DonÂt assume to apologize for me, Korey. I appreciate your attempts to reconcile. If attacked I WILL DEFEND. The best defense is a robust OFFENSE. I was simply offering my groundhog catching experience to you and anybody else that cared. What did I get? I was accused of breaking the law on a public forum. If attacked I WILL DEFEND to the end. I dropped it till Kub attempted to teach me Religion 101 this morning. Whats good for the goose is good for the gander. If he wishes to play, Batter UP. If attacked I WILL DEFEND to the end. The only difference is I donÂt make things up.

My comments were a joke between me and ole_dawg and nobody else. I am not here to be insulted by any other Gardenweb member. I am not here to bicker with anyone and I am not interested in personal squabbling either. There have been personal insults directed at several Gardenweb members by a certain person in this thread. This needs to stop, and it will stop.

> * Posted by kubotabx2200 Zone 5b NH (My Page) on
> Sun, Jun 24, 07 at 18:46

>kkfromnj it's against the law to relocate wildlife in New >Jersey, so if you release the woodchuck off your own property >you are breaking the law.

This is your complete post, show me where its directed to anybody but me.

I was referring to the biblical quotes, and I have nothing further to say to you on this, or any other topic.

Hello koreyk,

I am an Electrical Engineer who has been recently plagued by these pesky varmints. I am sitting at my computer thinking of an Electrocutioner for these pest while I type.
I will post my progress and test results in the near future.

BTW, I will design it to only zap critters coming out of the hole and it will require the GH to struggle before zapping. I would not like to see a wayward bunny or pooch get zapped.

The Rodentator is cool, it would not work near homes or buildings though.

Beware the vengeful Engineers ;-)
Bill Murry rules !

Next time, before you accuse somebody of breaking the law on a public forum, search able by law enforcement, prospective employers, ex-wifes, girlfriends or just somebody looking to make trouble know what you're talking about.

KKfromnj,
It would appear that you won't have to worry about anyone else causing you trouble. You seem quite able of doing a really super job yourself.
I also have nothing futher to say to you other than I suggest that when you get stressed why don't you try going out into your garden and work awhile. It always makes me feel better.

Realworld,
I await with baitted (SP) breath your first report. It is truely wonderful to see a great twisted mind at work. Remember that the Idea was first presented here by myself.

Korey,
THE BIG ONE IS BACK. Some much for my head shot. I took a nap and awoke about 6:10pm and went to the little boys room and as per my usual habit I glanced out the window at the overgrown tilled plot behind and lo and behold there he was, the BIG ONE just munching away. I went into the trans, my eyes glazed over, my nose twitched and the blood started to drip from between my quavering lips. I WAS IN SUPER HUNTER MODE. I went for the Pellet rifle and screwed down the retainer on a fresh CO2 cartridge and went back to the window just to check his position and saw him waddling off into the blackberry patch. As he departed I was able to note a large green bubble protruding from his anus which could have been none other a portion of watermelon flavored BOUBLIOUS GUM. It would have been a difficult stalk as the wind was blowing this way and that and he probably would have caught my odor before I got into position.
Sooo I am back amongst the would be killer of the dreaded Ground Hog from Hell
Ole_dawg and the little dawg

Ole_Dawg,
I think I have the design, I am still working on a solution for the various sizes of these PITAs. I have babies the size of a Guinea Pig to huge waddling bahemuths the size of a partially flattened basketball, I almost got him/her with my tractor and field mower last month ( If I was only a little faster shifting gears ), it made it to the road and under the gaurd rail before I could reach it.

So far they have avoided my garden since there is enough clover around for them, I really wouldn't mind them if they stayed away from my house and buildings.

Once I get this working my winter project will be a little Robotic Woodchuck Chucker". Go after the little buggers where they live.

OhMiGawd we have an Electrical Engineer bent on Wood Chuck destruction at his home. We are saved the Messiah has arrived. :)

Someone told me how to post a picture. lets see if it works. she said to copy the 3rd down at Photobucket.

WOW that works on the preview. cool. haha. Good old Bill Murray knew how to attack those Wood Chucks.

The movie was made in 1980 and they did not have the graphics they have today for movies. That was an obvious hand puppet. Someone must have been just off the side of the movie in a big hole in the ground with his hand sticking up with a puppet on the hand. And everyone laughs. I still laugh today.

There is another picture on the internet where the puppet is much too high into the air and it looks too much like a puppet.

Now here is a budding Electrical Engineer chasing groundhogs across the South 40 acres bent on getting that bugger.

and Ole Dawg your big one blowing watermelon bubbles. You should try square watermelons. I hear square watermelons plug up the bubbler. haha.

Great Korey,
I love it when us ole guys decover something new on the net. I'll try now.
{{gwi:43006}}

That is Dawg, the three legged cat. The surpreme hunter even without the leg. She would tackle the hog if she had the other leg. She still catches chipmunks and mice and brings them inside to play with.
GET 'UM Dawg

What a pretty cat, Dawg. Shame about the leg. How did she lose it?

She is a torty and a very loving animal. I never was a cat person during my early life. Dogs were the thing for me. However some years ago during a cold rainy day I went out to get my newspaper and there was this cat, all wet, on the porch. When I came back I picked her up and took her in and dried her off, got a cardboard box and put a dry towel in it and put her back out on the porch with a bowl of milk which the only cat food I had in house. Later in the day when I opened the door in she came and remained. I had always allow her to come and go. I built a cat door in the window by the front door and she would jump up and go out. She disappeared on Sat. and did not return. I drove around and look, but no cat. One week later to the day I went out at dusk and she was on the porch. I could smell the leg from there. She allow me to pick her up and it was appearant that she had been snared and had finally pulled herself free. One trip to the emergency vet and $452.00 later she came out with three legs. If you want to hear more PM me.
ole_dawg and the little dawg

Now who would be setting a snare. sounds terrible.

What a good loving cat. She really loves you to go to so much trouble to return home. Glad to see you love her also and were willing to fix her up. Love always is the best choice in life.

I knew you were a good guy Old Dawg because I can feel the love flow through me when I read what you have to say. That is a good sign. It shows that you are on the right path in life.

I too am a dog person. Never really had a cat. I love each one of the dogs I have ever owned. They were each the best one.

My Roxie was a bit of a pain when young. too much energy. But now she is a sweetheart and so intelligent. She is all calmed down and a wonderful dog. I think raising puppies teaches us a lot about raising kids. Give them a lot of love and they grow up to be wonderful.

Someone trying to catch ground hogs? LOL No ground hogs where this happened. I said snare, but I don't really know. It could have been a leg hold trap, but it didn't break the leg, just cut off the flow of blood and the foot died. She knows that I am not well and comes and sleeps on my leg to guard me. Always facing out to watch for the enemy. My last dog was a German Shepard and a super dog.

No action here on the ground hogs. I still have both holes plugged and nothing is happening. No one goes into the trap and no one trys to get around the bucket of water.

We had a little rain about 1/3 inch over night. the plants love it.

What about ferrets. They go down holes after things. will they take on a nasty groundhog. I kind of doubt it.

Thinking about it. a snare is designed to catch the body not the foot. I would think it much more likely it was a foot trap she stepped on. Maybe the person who set the trap saw the cat in the trap and set it free thinking it would be ok. we people are sometimes not too bright.

This is one big reason to use a live trap like havahart which does not injure the cat if caught. I can not remember seeing a cat around my place in many years. everyone up and down the street has dogs.

I've had good luck getting groundhogs in Have-A-Hart traps with apple slices, broken celery, and bruised lettuce. A "V" path of 2x12" boards herds them to the trap nicely.

I've driven miles to release some, but quite frankly a dip in the pond in the trap and it is all over in a minute.

It took me two summers to finally figure out what bait would work for my ground hogs. They demolished my garden last year. Well, let me correct that. They demolished my first planting of sweet corn. I put an electric fence around my second planting, and that at least gave me enough for fresh eating and the freezer. I should have made the fence higher and I might have kept the deer out too. I find that the dog learned pretty quick to stay away from the fence (she doesn't like clicking noises so she shied away from it. Your dog might not have such issues.)

Anyway, early this spring (before the garden went in) I put out the trap again. I figured my chances of catching the happy little family was better when food was more scarce. I put the trap near the entrance to their happy little home. I didn't set it at first. I just left it sitting there so they would get used to seeing it. The I put some bait out again. Nope didn't work. I thought I was of at least average IQ so I don't know why it took me so long to figure out that my frozen sweet corn in the freezer was the ticket. Yup! It was bam, bam, bam. The last one of the five was in the trap before I walked from one end of the house to the other. My dog polished off one of them too. Boy, was she proud of herself. That earned her a cookie to boot! Then she sat at the window and watched for them. I'd rent her out to some of you all, but boy I sure would miss her. Sweet corn works for me.

Reward offered in groundhog hanging

The last word in GroundHog removal

I am still having a bit of trouble locating the AR1000 Magnum air rifle in .22 cal. I had 2 dealers cancel orders on me recently because they are temporarily out of stock. I don't have a groundhog right now problem so this is not in a hurry but if anyone is looking for one there may be a bit of a wait.

I want to post this short news here because many times the newspaper article disappears after a few days.

Reward offered in groundhog hanging

Thursday, July 5, 2007
ASSOCIATED PRESS

SPARTA -- The Humane Society is offering a $2,500 reward in the case of a groundhog who was found hanging from a tree.

Spokeswoman Samantha Mullen told the New Jersey Herald of Newton the killing appears to be part of "a hideous, malicious prank."

The animal's body was discovered last month by a homeowner who emerged to find it about 12 feet off the ground with a wire around its neck. The other end was attached to a wooden stake in a higher branch.

The society is offering an identical reward for a similar case involving a cat that was found hanging from a fence in Parsippany three days later.

In that instance, police found a cat hanging with a rope tied around its midsection. It was cut down and taken to an animal emergency shelter, where it later died.

If convicted of intentional animal cruelty, the culprits could be sentenced to 18 months in prison and fined up to $10,000.

___

Information from: The New Jersey Herald, http://www.njherald.com

Ole Dawg has the answer. I ordered a pair of 10 foot long crocodiles for my yard. I am getting a kiddy pool for them to swim in. Watch out WoodChucks, I put down I wanted HUNGRY crocs on my order.

No more Mr Nice Guy to those Woody Chuckers.

I plan on getting to the bait shop. Oops I meant food store and get my woodchuck supplies for this weekend.

Bubblegum
Apples
Peaches
Square Watermelons might not find these
frozen corn off the cob
bacon and kosher salt
sponges
CD or VHS of Caddy Shack movie
Home Made Rodenator to include a tank of oxygen and a tank of propane and a very long match about 50 ft long.

Magnum of Champaign to celebrate.

My memory is going. My daughter says I do not have all zimers but that I have half zimers. She thinks she is so funny.

I am considering a motion detector to mount by the hole and an air raid siren to let me know he is there.

moth balls
ammonia
kitty litter
sulfur flares used in automotive supplies

Electrucution equipment and a tractor to chase them all over the yard.

That should do it for today. The Crocodiles are on the way now. See you later alligator.

Ole Dawg

Here is a friendly little cat that should take care of any ground hog problems. just tie him to a leash by the groundhog hole and wait.

another take on trapping

Here is a link that might be useful: Trapping in NJ

Groundhogs are a large squirrel. Now here is a 1 minute movie that shows how these guys will get to your garden. Nothing stops them.

http://www.jibjab.com/view/164886

Here is a link that might be useful: movie

Well I have been trapping out a family of groundhogs that live behind my house in a den near a creek and the last biggest one was the hardest to get. The others went for apples but this one was trap savvy and would have no part of the apples. I place the trap right where the trail comes under my fence. So today when I was buying the nice sweet corn (grown in Jersey I was assured) too I bought an extra ear for my favorite groundhog and I just went out and found out it did indeed tempt him and he is now in the trap!!!! Hooray!!! I will release him/her at the nice creek where I released the rest of them which is far away and not near any civilization. I go through this every year and if I didn't get rid of these animals like this I would have no garden! I too live in the suburbs where shooting is forbidden and other means of killing is just too awful to contemplate so this is how I solved the problem.

Nice going Ghoghunter. I always thought that the racoons wanted the corn and not the groundhogs. But I now open to new ideas.

I just got back from the store. Bought some nice sweet peaches. tried on in the car on the way home. haha. tasted too good for the groundhog. Yep over the last 4 or 5 hours on this dumb computer I nibbled on all the peaches. Well back to the store.

I did get a lot of apples and I skipped on the bacon for now. I looked for the bubblegum and found only 2 kinds. not bubblelicious. I forget the names now. I looked at the ingredients and there was nothing in there but normal candy ingredients. so I skipped on them also. remember I had bad luck with regular gum before.

I also decided that the chipmunks must be taking my apples so I am going after the chipmunks first. I have an old havahart trap for squirrels and chipmunks. So I bought a big bag of sunflower seeds in the hulls. hope those work. we shall see.

After coming home from the store I set out some peanut butter on a small dish and some sunflower seeds. That should tempt them.

I really think I have a serious chipmunk problem. they are everywhere all day long. I see them all over the place every day all day long. here there and everywhere.

My friend in town with the groundhog problem has been catching chipmunks in the havahart. plenty of them. so it should work. Although my friends trap is new. mine is a little rusty and I might have to do a little work on it to make it more sensative. but for now I am just using it.

The big traps are still by the chuck holes and I have to move them away. no action on that deal.

I do not want to shoot them either.

Come Korey, I thought you had gotten beyond that. You got to shoot 'um. It is the only real solution. Everything else is a stop gap. You were talking about drowning 'um. Now I think that is sick. Drowning is not nice, I drown when I was a kid and lost consinceness (SP), the whole route. Not good. My older sister saved me. The same older sister that shot me in the leg with an arrow the previous year. My parents believe in letting kids be kids. That is SOUTHER KIDS. I don't know how NORTHERN KIDS are allowed to grow up. I had access to my first rifle at age 8 with my grandfathers supervision. Is that allow in places like NY and NJ? I understand that PA is very understanding in matter like that.

The Enemy

This one was a little much for me. Do NOT watch this short movie unless you have a strong stomach. This Jack Russel dog tangles with a groundhog. Amazing. You have to watch the entire movie to get the full impact.

I do not want to hear any complaints. If you dont want to see this movie then do not watch it.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-8020131049688828929&q=groundhog&total=1445&start=20&num=10&so=0amp;type=search&plindex=0

Here is a link that might be useful: dog battles a groundhog video

something went wrong and the wrong movie came up. I lost the movie. haha.

The name of the movie is

Jack and the Groundhog.

I think I have it now. Remember this is a Jack Russel dog tangling with a groundhog. dont watch if you dont want to see it. If it does not work then type in the name Jack and the groundhog and the movie should show up.

Here is a link that might be useful: Jack and the Groundhog

Korey,
You have too much free time on your hands. You should get a hobby. How about gardening? I hear that is very relaxing, unless of course you have groundhogs!
1eyedJack and the little Dawg

I do have too much time on my hands and I get into trouble gardening on the internet.

Ole Dawg how is that greenhouse sunshade coming. I have to look at that thread. keeps you out of mischief.

I was shocked in the movie. I thought that dog would lose to the woodchuck. Only thing I can figure is that the dog was so fast and maybe he wore out the groundhog. I would not want my dog to tangle with a woodchuck. Some dogs lose those battles.

What a cute little dog.

CUTE ?????

I thought he was full of energy. At the end he sort of smiled and stuck his chest out he looked so proud of himself as if he knew exactly what he did. No way was that his first woodchuck. I bet he has many notches on his collar from his triumphs.

If that was happening to me I would be taking my dog inside the house afraid he might get hurt tangling with the chuck. But the owner seemed to know his dog would win. He just taped the fight and waited for the outcome. It seemed a bit dangerous for the dog to go in under that sort of pile of shelter whatever it can be called. Junk pile sounds right.

I have to find your greenhouse thread Ole Dawg. see you over there.

Regarding salt being lethal to the GHs. What if you just poured some salt into the hole?
Ann

Ann,

I think a lot of these are experimental ideas. You have to try it out. Personally I am not convinced that the salt does it. It could be the fat in the bacon grease. And it is more probable that he will not eat it anyway.

However, that being said, Animales do need salt. they do go to salt licks. not sure about groundhogs but they probably need salt.

Basically the Woodchucks are so difficult to catch and trap that it is hard to say much. However, I would go through and look at the successful people at traping and try to do the same.

Broccoli, apples, peaches, are probably as good as anything. to this we can try some corn if available etc.

It is probably just as important or more important that the floor of the trap be covered with dirt or soil. I like this idea.

Last thing is to keep the bait fresh. This is why I have been trying whole apples. they seem to last a while.

I also am of the opinion that if you use things like leaves or broccoli flowerettes then it might be good to stand them up in a little water to keep them fresh longer.

Some years ago I had some luck with trapping them. I warmed up some broccoli in the microwave and put it out frest by the hole a couple of times a day. it seemed to work around mid day for me.

I drove those guys over 10 miles and across a big river. no coming back for those guys.

koreyk,
I don't mind shooting them, but the one that is there now, I've only seen once. But his hole is fresh and my dog goes to it everytime I take him for a walk. If I could just shoot the rodent, it'd be over. I set traps and catch rabbits instead (not such a bad thing!). Maybe the trap needs to be bigger, but I have trapped some in other years.
Although most things need some salt, it is definitely something that if taken in quantity might make them very, very sick, so from the earlier post I was hoping they might have a real salt-tooth. But I guess no one has tried it before, or else they aren't posting. Maybe I'll have to try it myself. If so, and get any positive results, I'll report back.
Ann

I always considered myself real lucky that I never had to deal with these bastards in my garden. My uncle had a problem with them so he fortified his garden real good and now they really cannot get in anymore. It developed over time and was upgraded to counter new tactics by the groundhog to get in. First was the standard 4 foot chainlink fence. But the ground dug underneath it. so he buried 2-3 foot of fence underground. So then the GH was just climbing over the chain link fence. In response my uncle put an additional 2 foot of fence but this was a soft fence and it was only held upright by wire-thin posts. the GH would try to climb up, get to the soft part of the fence which would not support it's weight and he would fall backwards.

But I may have to deal with this problem myself soon. My brother spotted a GH in my yard the other day. The first time a GH has ever been seen in our yard. I live in a pretty tight suburban area so I really cannot make use of my firearms... my .22 hornet would be perfect. So instead I will have to try traps. I really hope this GH was just a lost one passing by... I am on GH watch now so far no damage to garden.

>>>My brother spotted a GH in my yard the other day

MY Condolences.....

Best thing to do with a live-trapped woodchuck is a) shoot it, or b) sell it to a Chinese restaurant. Take your pick.

B. gets my vote. I don't eat Chinese food anymore. Let's see. GH fried rice. MuGu groundhog.

NO self respecting chinese would never sell a live wild animal or newly killed one. they prefer alive of course. they will eat it. they feed the junk food to americans. They laugh at what we eat. It is very rare for them to get the opportunity to eat a wild animal so that they would never pass up the opportunity.

They also love eggs with a good sized living embryo. I guess that gives them a tiny living healthy animal to eat. They might be able to find the eggs in some chinese stores. not sure on that one. They want them with exactly a certain number of days of incubation. no more and no less. well maybe a little more but not less. If I remember correctly they wanted 14 days on a chicken egg.

After many years fighting woodchuck, my solution is a 4 foot picket fence lined with 4 feet of rabbit fence with 3Â of rabbit fence buried in the ground ANDÂ a 4-10 shotgun. NO PROBLEM!

Yes I live in NH and my closest neighbor is 1500+ ft away. I am blessed!

Yes you are blessed.

bye the way, what is rabbit fencing. what are the size of the holes. I know chicken wire is usually one inch holes. and rabbit hutches use like 1/4 inch or 1/2 inch wire mesh. but wire mesh is expensive for fencing.

I have to be honest I have not seen new evidence of the groundhog these past couple of days. But with holes in the yard they can not be far off. I did see at least 2 different ones in the garden previous. a big one and a little one. so they are around. just not chomping hard on the garden.

to annie on the salt. I would think it better to bind up the salt into a brick or solid. Now farm stores sell salt blocks. getting some bacon fat and adding salt would bind it into a fat blob and at least hold the salt together. or soaking into a sponge. Kosher salt would have a few big chunks and you might filter out a few big chunks. a tiny moisture might help them bind together. but I would not just pour small granule table salt down a hole. it seems to me it will disappate some. besides you really dont want to add salt to your soil. salt is not good for ground water. If you have a chunk of salt and it does not get eaten then you can remove the salt from your soil.

Some years ago I seem to remember reading that a woodchuck can have several dens and he will visit them in order as he goes around the territory. so maybe he is out on visit but will be back to check when the good stuff is ready in my garden.

Also next year I have to start trapping earlier when there is little food available.

Today I harvested some nice broccoli for me. nice tender side shoots. the head I took a week or so ago. I like this Thompson Broccoli from Fedco seeds. it is going to be one of my favorite veggies.

Here in New Hampshire you are free to shoot a shotgun pretty much anywhere except within the "compact part of a town or city", within 15 feet of a road, or within 300 feet from a permanently occupied dwelling (unless you have the owner's permission and then it becomes fair game).

Local town ordnances on firearms have no legal authority in the state of New Hampshire, all authority on firearms use is governed at the state level.

The only place you can't carry a gun in NH is in a courthouse or a courtroom.

wow that sounds very liberal.

Maine seems very liberal on guns also. Everyone seems to hunt in Maine.

New York and Massachusetts are the 2 worst states on guns. At least I seem to remember reading that.

I can imagine that a 410 pistol would be good for groundhogs. You could wear the pistol on your belt and have it ready in case one showed up. But of course there is no such thing as a 410 pistol. might break a wrist shooting it. who knows. might have too much recoil.

I can not see the garden from inside the house. the garage is in the way of the view. so I have to accidently spot one. that is a very rare siting for me. less than once a year. so a gun is really not practical for me anyway.