We found a guinea on a nest yesterday. They are very secretive and we usually don't find the nest until it is nothing but scattered broken shells.
I put a trap on each of two approaches to the nest and baited with peanut butter on bread. I used this based on advice that with peanut butter it is less likely to accidentally catch cats.
This morning I found this extremely grouchy big racoon in one trap. He would have removed some of my appendages if I had let him.
The guinea is still happily on the nest. We will steal the eggs and finish incubating them in a couple of days (as soon the incubator has the space). Since they need to sit for nearly a month the nests almost never survive the hungry raccoons, possums, skunks, foxes, ...
About 18 years ago my son raised wild ducks. Raccoons kept getting into their food. I set a similar trap and caught a cousin of yours. Took him about five miles from home and set him free. Kept catching and releasing very similar looking raccoons. Day after day. How many could their be? I painted a red spot between his shoulder blades. He reappeared. He was making the five mile trip in less than twenty four hours. I took him 15 miles away across the river. Never saw him again. Caught his wife and two kids over the next few days. Reunited them and ended the problem.
Gotta be careful with that release! Any good tips on rabbits? I've trapped several possums, and a squirrel, but the rabbits said no way. No racoons yet either. I really don't want to, but I may have to. They are tearing up the yard, bird feeders, etc. The possums dig, the rabbits eat EVERYTHING. Jeez, its enough for a guy to move to a condo! And I live in a typical suburban hood.
Barry, I learned that lesson a long time ago. Raccoons and other wild critters that can carry rabies and harm or kill my domestic animals somehow don't manage to continue any longer to reproduce. Possums carry diseases that horses can catch, too. Also, the releasing might be an issue: I don't know about other states but TN told me taking it elsewhere for release was not allowed. There are only two legal things to do with a trapped wild animal. 1, release it where trapped. 2. Kill it. I've had people express unhappiness with option #2 but none of them lived on a farm with a huge investment at risk.
Tony, I've never tried to trap rabbits. The traditional method is with a snare. Usually the hawks keep their numbers down (I find little bunny ears in the garden) but this year we are about overrun with them. I may start some evening walks with the 410.
I've never had luck trapping groundhogs or coyotes either. I did catch a beautiful red fox once!
When I lived in the city in Oak Ridge I actually had far more trouble with raccoons than I do here! I once caught a rogue band of 5 raccoons who had been terrorizing my garbage cans for weeks. I even watched them out the window, working together to knock over the big can - one got on top and pushed against the wall and two others worked from either side!
My most exciting trapping experience was when I set up three live traps in the garden. A raccoon had been tearing down the corn. In the first trap I caught a big raccoon. In the second trap I caught two skunks. In the third trap I caught THREE skunks! That was an interesting day...
I have caught four ground hogs and I live in town. I grew up on a dairy farm and we came to hate groundhogs. Four can eat as much as a cow and their holes are dangerous to livestock. The local government paid a bounty on them. The ones I caught in my yard failed to thrive. I think it was lead poisoning. Pretty sure.
I gave the raccoons a better chance.
I let the neighbor's cat go. Who knew a cat could move that fast? Put Captain Kirk's Enterprise to shame.
Broccoli makes good bate and so does cantaloupe. Dogs and cats don't like it and raccoons and groundhogs love it.
A suggestion that worked for me, until deer made gardening impossible, was to plant some pie pumpkins at same time as the corn. The theory was the spines on the pumpkin vines scratched the racoons' little noses.
How did you handle the skunks. I've been setting out a trap for armadillos and have a fear of catching a skunk. So far I've caught the same possum twice and the neighbors stupid dog three times but no luck with the armadillos.
Throw a large cloth, fairly thick, over the trap that you catch a skunk in and he will not spray you can then pick up the trap and carry him where you want and you may want to gas him while under the cloth. You can also put him in the lake but when he hits the water he will spray on top of the water.
Any ideas to trap/get rid of chipmunks? We have problems with deer and rabbits, but the chipmunks have set up a small city in our yard. I've tried just about everything I can think of that might attract them but they won't enter a trap. The cats can't keep up with them.
I have released skunks before (carefully) but those I catch here don't survive. Those two traps of skunks in the garden were an effort. These traps have a solid trap door on the front so they could not see me from that angle and could not spray.
I made a plywood sled a bit larger than the trap and with a v-shaped rope handle for pulling. Positioned in front of the trap, used long poles to cover the trap with a tarp, then hooked the front and pulled it onto the sled. Then a long pull with the sled to the pond, maybe 800 ft. Slide the trap and all into the pond. Wait. Repeat with the second trap. Took half the morning.
I have found that covering the trap USUALLY works. I did have one skunk spray while covering. I couldn't go into the chicken house for two days.
Theoretically, skunks won't spray if they can't see you. I found this true most of the time. Sometimes they spray a little when startled. Maybe they are incontinent skunks. I've not yet been hit, but did have to air out some shoes and jeans for a few weeks after walking through where a skunk had sprayed.
I have also had skunks spray when subjected to, as mentioned, lead poisoning. A professional exterminator said he uses the scuba diving method - cover the trap with a special bag and submerse in a drum of water. He didn't admit to any failures.
One interesting or horrible experience, depending on the perspective: when I pulled the trap with the three skunks from the water I dumped them out on the ground while I went to get the other trap. This trap had been underwater for at least three minutes. By the time I returned with the second trap there were only two skunks on the ground. I looked around, thinking something had carried off lunch when I noticed one of the remaining skunks breathing, very slightly and only occasionally. That was a huge surprise. I modified my procedure for subsequent skunk diving lessons.
BTW, all of the "varmints" who expire on the farm end up feeding the turkey vultures. They have to eat too.
As for the original issue of protecting the guinea sitting on the nest, last night's traps produced this:
A girl I've known since she was a toddler (and now in vet school) is coming after the raccoon. So far Naomi and a fellow vet student have skinned a coon and a possum. She tans the hides and makes hats and things. Her sister wanted the coon meat for a exotic culinary experience. Naomi is disappointed I don't have a skunk this time! Maybe tomorrow...
Since this has turned into a blog, I'll report on a second big black snake in the peacock nesting box in a week. I have two peacocks sitting on 32 eggs. Twice so far I found them off the nest because of black snakes. The snakes are thwarted - unlike chicken eggs there is NO way one can swallow a huge peacock egg. I have no idea if the two interruptions in incubation have harmed the eggs.
Since this is a woodturning forum, I'll quit now with the picture of the two girls above learning to stab sharp tools into spinning wood:
In NYS it is illegal (with a substantial fine) to transport live caught wild animals and release them. I have caught well over 70 chipmonks since spring. I have not found them to respond well to baited traps but they can be easily caught by taking advantage of their habit to run along a wall or other vertical structure.
I'm going to post 5 pictures - 1. showing effectiveness, 2. showing the trap itself (set), 3. inserted into the set, 4. set closed, 5. the set open so you can see how it's built using a short length of 4" PVC. Once set where the chips run they take advantage of the safe looking tunnel. The trap can be bought here:
Finally - the same trap is effective if you find their hole. Just place it with the trip wires down and the rings around the hole. One final note. Peg the trap to the ground. The chip ain't going nowhere BUT a catt or dog or cyote or fox might run off with the body taking the trap with it.
Our son in law is a serious hunter. They have a son. At one time they had a flock of chickens (now all deceased). One day our daughter called and said Carter (grandson) 11 years old, had trapped a skunk and wants to shoot him. Could I come over and supervise. I went and Carter went to the house and came out wearing shooting glasses, ear plugs an a 22 caliber rifle. He was standing off about 30 feet and popped that skunk the first shot. I was impressed.
Re: Patience, a pellet rifle and steady trigger fi
Michael Schneider
+1 on a pellet rifle. I have a 25 cal AirForce Condor II with suppressor from Talon Tunes make short work of raccoons.
Also have a 22 cal Benjamin Marauder for smaller pests. It is amazing what a PCP air rifle can do. I grew up with 22, 22-250, and 12 gauge pump, but in town, powerburner's are no-no's.
You can also target shoot in the basement. Nice stress relief after trying to make that bowl just a little thinner...
Good luck getting rid of the coons, they are a real PITA.
Get a 5 gal plastic pail and fill with about 2 gal of water. Place a stick (an old yard stick works well) on the lip forming a ramp. Glue a few sunflower seeds to encourage the chips to climb the ramp to look in the pail. Throw a small handfull of sunflower seeds on top of the water to entice them to jump in and enjoy the seeming pile of seeds. Check frequently to remove carcases, if you have several they will jump on top of each other.
Re: Patience, a pellet rifle and steady trigger fi
John K Jordan
I love air rifles. My favorite at the moment is a precision .177 single pump (half the barrel is the pump lever) spanish Gamo with a good scope. I think it is rated at 1000 fps. I do know it is accurate.
I'd like to get a green laser for it. I have one on a .32 Ruger and it makes a huge difference. Highly visible even in sunlight.
A picky question on your peafowl: Do both the peahens and peacocks sit on the eggs? We have at least one peacock who lives on the other side of the block. It used to live about 3/4 mile away, but I think it has recently moved closer.
I've seen that recipe; the old tomato juice thing is no longer a thing.
Just the peahens sit on the nests. All the peacocks do is strut around, display their feathers to try to impress the girls, and make a lot of noise, again, probably trying to impress the girls, those who might be over the next ridge.
I didn't know till this year that more than one female will sit on the same clutch of eggs. One started in our nest box and was eventually joined by a second. Good thing, since there are way too many eggs for one. We have a third hen who shows no sign of being broody.
Of course, I don't have high expectations these will hatch since the incubation was interrupted twice so far by the snakes. Have to wait and see...
I did know that guineas are community nesters. I saw one nest at a friend's barn with three hens in the same nest.
Had I been a better shot, I could have smacked him with my weeding tool yesterday! I swear if I walked around the yard with a fish net, I could net the little $#$#@. I really don't want to hurt it or kill it. I just want it to quit eating (or just biting in half) my plants. I am just about to the point of getting a pellet gun though. We have hawks too. They left us a pile of feathers just the other day. Wish they like rabbit as well as they lke our birds.
We got some stuff from our Vet called "Skunk Off" and keep it on hand in case our dog gets sprayed again. it works great on the dog and there is no residual smell. I don't see why it wouldn't work just as well on humans. They have a shampoo and another product for fabric.
