Â* Seems that in the last week or two something(s) have been marauding
my tomato patch . I thought I had it better protected ... yesterday
afternoon I set up my game cam in the corner where they've been eating
their ill-gotten gains , only to discover there are 3 shifts ... late
afternoon/early evening , the squirrels dine , then after dark the
raccoons come in , followed later by the 'possums . Looks like I need to
improve the protection out there . I have to admit , the west side is
hard to get to because of the wild blackberries and I've let the chicken
wire and 'lectric wires get overgrown a little . It's been working so
well until recently that I've become complacent , and that's gotta end .
I'm not certain if they're crawling under the chicken wire or going over
, probably the latter since there are sags that weren't there when I
installed it . Either way , I'll be out there today tightening things up
in an effort to stop it - all the ripe or nearly ripe 'maters are gone ,
and they've started in on the green ones , I gotta do something or this
will be the end of tomato season for this year . And I've got a lot more
jars to fill .

--
Snag
Yes , I'm old
and crochety .
Get off my lawn !

Terry Coombs wrote:

Â* Seems that in the last week or two something(s) have been marauding
my tomato patch . I thought I had it better protected ... yesterday
afternoon I set up my game cam in the corner where they've been eating
their ill-gotten gains , only to discover there are 3 shifts ... late
afternoon/early evening , the squirrels dine , then after dark the
raccoons come in , followed later by the 'possums . Looks like I need to
improve the protection out there . I have to admit , the west side is
hard to get to because of the wild blackberries and I've let the chicken
wire and 'lectric wires get overgrown a little . It's been working so
well until recently that I've become complacent , and that's gotta end .
I'm not certain if they're crawling under the chicken wire or going over
, probably the latter since there are sags that weren't there when I
installed it . Either way , I'll be out there today tightening things up
in an effort to stop it - all the ripe or nearly ripe 'maters are gone ,
and they've started in on the green ones , I gotta do something or this
will be the end of tomato season for this year . And I've got a lot more
jars to fill .

raccoons/possums/squirrels ignore the tomatoes here.
not sure why. we don't really have many squirrels in
our yard (too open the hawks chase them).

are you having a dry spell? consider putting some
water sources out and about away from the garden.

unfortunately once creatures find a food source for
one reason they tend to keep coming back.


songbird

On 8/12/2018 7:50 AM, Terry Coombs wrote:
Â* Seems that in the last week or two something(s) have been marauding
my tomato patch . I thought I had it better protected ... yesterday
afternoon I set up my game cam in the corner where they've been eating
their ill-gotten gains , only to discover there are 3 shifts ... late
afternoon/early evening , the squirrels dine , then after dark the
raccoons come in , followed later by the 'possums . Looks like I need to
improve the protection out there . I have to admit , the west side is
hard to get to because of the wild blackberries and I've let the chicken
wire and 'lectric wires get overgrown a little . It's been working so
well until recently that I've become complacent , and that's gotta end .
I'm not certain if they're crawling under the chicken wire or going over
, probably the latter since there are sags that weren't there when I
installed it . Either way , I'll be out there today tightening things up
in an effort to stop it - all the ripe or nearly ripe 'maters are gone ,
and they've started in on the green ones , I gotta do something or this
will be the end of tomato season for this year . And I've got a lot more
jars to fill .

Groundhogs are eating my neighbors tomatoes. Time for the Hav-a-hart trap.

On 8/12/2018 2:28 PM, Frank wrote:
On 8/12/2018 7:50 AM, Terry Coombs wrote:
Â*Â* Seems that in the last week or two something(s) have been
marauding my tomato patch . I thought I had it better protected ...
yesterday afternoon I set up my game cam in the corner where they've
been eating their ill-gotten gains , only to discover there are 3
shifts ... late afternoon/early evening , the squirrels dine , then
after dark the raccoons come in , followed later by the 'possums .
Looks like I need to improve the protection out there . I have to
admit , the west side is hard to get to because of the wild
blackberries and I've let the chicken wire and 'lectric wires get
overgrown a little . It's been working so well until recently that
I've become complacent , and that's gotta end . I'm not certain if
they're crawling under the chicken wire or going over , probably the
latter since there are sags that weren't there when I installed it .
Either way , I'll be out there today tightening things up in an
effort to stop it - all the ripe or nearly ripe 'maters are gone ,
and they've started in on the green ones , I gotta do something or
this will be the end of tomato season for this year . And I've got a
lot more jars to fill .

Groundhogs are eating my neighbors tomatoes.Â* Time for the Hav-a-hart
trap.

Â* 22-250 from 300 yards .

--
Snag
Yes , I'm old
and crochety .
Get off my lawn !

On 8/12/2018 2:28 PM, Frank wrote:
On 8/12/2018 7:50 AM, Terry Coombs wrote:
Â*Â* Seems that in the last week or two something(s) have been
marauding my tomato patch . I thought I had it better protected ...
yesterday afternoon I set up my game cam in the corner where they've
been eating their ill-gotten gains , only to discover there are 3
shifts ... late afternoon/early evening , the squirrels dine , then
after dark the raccoons come in , followed later by the 'possums .
Looks like I need to improve the protection out there . I have to
admit , the west side is hard to get to because of the wild
blackberries and I've let the chicken wire and 'lectric wires get
overgrown a little . It's been working so well until recently that
I've become complacent , and that's gotta end . I'm not certain if
they're crawling under the chicken wire or going over , probably the
latter since there are sags that weren't there when I installed it .
Either way , I'll be out there today tightening things up in an
effort to stop it - all the ripe or nearly ripe 'maters are gone ,
and they've started in on the green ones , I gotta do something or
this will be the end of tomato season for this year . And I've got a
lot more jars to fill .

Groundhogs are eating my neighbors tomatoes.Â* Time for the Hav-a-hart
trap.

Â* OK , I know most of y'all don't have the conditions I do here living
out in the woods . So trap the l'il sucker , carry him out into the
woods (so to speak) and cap him there .

--
Snag
Yes , I'm old
and crochety .
Get off my lawn !

On 8/12/2018 4:43 PM, Terry Coombs wrote:
On 8/12/2018 2:28 PM, Frank wrote:
On 8/12/2018 7:50 AM, Terry Coombs wrote:
Â*Â* Seems that in the last week or two something(s) have been
marauding my tomato patch . I thought I had it better protected ...
yesterday afternoon I set up my game cam in the corner where they've
been eating their ill-gotten gains , only to discover there are 3
shifts ... late afternoon/early evening , the squirrels dine , then
after dark the raccoons come in , followed later by the 'possums .
Looks like I need to improve the protection out there . I have to
admit , the west side is hard to get to because of the wild
blackberries and I've let the chicken wire and 'lectric wires get
overgrown a little . It's been working so well until recently that
I've become complacent , and that's gotta end . I'm not certain if
they're crawling under the chicken wire or going over , probably the
latter since there are sags that weren't there when I installed it .
Either way , I'll be out there today tightening things up in an
effort to stop it - all the ripe or nearly ripe 'maters are gone ,
and they've started in on the green ones , I gotta do something or
this will be the end of tomato season for this year . And I've got a
lot more jars to fill .

Groundhogs are eating my neighbors tomatoes.Â* Time for the Hav-a-hart
trap.

Â* OK , I know most of y'all don't have the conditions I do here living
out in the woods . So trap the l'il sucker , carry him out into the
woods (so to speak) and cap him there .

If I could shoot out back, I'd use my .22LR. Trapping laws vary and
around here you can trap and kill but not release off your property. I
trap and release anyway. When I was still working in the lab with
access to chemicals an older chemist told me to pour a bottle of
chloroform down the groundhog's burrow where the heavy vapor would
settle underground in the tunnel bottom. Groundhog would go in and get
anesthetized permanently. It worked for one in my back yard.

On 08/12/2018 01:41 PM, Terry Coombs wrote:
On 8/12/2018 2:28 PM, Frank wrote:
On 8/12/2018 7:50 AM, Terry Coombs wrote:
Â*Â* Seems that in the last week or two something(s) have been
marauding my tomato patch . I thought I had it better protected ...
yesterday afternoon I set up my game cam in the corner where they've
been eating their ill-gotten gains , only to discover there are 3
shifts ... late afternoon/early evening , the squirrels dine , then
after dark the raccoons come in , followed later by the 'possums .
Looks like I need to improve the protection out there . I have to
admit , the west side is hard to get to because of the wild
blackberries and I've let the chicken wire and 'lectric wires get
overgrown a little . It's been working so well until recently that
I've become complacent , and that's gotta end . I'm not certain if
they're crawling under the chicken wire or going over , probably the
latter since there are sags that weren't there when I installed it .
Either way , I'll be out there today tightening things up in an
effort to stop it - all the ripe or nearly ripe 'maters are gone ,
and they've started in on the green ones , I gotta do something or
this will be the end of tomato season for this year . And I've got a
lot more jars to fill .

Groundhogs are eating my neighbors tomatoes.Â* Time for the Hav-a-hart
trap.

Â* 22-250 from 300 yards .


Do they explode when you hit them?

On 08/12/2018 04:50 AM, Terry Coombs wrote:
Â* Seems that in the last week or two something(s) have been marauding
my tomato patch . I thought I had it better protected ... yesterday
afternoon I set up my game cam in the corner where they've been eating
their ill-gotten gains , only to discover there are 3 shifts ... late
afternoon/early evening , the squirrels dine , then after dark the
raccoons come in , followed later by the 'possums . Looks like I need to
improve the protection out there . I have to admit , the west side is
hard to get to because of the wild blackberries and I've let the chicken
wire and 'lectric wires get overgrown a little . It's been working so
well until recently that I've become complacent , and that's gotta end .
I'm not certain if they're crawling under the chicken wire or going over
, probably the latter since there are sags that weren't there when I
installed it . Either way , I'll be out there today tightening things up
in an effort to stop it - all the ripe or nearly ripe 'maters are gone ,
and they've started in on the green ones , I gotta do something or this
will be the end of tomato season for this year . And I've got a lot more
jars to fill .


I have a lot of customers up in the mountains. The have
to build fully enclosed enclosures if they want a garden.
And they have to line the floor with bricks or tile to keep
critters from digging under the walls. The enclosures
look pretty, but they tend to be awfully small. Would
only fit 1/5 of my garden.

On 08/12/2018 03:50 PM, Frank wrote:
On 8/12/2018 4:43 PM, Terry Coombs wrote:
On 8/12/2018 2:28 PM, Frank wrote:
On 8/12/2018 7:50 AM, Terry Coombs wrote:
Â*Â* Seems that in the last week or two something(s) have been
marauding my tomato patch . I thought I had it better protected ...
yesterday afternoon I set up my game cam in the corner where they've
been eating their ill-gotten gains , only to discover there are 3
shifts ... late afternoon/early evening , the squirrels dine , then
after dark the raccoons come in , followed later by the 'possums .
Looks like I need to improve the protection out there . I have to
admit , the west side is hard to get to because of the wild
blackberries and I've let the chicken wire and 'lectric wires get
overgrown a little . It's been working so well until recently that
I've become complacent , and that's gotta end . I'm not certain if
they're crawling under the chicken wire or going over , probably the
latter since there are sags that weren't there when I installed it .
Either way , I'll be out there today tightening things up in an
effort to stop it - all the ripe or nearly ripe 'maters are gone ,
and they've started in on the green ones , I gotta do something or
this will be the end of tomato season for this year . And I've got a
lot more jars to fill .

Groundhogs are eating my neighbors tomatoes.Â* Time for the Hav-a-hart
trap.

Â*Â* OK , I know most of y'all don't have the conditions I do here
living out in the woods . So trap the l'il sucker , carry him out into
the woods (so to speak) and cap him there .

If I could shoot out back, I'd use my .22LR.Â* Trapping laws vary and
around here you can trap and kill but not release off your property.Â* I
trap and release anyway.Â* When I was still working in the lab with
access to chemicals an older chemist told me to pour a bottle of
chloroform down the groundhog's burrow where the heavy vapor would
settle underground in the tunnel bottom.Â* Groundhog would go in and get
anesthetized permanently.Â* It worked for one in my back yard.

Have you tried dry ice down their holes?

On 8/15/2018 12:49 AM, T wrote:
On 08/12/2018 01:41 PM, Terry Coombs wrote:
On 8/12/2018 2:28 PM, Frank wrote:
On 8/12/2018 7:50 AM, Terry Coombs wrote:
Â*Â* Seems that in the last week or two something(s) have been
marauding my tomato patch . I thought I had it better protected ...
yesterday afternoon I set up my game cam in the corner where
they've been eating their ill-gotten gains , only to discover there
are 3 shifts ... late afternoon/early evening , the squirrels dine
, then after dark the raccoons come in , followed later by the
'possums . Looks like I need to improve the protection out there .
I have to admit , the west side is hard to get to because of the
wild blackberries and I've let the chicken wire and 'lectric wires
get overgrown a little . It's been working so well until recently
that I've become complacent , and that's gotta end . I'm not
certain if they're crawling under the chicken wire or going over ,
probably the latter since there are sags that weren't there when I
installed it . Either way , I'll be out there today tightening
things up in an effort to stop it - all the ripe or nearly ripe
'maters are gone , and they've started in on the green ones , I
gotta do something or this will be the end of tomato season for
this year . And I've got a lot more jars to fill .

Groundhogs are eating my neighbors tomatoes.Â* Time for the
Hav-a-hart trap.

Â*Â* 22-250 from 300 yards .


Do they explode when you hit them?

Â* Depends on the load ... a 22-250 hollow point at 3800 fps MV , yes .
A .243 HP at 3300 , maybe if you hit the body . Regular .22 LR , no .

--
Snag
Yes , I'm old
and crochety .
Get off my lawn !

On 08/15/2018 04:33 AM, Terry Coombs wrote:
On 8/15/2018 12:49 AM, T wrote:
On 08/12/2018 01:41 PM, Terry Coombs wrote:
On 8/12/2018 2:28 PM, Frank wrote:
On 8/12/2018 7:50 AM, Terry Coombs wrote:
Â*Â* Seems that in the last week or two something(s) have been
marauding my tomato patch . I thought I had it better protected ...
yesterday afternoon I set up my game cam in the corner where
they've been eating their ill-gotten gains , only to discover there
are 3 shifts ... late afternoon/early evening , the squirrels dine
, then after dark the raccoons come in , followed later by the
'possums . Looks like I need to improve the protection out there .
I have to admit , the west side is hard to get to because of the
wild blackberries and I've let the chicken wire and 'lectric wires
get overgrown a little . It's been working so well until recently
that I've become complacent , and that's gotta end . I'm not
certain if they're crawling under the chicken wire or going over ,
probably the latter since there are sags that weren't there when I
installed it . Either way , I'll be out there today tightening
things up in an effort to stop it - all the ripe or nearly ripe
'maters are gone , and they've started in on the green ones , I
gotta do something or this will be the end of tomato season for
this year . And I've got a lot more jars to fill .

Groundhogs are eating my neighbors tomatoes.Â* Time for the
Hav-a-hart trap.

Â*Â* 22-250 from 300 yards .


Do they explode when you hit them?

Â* Depends on the load ... a 22-250 hollow point at 3800 fps MV , yes .
A .243 HP at 3300 , maybe if you hit the body . Regular .22 LR , no .


A rabbit/hare won't go down with a 22 LR.

On 8/15/2018 12:14 PM, T wrote:
On 08/15/2018 04:33 AM, Terry Coombs wrote:
On 8/15/2018 12:49 AM, T wrote:
On 08/12/2018 01:41 PM, Terry Coombs wrote:
On 8/12/2018 2:28 PM, Frank wrote:
On 8/12/2018 7:50 AM, Terry Coombs wrote:
Â*Â* Seems that in the last week or two something(s) have been
marauding my tomato patch . I thought I had it better protected
... yesterday afternoon I set up my game cam in the corner where
they've been eating their ill-gotten gains , only to discover
there are 3 shifts ... late afternoon/early evening , the
squirrels dine , then after dark the raccoons come in , followed
later by the 'possums . Looks like I need to improve the
protection out there . I have to admit , the west side is hard to
get to because of the wild blackberries and I've let the chicken
wire and 'lectric wires get overgrown a little . It's been working
so well until recently that I've become complacent , and that's
gotta end . I'm not certain if they're crawling under the chicken
wire or going over , probably the latter since there are sags that
weren't there when I installed it . Either way , I'll be out there
today tightening things up in an effort to stop it - all the ripe
or nearly ripe 'maters are gone , and they've started in on the
green ones , I gotta do something or this will be the end of
tomato season for this year . And I've got a lot more jars to fill .

Groundhogs are eating my neighbors tomatoes.Â* Time for the
Hav-a-hart trap.

Â*Â* 22-250 from 300 yards .


Do they explode when you hit them?

Â*Â* Depends on the load ... a 22-250 hollow point at 3800 fps MV , yes
. A .243 HP at 3300 , maybe if you hit the body . Regular .22 LR , no .


A rabbit/hare won't go down with a 22 LR.

Sure they will but probably not right away unless hit in the head or the
spine.

On 8/15/2018 1:52 AM, T wrote:
On 08/12/2018 03:50 PM, Frank wrote:
On 8/12/2018 4:43 PM, Terry Coombs wrote:
On 8/12/2018 2:28 PM, Frank wrote:
On 8/12/2018 7:50 AM, Terry Coombs wrote:
Â*Â* Seems that in the last week or two something(s) have been
marauding my tomato patch . I thought I had it better protected ...
yesterday afternoon I set up my game cam in the corner where
they've been eating their ill-gotten gains , only to discover there
are 3 shifts ... late afternoon/early evening , the squirrels dine
, then after dark the raccoons come in , followed later by the
'possums . Looks like I need to improve the protection out there .
I have to admit , the west side is hard to get to because of the
wild blackberries and I've let the chicken wire and 'lectric wires
get overgrown a little . It's been working so well until recently
that I've become complacent , and that's gotta end . I'm not
certain if they're crawling under the chicken wire or going over ,
probably the latter since there are sags that weren't there when I
installed it . Either way , I'll be out there today tightening
things up in an effort to stop it - all the ripe or nearly ripe
'maters are gone , and they've started in on the green ones , I
gotta do something or this will be the end of tomato season for
this year . And I've got a lot more jars to fill .

Groundhogs are eating my neighbors tomatoes.Â* Time for the
Hav-a-hart trap.

Â*Â* OK , I know most of y'all don't have the conditions I do here
living out in the woods . So trap the l'il sucker , carry him out
into the woods (so to speak) and cap him there .

If I could shoot out back, I'd use my .22LR.Â* Trapping laws vary and
around here you can trap and kill but not release off your property.
I trap and release anyway.Â* When I was still working in the lab with
access to chemicals an older chemist told me to pour a bottle of
chloroform down the groundhog's burrow where the heavy vapor would
settle underground in the tunnel bottom.Â* Groundhog would go in and
get anesthetized permanently.Â* It worked for one in my back yard.

Have you tried dry ice down their holes?

No but it might work too. I prefer the Hav-a-hart and tell people I
relocate them to more affluent neighborhoods.

I took a couple with a bow at deer camp I used to go to. Taste like
chicken.

On 8/15/2018 12:30 PM, Frank wrote:
On 8/15/2018 12:14 PM, T wrote:
On 08/15/2018 04:33 AM, Terry Coombs wrote:
On 8/15/2018 12:49 AM, T wrote:
On 08/12/2018 01:41 PM, Terry Coombs wrote:
On 8/12/2018 2:28 PM, Frank wrote:
On 8/12/2018 7:50 AM, Terry Coombs wrote:
Â*Â* Seems that in the last week or two something(s) have been
marauding my tomato patch . I thought I had it better protected
... yesterday afternoon I set up my game cam in the corner where
they've been eating their ill-gotten gains , only to discover
there are 3 shifts ... late afternoon/early evening , the
squirrels dine , then after dark the raccoons come in , followed
later by the 'possums . Looks like I need to improve the
protection out there . I have to admit , the west side is hard
to get to because of the wild blackberries and I've let the
chicken wire and 'lectric wires get overgrown a little . It's
been working so well until recently that I've become complacent
, and that's gotta end . I'm not certain if they're crawling
under the chicken wire or going over , probably the latter since
there are sags that weren't there when I installed it . Either
way , I'll be out there today tightening things up in an effort
to stop it - all the ripe or nearly ripe 'maters are gone , and
they've started in on the green ones , I gotta do something or
this will be the end of tomato season for this year . And I've
got a lot more jars to fill .

Groundhogs are eating my neighbors tomatoes.Â* Time for the
Hav-a-hart trap.

Â*Â* 22-250 from 300 yards .


Do they explode when you hit them?

Â*Â* Depends on the load ... a 22-250 hollow point at 3800 fps MV ,
yes . A .243 HP at 3300 , maybe if you hit the body . Regular .22 LR
, no .


A rabbit/hare won't go down with a 22 LR.

Sure they will but probably not right away unless hit in the head or
the spine.

Â* Squirrels too . Unless you get a head or upper spine shot they ain't
hangin' around . I've seen them drag themselves off and claw their way
up a tree with their back legs totally dead . I have declared war on the
local squirrel population , they are apparently the major destroyers of
my tomato patch .I figger if I kill all the ones that know there's a
bounty there , the better chance the few tomatoes left will have a
chance . There are still a lot of blossoms ... and they too deserve a
chance . TOMATO LIVES MATTER !

--
Snag
Yes , I'm old
and crochety .
Get off my lawn !

On 8/15/2018 5:38 PM, Terry Coombs wrote:
On 8/15/2018 12:30 PM, Frank wrote:
On 8/15/2018 12:14 PM, T wrote:
On 08/15/2018 04:33 AM, Terry Coombs wrote:
On 8/15/2018 12:49 AM, T wrote:
On 08/12/2018 01:41 PM, Terry Coombs wrote:
On 8/12/2018 2:28 PM, Frank wrote:
On 8/12/2018 7:50 AM, Terry Coombs wrote:
Â*Â* Seems that in the last week or two something(s) have been
marauding my tomato patch . I thought I had it better protected
... yesterday afternoon I set up my game cam in the corner where
they've been eating their ill-gotten gains , only to discover
there are 3 shifts ... late afternoon/early evening , the
squirrels dine , then after dark the raccoons come in , followed
later by the 'possums . Looks like I need to improve the
protection out there . I have to admit , the west side is hard
to get to because of the wild blackberries and I've let the
chicken wire and 'lectric wires get overgrown a little . It's
been working so well until recently that I've become complacent
, and that's gotta end . I'm not certain if they're crawling
under the chicken wire or going over , probably the latter since
there are sags that weren't there when I installed it . Either
way , I'll be out there today tightening things up in an effort
to stop it - all the ripe or nearly ripe 'maters are gone , and
they've started in on the green ones , I gotta do something or
this will be the end of tomato season for this year . And I've
got a lot more jars to fill .

Groundhogs are eating my neighbors tomatoes.Â* Time for the
Hav-a-hart trap.

Â*Â* 22-250 from 300 yards .


Do they explode when you hit them?

Â*Â* Depends on the load ... a 22-250 hollow point at 3800 fps MV ,
yes . A .243 HP at 3300 , maybe if you hit the body . Regular .22 LR
, no .


A rabbit/hare won't go down with a 22 LR.

Sure they will but probably not right away unless hit in the head or
the spine.

Â* Squirrels too . Unless you get a head or upper spine shot they ain't
hangin' around . I've seen them drag themselves off and claw their way
up a tree with their back legs totally dead . I have declared war on the
local squirrel population , they are apparently the major destroyers of
my tomato patch .I figger if I kill all the ones that know there's a
bounty there , the better chance the few tomatoes left will have a
chance . There are still a lot of blossoms ... and they too deserve a
chance . TOMATO LIVES MATTER !


Friend in a nearby development uses subsonic .22LR on them. Another,
bothered by them, asked what to do and I suggested a pellet gun but now
he uses his shotgun as with 40 acres he can do anything. He just wanted
to keep them out when he was not around. Squirrel population bounces
back but if you get rid of the locals that are already hanging around
you probably remove most of the problem. They look cute but are nothing
but tree rats.