Short Woodchuck story

So yesterday, perfect weather, cool, dry, sunny, time to finish up some mowing, so I'm getting close to the pear trees, and don't you know it ole "chucky" pops up from grass that is like a 2nd cut orchard grass adjacent to the lawn. Strange, they don't like it when your in sight for obvious reasons, now he's not all the afraid, looking at me, decides to run, to another den, (he has a worn in path from under my porch, across the lawn and field). Well he stops, turns right around and decides, he's not going to forget that pear he was after, goes back picks it up, places in his mouth, stands up, then looks at me. I stop the tractor and sprint after him to his other den, must have looked foolish LOL ! I just wanted to see where the den was actually. He's evaded my trap so many times and was not the one in the garden, so I just let him be. Usually on sight, they run, not this guy, forgot something went back, got it, showed it to me, then played tag LOL, course he won. Knowing the pest side of them, gardens, holes, and that they can expand in numbers, one does have to eradicate them, but sometimes you just have to sit back and laugh, made my day, he's just trying to make a living just like us, fallen pears overipe so what, just stay out of my garden ! This is a smart one, he rattles the hav a hart trap to try and get the bait, won't go in it, I've watched him, extremely smart he is, though a bullet would eventually get him, sometimes I look the other way, like the friendly one I had for years who never really gave me any trouble, he used to wait on the porch for me to come out one time standing at the front door with his arms folded, critters, you can't live with them or without em, now where have I heard that before ? LOL !

It is the fine line between entertaining and destructive that they must not cross.

Billy,
You sound like us,they all have a soul and know they are safe.Bless your heart, I have alot of respect for animal lovers and you are on my list.Warmest regards, LOU

As often as I can, and as much as these guys can be trouble, I try to reverse the roles, then act accordingly, sometimes I have to do things I just hate, to protect my garden from them, but most times not, so I do my best, nothing in life is easy, but one can do things they must without being callous or so I believe.

Last one I dealt with, I put the bait (muskmellon chunks) on the ground and set the live trap over it. Came back a couple hours later and there he was with a embarrassed look on his face. Put it within a few feet of his hole, next to the barn foundation.

i like to watch them too, but then I see the storage shed put there by previous owners, how it's all listing on one side, right on top of where their den is, then I don't think they are as cute anymore.

Ya I still have at least one I am still after. Seems he likes the fact that I can not or is that will not move all the hay out of the hay barn just so I can get to his hole at least the one I know of that is. I try to remember to pack the 410 with me when I walk over that way but every time I forget it I see the little bugger. Been thinking about putting the live trap in one of his paths but not sure if that would work

Funny how they seem to know when you have or don't have a gun.

Here in Indiana, they can wreck a building in a short period of time due to undermining the foundations and floors. A buddy of mine inherited a small farm with very nice, well-maintained outbuildings on it. The relative he"d inherited from had been in a nursing home for 14 months and the groundhogs had really taken over in that time. He tried everything to get rid of them, and then while shooting anhydrous one evening, he decided to take the hose off the applicator and stick it as far down a hole as he could. He turned her on and waited until he could see/smell it coming out of other holes nearby. He didn"t see another one for about 5 years. Probably not legal, eco-friendly, or recommended, but it was effective.

Same with Crows.

Spotted a chipmunk in the yard by his hole last week. He just looked at me for a few minutes. I got a .22 from my gunsafe, 3 cartridges, took them to the kitchen where I have a clear shot. Haven't seen him since. Took the gun back to the gunsafe tonight--he'll be out tomorrow!

Talking about critters that are cute but destructive. There is a railroad siding right behind where I work and while changing the train cars they derailed 3 cars because of the critters undermining things.

Steven

Does anyone have a recipe?