Scrounging Firewood (and other stuff)

[GrizG]

Mark, I have a bull barrel 10/22 and a Ruger 77/17 that are both tack drivers. I’d go rimfire over air rifle at your place. The .177 is definitely loader than the .22. But that little bullet destroys critters

A long barrel and CB longs isn't noticeable in an urban setting... the ambient noise level masks the shot. A guy I know lived in a close urban neighborhood. He would shoot chucks in his backyard and never had any problems... They were causing damage to his buildings and plantings and annoyed his dog.

 

[GrizG]

The best thing to protect your garden from deer, woodchucks and rats (yea, rats were eating my tomato's as soon as they got ripe) is a solar electric fence.

Since I use elevated rows and the ground was not level, I put boards in the ground inside the bottom wire about 1/2" away from it so that nothing could get in w/o getting touched. Worked great!

The only other way to get stop woodchucks is to get rid of them. I would catch them in the have-a-heart and bring them in the garage, put a 2X6 in back of it, put my earmuffs on and the 10/22 went to work.

I liked the electric fence idea enough that I looked into them for my framed raised bed garden. I found out that local law forbids electric fences... no barbed wire or contra wire either! Short of galvanized hardware cloth fence under and above the beds I'm not sure anything else would really work to keep the wild and domestic critters out. The wild ones eat there and the domestic ones crap there... I've got some formerly downstate neighbors who would raise a stink if they heard the cats getting zapped! I considered trip wires with 12 gauge blanks but that would undoubtedly be a problem too. I cannot have any fun on my property... and the Brooklyn folks that moved in next to my parents put a crimp on fun stuff there too.

I've shot more than a few chucks in a Havahart trap in my garage. I use a .22 revolver and CB Longs. I found that brain shots don't exit. Chucks are a never ending problem as I no sooner get rid of the chucks and new ones move in! Recently sink holes have started developing around my equipment and lumber shed as the chucks have the ground extensively hollowed up. No way could I put a garage on a monolithic slab up in place of the shed... Not unless I dig the whole area out down to the bed rock and fill it with compacted item 4. At that rate a poured concrete foundation probably makes more sense as the chucks couldn't burrow through or under the concrete on bed rock.

Chucks have cost me in so many ways over the years. One chewed the lower O2 sensor wires off in my new car one time... that one didn't live long after that.

 

[SS396driver]

Mark, I have a bull barrel 10/22 and a Ruger 77/17 that are both tack drivers. I’d go rimfire over air rifle at your place. The .177 is definitely loader than the .22. But that little bullet destroys critters

I know where you’re coming from . I just like the idea of being able to walk in and get the ammo for the air rifle and walk out I can also order online just much easier all around. They have air rifles that take down deer so the power is there .

 

[JimR]

In NY it’s illegal to relocate wildlife I’m sure people do it though . So anything I catch in a Hav-A-Heart trap if I don’t want it around it gets dispatched.

Didn't you folks relocate Hockul?

 

[GrizG]

Didn't you folks relocate Hockul?

Wishful thinking…

 

[JimR]

Has anyone ever used Tannerright to check how stable the tree is? I did this past weekend. I taped a 1/2# tanneright to a 12 or 15' sapling pole, taped the pole to the tree so it was touching firmly, then shot it with a .233. (I actually did it twice)
Damn thing blew bark everywhere but it did not shake the tree enough for it to break....then I felt safe enough to cut it down which I did with no issues. The sister tree, which shared the same stump up to about 30" high, had already broke out at about 20' during a heavy rain/wind storm.

That is a riot. The tree on my land would have blown in half. The sawyer up in the bucket dropped a 4" branch from the Ash and it was swaying back and forth a good foot.

 

[JimR]

I liked the electric fence idea enough that I looked into them for my framed raised bed garden. I found out that local law forbids electric fences... no barbed wire or contra wire either! Short of galvanized hardware cloth fence under and above the beds I'm not sure anything else would really work to keep the wild and domestic critters out. The wild ones eat there and the domestic ones crap there... I've got some formerly downstate neighbors who would raise a stink if they heard the cats getting zapped! I considered trip wires with 12 gauge blanks but that would undoubtedly be a problem too. I cannot have any fun on my property... and the Brooklyn folks that moved in next to my parents put a crimp on fun stuff there too.

I've shot more than a few chucks in a Havahart trap in my garage. I use a .22 revolver and CB Longs. I found that brain shots don't exit. Chucks are a never ending problem as I no sooner get rid of the chucks and new ones move in! Recently sink holes have started developing around my equipment and lumber shed as the chucks have the ground extensively hollowed up. No way could I put a garage on a monolithic slab up in place of the shed... Not unless I dig the whole area out down to the bed rock and fill it with compacted item 4. At that rate a poured concrete foundation probably makes more sense as the chucks couldn't burrow through or under the concrete on bed rock.

Chucks have cost me in so many ways over the years. One chewed the lower O2 sensor wires off in my new car one time... that one didn't live long after that.

You have animal problems.

 

[MechanicMatt]

I liked the electric fence idea enough that I looked into them for my framed raised bed garden. I found out that local law forbids electric fences... no barbed wire or contra wire either! Short of galvanized hardware cloth fence under and above the beds I'm not sure anything else would really work to keep the wild and domestic critters out. The wild ones eat there and the domestic ones crap there... I've got some formerly downstate neighbors who would raise a stink if they heard the cats getting zapped! I considered trip wires with 12 gauge blanks but that would undoubtedly be a problem too. I cannot have any fun on my property... and the Brooklyn folks that moved in next to my parents put a crimp on fun stuff there too.

I've shot more than a few chucks in a Havahart trap in my garage. I use a .22 revolver and CB Longs. I found that brain shots don't exit. Chucks are a never ending problem as I no sooner get rid of the chucks and new ones move in! Recently sink holes have started developing around my equipment and lumber shed as the chucks have the ground extensively hollowed up. No way could I put a garage on a monolithic slab up in place of the shed... Not unless I dig the whole area out down to the bed rock and fill it with compacted item 4. At that rate a poured concrete foundation probably makes more sense as the chucks couldn't burrow through or under the concrete on bed rock.

Chucks have cost me in so many ways over the years. One chewed the lower O2 sensor wires off in my new car one time... that one didn't live long after that.

We had a customers car towed to the shop. We pushed it over to the detail department and used the pressure washer to blast the wood chuck out the engine Compartment.

That little critter was tenacious

 

[MechanicMatt]

My brother in-law had a woodchuck issue, then he bought a Marlin .22

I used to have fun going over there and exterminating them for him. Then he decided to have some fun

At my house, Gunner keeps 99% of them away and the .22 or .17hmr does the rest.

My pals farm, .223

But I recently got a 22-250, can’t wait to see that one in action!!

 

[Lee192233]

My brother in-law had a woodchuck issue, then he bought a Marlin .22

I used to have fun going over there and exterminating them for him. Then he decided to have some fun

At my house, Gunner keeps 99% of them away and the .22 or .17hmr does the rest.

My pals farm, .223

But I recently got a 22-250, can’t wait to see that one in action!!

You should load that .25-06 with some 75 gr V Max. Should push them to 3700-3800. I'm loading mine with those for 'yotes.

 

[MustangMike]

I liked the electric fence idea enough that I looked into them for my framed raised bed garden. I found out that local law forbids electric fences

Glad I never checked ... just used a little solar powered one I got at TS. Was not that expensive. I don't think any of my neighbors even noticed it, and you could always claim "ignorance", I'm sure it is not the most serious thing they deal with.

 

[MustangMike]

Not my prettiest work, but I utilized a 2" Red Oak Board I milled years ago to make this sink support in the bathroom of the cabin.

Removed the deteriorating sap wood and sanded down the remaining heart wood a bit. Kept it rustic, as is the theme up there.

 

[svk]

Animals and I have a pact. If they leave me and my stuff alone, I leave them alone. We’ve had tons of foxes, raccoons, and other critters around the house and I’ve had nary a problem. Only one issue with squirrels in a building once over the past 50 years. And in all the years we’ve been up here only had the bear get into the trash one summer and I’m guessing it was the same tenacious bear multiple times.

Coyotes, wolves, porcupines and beavers are not allowed to be part of the pact.

Up at the cabin I’ve had problems with the groundhogs over the past couple of years. The one completely filled in the old outhouse hole so we had to dig a new hole. Got one with the 410 and the Conibear 110 took care of the others. I’m told they are delicious but when you catch them in the middle of summer, they are so full of bugs you don’t even want to touch them.

 

[sean donato]

Checked the mouse traps yesterday after work. caught 2 more, about half the size of the first one. Guessing I got mom on day 1 and 2 of her kids yesterday. Reset the traps and put them back in the same place. See what I got after I get home tonight.
On the ground rat problem.... when we moved into our place, the former owner basically left the back yard return to the wild. Grass was over waste deep, saplings growing up everywhere. I ended up ringing over my dad's diesel front deck hustler to mow everything down. The ground rats had holes everywhere. Borrowed my brother's Marlin 22mag that first summer and killed countless ground rats. Eventually he wanted his rifle back. I went to the gun shop dead set on getting a .17 hmr, but they didn't happen to have any in stock, but they had a savage 99 in 22 mag on sale. Bought that, scope mounts and a cheapo tasco 3-9 scope. At that time cci 40gr maxi mag hollow point was the ticket. Since then I've switched to a 33gr polymer tipped cci and have a ton of 33gr Remington branded polymer tipped ammo to use up. Lost count of how many ground rats I've shot with it.
For those longer range shots I keep a .243 handy rifle upstairs. It's a real tack driver with 80gr soft points in it. I can't remember the load for it. Dad bought it years ago, and grandpa worked up the load. Then he loaded a coupple hundred rounds for it. Pretty sure I still have in excess of 300 rounds, + back when cabellas had blue box federal on sale for dirt cheap. (I recall it was under $10.00 box) I stacked it pretty deep. Doesn't shoot as well as grandpa's loads, but we'll enough.
This past year, I only had one ground rat to dispatch. Feral cats are becoming a real issue lately. Few of the neighbors have been feeding them again.....

 

[Squareground3691]

Happy Birthday Squareground!

Thanks,

 

[MustangMike]

In NY, it is illegal to relocate wild animals as that can spread disease. In addition, if I don't want the darn thing around, I figure no one else does either. Also, these is no shortage of these animals, so if you try to relocate it, you are just going to displace another one.

As a result, I have concluded to "Just have the guts to do what has to be done and dispatch it".

Woodchucks are the worst! They multiply fast, will go over a fence or dig under a fence, and will wipe out your whole garden in a few hours. The electric fence seems like the only effective deterrent for them.

One time I did have to eradicate one with the 22 from my deck. I did it on the 4th of July and no one noticed!

 

[benz66]

I liked the electric fence idea enough that I looked into them for my framed raised bed garden. I found out that local law forbids electric fences... no barbed wire or contra wire either! Short of galvanized hardware cloth fence under and above the beds I'm not sure anything else would really work to keep the wild and domestic critters out. The wild ones eat there and the domestic ones crap there... I've got some formerly downstate neighbors who would raise a stink if they heard the cats getting zapped! I considered trip wires with 12 gauge blanks but that would undoubtedly be a problem too. I cannot have any fun on my property... and the Brooklyn folks that moved in next to my parents put a crimp on fun stuff there too.

I've shot more than a few chucks in a Havahart trap in my garage. I use a .22 revolver and CB Longs. I found that brain shots don't exit. Chucks are a never ending problem as I no sooner get rid of the chucks and new ones move in! Recently sink holes have started developing around my equipment and lumber shed as the chucks have the ground extensively hollowed up. No way could I put a garage on a monolithic slab up in place of the shed... Not unless I dig the whole area out down to the bed rock and fill it with compacted item 4. At that rate a poured concrete foundation probably makes more sense as the chucks couldn't burrow through or under the concrete on bed rock.

Chucks have cost me in so many ways over the years. One chewed the lower O2 sensor wires off in my new car one time... that one didn't live long after that.

"No way could I put a garage on a monolithic slab up in place of the shed... Not unless I dig the whole area out down to the bed rock and fill it with compacted item 4."

Call up the local readymix plant and get the price for fly ash concrete. The stuff flows like water. You run it in the high side hole, but you have to have low holes plugged up, or the stuff will run out. It fills up the holes and turns to concrete. I used it to fill what was a ~200 cubic foot hole under a driveway slab. It was started by a groundhog and washed out by rains. 7 yards of Fly ash worked like a charm.

You can fill it with fly ash concrete, then build your slab over the top.

 

[GrizG]

"No way could I put a garage on a monolithic slab up in place of the shed... Not unless I dig the whole area out down to the bed rock and fill it with compacted item 4."

Call up the local readymix plant and get the price for fly ash concrete. The stuff flows like water. You run it in the high side hole, but you have to have low holes plugged up, or the stuff will run out. It fills up the holes and turns to concrete. I used it to fill what was a ~200 cubic foot hole under a driveway slab. It was started by a groundhog and washed out by rains. 7 yards of Fly ash worked like a charm.

You can fill it with fly ash concrete, then build your slab over the top.

Interesting!

 

[GrizG]

Up at the cabin I’ve had problems with the groundhogs over the past couple of years. The one completely filled in the old outhouse hole so we had to dig a new hole. Got one with the 410 and the Conibear 110 took care of the others. I’m told they are delicious but when you catch them in the middle of summer, they are so full of bugs you don’t even want to touch them.

My son shoots chucks with a high powered pellet rifle at his house. When he gets one he cooks it up for his German Shepherd. The dog loves it. Me… I’ve donated some to the local nature center… they feed them to the vultures they have. Most of the time they go out in the trash.

 

[GrizG]

Almost forgot an on topic thing: I moved some oak firewood to my girlfriend’s home last Friday. It was from a huge oak that fell on the rail trail last spring and shattered. It was so dry here for so long that the wood was well dried and it burns well… if not too fast!

I did some chores while there… installed a reverse osmosis water filtration system for one. I cannot seem to get away from plumbing!