Last summer on the property behind mine, there was 1 ground hog. When this summer rolled around out on the property there is 4. The one ground hog from last summer is now a momma. She had 3 babies. But here lately I have only seen 3. I am thinking one might have got nabbed by a yote or one of the dam cats around here.
The other day I grabbed the camera and walked way around where they run, play, and eat. Then I did the stealth thing and went from tree to tree, and got close enough to get some good pics. If they see you they take off running for cover. Back on that property there is an old shed, and an old house. Both are falling apart. These little ground hogs live under the house and shed. At one point he saw me, and took off running to the shed. So I walked around the back of the shed and around the back of the house to the front of the house. As I walked behind the house I could hear them running across the floor.
I keep an eye on them because if more pop up and start moving into my yard they will start burrowing holes and tunnels. If they get to bad I will have to thin them out a bit.
Cute? My parent's had to spend $40,000 to repair thier barn foundation due mostly to groundhogs, and now the shed needs a new floor/foundation at a cost of $25 grand.
Farm I used to work back in the early 80's had a repair of $10 grand for the front end of an International 1086 tractor due to a groundhog hole - parts alone (the did the labor themselbes).
Those rodents might be cute but they reak havok with their burrows. Get them out before they do more damage!
Like I said in my OP I am keeping an eye on them. They are on the property behind mine. And I watch to see where they go and where they are feeding. I don't own the property that they are on. And way in the back of my property I have drawn an imaginary line, if they over populate and cross that line they will be taken out. Now is the time I wish I had a 22 Magnum. I for sure ain't gonna let them get to close to my house. I know they can do a lot of damage. And the trees they like to eat are on the other property. No one lives back there, and if it comes down to it, it would be a good 100 yrd or better shot. Way in the back of my property is an old abandoned ground hog burrow, a good 50 yrds from my deck. I have kept an eye on that for 2 years now making sure that it is not being used. I have also shoved big rocks down in that hole to keep them from using it. That is where my imaginary line is.
__________________ Take what you can, give nothing back: Capt Jack Sparrow
For many non-edible animals, I tend to leave them alone. I do not take pleasure in killing for the fun of it.
However, I agree. If the animals start doing damage or getting out of hand, then the rifle must come out of the closet.
We have a family of rabbits living under my overturned canoe at the back of our property. They are safe from me. My wife has chicken wire around her garden, so the vegetables are safe.
If they start getting real numerous, I might have to do some fresh thinking.
Last summer on the property behind mine, there was 1 ground hog. When this summer rolled around out on the property there is 4. The one ground hog from last summer is now a momma. She had 3 babies. But here lately I have only seen 3. I am thinking one might have got nabbed by a yote or one of the dam cats around here.
The other day I grabbed the camera and walked way around where they run, play, and eat. Then I did the stealth thing and went from tree to tree, and got close enough to get some good pics. If they see you they take off running for cover. Back on that property there is an old shed, and an old house. Both are falling apart. These little ground hogs live under the house and shed. At one point he saw me, and took off running to the shed. So I walked around the back of the shed and around the back of the house to the front of the house. As I walked behind the house I could hear them running across the floor.
I keep an eye on them because if more pop up and start moving into my yard they will start burrowing holes and tunnels. If they get to bad I will have to thin them out a bit.
Great pictures! Isn't nature fun to watch and learn from? I've also had ground hogs show up in the back of my lawn. One I had to get my neighbors dogs to leave it alone when the critter seemed to be trying to defend itself, even though the dogs were on the other side of a chain link fence. Eventually the groundhog creeped off and eventually went under a concrete patio of another neighbor's house.
I ain't itchen to shoot them, but I am keeping an eye on where they go and what they are doin. Yep I love watchin these little critters. It's funny when the the babies get spooked and they start runnin for the shack. One things for sure them little boogers are fast.
There is a rabbit that hangs out back there too. But I haven't seen it in a while. I am thinkin a cat got it. Maybe a yote or a fox.
I took the dirt road which runs along the rail road track this morning into town, and just before you hit the parking lot of the convenience store there was a red fox sitting by the tree and brush line on the dirt road.
__________________ Take what you can, give nothing back: Capt Jack Sparrow
When in Montana, many years ago, my friend Butch invited us over. He and his girl friend were having a cook-out.
He had a slow cooker, and told my wife it was chicken. She refused to eat it. I had a suspicion of what it was, and enjoyed it a lot. I had several pieces in rich, brown gravy.
Turned out that it was rock chuck.
I consider my wife irrational, and many people irrational. There's nothing wrong with rock chuck, or muskrat, or numerous other critters. They are vegetarians, after all.
For many non-edible animals, I tend to leave them alone. I do not take pleasure in killing for the fun of it.
However, I agree. If the animals start doing damage or getting out of hand, then the rifle must come out of the closet.
We have a family of rabbits living under my overturned canoe at the back of our property. They are safe from me. My wife has chicken wire around her garden, so the vegetables are safe.
If they start getting real numerous, I might have to do some fresh thinking.
We have a young one down in the hollow on the driveway, and he better stay there. I'm not squeamish about taking out varmints when they get too close to the house or shop. I don't take pleasure in killing for the sake of it, but when the critters are destructive, like prairie dogs, they gotta go!
TNPirate, thanks for the pics. I believe I had one of those scamper through my yard one day......As for the rest of you testosterone starved folks who believe any animal with a pulse requires a bullet of a specific caliber and grain................you scare me! Nature is beautiful and as I age, I appreciate the animals around me that much more. I guess that comes with growing older and the fact that I have raised 3 children and have 6 grandchildren that I want to enjoy the same nature that I grew up with. There are ways of ridding yourself of pesky animals without killing them. Live traps are invaluable. While my hunting and gathering skills are still keen, I don't find it necessary to kill just for the sake of killing.
__________________ Warning! My dog has a gun and refuses to take his meds!
Because we shoot them to prevent thousand of dollars of damage we are killing just for the sake of killing?
Apparently you have never seen what they can do to a building's foundation, or to a tractor/piece of equipment? Maybe a photo of my brother's broken ankle when he stepped in a hole hidden by tall grass?
Reality deems necessity. If they caused no damage they wouldn't be considered a pest species and allowed to be hunted 24/7.
TNPirate, thanks for the pics. I believe I had one of those scamper through my yard one day......As for the rest of you testosterone starved folks who believe any animal with a pulse requires a bullet of a specific caliber and grain................you scare me! Nature is beautiful and as I age, I appreciate the animals around me that much more. I guess that comes with growing older and the fact that I have raised 3 children and have 6 grandchildren that I want to enjoy the same nature that I grew up with. There are ways of ridding yourself of pesky animals without killing them. Live traps are invaluable. While my hunting and gathering skills are still keen, I don't find it necessary to kill just for the sake of killing.
So I guess if you had horses on a farm and they tripped in a groundhog hole and broke a leg you'd be happy about it and not try to solve the issue of the groundhogs?
Lets say you had a barn and they were digging under it and oh lets say the front corner started to fall into a massive underground tunnel system. You wouldn't try to solve the issue of the ground hog to save your building in the long run?
You know groundhog holes have been known to bust tractor axles as well... I guess your tractor can be repaired and the cost of no worry to you. I wish I had that kind of money to have that mind set.
I like nature as much as the next person, but when you have a destrucive creature like a groundhog on your property and they are being a problem you take the problem out, by any means needed.
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