Add Marmota monax to the growing list of urban wildlife. Anyone know anything
about the most humane way to deal with woodchucks? I've seen threads elsewhere
about relocating squirrels and other critters, so maybe someone here might
know.

Now, ordinarily I wouldn't care all that much if there was a woodchuck living
nearby, but one has decided to take up residence in my garage! (It's an old
garage with a gravel floor). I know where I can rent a live trap... is there
anything I need to know about relocating? (I know plenty of vacant/rural areas
I could relocate it to). Are they territorial, and are they able to dig their
own burrows quickly?

On 22 Sep 2004 22:17:48 GMT, (OhSojourner) wrote:

===Add Marmota monax to the growing list of urban wildlife. Anyone know anything
===about the most humane way to deal with woodchucks? I've seen threads elsewhere
===about relocating squirrels and other critters, so maybe someone here might
===know.
===
===Now, ordinarily I wouldn't care all that much if there was a woodchuck living
===nearby, but one has decided to take up residence in my garage! (It's an old
===garage with a gravel floor). I know where I can rent a live trap... is there
===anything I need to know about relocating? (I know plenty of vacant/rural areas
===I could relocate it to). Are they territorial, and are they able to dig their
===own burrows quickly?

If I had me groundhog aka woodchuck living i my garage I would
certainly make room for him in my deep freezer.......

Yep they can probably have a new burrow dug before you can get back
to your own property.........
Visit my website: http://www.frugalmachinist.com
Opinions expressed are those of my wife,
I had no input whatsoever.
Remove "nospam" from email addy.

On 22 Sep 2004 22:17:48 GMT, (OhSojourner) wrote:

Add Marmota monax to the growing list of urban wildlife. Anyone know anything
about the most humane way to deal with woodchucks? I've seen threads elsewhere
about relocating squirrels and other critters, so maybe someone here might
know.

Now, ordinarily I wouldn't care all that much if there was a woodchuck living
nearby, but one has decided to take up residence in my garage! (It's an old
garage with a gravel floor). I know where I can rent a live trap...

Better make sure it's a STRONG live trap. Woodchucks are powerful
animals, and if there's a weak spot in the trap they will find it and
pull the trap apart to escape.

is there
anything I need to know about relocating? (I know plenty of vacant/rural areas
I could relocate it to). Are they territorial, and are they able to dig their
own burrows quickly?

They are territorial, but very flexible.

I don't know about where you live, but in my municipality in NJ there is a
$2000 fine for relocating wild animals. They say it is because of promoting the
spread of rabies to other areas. We just call animal control in our town and
they come pick him up and dispose of him.

"OhSojourner" wrote in message
...
Add Marmota monax to the growing list of urban wildlife. Anyone know
anything
about the most humane way to deal with woodchucks? I've seen threads
elsewhere
about relocating squirrels and other critters, so maybe someone here might
know.

Now, ordinarily I wouldn't care all that much if there was a woodchuck
living
nearby, but one has decided to take up residence in my garage! (It's an
old
garage with a gravel floor). I know where I can rent a live trap... is
there
anything I need to know about relocating? (I know plenty of vacant/rural
areas
I could relocate it to). Are they territorial, and are they able to dig
their
own burrows quickly?

A Hav-a-hart trap is a nice thing to own. I've captured and released
numerous woodchucks, squirrels, possums and raccoons from mine. I take them
to a nearby state park. I would recommend getting the largest trap (~$50).
Mine is next to largest and I had to give up on a big raccoon. If animal is
too big for trap, it will not close. Some may tell you that relocating the
animal may endanger it. Me: I don't care
Frank

"Frank Logullo" wrote in
:

A Hav-a-hart trap is a nice thing to own. I've captured
and released numerous woodchucks, squirrels, possums and
raccoons from mine. I take them to a nearby state park. I
would recommend getting the largest trap (~$50). Mine is
next to largest and I had to give up on a big raccoon. If
animal is too big for trap, it will not close. Some may
tell you that relocating the animal may endanger it. Me: I
don't care

it's not that you are endangering the animal you relocate,
it's that you are endangering *all* the animals in the area
you relocate an animal *to*. while the wildlife population in
your area may be resistant to certain diseases, that may not
be true of animals in the area you move the animal to, hence
spread of disease.
the best thing to do with an animal that is causing you
trouble is just kill it & get it over with. you aren't doing
it or any other animal a kindness by 'relocating'.
besides, what makes you think anyone else wants *your*
problem? if it's destroying your property, why take it
elsewhere to ruin someone else's property?
lee

enigma wrote:

the best thing to do with an animal that is causing you
trouble is just kill it & get it over with. you aren't doing
it or any other animal a kindness by 'relocating'.

I have shot my share of groundhogs, but destroying them is like
destroying a grain of sand. Every time you destroy one, two take its
place. I have been doing this for 40 years. What does good is if you
know where the groundhogs hole is, you can kill them and bury them in
their own hole and other groundhogs will not use that hole. I did that.
Now they are living in an outhouse, a barn, and under some creeping
juniper next to our house.

--
Pardon my spam deterrent; send email to
Cheers, Steve Henning in Reading, PA USA http://home.earthlink.net/~rhodyman

"enigma" wrote in message
. ..
it's not that you are endangering the animal you relocate,
it's that you are endangering *all* the animals in the area
you relocate an animal *to*. while the wildlife population in
your area may be resistant to certain diseases, that may not
be true of animals in the area you move the animal to, hence
spread of disease.
the best thing to do with an animal that is causing you
trouble is just kill it & get it over with. you aren't doing
it or any other animal a kindness by 'relocating'.
besides, what makes you think anyone else wants *your*
problem? if it's destroying your property, why take it
elsewhere to ruin someone else's property?
lee

Killing is certainly an option but not for me, viz my wife objects. I do
have a neighbor that catches groundhogs in his Hav-a-hart and drowns them.
Cage trap is preferred over leg trap which can result in free, crippled
animal. Shooting is usually legal but not here as you must be 200 yds from
occupied dwelling. Trap and release is legal here but not everywhere. I
doubt the disease argument because we're only relocating a few miles away.
Animals do have their ranges. Only one I know is whitetail deer, which I
hunt, and they spend their lives within about a square mile. In my
experience, groundhogs stay close to home but I'm not sure about the others.
Frank

hello

i just wondered if i could have a young woodchuck / groundhog if your going to kill it or relocate it. relocating an animal is quite stressful and in the long run, domesticating it would be better.

Abs xx

Absterama wrote in
:

hello

i just wondered if i could have a young woodchuck / groundhog if your
going to kill it or relocate it. relocating an animal is quite
stressful and in the long run, domesticating it would be better.

Abs xx


Some of my best friends are woodchucks. Trust me, they don't like
domestication. They will, however, _move_ if there's something in it for
them: like more veggies and a comfortable hammock. :-


--
jpac

"Please do not annoy, torment, pester, plague, molest, worry, badger,
harry, harass, heckle, persecute, irk, bullyrag, vex, disquiet, grate,
beset, bother, tease, nettle, tantalize or ruffle the animals."
San Diego Zoo / Wild Animal Park

Absterama wrote:

hello

i just wondered if i could have a young woodchuck / groundhog if your
going to kill it or relocate it. relocating an animal is quite
stressful and in the long run, domesticating it would be better.

Abs xx


A customer had one for a pet. It learned to open the refrigerator and
make a mess. When anyone cam in, it hid in the pantry.
It got out one day and a german shepherd got after it. It ran up a small
apple tree. When the dog's owner came to get his dog it ran up his legs
into his arms. The guy didn't know what was happening and slung the
critter to the ground. The dog got him. A lot of people got a kick out
of the not so little bugger.
It takes a lot of cleaning up and tolerance to keep something like
thatas a pet.

"Frank Logullo" wrote:

A Hav-a-hart trap is a nice thing to own. I've captured and released
numerous woodchucks, squirrels, possums and raccoons from mine.

Don't forget the skunks that love these traps. The unfortunate thing is
that you usually have to destroy the skunk when you weren't really after
it in the first place. No matter how you handle it, it is a real stinker.

--
Pardon my spam deterrent; send email to
Cheers, Steve Henning in Reading, PA USA http://home.earthlink.net/~rhodyman

S. M. Henning wrote:
"Frank Logullo" wrote:


A Hav-a-hart trap is a nice thing to own. I've captured and released
numerous woodchucks, squirrels, possums and raccoons from mine.


Don't forget the skunks that love these traps. The unfortunate thing is
that you usually have to destroy the skunk when you weren't really after
it in the first place. No matter how you handle it, it is a real stinker.



I've caught several skunks in the traps. I generally just wait until
noon, walk quietly up to the trap and open it slowly, placing a brick
under the door so the skunk can see that it's open after I leave. None
of them even tried to spray. The skunk may not leave right away. There's
generally a brick handy because I place a brick on the door of the large
Hav-a-hart traps to (1) keep it from sticking open (since eventually the
trap gets old and bent up) and (2) knock the trapped animal more
forcefully into the trap. I've lost a couple of animals when I didn't
use the brick.

Skunks are nocturnal and don't do well in the daylight. If you're really
worried, you can hold a tarp in front of you when you walk up to the
trap. The skunk has to raise its tail to spray, and that's hard to do
inside the trap, so if you see the skunk getting agitated, just back off
and wait for it to settle down. The skunk will generally indicate
annoyance by pounding the ground with its front feet. If you use the
tarp, you can cover the trap while you open the door. That way the only
thing exposed is your hand.

Tomato juice is not very effective at eliminating skunk smell, although
it will reduce it. There are a couple of remedies based on hydrogen
peroxide. One is 1 qt peroxide (3%, the kind you find in the grocery
store), 1/4 cup baking soda (not baking powder) and a shot of detergent.
Don't get it in your eyes. Use mixture right away. It doesn't keep.

"dps" wrote in message
...
S. M. Henning wrote:
"Frank Logullo" wrote:


A Hav-a-hart trap is a nice thing to own. I've captured and released
numerous woodchucks, squirrels, possums and raccoons from mine.


Don't forget the skunks that love these traps. The unfortunate thing is
that you usually have to destroy the skunk when you weren't really after
it in the first place. No matter how you handle it, it is a real
stinker.



I've caught several skunks in the traps. I generally just wait until
noon, walk quietly up to the trap and open it slowly, placing a brick
under the door so the skunk can see that it's open after I leave. None
of them even tried to spray. The skunk may not leave right away. There's
generally a brick handy because I place a brick on the door of the large
Hav-a-hart traps to (1) keep it from sticking open (since eventually the
trap gets old and bent up) and (2) knock the trapped animal more
forcefully into the trap. I've lost a couple of animals when I didn't
use the brick.

Skunks are nocturnal and don't do well in the daylight. If you're really
worried, you can hold a tarp in front of you when you walk up to the
trap. The skunk has to raise its tail to spray, and that's hard to do
inside the trap, so if you see the skunk getting agitated, just back off
and wait for it to settle down. The skunk will generally indicate
annoyance by pounding the ground with its front feet. If you use the
tarp, you can cover the trap while you open the door. That way the only
thing exposed is your hand.

Tomato juice is not very effective at eliminating skunk smell, although
it will reduce it. There are a couple of remedies based on hydrogen
peroxide. One is 1 qt peroxide (3%, the kind you find in the grocery
store), 1/4 cup baking soda (not baking powder) and a shot of detergent.
Don't get it in your eyes. Use mixture right away. It doesn't keep.

Excellent advice. This happened to me with my first home made trap. I did
not want to spring the $40 or so for a Hav-a-hart and it was more difficult
to let the skunk out. My wife suited up with rain gear while I was at work
calling around and removed door and ran. Skunk remained in trap for a while
and left later. I understand now that skunks do not spray when confined but
I would not take chance of transporting when in trap.
Frank

Frank Logullo wrote:
.... I understand now that skunks do not spray when confined but
I would not take chance of transporting when in trap.
Frank






I wouldn't bother relocating skunks. They don't bother your vegetables
or flowers and if they dig up your lawn it means you have grubs so
they're doing you a favor. The lawn will recover from small holes better
than it will recover from grubs.