He's been in there the whole darned time, total access to the garden, inside job, as that is where the fence ends and it can be breached, will be demolishing and rebuilding the stairs, can fix that problem then.
The lettuce had not been touched, 30 days growing, I did notice some nipped tomato branches but thought it to be horn worms, which should not be, I tilled in the fall, never found a one at night, was 'chucky all along ! Spinach growing in there, he never touched it, bell peppers, egg plant nope, just waited til that lettuce was ripe. Some ripe tomato's nope. Trap still set in case he comes back, banana's and the one I did catch sure liked one of my pears ! Overripe banana's, even in the trap, could not resist, excellent bait for these.
Inside job, these 'chucks are definitely smart, can see good. Thats 6 so far this year, 4 killed, 1 released, another run off.
Just the fact that this guy had full access to my garden this whole season, inside job, secret bunker set up, totally out of sight, juvenile 'chuck too, born this year, they sure are not stupid and this one knew enough to get out of dodge, I figured he hid in the den when he saw me, did not take much to run him off !!!
Well that sure tastes good, kept right on chowing on that banana, which was like baby food at this stage, out in the heat etc.
Ok... seeing as I put aside my hatred of what they can do, just a row of lettuce, been real dry, can't blame ya, now don't come back y'all...
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