Woodchucks

[catjac1975]

If one more person tells me woodchucks are easy to catch because they are dumb I am going to scream.. We do have a great school system so are Mattapoisett woodchucks of a more intellectual variety? "They love peaches....no! Brand new shiny havaheart trap is in the entrance of their burrow. You should see all of the lovely little footprints right in front of the trap. In search of the perfect lure......

 

[catjac1975]

HAPPY DANCE! HAPPY DANCE!HAPPY DANCE!HAPPY DANCE!HAPPY DANCE!

 

[catjac1975]

I take it all back. The are dumb, they do like peaches! Woodchuck fat from my peas, broccoli, cauliflower....in the havaheart!!!!

 

[Nyboy]

Happy dance happy dance

 

[Ridgerunner]

Congratulations, that is a good feeling. I agree with your first post, they are not easy. You've just accomplished something.

You might keep the trap set and baited just in case there are more. Woodchucks dig two different types of dens. One is where they raise their families and general live. If that is one of those you probably have more. They also dig escape holes in case they are caught away from home and need a quick place to hide. Hopefully that's one of their hideouts.

I've managed to trap one woodchuck in my life. That was an unbaited trap. I make a box to fit over my traps so the only way in is through the front door, which makes it look like an opening to a burrow. I'd baited the trap for raccoons over a week before but mice had stolen the bait by then. That woodchuck blundered in that dark opening and trapped himself. I trap rabbits the same way with no bait in a smaller trap.

I've tried baiting the trap for woodchucks with ripe peaches, apples with vanilla splashed on them, all that and occasionally caught a raccoon or possum, but never a woodchuck.

 

[catjac1975]

We have seen 3. Probably a ton. I was planning to put a couple of my cabbage seedlings in it next but I will stick with the peaches if they keep working.

 

[catjac1975]

Congratulations, that is a good feeling. I agree with your first post, they are not easy. You've just accomplished something.

You might keep the trap set and baited just in case there are more. Woodchucks dig two different types of dens. One is where they raise their families and general live. If that is one of those you probably have more. They also dig escape holes in case they are caught away from home and need a quick place to hide. Hopefully that's one of their hideouts.

I've managed to trap one woodchuck in my life. That was an unbaited trap. I make a box to fit over my traps so the only way in is through the front door, which makes it look like an opening to a burrow. I'd baited the trap for raccoons over a week before but mice had stolen the bait by then. That woodchuck blundered in that dark opening and trapped himself. I trap rabbits the same way with no bait in a smaller trap.

I've tried baiting the trap for woodchucks with ripe peaches, apples with vanilla splashed on them, all that and occasionally caught a raccoon or possum, but never a woodchuck.

 

[catjac1975]

Here is my best brilliant wood chuck story. Woodchuck had dug under my garden fence in an older version of fencing that was not as good a fortress as I have now. There was one way in-through the hole. I had a 2 door trap and put an ear of corn in the far end of the trap, both doors open, to be sure he was all the way in when it sprung. I wrapped chicken wire around the trap. ONE WAY IN -through the trap! So it sat open for weeks- corn intact. So I did not care because he was staying out. One day the corn was gone, the trap not sprung. It had gone to the other side of the garden, dug a new entrance, went across the garden to where he could reach in without springing the trap. Left the eaten corn outside of the trap.

 

[catjac1975]

After the first broccoli ect. massacre I started new seedlings. I carefully put them out in the garden a week ago. We buried the woodchuck corpse in the tunnel thinking maybe the others would not like the odor of the carcass. Watched the plants carefully but a half day away from home and we came home to about 10 plants being devoured. I had kept the trap set and baited near a big den with no takers. I rebated near the seedlings and.....another one caught. He can look at me all he wants with the sad little eyes.....no mercy. We bought a lobster for dinner and it died before I cooked it. You are not supposed to cook a dead lobster. I am going to put it down the hole of the big den and maybe stink them out of there.

 

[journey11]

Revenge is sweet! Sorry about your broccoli. Are you going to try again?