Groundhogs are adorable!

[ModerationNow!]

 

[Drawdown]

Haven't seen mine yet this year which is not to say he/she isn't about somewhere. He/she (I don't know its preferred pronouns) tends to be elusive but sure is fond of my vegetables, especially tomatoes.

 

[ModerationNow!]

Haven't seen mine yet this year which is not to say he/she isn't about somewhere. He/she (I don't know its preferred pronouns) tends to be elusive but sure is fond of my vegetables, especially tomatoes.

I've read that they often use multiple dens. They'll use one den to have and raise their pupsters. Then they'll move to another den later in the season.

 

[PirateMk1]

You do know its a rodent?

 

[Hawkeye10]

You do know its a rodent?

Excuse me Sir, that sounds a lot like inter-species xenophobia.

Perhaps Groundhogs (with their Victim Culture Cult minders) will see you in court!










:lamo

 

[PirateMk1]

Excuse me Sir, that sounds a lot like inter-species xenophobia.

Perhaps Groundhogs (with their Victim Culture Cult minders) will see you in court!










:lamo

:bunny:

 

[Irredentist]

You do know its a rodent?

...And?

 

[ModerationNow!]

You do know its a rodent?

You do know that the word "rodent" isn't meant as a derogatory term? It's the abbreviated name for their scientific order(Rodentia). There are 2,700 species categorized within the "Rodentia" order. That order makes up literally 40% of ALL living mammals! They include squirrels, chipmunks, hamsters, capybaras, prairie dogs, marmots, beavers, porcupines, etc etc. Some species within the order Rodentia are among the most intelligent animals, and prairie dogs have a larger vocal "vocabulary" than any other animal as of now.

 

[OldFatGuy]

They make for good eating in potluck stews. A bit bony, but the bones are good for picking teeth afterwards.

 

[Drawdown]

I've read that they often use multiple dens. They'll use one den to have and raise their pupsters. Then they'll move to another den later in the season.

Mine usually hangs out in a long storm drain pipe under part of my property since that is where I see it run to most often during fair weather, but I know it also has a den under at least one of my brushpiles as I have seen it over in that area and discovered the entrance this past winter. I assume it is the entrance as I doubt anything else would have made a groundhog sized hole in the ground. That is also closest to my tomato patch I have seen him/her sitting there picking and eating the low hanging fruit from.

I really don't mind it that much as long as there aren't a dozen wreaking havoc. If I hadn't seen it, I wouldn't have noticed the pilfered veg was missing. Cats are old enough they don't try to make bigger things their plaything anymore. The racoons, possums, deer, and ground hog they are fairly used to being about the place. Deer are my bane, but when you have partially wooded acreage on an urban fringe, you are going to have deer regardless of what you do.

 

[PirateMk1]

You do know that the word "rodent" isn't meant as a derogatory term? It's the abbreviated name for their scientific order(Rodentia). There are 2,700 species categorized within the "Rodentia" order. That order makes up literally 40% of ALL living mammals! They include squirrels, chipmunks, hamsters, capybaras, prairie dogs, marmots, beavers, porcupines, etc etc. Some species within the order Rodentia are among the most intelligent animals, and prairie dogs have a larger vocal "vocabulary" than any other animal as of now.

Its a pest. A destructive pest. Thats why I have dogs and cats to make sure rodents such as groundhogs do not set foot on my property.

 

[PirateMk1]

Mine usually hangs out in a long storm drain pipe under part of my property since that is where I see it run to most often during fair weather, but I know it also has a den under at least one of my brushpiles as I have seen it over in that area and discovered the entrance this past winter. I assume it is the entrance as I doubt anything else would have made a groundhog sized hole in the ground. That is also closest to my tomato patch I have seen him/her sitting there picking and eating the low hanging fruit from.

I really don't mind it that much as long as there aren't a dozen wreaking havoc. If I hadn't seen it, I wouldn't have noticed the pilfered veg was missing. Cats are old enough they don't try to make bigger things their plaything anymore. The racoons, possums, deer, and ground hog they are fairly used to being about the place. Deer are my bane, but when you have partially wooded acreage on an urban fringe, you are going to have deer regardless of what you do.

Dogs will take care of the deer problem.

 

[Daisy]

I'm a big fan of Chunk's and Nibbles, too...watch almost daily...

 

[ModerationNow!]

Mine usually hangs out in a long storm drain pipe under part of my property since that is where I see it run to most often during fair weather, but I know it also has a den under at least one of my brushpiles as I have seen it over in that area and discovered the entrance this past winter. I assume it is the entrance as I doubt anything else would have made a groundhog sized hole in the ground. That is also closest to my tomato patch I have seen him/her sitting there picking and eating the low hanging fruit from.

I really don't mind it that much as long as there aren't a dozen wreaking havoc. If I hadn't seen it, I wouldn't have noticed the pilfered veg was missing. Cats are old enough they don't try to make bigger things their plaything anymore. The racoons, possums, deer, and ground hog they are fairly used to being about the place. Deer are my bane, but when you have partially wooded acreage on an urban fringe, you are going to have deer regardless of what you do.

Deer are apparently willing and able to live in the most unlikely places, in large numbers, despite there not being a lot of available land there.

Here's a crazy example of that: If you bring up "Churchman's Marsh" in New Castle County Delaware, you'll see I95 running beside it. You'll see that the North and southbound I95 lanes abruptly split at the northern end of the marsh, and that split continues for approx 1/2 to 3/4 of a mile until they come together again a little closer to Wilmington. There are overpasses that that bisect I95 in that split(RT 141 etc). The maximum distance that the lanes diverge from one another is maybe 150-200m, and there's small forested areas and small clearings within.

A few years ago I looked over a saw deer hanging out in that area inside I95. From then on I saw them almost every time I drove by(3-4 times a week). I've seen as many as 20-30 deer living in that area! I also noticed that the overpasses further limit the space for those deer to live in. Their total living area is 150-200m at the widest, by about 300-500m long!

Recently they've been doing some work in that deer filled median area, and I didn't see any deer there. Maybe they've relocated them, or they were hiding in the small forested parts.

 

[Drawdown]

Deer are apparently willing and able to live in the most unlikely places, in large numbers, despite there not being a lot of available land there.

Here's a crazy example of that: If you bring up "Churchman's Marsh" in New Castle County Delaware, you'll see I95 running beside it. You'll see that the North and southbound I95 lanes abruptly split at the northern end of the marsh, and that split continues for approx 1/2 to 3/4 of a mile until they come together again a little closer to Wilmington. There are overpasses that that bisect I95 in that split(RT 141 etc). The maximum distance that the lanes diverge from one another is maybe 150-200m, and there's small forested areas and small clearings within.

A few years ago I looked over a saw deer hanging out in that area inside I95. From then on I saw them almost every time I drove by(3-4 times a week). I've seen as many as 20-30 deer living in that area! I also noticed that the overpasses further limit the space for those deer to live in. Their total living area is 150-200m at the widest, by about 300-500m long!

Recently they've been doing some work in that deer filled median area, and I didn't see any deer there. Maybe they've relocated them, or they were hiding in the small forested parts.

We had a flock of turkey that used to come out a couple times a day like clockwork and feed in this one spot by a high volume feeder road. There was a wreck right there when someone ran into a utility pole, presumably while watching the turkeys. After that they disappeared. Not sure if it was voluntary or the city encouraged their disappearance.

 

[ModerationNow!]

We had a flock of turkey that used to come out a couple times a day like clockwork and feed in this one spot by a high volume feeder road. There was a wreck right there when someone ran into a utility pole, presumably while watching the turkeys. After that they disappeared. Not sure if it was voluntary or the city encouraged their disappearance.

Probably option B^. I met a family in semi rural Chester county Pa, who had a wild turkey who'd come and peck on their door for food every now and then, some times with babies in tow. The family had fed them once or twice before, and they are smart enough to figure out ways to communicate to get more food when times are lean.

 

[Daisy]

Nibbles is hungry...:mrgreen:

 

[Daisy]

 

[GDViking]

They make for good eating in potluck stews. A bit bony, but the bones are good for picking teeth afterwards.

Or just cream of mushroom soup.

Older ones can be a bit gamey though...

 

[Daisy]

This is my buddy, Mr Beavers, eating in my back yard...



We also have deer...

 

[yankintx]

It looks like something my cat would enjoy tormenting.

 

[Daisy]

Ran across this video...guess it was the beginnings of Chunk and Nibbles...

 

[Daisy]

And now, they have babies...

 

[ModerationNow!]

Mine usually hangs out in a long storm drain pipe under part of my property since that is where I see it run to most often during fair weather, but I know it also has a den under at least one of my brushpiles as I have seen it over in that area and discovered the entrance this past winter. I assume it is the entrance as I doubt anything else would have made a groundhog sized hole in the ground. That is also closest to my tomato patch I have seen him/her sitting there picking and eating the low hanging fruit from.

I really don't mind it that much as long as there aren't a dozen wreaking havoc. If I hadn't seen it, I wouldn't have noticed the pilfered veg was missing. Cats are old enough they don't try to make bigger things their plaything anymore. The racoons, possums, deer, and ground hog they are fairly used to being about the place. Deer are my bane, but when you have partially wooded acreage on an urban fringe, you are going to have deer regardless of what you do.

There's one potentially confusing aspect of their dens that can lead you to think you have a small sinkhole and not an animal's den. I noticed a new hole in an area about 10 feet wide in between the backs of 2 sheds in the wooded area of the backyard. There was a hole that dropped at least 2 feet down, then turned and headed diagonally off into another direction. The hole is about 9 inches diameter, but there was absolutely NO soil piled up outside the hole. Well, obviously there MUST be a pile of loose soil outside the hole, if an animal dug it, right?? So I assumed it to be a sinkhole, which isn't far fetched, as the builders buried crap back there that we occasionally unearth.

But then one day I saw 2 baby groundhogs coming out of that hole. Later I saw groundhogs going under the shed, then coming out the hole soon after. So I realized this new "sinkhole" is actually a bolt hole dug by the groundhogs. Here's the crazy part... They dig some of these new tunnels and bolt holes from below, not from above. So that means they have to move ALL of the soil back through the existing tunnel and out through the entrance way, and deposit ALL of it outside of the main entrance, which is in thick wild rose bushes, about 15-20 feet away from the bolt hole!

 

[Drawdown]

There's one potentially confusing aspect of their dens that can lead you to think you have a small sinkhole and not an animal's den. I noticed a new hole in an area about 10 feet wide in between the backs of 2 sheds in the wooded area of the backyard. There was a hole that dropped at least 2 feet down, then turned and headed diagonally off into another direction. The hole is about 9 inches diameter, but there was absolutely NO soil piled up outside the hole. Well, obviously there MUST be a pile of loose soil outside the hole, if an animal dug it, right?? So I assumed it to be a sinkhole, which isn't far fetched, as the builders buried crap back there that we occasionally unearth.

But then one day I saw 2 baby groundhogs coming out of that hole. Later I saw groundhogs going under the shed, then coming out the hole soon after. So I realized this new "sinkhole" is actually a bolt hole dug by the groundhogs. Here's the crazy part... They dig some of these new tunnels and bolt holes from below, not from above. So that means they have to move ALL of the soil back through the existing tunnel and out through the entrance way, and deposit ALL of it outside of the main entrance, which is in thick wild rose bushes, about 15-20 feet away from the bolt hole!

The hole by the brushpile isn't small nor a sinkhole. Definitely a fat critter den.