War is on

[ropensaddle]

I have not had huge amounts of time but managed to have a great year on cantaloupes and my watermelons was looking good too. I came up my drive seen 5 crows fly off in 6 hours they had mutilated 8 cantaloupes and 2 watermelon's! I started to harvest night before but thought they would be sweeter today

 

[hseII]

1 Coyote, of all things, got 2 of the nicest watermelon this week: the watermelon were about 5 days from being ready to pick.

It's game on around here as well.

 

[chuckwood]

My corn is just about ready and the raccoons have just found out about this. They ate some last night. They pull the stalks down by climbing on them and then eat the corn. Hopefully there will be enough for all of us and lord knows there are enough raccoons around here. Never heard of coyotes eating watermelons, did you catch 'em in the act?

 

[ropensaddle]

My corn is just about ready and the raccoons have just found out about this. They ate some last night. They pull the stalks down by climbing on them and then eat the corn. Hopefully there will be enough for all of us and lord knows there are enough raccoons around here. Never heard of coyotes eating watermelons, did you catch 'em in the act?

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Your too calm man, get them turkey killing coons

 

[ropensaddle]

You just reminded me, the crows ate all my sweet corn seeds as well

 

[blades]

Lead poisoning delivered via air rifle- - course with the crows ya got ta get the look out first. Squirrels gray , red, ground- rabbits are the main culprits here. Racoons been keeping their distance since I eliminated a couple can raiders in early spring. Rabbits and Ground squirrel populations are now fairly low () currently. Red and grays have been staying out of harms way for the most part. Its a challenge in an urban setting- don't want alert neighbors and then get a visitation. Hence the air rifle, fairly quite vs more potent items. A long barrel and CCI quite zone rounds are not to bad either for the larger raiders.

 

[Backyard Lumberjack]

Lead poisoning delivered via air rifle- - course with the crows ya got ta get the look out first. Squirrels gray , red, ground- rabbits are the main culprits here. Racoons been keeping their distance since I eliminated a couple can raiders in early spring. Rabbits and Ground squirrel populations are now fairly low () currently. Red and grays have been staying out of harms way for the most part. Its a challenge in an urban setting- don't want alert neighbors and then get a visitation. Hence the air rifle, fairly quite vs more potent items. A long barrel and CCI quite zone rounds are not to bad either for the larger raiders.

loosing produce out of the garden sure can be frustrating!! I am never happy to see a green tomato on ground in front yard when garden is in back... or bites taken out. for tomatoes have resorted to using used sandwich baggies. put hole in bottom to let rain water drain out. this season, I still found a green tomato on ground relocated. but significantly reduced issues from the varmints. been very effective. perhaps if feasible watermelons could be put into plastic sack when week or so from harvest time. out of sight out of mind sort of thing. maybe if would be too hot, some cardboard could reflect off sun's rays. or a wrap of tin foil mite be helpful. not sure how to deal with the corn on the cob varmints. guess they can smell that sweetness... sometimes just have to plant like in old days... one for me, one for the animals...

Gardener's Quote: A garden is always a series of losses set against a few triumphs, like life itself.

 

[chuckwood]

Lead poisoning delivered via air rifle- - course with the crows ya got ta get the look out first. Squirrels gray , red, ground- rabbits are the main culprits here. Racoons been keeping their distance since I eliminated a couple can raiders in early spring. Rabbits and Ground squirrel populations are now fairly low () currently. Red and grays have been staying out of harms way for the most part. Its a challenge in an urban setting- don't want alert neighbors and then get a visitation. Hence the air rifle, fairly quite vs more potent items. A long barrel and CCI quite zone rounds are not to bad either for the larger raiders.

Same deal with me, neighbors too close by. My raccoon problem used to be much worse years ago, and I dealt with it by trapping and relocating them. They are interesting once trapped in a haveaheart cage, some get real hissy and ugly when you carry them around in the trap, put a finger through the mesh and you just might loose it. The removal of coons left a gap in the little ecosystem here and foxes moved in. They are great to have around and do no damage unless you have chickens. My worst garden damage has happened with groundhogs. I've planted beans, lettuce etc. and get them up to about 8 inches high and a groundhog enters the garden in my absence and mows the entire row down, leaving 3 inch stumps. My theory is the foxes keep them in control by eating up the little groundhogs. My golden retriever takes care of the adult groundhogs. My dad used to have a hazelnut orchard and he was real disappointed most of the time because the gray squirrels just couldn't get enough of those hazelnuts.

 

[Backyard Lumberjack]

Same deal with me, neighbors too close by. My raccoon problem used to be much worse years ago, and I dealt with it by trapping and relocating them. They are interesting once trapped in a haveaheart cage, some get real hissy and ugly when you carry them around in the trap, put a finger through the mesh and you just might loose it. The removal of coons left a gap in the little ecosystem here and foxes moved in. They are great to have around and do no damage unless you have chickens. My worst garden damage has happened with groundhogs. I've planted beans, lettuce etc. and get them up to about 8 inches high and a groundhog enters the garden in my absence and mows the entire row down, leaving 3 inch stumps. My theory is the foxes keep them in control by eating up the little groundhogs. My golden retriever takes care of the adult groundhogs. My dad used to have a hazelnut orchard and he was real disappointed most of the time because the gray squirrels just couldn't get enough of those hazelnuts.

true true... true! maybe that is one reason garden fresh tastes so good! hard to imagine something actually makes it to the kitchen counter... lol

 

[blades]

Groundhogs protected here( state regs) but what they don't see.......... course there is a clause in the regs about farms and the interaction there of. But that will not apply to your little garden in Urbanna. Had a problem with them at a different home many years back- air rifle, bow or .22 depending on where I spotted one and the distance to it. Still remember my daughter being in tears- scared by one in the garage when she went to get her bike out. Think she might have been about 6 or 7 at the time. Did not leave garage under its own power. Got the whole family by the end of summer. Had some problems with possums as well (ugly things) Kids were still very young no quarter there either. Got no problems fox or weasels- coyotes & skunks they are on the bad list.

 

[chuckwood]

Groundhogs protected here( state regs) but what they don't see.......... course there is a clause in the regs about farms and the interaction there of. But that will not apply to your little garden in Urbanna.

I don't understand the point in protecting groundhogs - I wonder who wrote up that policy and why. There will never be a shortage of them and if there are no predators after them they'll do a lot of damage. An urban gardener might have to cope with the hassle and expense of fencing in a backyard garden. I know a gardener that had a four hundred dollar vet bill when her dog had some trouble while killing one. Nasty critters!

 

[Del_]

Opossums will get cantaloupes, too.

There are no protected species in my garden.

Either I shoot them with a 22lr or catch them in a Hav-a-hart trap and drown them in a 55 gallon barrel, trap and all. Yeah it's mean but the effort I put into growing is not going to be wasted if I can help it.

 

[chuckwood]

Opossums will get cantaloupes, too.

There are no protected species in my garden.

Either I shoot them with a 22lr or catch then in a Hav-a-hart trap and drown them in a 55 gallon barrel, trap and all. Yeah it's mean but the effort I put into growing is not going to be wasted if I can help it.

I caught a skunk once in a havahart trap and didn't know what to do at first I cautiously approached the cage and put a sheet over it so the skunk couldn't see me. Then I let the door down and was surprised that it didn't immediately jump out. The skunk had feasted on peanut butter and apples that were meant for groundhogs. It seemed to be quite happy in there and left a couple minutes later, slowly moseying on out. I don't mind having them around unless they spray my dogs, and the dogs have pretty much learned the hard way to leave them alone.

 

[Backyard Lumberjack]

I don't understand the point in protecting groundhogs - I wonder who wrote up that policy and why. There will never be a shortage of them and if there are no predators after them they'll do a lot of damage. An urban gardener might have to cope with the hassle and expense of fencing in a backyard garden. I know a gardener that had a four hundred dollar vet bill when her dog had some trouble while killing one. Nasty critters!

fat lil things....

 

[amberg]

My corn is just about ready and the raccoons have just found out about this. They ate some last night. They pull the stalks down by climbing on them and then eat the corn. Hopefully there will be enough for all of us and lord knows there are enough raccoons around here. Never heard of coyotes eating watermelons, did you catch 'em in the act?

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Trap them. Coyotes love watermelons,

 

[Country bumpkin]

My corn is just about ready and the raccoons have just found out about this. They ate some last night. They pull the stalks down by climbing on them and then eat the corn. Hopefully there will be enough for all of us and lord knows there are enough raccoons around here. Never heard of coyotes eating watermelons, did you catch 'em in the act?

View attachment 516585 View attachment 516586

I've had the same problem with coons. What I did was put (I know this sounds funny but works) a honey bun in cage traps & placed them in the rows. I caught 5 this yr. & no more coons! Been using that or peanut butter to trap coons for years in my garden & barns.

 

[amberg]

chuckwood,

I have not had huge amounts of time but managed to have a great year on cantaloupes and my watermelons was looking good too. I came up my drive seen 5 crows fly off in 6 hours they had mutilated 8 cantaloupes and 2 watermelon's! I started to harvest night before but thought they would be sweeter today

Shoot one crow and hang it on a post, or throw it on the ground in the middle of the patch and that will fix that problem!! Post is better!! They won't be back. Always try to kill the first one that comes by you, or they may not come back. Use a electronic crow caller, Will be the most fun you ever had!

 

[amberg]

fat lil things....
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Damn pests, Ha, Ha, You know us farmers hate those critters! But they are cute.

 

[ropensaddle]

Damn pests, Ha, Ha, You know us farmers hate those critters! But they are cute.

Very cute until the 223 hits em square in those choppers

 

[chuckwood]

fat lil things....
View attachment 516698

Groundhog Recipes

You can use woodchuck meat in virtually any recipe calling for small game and in many other dishes as well. My favorites, though, are pie (our traditional Groundhog Day fare) and stew. Here are the directions for making both.
Woodchuck Pie

1 woodchuck
3 medium carrots
3 potatoes
1/4 cup of butter or margarine
1 onion, diced
2 tablespoons of flour and piecrust dough

Quarter the woodchuck and place the pieces in a large pot with enough cold water to cover the meat. Boil it for 10 minutes, then discard the water, refill the pan, and bring the liquid to a boil again. Lower the heat and let the contents simmer for about 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Add the carrots and potatoes and continue cooking the stew for about another 30 minutes ... until the meat is tender and separates easily from the bone. By this time, you should be able to pierce the vegetables readily with a fork.

http://www.motherearthnews.com/real-food/groundhog-day-groundhog-recipes.aspx?PageId=2