Southern NY, Dutchess county and below

[magsrags]

I have experience - bad one, lol! We nicknamed ours Godzilla because it stomped all over my melons like a rogue iguana crushing Tokyo. They are next to impossible to trap as well, very smart and will avoid metal. So far the dog has been the best deterent this year. My sisters husky killed a baby woodchuck once. My solution of air horn plus air pellet gun last year was middling at best. I would really try borrowing a pair of dogs to flush them out.

I was afraid pof this...............geez....they'll kill my little dory and she'll corner chase them for certain as she protects the hens like their momma would from monster squirrels...mean .butterflies and chicken eatin chickadees.

She thinks she's Lassie in a 7 lb. body.

SHiRt.

 

[magsrags]

My great uncle says that groundhogs are tasty... My grandfather created a ground cannon once when I was a kid. He poured gasoline into the opening at one end and lit it. Crazy old man... Flames and smoke shot out all the other holes though and they got rid of all of the groundhogs that came out. Barbaric, I know, but effective apparently. I wouldn't recommend it. We have a ton of them here. I have nearly broken my ankle a few times by stepping into new tunnel openings. They cause a lot of damage. Our dog keeps them away most of the time. BTW, don't corner one. They can be pretty nasty when frightened. Get your trap out. I would put it right in your garden or near to the burrow. http://www.batguys.com/articles/trapping_woodchucks.html

I am sorely tempted to try grandpa's idea.

 

[mjuenem]

I had a groundhog den on a hillside in our back yard. My downspout drain runs right past it. I put the black flex hose into his hole and it flooded him wherever it rained. He made a new main entrance about 5 feet away so I then moved the hose to that hole. About a month (and several rain storms) after that he moved our permanently. Never been back.

 

[magsrags]

I had a groundhog den on a hillside in our back yard. My downspout drain runs right past it. I put the black flex hose into his hole and it flooded him wherever it rained. He made a new main entrance about 5 feet away so I then moved the hose to that hole. About a month (and several rain storms) after that he moved our permanently. Never been back.

That was using your brain! Great idea!

 

[JerseyHen]

Wow. Now this is a thunderstorm! Hope the chickens are ok... they were out ranging when it hit. I heard the rooster crowing and then he made a run for it. I am glad i haven't been letting the youngins' out with the big girls, so i didn't have to wrangle them under the oaks and willows during an electrical storm. My cousin just called to ask if the coop got struck. Apparently, we just had a pretty close ground strike (power went out too). Nothing I can do about it if it did, so I will check when it is safe. Hope they are ok out there. :/

 

[magsrags]

Wow. Now this is a thunderstorm! Hope the chickens are ok... they were out ranging when it hit. I heard the rooster crowing and then he made a run for it. I am glad i haven't been letting the youngins' out with the big girls, so i didn't have to wrangle them under the oaks and willows during an electrical storm. My cousin just called to ask if the coop got struck. Apparently, we just had a pretty close ground strike (power went out too). Nothing I can do about it if it did, so I will check when it is safe. Hope they are ok out there.

Jerseyhen I hope all turns out well. I hate lightening and with the big trees in my yard it's taken it's toll over the years.

We had thunder for over 2 hours.....got spit on and the hot humid air was thicker than ever. The DH got stuck in 3 hour traffice coming home from Brooklyn due to a jumper on the VN Bridge. Ugh.... the world comes to a standstill here and it's rush hour traffic. What a horror show. My neighbor and his son were having lunch UNDER the bridge near Fort Wadsworth and watched for an hour before leaving the scene. I couldn't even watch that if it was in my face cause I'd never get it outta my head.

 

[Imprfctme]

Huh, now we missed this storm pretty much whole. Had some thunder this morning, and it's raining a bit now but nothing heavy like last week. Just as well, we've had enough trees come down in the last few years as well. Not ours though, we keep an eye on all of them as much as we can.

I took a few pictures of the sand-box floor for the open part of the coop:






So far, this is a great improvement! Not only do I not have to clear out the waterer dishes constantly (no wood chips) but the water that does come in drains right through the rocks and sand. I might have to add more sand to the big area but I have lots more in the woods to use. I also don't have to worry about them getting enough grit during winter now too.

 

[Imprfctme]

I was afraid pof this...............geez....they'll kill my little dory and she'll corner chase them for certain as she protects the hens like their momma would from monster squirrels...mean .butterflies and chicken eatin chickadees.

She thinks she's Lassie in a 7 lb. body.

SHiRt.

I don't think they'd go after the hens, they're vegetarians, which is partly why they're so hard to trap. No 'coon can resist the stink of stinky pet food from a can but woodchucks are more inclined to behead all your prize flowers instead. I would be careful with little Dory, she could get scratched pretty badly. Get some friends with feisty terrier mixes together and have them go after the groundhogs a few times in a week. It might be enough to convince them to relocate.

 

[magsrags]

Huh, now we missed this storm pretty much whole. Had some thunder this morning, and it's raining a bit now but nothing heavy like last week. Just as well, we've had enough trees come down in the last few years as well. Not ours though, we keep an eye on all of them as much as we can.

I took a few pictures of the sand-box floor for the open part of the coop:






So far, this is a great improvement! Not only do I not have to clear out the waterer dishes constantly (no wood chips) but the water that does come in drains right through the rocks and sand. I might have to add more sand to the big area but I have lots more in the woods to use. I also don't have to worry about them getting enough grit during winter now too.

Nice job heather! no stinky water......thats 1/2 the battle it seems.

 

[magsrags]

I don't think they'd go after the hens, they're vegetarians, which is partly why they're so hard to trap. No 'coon can resist the stink of stinky pet food from a can but woodchucks are more inclined to behead all your prize flowers instead. I would be careful with little Dory, she could get scratched pretty badly. Get some friends with feisty terrier mixes together and have them go after the groundhogs a few times in a week. It might be enough to convince them to relocate.

My big golden retriever used to chase muscrats and what ever didn't belong to our family out of our yard. I sure miss my Casey Jones.
These little dogs are not really very usefull when it comes to ridding yards of unwanted critters. Barking just doesn't cut the mustard.