Another day, another garden varmint

[rickhem]

I have a fence around our garden. I personally would not have a garden, but she likes it and tends it daily. The fence is just a 24" high one, to keep out the rabbits and such. It's low enough to just step over. I know what you mean about mowing around it so I have the Farmworks 41% Glyphosate from Tractor Supply and spray around the fence a when the weeds grow where I can't just mow them.

[daytime dave]

I once saw a ground hog climb my two foot high rabbit fence and get into my raised garden box when I lived in suburbia. I couldn't believe it. I had no idea they could climb like that. When I saw it, I was certainly amazed and also impressed. He got his later, via a pellet gun as it was suburbia.

Do you get good results with that weed killer? I've been using 30% vinegar for fairly small areas and get pretty good results.

[Redthies]

I’m having problems with ‘coons and skunks these days. I have live trapped and relocated 2 skunks successfully, but the current lawn shredder is proving hard to catch. I’ve caught the same raccoon (or siblings) 4 times in my trap. I think he is starting to get Stockholm Syndrome. He was actually sleeping in the trap at 5:30 this morning when I went to see if I had caught the skunk. He’s probably figured out that if he gets into the trap, he gets a nice meal (mackerel on a taco last night, although he didn’t eat the stale taco shell), and a place to sleep it off before getting released in the morning.

The skunk I’ve seen out in the yard a couple of times, but once the light hits him, he’s gone pretty quickly. I might have to sit out on the front porch in a down jacket with the .22 and tactical light and see if he comes into view. One of my dogs got sprayed twice in a week last year, and I have no desire to repeat that experience.

I “armored up” one of my traps as the ‘coons and skunks have been shredding the soft covers I’ve been using. Skunks won’t spray if they can’t see their target. I left the “view port” so I can tell what is in there and whether or not I need to use caution on release.

[daytime dave]

Good idea on the armor. I love the rhyme.

[Redthies]

I got tired of them destroying the entire footprint of lawn under the wire floor too, so it’s all around coverage. I’ll try again tonight

[Redthies]

Another dawn brings another satisfied customer at the Raccoon Eatery. Big momma today. They love the mackerel!

[daytime dave]

Congrats on getting another varmint.

[Hatchdog]

I have to share a couple of stories from my past with varmints.

My last place had a barn where I stored hay bales on top of pallets. Occasionally I would get a skunk in the barn that would be inside the pallets. I would know as they would always poop just outside the barn before climbing into the pallets. I could be in there face to face with one looking thru the pallets. I didn’t expect to get sprayed and never was. I would set my trap outside the barn in a location where I could shoot and the little fools would enter it and bang, no more skunk. But, I also had feral cats take up residence in the barn. I would set the trap for them and relocate them to a remote area nearby. Only one cat made a return trip so that one went whitetail hunting with us and was relocated in a very remote area. Bye bye kitty.

But, stupid me one time set the trap inside the barn for a cat and instead trapped a pretty black kitty with white striped down its back. Oops. I didn’t’ want the skunk to spray my hay so I researched a bit and discovered like redthies said that they wouldn’t spray if out of sight. So I “bravely” threw a blanket on the trap and “bravely” carried it outside and set in place for a shot. When I pulled the blanket off the trap it had caught underneath it and tumbled a bit. Well that got the skunk’s attention and he let go. It was his last hurrah tho…

“Bravely”, right! I was very nervous and didn’t like this at all.

[Mags]

A couple years ago a neighbor shot a skunk. We heard the shot which was immediately followed by the reek. It was unbearable for a couple of days.