OT woodchuck problem

Ray Behner · Sep 17, 2016

Well, it's that time of year. They're everywhere around this area. Almost uncontrollable. Had one under the front porch. Did my usual and drilled an 1/8" hole in the caps of two one gallon bleach bottles. Put them in the hole upside down. No more action there........at all. Now to the back deck. I see one (maybe from the front) poking around from under the steps. Hmmm. Go get my .410 and wait 'til it's in the right spot to shoot. Lucky shot! Other than these methods, any tips you've learned?
A short story.
I took a shovel to carry the varmint to the back. Figured I'd leave it there for the coyotes. Nope the buzzards got it instead. First day, it must have been too fresh, 'cause they wouldn't bother with it much. Next day there were eleven on the ground chewing and fighting and three circling above. I go in the house and my wife is flipping out. That's the grossest thing I've ever seen. Yuck! I told her it wouldn't take long and it would be over. Too add some icing on the cake I just had to say, by the way, what's for supper?

Bill D · Sep 17, 2016

I have heard about devices that shoot propane and compressed air mix into gopher tunnels then blast it. the shock wave kills the little beasts and I guess no big damage to the roots. Of course if the tunnel is under a concrete slab it may take that out a swell.
Bill D.

http://www.rodentblaster.com/

Groundhog Day: 5 Methods to Control Woodchucks : Pest Management Professional

cmccull166 · Sep 17, 2016

7mm and leave them for the eagles to cleanup .

Monarchist · Sep 17, 2016

Ray Behner said:
I just had to say, by the way, what's for supper?

Been 'a while', but time was, 'supper' wudda been the Whistle-pig.

CAREFULLY extracted from fur and well-done, of course, very. "Stewed to flinders" actually. - same as Squirrel or Rabbit hasta be. Blood-borne micro-critters, parasites & such, y'know.

But thas' why humans have found cooking right handy.

Buzzards can find their own damned meals. Or get their names on a ballot somewhere's if gone too lazy to hover.

jim rozen · Sep 17, 2016

Or muskrat.

True story, this ain't no bullshit catagory:

My dad still works at the museum of natural history in NYC. Years ago that place had an employee cafeteria, run by the
museum itself. My dad was eating lunch there with his co-workers one day.

Another man, who was a mammologist, was eating the stew sold there that day. He held up a bone that was in the
mix, inspected it, and stated "this isn't chicken."

"It's muskrat."

Yep, the cook was trapping muskrat, selling the pelts apparently, and cooking the animals for the cafeteria. And pocketing
the money that he was supposed to use to purchase those supplies.

And, fed the resulting stew to the ONE PERSON in about a 1000 mile radius, who could instantly, and definitively identify
the species - as that person studied these for a living.

Apparently the stew was pretty tasty.

Monarchist · Sep 17, 2016

jim rozen said:
Or muskrat.
..
Apparently the stew was pretty tasty.

Hopefuly safely prepared as well. There ain't much humans cannot eat, and safely so.. provided those who do the prep know their s**t and religiously abide by it.

Coupla 'to be avoided' are Armadillos - primary reservoir of Leprosy in the wild -and skunk - a primary reservoir of Rabies virus in the wild.

There are other concerns, too. MANY of them.

Plus essentially ALL wild game - snakes, too - has various larger parasites, (worms & c.) and parasites who in turn have OTHER viri and parasites (lice, ticks, fleas & c.).

Then again, domesticated livestock prep requires care as well, so...

"Do Your Own Due Diligence". Some of the slime at yer local supermart can be just as hazardous.

More so, if one 'trusts' what dasn't always deserve that trust.

Ex: Vegetables "triple-washed, so you don't HAVE to?"

Yah. Sure. But ....just look at where they come from.
Areas LEGENDARY for water-shortages.

So...washed in WHAT? And how many go-rounds per wash batch?

Bill

Monarchist · Sep 17, 2016

Ray Behner said:
Go get my .410 and wait 'til it's in the right spot to shoot. Lucky shot! Other than these methods, any tips you've learned?

Average .410 is a waste of wood and metal only worsened by spend on ca'tridges.

A) Bull-barrel Ruger .22 pistol, empty poly water bottle.

B) Mauser .22 where longer sight-radius is needed for head-shots.

'.22 shorts' will do the job with minimal audio theatricals. The target ain't exactly Cougar or Bear.

Bill

Mud · Sep 17, 2016

22Lr here, 5.56 ball for longer range.

Cleaned out all the holes around my shop, then wasn't long until they were full again from the neighbors moving in. We shoot all year long except when it's snowing.

It's amazing how many rounds they can take and still run back into their holes if you don't headshoot them.

Monarchist · Sep 17, 2016

Mud said:
It's amazing how many rounds they can take and still run back into their holes if you don't headshoot them.

We always tried to not let that happen. But it does. Can't win 'em all...

And they usually die IN the hole. At least it self-identifies and there is minimal shoveling to seal it off.

"Suburbanized" as I've become, I'm just grateful the Skunk as had a reg'lar 'circuit' that included my back garden has vanished whilst 'elsewhere', and all that's left as 'routine' are mice and tree-rats more easily managed without need of noise or gunpowder.

Not to mention steak, fish, pork chops, or chikin' are faster to prepare well...

Grandma's last few weeks on this Earth, she was bemoaning how 'soft' we had become w/r being able to eat what we had to and survive in lean times, etc.

No fear. Matter of choices her generation had been right short of. Ain't like we have ALL forgot HOW.

Bill

crossthread · Sep 17, 2016

We have been battling those little assholes for years. They get into the garden and they are like little furry bush hogs. We had to put a 10' fence up around our garden to keep the deer out (8' was not quite enough). Then we had the whistle pigs come in under the fence. I shot about six with my .223 but I can't be there all the time. We finally found the answer. Leave one hole in the fence or pick a spot where they travel and block it up to leave one opening. Get a conibear trap and stick it right there. It kills them pretty much instantly. We get about 10 a year and none make it into the garden. I get mine from agra supply but you can get them online.

Monarchist · Sep 17, 2016

crossthread said:
Leave one hole in the fence or pick a spot where they travel and block it up to leave one opening. Get a conibear trap and stick it right there. It kills them pretty much instantly. We get about 10 a year and none make it into the garden. I get mine from agra supply but you can get them online.

Critters burrow faster than enough. Dad put an electric cattle fence clear around his garden. One wire. About three to five inches above the Earth.

Meant to merely "discourage" a thousand pounds and more of bovine, it 'burns' away any vegetation tendrils so as to leave a clear barrier zone.

Usually kilt the rodents outright - more than just chucks - and right out in plain view where disposal was easy.

Bill

blcksmth · Sep 17, 2016

CCI Stingers - .22 caliber - 36 grain hollow points - higher velocity than standard 40 grain .22s. Woodchucks are difficult to kill instantly because their drier flesh does not transmit shock very well. I can say with absolute certainty that a 300 Winchester Magnum loaded with 125 grain hollow points at 3100 feet per second is very effective.

If in an open area away from buildings, 3 to 5 gallons of water poured down the hole followed by a pint of gasoline then after a minute wait a lit match tossed in the hole in the hole - from a safe distance - can be very exciting. It may be a good idea to have some CCI Stingers at the ready in case they become upset.

Bob
WB8NQW

Monarchist · Sep 17, 2016

blcksmth said:
CCI Stingers - .22 caliber - 36 grain hollow points - higher velocity than standard 40 grain .22s. Woodchucks are difficult to kill instantly because their drier flesh does not transmit shock very well.

Beg to differ. Dad was putting a 7 mm Rem Magnum just about chin-level, head-on.

Chuck's 'drier flesh' had usually transmitted shock well-enough to have departed the zone, downrange, and at a Combat Speed .. leaving nought but skull, backbone, and empty hide half the time. Others just sorta 'detonated'. Kinda weird how high-velocity events can do that sort of thing.

Now .. I ain't ABOUT to 'xperiment on this, personal-like.. but 'scientists say' that a mammalian brain lives anywhere from 20 seconds to 20 MINUTES after even a decapitation.

Talk about an 'out of body experience'?

That should qualify...

Eatin' at Dad's best West Virginia Watermelon Beefsteak termaters?

Well. "Payback is a Mother F****r!". Think on that ... for few seconds..

Bill

moonlight machine · Sep 17, 2016

It is more sporting to use my 9mm P08.

yardbird · Sep 17, 2016

I don't know what kind of setting your house is situated in or if you'd ever entertain the idea but I'd think an outdoor Tom cat would run them off?

I once had a outdoor cat the killed anything that moved. Cat may cause less headaches or at least a different kind you can better deal with?

Must be out of town if you shooting? If I was shooting I'd have more problems then woodchucks.

Brent

Monarchist · Sep 17, 2016

yardbird said:
I don't know what kind of setting your house is situated in or if you'd ever entertain the idea but I'd think an outdoor Tom cat would run them off?

I once had a outdoor cat the killed anything that moved. Cat may cause less headaches or at least a different kind you can better deal with?

Must be out of town if you shooting? If I was shooting I'd have more problems then woodchucks.

Brent

Dad was. Coupla hundred acres of his own, my 78 adjacent. Sparsely populated beyond the ridges as well, so a natural as to a whole mountain for backstops, near-as-dammit all-compass points.

Racoons, Fairfax County, rules as to firing a shot only in defense of life, etc.. much tougher go, even when on had a County park as backstop. Head shots from an elevated position, Earth, not hardpan surface under 'em

Where I park nowadays?

Pretty much limited to a nicely-made industrial pump-oiler (beats a plastic squirt gun all hollow!) and .... household 'liquids'.

Crossbow has 'crossed my mind'. Pun intended. Though it ain't MY mind I'd intend to 'cross' with the bolts thereof.

Bill

rons · Sep 17, 2016

Ray Behner said:
Other than these methods, any tips you've learned?

A python snake and some kind words on a sign that says: "If provoked, will strike".

Ray Behner · Sep 17, 2016

yardbird said:
I don't know what kind of setting your house is situated in or if you'd ever entertain the idea but I'd think an outdoor Tom cat would run them off?

I once had a outdoor cat the killed anything that moved. Cat may cause less headaches or at least a different kind you can better deal with?

Must be out of town if you shooting? If I was shooting I'd have more problems then woodchucks.

Brent

Yup I'm out of town just enough to use a .410, but nothing with any range to it. This wasn't even 30 yards.

Chip Chester · Sep 17, 2016

A Google news article I read today mentioned NYC rat control using dry ice dropped into plugged burrows. Finding all the den entrances is sometimes a challenge, but it's apparently quick and easy (for humans) and there's no clean-up required. Less energizing than the pyrotechnics, but less noticeable, too. Had groundhogs under the deck at the last house, but no shooting in town, and poison wasn't really a good idea with all the kids around. Trapped one under a chain-link fence once, and was set to administer the fatal blow with a machete, but looked up and saw a couple 5-year-olds observing the event... had to let him go.

Chip

jakefreese · Sep 17, 2016

6x284 sierra 55g blitzkings at 4000fps. Leaves just a fuzzy mist.

The rodenator works great on gophers, I bet it would work great on chucks too.

OT woodchuck problem

Diamond

Diamond

Hot Rolled

Diamond

Diamond

Diamond

Diamond

Diamond

Diamond

Titanium

Diamond

Cast Iron

Diamond

Diamond

Titanium

Diamond

Diamond

Diamond

Diamond

Hot Rolled

Similar threads