Road flare for woodchucks?

Huckster79

Huckster79

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Huckster79
Alright my copilot is selling her place to move in (prob get married at the hangar too- that’s another thread coming)

but she’s got a woodchuck under her pole barn. I need it gone quick. She’s not seen it so I don’t have the time to sit for days w the rifle outside. I don’t wanna wait for dog poop or ammonia to send em away. Or do those do it quick?

I read that road flares work better than gopher bombs, but others pointed out they may be unsafe. I’m trying to think what cud go sideways filling in the holes but one lighting a road flare and sticking it in and covering the hole... it’s just dirt or cement if it runs along the floor right?

or wud a hose from the lawnmower exhaust do it?
 
My neighbor once borrowed my .22 hornet because he said he had a woodchuck under his barn. He shot/killed 30. Moral of the story: if you have one, you don't just have one. Now to answer your question, try a conibear trap...just be careful, because you don't want it getting your fingers (ask me how I know).
 
Country Flier said:
My neighbor once borrowed my .22 hornet because he said he had a woodchuck under his barn. He shot/killed 30. Moral of the story: if you have one, you don't just have one. Now to answer your question, try a conibear trap...just be careful, because you don't want it getting your fingers (ask me how I know).
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Ugh. That’s lovely... both the numbers and u getting ur fingers in that baby!

if I had time in my hands a rocking chair and a pile of cantaloupe sound fun but that sounds like a long term project I just can’t invest the hours in.

the cat n dog crap and ammonia seem to make sense but idk how quick. I bet the ammonia works as it smells like feline urine
 
Don’t know if woodchucks borrow under ground? If… Grab a push lawnmower and take the blade off of it. Locate some flex aluminum pipe.

The day before, with a shovel cover up all the burrowed mounds of soil, locate the fresh one the next day and route the pipe from the exhaust on the mower, into the hole.

Works pretty well and then it’s hangar wedding time!
 
Huckster79 said:
but she’s got a woodchuck under her pole barn. I need it gone quick. She’s not seen it so I don’t have the time to sit for days w the rifle outside.
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Well, this time of year it's probably Ms. Woodchuck and she's nursing her babies. You kill momma and the little shavers are gonna get hungry, cry and die of starvation, then decompose and draw a ton of flies, if they're anything like raccoons that is. Waiting a couple weeks for them to leave on their own accord might be a better solution. You could hasten the process by putting an AM radio near them tuned to a talk station.
 
Dog poop? Why not just a dog? If there’s pole barn there ought to be a dog. Or... live and let live. If she hasn’t seen it, it’s the next owner’s problem. You don’t buy a place like that and not expect the occasional critter.
 
Find someone who likes to eat them .... they are a clean animal , vegetarian , and apparently taste good.
 
DaleB said:
Dog poop? Why not just a dog? If there’s pole barn there ought to be a dog. Or... live and let live. If she hasn’t seen it, it’s the next owner’s problem. You don’t buy a place like that and not expect the occasional critter.
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well I got two dogs, I’m not going to move em there to move em back and she has no fence, their good dogs but they would be running for miles.

I’m usually a live and let live guy but this ones under her pole barn, from what I read the amount of dirt these suckers can excavate can cause structural issues with the floor...
 
Skymark11 said:
Don’t know if woodchucks borrow under ground? If… Grab a push lawnmower and take the blade off of it. Locate some flex aluminum pipe.

The day before, with a shovel cover up all the burrowed mounds of soil, locate the fresh one the next day and route the pipe from the exhaust on the mower, into the hole.

Works pretty well and then it’s hangar wedding time!
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Yea they tunnel like crazy! Big tunnels too- it’s no gopher hole...
 
I've found that unless you're very good at hitting them in something vital, 22s don't do much against groundhogs. They may bleed a bit, but they don't die. I've switched to using the 12 gauge. We have some here that alternate between burrowing into the runway and eating Margy's garden stuff.
 
flyingron said:
I've found that unless you're very good at hitting them in something vital, 22s don't do much against groundhogs. They may bleed a bit, but they don't die. I've switched to using the 12 gauge. We have some here that alternate between burrowing into the runway and eating Margy's garden stuff.
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What load do ya use, I could grab the 12ga. ?
 
I shot 16 in a friends yard one summer. About 10 of them in the same hole under their garage. If the hole is in a good spot. Killing one just opens it up for another to move in.
 
DFH65 said:
I shot 16 in a friends yard one summer. About 10 of them in the same hole under their garage. If the hole is in a good spot. Killing one just opens it up for another to move in.
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so maybe will do the animal crap, ammonia and lead plan :)
 
Whistle pig! They’re cute and other than their burrows do no harm. We’ve a bunch of them about. Some burrows under the corn crib that’s older than I and it’s still plumb.

Growing up in Indiana my dad and I used to walk railroad grades and pick them off - mostly just a walking and target practice exercise. I can assure you a .22LR hollow point will off them.
But, I digress….. why not live and let live?
 
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wrbix said:
But, I digress….. why not live and let live?
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Depends on where they live and what damage they are doing. I grew up on a farm, 'chucks eat a lot, and they really love bean plants as they emerge after planting. We estimated damage to the bean crop at about $1000 per 'chuck. Over the years, I killed hundreds of them with a .22.
 
I just want to know..... how much wood could a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?
 
wrbix said:
Whistle pig! They’re cute and other than their burrows do no harm. We’ve a bunch of them about. Some burrows under the corn crib that’s older than I and it’s still plumb.

Growing up in Indiana my dad and I used to walk railroad grades and pick them off - mostly just a walking and target practice exercise. I can assure you a .22LR hollow point will off them.
But, I digress….. why not live and let live?
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just concerned a cement floor in a pole barn with huge burrows under it may not seem real appealing to buyers who want to be jacking up vehicles on that floor...
 
Huckster79 said:
just concerned a cement floor in a pole barn with huge burrows under it may not seem real appealing to buyers who want to be jacking up vehicles on that floor...
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Maybe build a little deck over the hole? I had a woodchuck living under mine. When I pulled up the boards to see where he tunneled to—there was no hole at all. He had a sleeping area between the floor joists and on the other side of a joist was his bathroom. Cozy enough he didn't need to dig, I guess.
 
No harm? Their burrows cause problems in our runway and the bastards ate all of Margy's tomatoes. They also burrowed under our entrance causing a collapse. That one I caught in a humane trap and then shot (humanely).
 
dtuuri said:
Well, this time of year it's probably Ms. Woodchuck and she's nursing her babies.
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That was my first thought. I know you don't want them but might be best to wait until the little guys grow up and leave on their own.

I set up a radio in my barn that really thumps out the bass notes. The thumping sets up vibrations throughout the frame which seems to keep the mice, squirrels and chipmunks away. Does not have to be loud.

I have also used a mixture of extract of peppermint (67%) mixed with extract of spearmint (33%) to keep mice out of the house. Not toxic to kids or pets but might give them a tummy ache.

Wolf pee might help them decide to leave quicker.

Get some cotton balls and set them around in various places around the barn and soak them with wolf pee. Fox pee may work as well.

And wear rubber gloves. Trust me on that.
 
I had one dig out a propane line. I told him he has to leave. He hissed at me and I took that as threat.....
 
My dad was a farmer and he told me in a fight between a dog and a woodchuck the woodchuck will usually win .... they are a flurry of very sharp claws and teeth that work like a meat shredder
 
Zeldman said:
That was my first thought. I know you don't want them but might be best to wait until the little guys grow up and leave on their own.

I set up a radio in my barn that really thumps out the bass notes. The thumping sets up vibrations throughout the frame which seems to keep the mice, squirrels and chipmunks away. Does not have to be loud.

I have also used a mixture of extract of peppermint (67%) mixed with extract of spearmint (33%) to keep mice out of the house. Not toxic to kids or pets but might give them a tummy ache.

Wolf pee might help them decide to leave quicker.

Get some cotton balls and set them around in various places around the barn and soak them with wolf pee. Fox pee may work as well.

And wear rubber gloves. Trust me on that.
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They don't grow up an leave. They stay and add to the giant burrow.
 
weilke said:
I had one dig out a propane line. I told him he has to leave. He hissed at me and I took that as threat.....
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Pro tip: If you go the firearms or flammables route, don't do it while he's sitting on top of the propane line. Just a suggestion.
Zeldman said:
I have also used a mixture of extract of peppermint (67%) mixed with extract of spearmint (33%) to keep mice out of the house. Not toxic to kids or pets but might give them a tummy ache.
Click to expand...
I don't know how well this works for the larger rodents, but it works great for mice and squirrels. We use a little spray bottle of Grandpa Gus's repellent. Various mint, plus some cayenne pepper I think. No more mouse hors d'oeuvres in the grill every Spring.
 
I think some depends on exact location. I wouldn’t be big on fire or exhaust. If conditions & area allow, I’d lean leghold trapping or a 17 HMR.

Just today I see a troubled coyote at our local airport, 12 noon. I saw him/her next to the runway as I taxied out, near a culvert, no biggie. When I came back, the coyote was near the hangar, little fear of plane, people or cars. I took my time getting out after shutting down, it didn’t look healthy.

Once the plane was put away I ambled to ‘base ops’. As I was there a pilot on the CTAF freq was mentioning to beware/avoid the coyote on/near the runway. When I related my tale I mentioned the coyote didn’t look or act right. The guy seemed like he was on it. Though I’m a varmint hunter of the 1st order, I thought it best to leave this to the powers that be.

Rather that debate coyote illnesses, I think it’s just best to remove this one from the plenty that roam about.
 
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