Woodchuck nearly broke me

[journey11]

I have been successful at just harassing rodents until they leave.

However, if they are not yet in your garden, they might choose that location as a new residence, @Collector . When gophers showed up in my potato patch one year, I spent about 30 minutes out there with a metal rod and hammered it into the ground at various angles everywhere and anywhere close to their activity. Of course, I just might have driven that rod thru a gopher underground. Whatever the case, their burrow was riddled with holes by the time I was done.

Ground squirrels got the ""rock hammered into their burrow" treatment. Once again, the 5# sledge hammer came out. This time, accompanied by a short piece of 2 by 4. Not just 1 burrow sized rock but 3 or 4 were driven down.

I've used this technique several times to rid my garden of the Columbian Ground Squirrel (LINK). It has not worked as well with Marmots. They are much larger rodents and seem to always have their burrows in rocky areas, anyway. The critters worked around the rocks but have then stopped showing up in my garden.

My efforts may have frightened off the marmots while the rocks may have trapped the ground squirrels underground and a gopher or two just might have been skewered with the metal rod. Whatever the case, harassing has worked for me.

Steve, ever vigilant
has been known to "shoot" tree squirrels with a water hose.

Lol, Steve, and I'm sure that's a good way to vent your frustrations if nothing else.
_*_*_Whack-a-mole!_*_*_

 

[dickiebird]

I've been watching this thread all along, and low and behold this morning I started out the front door and there goes something scampering under the front porch.
I stopped in my tracks and whispered over my shoulder "be berry berry quite" and come look at this, just about then a young ground hog came running towards the porch and zipped under.
I stood there being "berry berry quite" and one of them poked it's head out long enough for me to get a good look, yep, a ground hog.
Oh well, I guess I'll get a trap out and see if I can catch them before they do any damage.

THANX RICH

 

[seedcorn]

You might try putting yard chems that you buy in Walmart to kill grubs. Put a cup (I put it on bread), they are gone. After putting in hole, cover it up so cats/dog don't get it. Not sure IF they leave or die. Either is good.

 

[Beekissed]

I have never seen them climb.You can trap a young one but the adults are too smart for a trap.

We've trapped adult groundhogs when I was a kid by just setting a leg hold trap down in the entrance of their burrow. That was back in the day when we didn't have dogs.

Now we have dogs and dogs = no groundhogs. Especially Jake, who killed his first full grown whistle pig at 5 mo. of age, quick and easy. I've never had one in any of my gardens since having dogs.

Anyone you know with a good dog you can place in your garden for a little while?

 

[catjac1975]

We've trapped adult groundhogs when I was a kid by just setting a leg hold trap down in the entrance of their burrow. That was back in the day when we didn't have dogs.

Now we have dogs and dogs = no groundhogs. Especially Jake, who killed his first full grown whistle pig at 5 mo. of age, quick and easy. I've never had one in any of my gardens since having dogs.

Anyone you know with a good dog you can place in your garden for a little while?

All traps are illegal in Ma. I wonder if I bought one on-line if I could get it.

 

[catjac1975]

We've trapped adult groundhogs when I was a kid by just setting a leg hold trap down in the entrance of their burrow. That was back in the day when we didn't have dogs.

Now we have dogs and dogs = no groundhogs. Especially Jake, who killed his first full grown whistle pig at 5 mo. of age, quick and easy. I've never had one in any of my gardens since having dogs.

Anyone you know with a good dog you can place in your garden for a little while?

Long a go a friend had a perfect mutt that brought them home all the time. As many as he wanted.

 

[seedcorn]

Cat, just put yard bait in their den. No prisoners.

 

[catjac1975]

Cat, just put yard bait in their den. No prisoners.

I did. That has been doing the best over the past few years. I'll know soon if the robber ate it.

 

[digitS']

I've never heard of "land beaver," @catjac1975 . The problem with common names but not all scientists use the same "scientific" name, either.

whistle pig ...

I've heard of that!

Yes, they are just our version of the woodchuck. Here's something a little interesting about marmots.

They live above 6,000 feet elevation in Colorado. Marmots are at 2,000 feet here. In Alaska, they may be found at sea level. My guess is that it has to do with the length of their winter hibernation.

Steve

 

[Nyboy]

Cat all traps are illegal or leg hold traps ?