2024 Groundhogs

[patience0830]

This one's timing was poor. I was headed to church to get the wife from Bible study. Ran back in and grabbed the Anschutz straight pull. Subsonic hp to the rt side of the head at 40 yds solved the garden raids.

 

[flyingsquirrel]

My 2 beagles got a half grown Mon. and the younger one got a 1" gash on his cheek. Today they had one under a pile of lumber. It looked like a crime scene. Poked it out and the battle was on. Big male. When I could call them back I helped with a bullet. The young one again got a gash inside his lip. When will he learn not to rush in when his bro says so?

 

[OutdoorDad]

I hate groundhogs! We have property on the Vermillion river where we keep our travel trailer and enjoy having our dogs with us. Our female can find ground hog poop and loves to roll in it and they leave plenty. This year is the worst for poop since we bought the property in 2017. Pluss they have burrowed all under the closed to traffic covered bridge right net to us. The county has looked at the bridge but has said they don't have the money at this time for repairs.
I wonder if a .22 short would take one out? This is not in town but people are close enough I don't want to have them hearing gunshots. I don't have a problem with any rounds leaving the property, just have to be aware of where I shoot. Probably doesn't matter because I don't remember ever seeing one where I had a save shot. Jim.

i can't vouch for every neighborhood.
but i live IN TOWN.
no one ever hears a single .22 shot.
most don't hear two .22 shots.
everyone hears three .22 shots.

 

[red_zr24x4]

Starting to get some under the shed in the back yard, I live in town. You think a .22 CB will work or should I go with shorts?

 

[DoggyDaddy]

Starting to get some under the shed in the back yard, I live in town. You think a .22 CB will work or should I go with shorts?

Depends on how warm it is. Might need long pants.

 

[paintman]

I took a walk around mom’s property today. We have probably a dozen or more of these running around. Got this one at maybe 25 yards. These things would dang near come out and shake your hand until I shot one. Now they are masters of disguise. Time for a bunch of traps.

 

[gassprint1]

Using a what should of been ripe monster cantaloupe as bate to lure a groundhog in. I'll get it soon i hope... on another note, i finally got this lil opossum thats been elusive for a week. It would show up around 12:30am to eat the cat food. It showed early. It ran behind a panel i have on the porch to block rain. I couldn't shoot it then, so i grabbed its tail and slung it off the porch towards the play set. It ran 10 feet before i got the shot off..

Edit.. went outside for a smoke at 2am...got another lil opossum showed up.

 

[red_zr24x4]

1 in the trap today

 

[ancjr]

1 shot, 1 kill. 166 yards. CZ 457 Royal, Bushnell Engage 4-12, Eley Force.

 

[paintman]

These 2 make numbers 5 and 6 for the week. Cantaloupe did not work but watermelon did. Last night I put out some sliced apples off the tree and cut up corn. We shall see if we get any more today.

 

[INP8riot]

Using a what should of been ripe monster cantaloupe as bate to lure a groundhog in. I'll get it soon i hope... on another note, i finally got this lil opossum thats been elusive for a week. It would show up around 12:30am to eat the cat food. It showed early. It ran behind a panel i have on the porch to block rain. I couldn't shoot it then, so i grabbed its tail and slung it off the porch towards the play set. It ran 10 feet before i got the shot off..

Edit.. went outside for a smoke at 2am...got another lil opossum showed up.
View attachment 369058

Possums are the BEST natural tick predator you can have on your property. They eat thousands of ticks a year. They do no property damage and only help. Why kill it? I would gladly buy cat food for the possums if I could keep them around. Too many get hit here in the country unfortunately.

 

[INP8riot]

I took a walk around mom’s property today. We have probably a dozen or more of these running around. Got this one at maybe 25 yards. These things would dang near come out and shake your hand until I shot one. Now they are masters of disguise. Time for a bunch of traps.
View attachment 369034

I had the same problem. 7-8 of them running around and they were decently bold. When they start disappearing, the others get real wise and sneaky. Like spot me in the house from 100 yards out sneaky. I have to be sneakier! I feel like I'm in the movie Enemy at the Gates. Slowly opening the window and using the drapes as cover! I got 7 so far. I think that may be the last of them until next year.

 

[DoggyDaddy]

Possums are the BEST natural tick predator you can have on your property. They eat thousands of ticks a year. They do no property damage and only help. Why kill it? I would gladly buy cat food for the possums if I could keep them around. Too many get hit here in the country unfortunately.

As it turns out, that's a myth.

https://a-z-animals.com/blog/do-possums-eat-ticks-according-to-science-its-complicated/

The 2021 Study That Debunked the Possum-Tick Theory​

Until recently, scientific studies appeared to support the theory that possums were avid tick-lovers. However, in 2021 Drs. Cecilia Hennessy and Kaitlyn Hild published a study with the Division of Math and Sciences at Eureka College that turned these assumptions on their head. They called the study, “Are Virginia Opossums Really Ecological Traps for Ticks? Groundtruthing Laboratory Observations.”

This long-winded title leads readers to a surprising outcome: possums do not appear to eat ticks in the wild. In their search for the truth, Hennessy and Hild “comprehensively analyzed stomach contents of 32 Virginia opossums from central Illinois” but “did not locate any ticks or tick parts in the stomach contents of Virginia opossums.”

In an effort to confirm or refute their findings, they hunted down 23 studies dealing with the same subject matter. 19 of these studies dealt with the stomach and digestive tract contents of Virginia opossums and four of the studies analyzed their scat. None of them corroborated the myth that possums eat ticks, leading Hennessy and Hild to conclude that “ticks are not a preferred diet item for Virginia opossums.”

 

[INP8riot]

As it turns out, that's a myth.

https://a-z-animals.com/blog/do-possums-eat-ticks-according-to-science-its-complicated/

The 2021 Study That Debunked the Possum-Tick Theory​

Until recently, scientific studies appeared to support the theory that possums were avid tick-lovers. However, in 2021 Drs. Cecilia Hennessy and Kaitlyn Hild published a study with the Division of Math and Sciences at Eureka College that turned these assumptions on their head. They called the study, “Are Virginia Opossums Really Ecological Traps for Ticks? Groundtruthing Laboratory Observations.”

This long-winded title leads readers to a surprising outcome: possums do not appear to eat ticks in the wild. In their search for the truth, Hennessy and Hild “comprehensively analyzed stomach contents of 32 Virginia opossums from central Illinois” but “did not locate any ticks or tick parts in the stomach contents of Virginia opossums.”

In an effort to confirm or refute their findings, they hunted down 23 studies dealing with the same subject matter. 19 of these studies dealt with the stomach and digestive tract contents of Virginia opossums and four of the studies analyzed their scat. None of them corroborated the myth that possums eat ticks, leading Hennessy and Hild to conclude that “ticks are not a preferred diet item for Virginia opossums.”

Dang it! I stand corrected!

 

[DoggyDaddy]

Dang it! I stand corrected!

It was news to me too!

 

[patience0830]

Possums are the BEST natural tick predator you can have on your property. They eat thousands of ticks a year. They do no property damage and only help. Why kill it? I would gladly buy cat food for the possums if I could keep them around. Too many get hit here in the country unfortunately.

B/S. Possums eat a bunch of ticks if you put 'em in a box with a bunch of ticks and no food. Otherwise, they're busy looking for better chow. They might eat one occasionally when grooming but they are not the Possum delicacy you seem to think they are.

 

[buckwacker]

As it turns out, that's a myth.

https://a-z-animals.com/blog/do-possums-eat-ticks-according-to-science-its-complicated/

The 2021 Study That Debunked the Possum-Tick Theory​

Until recently, scientific studies appeared to support the theory that possums were avid tick-lovers. However, in 2021 Drs. Cecilia Hennessy and Kaitlyn Hild published a study with the Division of Math and Sciences at Eureka College that turned these assumptions on their head. They called the study, “Are Virginia Opossums Really Ecological Traps for Ticks? Groundtruthing Laboratory Observations.”

This long-winded title leads readers to a surprising outcome: possums do not appear to eat ticks in the wild. In their search for the truth, Hennessy and Hild “comprehensively analyzed stomach contents of 32 Virginia opossums from central Illinois” but “did not locate any ticks or tick parts in the stomach contents of Virginia opossums.”

In an effort to confirm or refute their findings, they hunted down 23 studies dealing with the same subject matter. 19 of these studies dealt with the stomach and digestive tract contents of Virginia opossums and four of the studies analyzed their scat. None of them corroborated the myth that possums eat ticks, leading Hennessy and Hild to conclude that “ticks are not a preferred diet item for Virginia opossums.”

Odd. This is from the same site as the study you linked above. I'd say maybe it's not settled science. Lol.

https://a-z-animals.com/blog/tick-predators-what-eats-ticks/

 

[snapping turtle]

After the coons attacked my helpless corn stalks last night the tide will soon be turning to them. Like Israel going from hamas to helzballa

 

[patience0830]

As it turns out, that's a myth.

https://a-z-animals.com/blog/do-possums-eat-ticks-according-to-science-its-complicated/

The 2021 Study That Debunked the Possum-Tick Theory​

Until recently, scientific studies appeared to support the theory that possums were avid tick-lovers. However, in 2021 Drs. Cecilia Hennessy and Kaitlyn Hild published a study with the Division of Math and Sciences at Eureka College that turned these assumptions on their head. They called the study, “Are Virginia Opossums Really Ecological Traps for Ticks? Groundtruthing Laboratory Observations.”

This long-winded title leads readers to a surprising outcome: possums do not appear to eat ticks in the wild. In their search for the truth, Hennessy and Hild “comprehensively analyzed stomach contents of 32 Virginia opossums from central Illinois” but “did not locate any ticks or tick parts in the stomach contents of Virginia opossums.”

In an effort to confirm or refute their findings, they hunted down 23 studies dealing with the same subject matter. 19 of these studies dealt with the stomach and digestive tract contents of Virginia opossums and four of the studies analyzed their scat. None of them corroborated the myth that possums eat ticks, leading Hennessy and Hild to conclude that “ticks are not a preferred diet item for Virginia opossums.”

My response was less polite . I've found enough tick infested possums and talked to enough C/Os to realize that was tree hugger-greenie horse crap.

 

[DoggyDaddy]

My response was less polite . I've found enough tick infested possums and talked to enough C/Os to realize that was tree hugger-greenie horse crap.

Up until just a few months ago, I thought it was true. I didn't take it as tree hugger crap so much as it sounded like the same kind of reasoning that you don't want to get rid of snakes on your property.