On 4/20/2012 11:04 PM, jimmy wrote:
On 4/20/2012 2:48 PM, Frank wrote:
On 4/20/2012 2:05 PM, Way Back Jack wrote:
Woodchucks AKA marmots or, more commonly around here, "ground hogs" just
know when you're packing a shootin' iron. They present a fat, sassy
profile
when you're unarmed, but become suspicious when you're packing, darting
into bushes, behind trees, into burrows.

The east property line is hog heaven with a dozen mulberry trees, a
dozen
black cherry trees, and a barbed wire fence that allows them to build a
burrow link-up on each side of the wire. The damn burrows cause stuck
tractor tires and turned ankles. Smoke bombs are useless and the hogs
actually attack and destroy those battery-powered noisemakers that are
supposed to repel burrowing creatures. I won't use Golden Malrin poison
because it's attractive to pets also. Next to Eric Holder and Nancy
Pelosi,
I hate hogs more than anybody.

But this one fine day ma and pa hog were doing the dirty need on the
lawn
not 15 ft. away from this window. I was able to walk right up to them,
armed!!!! POW said the left barrel and the old man flipped off his
mount.
BLAM said the right barrel and ma hog went to her reward. Romantic
justice
to boot because this happened to be Valentine's Day. That particular
year
was good with 10 confirmed kills. Some years I don't get any. Well,
let's
see what shakes out this year.

I trap them in a Hav-a-hart and release them elsewhere but some
neighbors trap and drown them in a barrel of water.

When I first had one burrowing in a bank in my back yard, I was working
in a lab with access to chloroform. Some older farmer type told me that
a bottle of chloroform dumped in their burrow would retain the vapors as
it is much heavier than air and Mr. Groundhog would come in and be put
to sleep permanently. It took care of my problem but I don't know if I
got him or he vacated the area.

I've also taken a couple while bow hunting - taste like chicken

Back in the 40s, my aunt & uncle had a farm in the Catskill's.
Large fields of hay were covered with woodchuck holes.
My cousin 16 then and I 13 dropped traps in the holes.
Went out to check them every evening, one evening he felt a tug when
pulling it.
Told me to get out of the way (which I gladly did).
Proceeded to pull out a ?????? a skunk, well I was out of the way,
however he and the german shepard got the full force of the spray.
Didnt see the dog for days, had to bury his clothing, I smelled that
odor for months after that...

I've caught skunks twice. I was able to release them from the trap
without getting sprayed. They will not spray while confined in the
trap. To avoid this, it is probably best to close the trap at night as
skunks are active at night while groundhogs don't appear to be.