OT what is this strange animal in our backyard
 

"Ignoramus13320" wrote in message
...
I think that he lives under a porch. It is furry and the size of a
big cat.

http://igor.chudov.com/Animal/

i

Groundhog (woodchuck).

http://www.frugalyankee.com/files/groundhog_main.jpg

http://mypunchbowl.files.wordpress.c.../groundhog.jpg

I have a recipe for woodchuck in sour cream, from the old Gourmet magazine,
should you need it. g

--
Ed Huntress

OT what is this strange animal in our backyard
 

On 2010-06-18, Ed Huntress wrote:

"Ignoramus13320" wrote in message
...
I think that he lives under a porch. It is furry and the size of a
big cat.

http://igor.chudov.com/Animal/

i

Groundhog (woodchuck).

http://www.frugalyankee.com/files/groundhog_main.jpg

http://mypunchbowl.files.wordpress.c.../groundhog.jpg

I have a recipe for woodchuck in sour cream, from the old Gourmet magazine,
should you need it. g


I tried eating squirrel, it was disgusting. I prefer chicken.

i

OT what is this strange animal in our backyard
 

"Ignoramus13320" wrote in message
...
On 2010-06-18, Ed Huntress wrote:

"Ignoramus13320" wrote in message
...
I think that he lives under a porch. It is furry and the size of a
big cat.

http://igor.chudov.com/Animal/

i

Groundhog (woodchuck).

http://www.frugalyankee.com/files/groundhog_main.jpg

http://mypunchbowl.files.wordpress.c.../groundhog.jpg

I have a recipe for woodchuck in sour cream, from the old Gourmet
magazine,
should you need it. g


I tried eating squirrel, it was disgusting. I prefer chicken.

i

I remember that you said that. You just need better recipes. d8-)

As for whether it's a "bad animal," the biggest problem they cause is that
they dig some God-awful holes and tunnels. If he's living under your porch
(is that what I read?), expect his main hole to be somewhere under there.
Look for a little hill of dirt alongside the hole. Then there may be another
hole into the tunnel, if he's had enough time to dig it.

I have a lot of them; they dig up into the dirt floor of my garage. I also
have a huge, single-ended Havahart trap that I use to catch them. Bait with
a slice of apple. Then I haul them to a county park where the local
animal-control people told me to take them. There must be a 'chuck every 10
feet in that park. g

If you're thinking about shooting them with your air rifle, I'd advise
against it. They are remarkably tough and difficult to kill. A .22 Long
Rifle is considered inadequate, except with a head shot.

I've killed well over 200 of them, with centerfire .22-caliber varmint
rifles. In fact, woodchucks are the target which many of those wildcat
cartridges were designed for.

--
Ed Huntress

OT what is this strange animal in our backyard
 

"William Wixon" wrote in message
...

"Ignoramus13320" wrote in message
...
On 2010-06-18, Ed Huntress wrote:

"Ignoramus13320" wrote in message
...
I think that he lives under a porch. It is furry and the size of a
big cat.

http://igor.chudov.com/Animal/

i

Groundhog (woodchuck).

http://www.frugalyankee.com/files/groundhog_main.jpg

http://mypunchbowl.files.wordpress.c.../groundhog.jpg

I have a recipe for woodchuck in sour cream, from the old Gourmet
magazine,
should you need it. g


I tried eating squirrel, it was disgusting. I prefer chicken.

i

a few weeks ago i came across a dead rabbit on the road. he was still
warm. i brought him home and did a google search on how to gut and skin a
rabbit. i was afraid i'd be too disgusted to do it but i did do it,
wasn't as bad as i feared (was afraid i'd be so disgusted i'd vomit and
not be able to finish). somehow it reminded me of processing a mango.
well, so, i followed the directions i found on-line. the guy said to boil
it for an hour or two. did. i found the meat to have a disgusting aroma.
i couldn't get myself to even put a tiny bit in my mouth to taste it. my
hands (and all the utensils, pots, etc.) were INFUSED with that same
disgusting aroma (from the fat/oil of the rabbit) it took HOURS for that
smell to fade from my hands. i was afraid "what, if i've got this
disgusting smell INFUSED into my skin just touching it i can't imagine
what it'll be like to put it inside me". was a shame to let that meat
(and effort) to go to waste but i buried the meat in my garden. i
wondered if perhaps it might've been due to some internal organ being
crushed and it's fluids expelled into the rabbit. i wonder if ordinarily
rabbit meat is as palatable "as chicken".

i'd like to see ed's woodchuck recipe. i've got lots of woodchucks. (and
yes, i put a fence around my garden after one of the early years having a
woodchuck DEVASTATE my young brussels sprouts and broccoli plants. that's
when i learned crucifers are EXCELLENT woodchuck bait for my havahart
trap.

b.w.

My _Gourmet_ series is in my attic, but this is almost the same recipe:

http://www.justgamerecipes.com/print...t-0015944.html

What they don't tell you is that you MUST remove the musk glands behind the
legs, and do it carefully. I haven't skinned one in 40 years so I can't help
you there. Maybe someone else here can help.

If you break the musk glands, throw the chuck away.

About your rabbit: It normally has no real aroma when raw, maybe something
like chicken. Cooked, it has a mild flavor with a slight gamey "tang."
Recipes that contain some vinegar or other acid, such as the lemon juice in
many hassenpfeffer recipes, eliminate the tang.

You had one bad rabbit. I've eaten at least 100 cottontails, and they are
delicious.

Cleaning small game is not for the squeamish. It helps to have started doing
it before age 10. g The neat way to gut a rabbit is to slit him from anus
to upper chest (near the throat); grab the two front legs in one hand and
the rear legs in the other; turn him so the slit is facing away from you;
swing him back over your head; and "flip" or "snap" him forward, like a
soccer-ball throw-in. The guts go flying.

Do not do this in the house. d8-)

--
Ed Huntress

OT what is this strange animal in our backyard
 

On Jun 18, 12:27*pm, "Ed Huntress" wrote:
...
If you're thinking about shooting them with your air rifle, I'd advise
against it. They are remarkably tough and difficult to kill. A .22 Long
Rifle is considered inadequate, except with a head shot....
Ed Huntress

They have a huge wet-food-filled gut that absorbs a .22 bullet. When
they run away from you that's the only target.

http://www.tractorsupply.com/agricul...-animal-traps/
I bought the small + medium set last year to trap a similar-sized
possum. That is a decent price and they were made well enough to work
without binding, after a little tweaking of the release. The wire
handles need padding, my hand hurt after marching it a few miles out
into the woods to release it. It didn't come back.

jsw

OT what is this strange animal in our backyard
 

On 2010-06-18, Ed Huntress wrote:

"Ignoramus13320" wrote in message
...
On 2010-06-18, Ed Huntress wrote:

"Ignoramus13320" wrote in message
...
I think that he lives under a porch. It is furry and the size of a
big cat.

http://igor.chudov.com/Animal/

i

Groundhog (woodchuck).

http://www.frugalyankee.com/files/groundhog_main.jpg

http://mypunchbowl.files.wordpress.c.../groundhog.jpg

I have a recipe for woodchuck in sour cream, from the old Gourmet
magazine,
should you need it. g


I tried eating squirrel, it was disgusting. I prefer chicken.

i

I remember that you said that. You just need better recipes. d8-)

As for whether it's a "bad animal," the biggest problem they cause is that
they dig some God-awful holes and tunnels. If he's living under your porch
(is that what I read?), expect his main hole to be somewhere under there.
Look for a little hill of dirt alongside the hole. Then there may be another
hole into the tunnel, if he's had enough time to dig it.

I have a lot of them; they dig up into the dirt floor of my garage. I also
have a huge, single-ended Havahart trap that I use to catch them. Bait with
a slice of apple. Then I haul them to a county park where the local
animal-control people told me to take them. There must be a 'chuck every 10
feet in that park. g

If you're thinking about shooting them with your air rifle, I'd advise
against it. They are remarkably tough and difficult to kill. A .22 Long
Rifle is considered inadequate, except with a head shot.

I've killed well over 200 of them, with centerfire .22-caliber varmint
rifles. In fact, woodchucks are the target which many of those wildcat
cartridges were designed for.


I cannot use anything bigger (louder) than .22.

Sounds like havahart is the way to go.

i

OT what is this strange animal in our backyard
 

On Fri, 18 Jun 2010 12:36:05 -0500, "William Wixon"
wrote:


"Ignoramus13320" wrote in
message ...
On 2010-06-18, Ed Huntress wrote:

"Ignoramus13320" wrote in
message
...
I think that he lives under a porch. It is furry and the size of a
big cat.

http://igor.chudov.com/Animal/

i

Groundhog (woodchuck).

http://www.frugalyankee.com/files/groundhog_main.jpg

http://mypunchbowl.files.wordpress.c.../groundhog.jpg

I have a recipe for woodchuck in sour cream, from the old Gourmet
magazine,
should you need it. g


I tried eating squirrel, it was disgusting. I prefer chicken.

i

a few weeks ago i came across a dead rabbit on the road. he was still
warm. i brought him home and did a google search on how to gut and
skin a rabbit. i was afraid i'd be too disgusted to do it but i did
do it, wasn't as bad as i feared (was afraid i'd be so disgusted i'd
vomit and not be able to finish). somehow it reminded me of
processing a mango. well, so, i followed the directions i found
on-line. the guy said to boil it for an hour or two. did. i found
the meat to have a disgusting aroma. i couldn't get myself to even
put a tiny bit in my mouth to taste it. my hands (and all the
utensils, pots, etc.) were INFUSED with that same disgusting aroma
(from the fat/oil of the rabbit) it took HOURS for that smell to fade
from my hands. i was afraid "what, if i've got this disgusting smell
INFUSED into my skin just touching it i can't imagine what it'll be
like to put it inside me". was a shame to let that meat (and effort)
to go to waste but i buried the meat in my garden. i wondered if
perhaps it might've been due to some internal organ being crushed and
it's fluids expelled into the rabbit. i wonder if ordinarily rabbit
meat is as palatable "as chicken".

i'd like to see ed's woodchuck recipe. i've got lots of woodchucks.
(and yes, i put a fence around my garden after one of the early years
having a woodchuck DEVASTATE my young brussels sprouts and broccoli
plants. that's when i learned crucifers are EXCELLENT woodchuck bait
for my havahart trap.

b.w.




Yeah, if you break their bladder (urine or gall), it'll taint the
meat. The urinary bladder on a rabbit is extremely thin. I think
swamp rabbits and cottontails eat fine. And if it isn't a "blue boy",
just fry it. Old rabbits with well used muscle tissue are a dark
purple color (hence blue boy), and just about require pressure cooking
or long cooking times. Same for most other critters, the young ones
taste better. I've eaten raccoon and armadillo, never possum. Too
greasy. And I won't eat armadillo any more since a certain percentage
carry leprosy.

Pete Keillor

OT what is this strange animal in our backyard
 

"Ed Huntress" wrote in message
...

snip


Cleaning small game is not for the squeamish. It helps to have started
doing it before age 10. g The neat way to gut a rabbit is to slit him
from anus to upper chest (near the throat); grab the two front legs in one
hand and the rear legs in the other; turn him so the slit is facing away
from you; swing him back over your head; and "flip" or "snap" him forward,
like a soccer-ball throw-in. The guts go flying.

Do not do this in the house. d8-)

WHOOPS! I almost forgot -- Don't let go of the legs!

--
Ed Huntress

OT what is this strange animal in our backyard
 

"Jim Wilkins" wrote in message
...
On Jun 18, 12:27 pm, "Ed Huntress" wrote:
...
If you're thinking about shooting them with your air rifle, I'd advise
against it. They are remarkably tough and difficult to kill. A .22 Long
Rifle is considered inadequate, except with a head shot....
Ed Huntress

They have a huge wet-food-filled gut that absorbs a .22 bullet. When
they run away from you that's the only target.

http://www.tractorsupply.com/agricul...-animal-traps/
I bought the small + medium set last year to trap a similar-sized
possum. That is a decent price and they were made well enough to work
without binding, after a little tweaking of the release. The wire
handles need padding, my hand hurt after marching it a few miles out
into the woods to release it. It didn't come back.

jsw

If you trap and release a young one, and his mother is still around, she
will whistle him back -- sometimes from a couple of miles away.

You really have to move them out.

--
Ed Huntress

OT what is this strange animal in our backyard
 

On Jun 18, 12:50*pm, "Ed Huntress" wrote:
...
...The neat way to gut a rabbit is to slit him from anus
to upper chest (near the throat); grab the two front legs in one hand and
the rear legs in the other; turn him so the slit is facing away from you;
swing him back over your head; and "flip" or "snap" him forward, like a
soccer-ball throw-in. The guts go flying.

Do not do this in the house. d8-)
Ed Huntress

Sounds like you didn't grow up overly confined by 'civilization'
either. My buddy across the street had miles of woods beyond his back
yard, and we knew every inch of them, including where the cop hid his
stash.

When he trapped and I helped skin we'd throw the muskrat guts over the
wall. Somehow they were always gone next morning.

jsw

OT what is this strange animal in our backyard
 

"Ignoramus13320" wrote in message
...
On 2010-06-18, Ed Huntress wrote:

"Ignoramus13320" wrote in message
...
On 2010-06-18, Ed Huntress wrote:

"Ignoramus13320" wrote in message
...
I think that he lives under a porch. It is furry and the size of a
big cat.

http://igor.chudov.com/Animal/

i

Groundhog (woodchuck).

http://www.frugalyankee.com/files/groundhog_main.jpg

http://mypunchbowl.files.wordpress.c.../groundhog.jpg

I have a recipe for woodchuck in sour cream, from the old Gourmet
magazine,
should you need it. g


I tried eating squirrel, it was disgusting. I prefer chicken.

i

I remember that you said that. You just need better recipes. d8-)

As for whether it's a "bad animal," the biggest problem they cause is
that
they dig some God-awful holes and tunnels. If he's living under your
porch
(is that what I read?), expect his main hole to be somewhere under there.
Look for a little hill of dirt alongside the hole. Then there may be
another
hole into the tunnel, if he's had enough time to dig it.

I have a lot of them; they dig up into the dirt floor of my garage. I
also
have a huge, single-ended Havahart trap that I use to catch them. Bait
with
a slice of apple. Then I haul them to a county park where the local
animal-control people told me to take them. There must be a 'chuck every
10
feet in that park. g

If you're thinking about shooting them with your air rifle, I'd advise
against it. They are remarkably tough and difficult to kill. A .22 Long
Rifle is considered inadequate, except with a head shot.

I've killed well over 200 of them, with centerfire .22-caliber varmint
rifles. In fact, woodchucks are the target which many of those wildcat
cartridges were designed for.


I cannot use anything bigger (louder) than .22.

Sounds like havahart is the way to go.

i

Make sure it's a BIG one. They don't like to be crowded. I have a 1079,
which also is good for trapping stray cats and raccoons. You can get away
with one that's slightly smaller.

Or, if you have a tablesaw, find a plan for a wooden box trap online and
make it a project with your son. My son was about 9 or 10 when we made one.
He loved it. He caught four or five squirrels with it and was the big man of
the neighborhood. g

Unfortunately, chucks don't seem to like wooden traps with solid sides. I
made ours with slatted sides, having been through that before. It worked
fine on chucks but it was a lot of ripping with the tablesaw. I screwed it
together with deck screws and it held up for years. Then someone gave me the
Havahart and that's what I use now.

--
Ed Huntress

OT what is this strange animal in our backyard
 

"Ignoramus13320" wrote in
message ...
On 2010-06-18, Ed Huntress wrote:

"Ignoramus13320" wrote in
message
...
I think that he lives under a porch. It is furry and the size of a
big cat.

http://igor.chudov.com/Animal/

i

Groundhog (woodchuck).

http://www.frugalyankee.com/files/groundhog_main.jpg

http://mypunchbowl.files.wordpress.c.../groundhog.jpg

I have a recipe for woodchuck in sour cream, from the old Gourmet
magazine,
should you need it. g


I tried eating squirrel, it was disgusting. I prefer chicken.

i

a few weeks ago i came across a dead rabbit on the road. he was still
warm. i brought him home and did a google search on how to gut and
skin a rabbit. i was afraid i'd be too disgusted to do it but i did
do it, wasn't as bad as i feared (was afraid i'd be so disgusted i'd
vomit and not be able to finish). somehow it reminded me of
processing a mango. well, so, i followed the directions i found
on-line. the guy said to boil it for an hour or two. did. i found
the meat to have a disgusting aroma. i couldn't get myself to even
put a tiny bit in my mouth to taste it. my hands (and all the
utensils, pots, etc.) were INFUSED with that same disgusting aroma
(from the fat/oil of the rabbit) it took HOURS for that smell to fade
from my hands. i was afraid "what, if i've got this disgusting smell
INFUSED into my skin just touching it i can't imagine what it'll be
like to put it inside me". was a shame to let that meat (and effort)
to go to waste but i buried the meat in my garden. i wondered if
perhaps it might've been due to some internal organ being crushed and
it's fluids expelled into the rabbit. i wonder if ordinarily rabbit
meat is as palatable "as chicken".

i'd like to see ed's woodchuck recipe. i've got lots of woodchucks.
(and yes, i put a fence around my garden after one of the early years
having a woodchuck DEVASTATE my young brussels sprouts and broccoli
plants. that's when i learned crucifers are EXCELLENT woodchuck bait
for my havahart trap.

b.w.

OT what is this strange animal in our backyard
 

"Ed Huntress" wrote in message
...
Cleaning small game is not for the squeamish. It helps to have started
doing it before age 10. g The neat way to gut a rabbit is to slit him
from anus to upper chest (near the throat); grab the two front legs in one
hand and the rear legs in the other; turn him so the slit is facing away
from you; swing him back over your head; and "flip" or "snap" him forward,
like a soccer-ball throw-in. The guts go flying.

Do not do this in the house. d8-)

--
Ed Huntress

We went to members night at the Field Museum and one of the must see
sections is the Mammal Prep Lab. The always have a half dozen people in
there skinning something. I had several nieces and nephews in tow (ages
7-12) and we were all watching a young female intern peeling a fisher.

"That's disgusting" my nieces said.
I said, "It's not so bad. It's like changing diapers. It's pretty gross for
the first few, but after that it's just work"
In unison, all the museum staff nodded their heads and said, "That's it
exactly"

Paul K. Dickman

OT what is this strange animal in our backyard
 

On 6/18/2010 9:20 AM, Ignoramus13320 wrote:
On 2010-06-18, Ed wrote:

id wrote in message
...
I think that he lives under a porch. It is furry and the size of a
big cat.

http://igor.chudov.com/Animal/

i

Groundhog (woodchuck).

http://www.frugalyankee.com/files/groundhog_main.jpg

http://mypunchbowl.files.wordpress.c.../groundhog.jpg

I have a recipe for woodchuck in sour cream, from the old Gourmet magazine,
should you need it.g


I tried eating squirrel, it was disgusting. I prefer chicken.

i

Funny you mention squirrel. A guy I know from my gun club was telling me
a couple of weeks ago that he eats squirrel. I was surprised. He told me
he makes a shepard's pie and used squirrel meat in it. I didn't say much
about it to him but I was amazed that anyone actually ate squirrel these
days. I'd heard of it in the olden days from hillbillies and such but
not today. He also said he went on rabbit hunting trips and killed up to
100 rabbits. This guy grew up in the boonies and was a real cowboy when
he was a young man so I can understand where he learned this stuff. It
just goes to show you that you never know what other people are up to.
Eating squirrels? That sounds like something Gummer would do.

Hawke

OT what is this strange animal in our backyard
 

"Jim Wilkins" wrote in message
...
On Jun 18, 12:50 pm, "Ed Huntress" wrote:
...
...The neat way to gut a rabbit is to slit him from anus
to upper chest (near the throat); grab the two front legs in one hand and
the rear legs in the other; turn him so the slit is facing away from you;
swing him back over your head; and "flip" or "snap" him forward, like a
soccer-ball throw-in. The guts go flying.

Do not do this in the house. d8-)
Ed Huntress

Sounds like you didn't grow up overly confined by 'civilization'
either.

Nope. In PA, I could walk out my back door before school with a shotgun or
rifle, and have my choice (in seasons) of rabbits, quail, ducks, or
squirrels, all within 200 yards. We had woods, a field, and a pond within
that range. I could walk home from school with a deer rifle and hunt all the
way to the back of my house -- about four miles. The rifle was kept in the
athletic director's locker during the day, and he'd return our cartridges
from his desk drawer when we left school. I was 14 at that time.

My buddy across the street had miles of woods beyond his back
yard, and we knew every inch of them, including where the cop hid his
stash.

When he trapped and I helped skin we'd throw the muskrat guts over the
wall. Somehow they were always gone next morning.

I'd throw them into a dump. I was feeding the weasels, which I also
trapped -- at age 11. In winter, they were half-ermine: brown and white
patches.

Life sure was different 50 years ago...

--
Ed Huntress

OT what is this strange animal in our backyard
 

"Paul K. Dickman" wrote in message
...

"Ed Huntress" wrote in message
...
Cleaning small game is not for the squeamish. It helps to have started
doing it before age 10. g The neat way to gut a rabbit is to slit him
from anus to upper chest (near the throat); grab the two front legs in
one hand and the rear legs in the other; turn him so the slit is facing
away from you; swing him back over your head; and "flip" or "snap" him
forward, like a soccer-ball throw-in. The guts go flying.

Do not do this in the house. d8-)

--
Ed Huntress

We went to members night at the Field Museum and one of the must see
sections is the Mammal Prep Lab. The always have a half dozen people in
there skinning something. I had several nieces and nephews in tow (ages
7-12) and we were all watching a young female intern peeling a fisher.

"That's disgusting" my nieces said.
I said, "It's not so bad. It's like changing diapers. It's pretty gross
for the first few, but after that it's just work"
In unison, all the museum staff nodded their heads and said, "That's it
exactly"

Paul K. Dickman

Right! Good comparison. I eventually could change a diaper while drinking a
cup of coffee. It just requires a careful touch. d8-)

--
Ed Huntress

OT what is this strange animal in our backyard
 

"Hawke" wrote in message
...
On 6/18/2010 9:20 AM, Ignoramus13320 wrote:
On 2010-06-18, Ed wrote:

id wrote in message
...
I think that he lives under a porch. It is furry and the size of a
big cat.

http://igor.chudov.com/Animal/

i

Groundhog (woodchuck).

http://www.frugalyankee.com/files/groundhog_main.jpg

http://mypunchbowl.files.wordpress.c.../groundhog.jpg

I have a recipe for woodchuck in sour cream, from the old Gourmet
magazine,
should you need it.g


I tried eating squirrel, it was disgusting. I prefer chicken.

i

Funny you mention squirrel. A guy I know from my gun club was telling me a
couple of weeks ago that he eats squirrel. I was surprised. He told me he
makes a shepard's pie and used squirrel meat in it. I didn't say much
about it to him but I was amazed that anyone actually ate squirrel these
days. I'd heard of it in the olden days from hillbillies and such but not
today.

This hillbilly still eats them. I fry the young ones with rosemary and
scallion or chives, and either braise the older ones or make a Brunswick
Stew -- the real original recipe, with squirrel.

He also said he went on rabbit hunting trips and killed up to 100 rabbits.
This guy grew up in the boonies and was a real cowboy when he was a young
man so I can understand where he learned this stuff. It just goes to show
you that you never know what other people are up to. Eating squirrels?
That sounds like something Gummer would do.

Me, too. They're delicious. The young ones are a lot like rabbit; the older
ones taste like turkey dark meat.

Iggy just did something wrong. d8-)

--
Ed Huntress

OT what is this strange animal in our backyard
 

On Jun 18, 1:42*pm, Hawke wrote:
...
Eating squirrels? That sounds like something Gummer would do.

Hawke


Squirrels earned their own class of rifles:
http://www.donstith.com/hawken_squirrel.html

They and rabbits are the only plentiful daytime animals worth eating
and too stupid or self-confident to hide from us.
I can sometimes see a chipmunk further away than a deer, because deer
freeze and blend in very well.

There is a game park at Stone Mountain GA with tame deer wandering
around under the pine trees. When they lie down they vanish in plain
sight, the hair looks just like pine needles. The easiest way to find
one is to look for the flies,above them, then the nose and eyes and
ears.

jsw

OT what is this strange animal in our backyard
 

On Fri, 18 Jun 2010 11:56:15 -0500, Ignoramus13320
wrote:


I've killed well over 200 of them, with centerfire .22-caliber varmint
rifles. In fact, woodchucks are the target which many of those wildcat
cartridges were designed for.


I cannot use anything bigger (louder) than .22.

Actually... you can if you only shoot (1) time.

Seldom is a single gunshot reported, or even noted.

Go out and lift your hood on your vehicle, then get out the ordinance,
aim well and fire a single shot.

Anyone who is interested enough will see the hood up on your vehicle and
think it was a back fire..

Unless someone actually sees you with a weapon...most places its the
last thing they think of when they hear a Bang.

I worked an investigation many years ago, where a guy sucked on the end
of his Garand, while sitting in his backyard. The only way it was
noticed was the string of vultures that were landing and taking off
from the wood fenced back yard , in a well built up housing tract.

That was a rather grim scene, made a few of the duputies barf really
good. Buzzards have rather unseemly dining habits.....shrug. And the
guy had been dead about 5 days in the California heat.....

On the other hand...."sound deadning devices" can be fabricated quickly
and easily from a host of disposable consumer items and used for a
couple shots.

The 2 liter bottle taped to the end of a 22lr is one of the most common.


Gunner

One could not be a successful Leftwinger without realizing that,
in contrast to the popular conception supported by newspapers
and mothers of Leftwingers, a goodly number of Leftwingers are
not only narrow-minded and dull, but also just stupid.
Gunner Asch

OT what is this strange animal in our backyard
 

On 2010-06-18, Gunner Asch wrote:
On Fri, 18 Jun 2010 11:56:15 -0500, Ignoramus13320
wrote:


I've killed well over 200 of them, with centerfire .22-caliber varmint
rifles. In fact, woodchucks are the target which many of those wildcat
cartridges were designed for.


I cannot use anything bigger (louder) than .22.

Actually... you can if you only shoot (1) time.

Seldom is a single gunshot reported, or even noted.

Go out and lift your hood on your vehicle, then get out the ordinance,
aim well and fire a single shot.

Anyone who is interested enough will see the hood up on your vehicle and
think it was a back fire..

Unless someone actually sees you with a weapon...most places its the
last thing they think of when they hear a Bang.

I worked an investigation many years ago, where a guy sucked on the end
of his Garand, while sitting in his backyard. The only way it was
noticed was the string of vultures that were landing and taking off
from the wood fenced back yard , in a well built up housing tract.

That was a rather grim scene, made a few of the duputies barf really
good. Buzzards have rather unseemly dining habits.....shrug. And the
guy had been dead about 5 days in the California heat.....

On the other hand...."sound deadning devices" can be fabricated quickly
and easily from a host of disposable consumer items and used for a
couple shots.

The 2 liter bottle taped to the end of a 22lr is one of the most common.

All of my guns are far louder than really is sensible for the
situation. Plus the ricochet issue in a suburb. I do not own a .22.

I visited a gun dealer recently and saw no .22 rifles cheaper than
$200, WTF?

Anyway, I have a 1000 fps air rifle, which works great against
squirrels (really great!), but it looks like it is not enough for this
woodchuck.

i

OT what is this strange animal in our backyard
 

"Jim Wilkins" wrote in message
...

http://www.tractorsupply.com/agricul...-animal-traps/
I bought the small + medium set last year to trap a similar-sized
possum. That is a decent price and they were made well enough to work
without binding, after a little tweaking of the release. The wire
handles need padding, my hand hurt after marching it a few miles out
into the woods to release it. It didn't come back.

jsw

The last time I trapped a raccoon in the shop and took him for a ride it
took him two busses and a taxi to get back three days later.

OT what is this strange animal in our backyard
 

On Fri, 18 Jun 2010 13:29:29 -0400, "Ed Huntress"
wrote:


"Ignoramus13320" wrote in message
m...

Sounds like havahart is the way to go.

i

Make sure it's a BIG one.

A reminder about live traps - rig a remote release in case it traps
something you don't want ... like a skunk. :-)

Wayne

OT what is this strange animal in our backyard
 

On Fri, 18 Jun 2010 11:02:02 -0700 (PDT), Jim Wilkins
wrote:

On Jun 18, 1:42*pm, Hawke wrote:
...
Eating squirrels? That sounds like something Gummer would do.

Hawke


Squirrels earned their own class of rifles:
http://www.donstith.com/hawken_squirrel.html

They and rabbits are the only plentiful daytime animals worth eating
and too stupid or self-confident to hide from us.
I can sometimes see a chipmunk further away than a deer, because deer
freeze and blend in very well.

There is a game park at Stone Mountain GA with tame deer wandering
around under the pine trees. When they lie down they vanish in plain
sight, the hair looks just like pine needles. The easiest way to find
one is to look for the flies,above them, then the nose and eyes and
ears.

jsw


Actually, when I shoot a squirrel...there really isnt a hell of a lot
left to eat. The California Cat Squirrel is considered a varmint, is
often tick and flea infested and while fun to shoot at long ranges with
a decent varmint rifle..is hardly something one wishes to eat.

Youtube has plenty of 22-250 vrs Squirrel videos.

Gunner

One could not be a successful Leftwinger without realizing that,
in contrast to the popular conception supported by newspapers
and mothers of Leftwingers, a goodly number of Leftwingers are
not only narrow-minded and dull, but also just stupid.
Gunner Asch

OT what is this strange animal in our backyard
 

wrote in message
...
On Fri, 18 Jun 2010 13:29:29 -0400, "Ed Huntress"
wrote:


"Ignoramus13320" wrote in message
om...

Sounds like havahart is the way to go.

i

Make sure it's a BIG one.

A reminder about live traps - rig a remote release in case it traps
something you don't want ... like a skunk. :-)

Wayne

Oh, boy, do I have a story about that. g I had to forge a hook on the end
of a LONG stick (actually, two 11' surf rods taped together) when that
unfortunate circumstance occurred. I wrapped myself in a plastic drop cloth
before getting that close. That was for my wooden box trap. If I'd caught
one in the Havahart (spring-loaded door, with a latch) I think I would have
just kept him in there as a pet and fed him with the surf rods...

Then there was the time I was sitting in the back yard late at night,
drinking a beer, when a skunk moseyed up and laid down under my chair. I
didn't see him until he was about five feet away, so I couldn't scoot. I set
a new record, I'm sure, for holding my breath...

The skunks are gone from here now, for some unknown reason. But I used to
tell my wife that if our town didn't have a name, we'd have to call it
"Skunktown."

--
Ed Huntress

OT what is this strange animal in our backyard
 

On Jun 18, 2:15*pm, Ignoramus13320 ignoramus13...@NOSPAM.
13320.invalid wrote:
...

Anyway, I have a 1000 fps air rifle, which works great against
squirrels (really great!), but it looks like it is not enough for this
woodchuck.

i

It should be plenty for a brain shot with heavier pointed pellets if
the twitchy critter will stay still long enough.
Google "woodchuck skull", there isn't one outstanding reference to
quote but you can see how little of its head contains anything
important, the aim point relative to the eyes, and that a side shot is
better than a frontal one for an airgun.

jsw

OT what is this strange animal in our backyard
 

On Jun 18, 2:38*pm, "Buerste" wrote:
...

The last time I trapped a raccoon in the shop and took him for a ride it
took him two busses and a taxi to get back three days later.

Catch and release laws, huh?

If you staple a brightly colored tag to its ear it will be easier to
recognize next time.

OT what is this strange animal in our backyard
 

Jim Wilkins wrote:

On Jun 18, 2:38 pm, "Buerste" wrote:
...

The last time I trapped a raccoon in the shop and took him for a ride it
took him two busses and a taxi to get back three days later.

Catch and release laws, huh?


He thought it was a 'Usenet Weasel'. ;-)


If you staple a brightly colored tag to its ear it will be easier to
recognize next time.


--
Anyone wanting to run for any political office in the US should have to
have a DD214, and a honorable discharge.

OT what is this strange animal in our backyard
 

If you staple a brightly colored tag to its ear it will be easier to
recognize next time.

I'll make you a deal. I'll catch a few NJ-born and bread Raccoons and *you*
can try to get that tag on their ear.

I swear the one we had at my last place was a small bear. It would take him
a while to squeeze himself down the sewer at the street and he could easily
look *into* standing garbage cans that were larger than those galvanized
steel (on topic!) ones.

True story - one that my wife makes me feel bad about all the time... I put
the garbage cans below my office at home about a year ago. The office is on
the 2nd floor. When the raccoons would "visit" I would go into the office,
open the window and try to scare them away. Once they got used to it, I
started dropping things on them.

Folding chairs, combination locks... Basically anything I could find. They
came back a few minutes later EVERY time.

....Until I bought a 25 lb. dumbell from the local sporting goods store.
....IO swear, they never showed up again and I kept that thing there by my
desk until we recently moved.

I'm still amazed that a folding chair from 16+ feet up, landing squarely on
a raccoon's head and back didn't chase them off for more than a few minutes.
I guess our garbage was top shelf stuff!

Regards,
Joe Agro, Jr.
(800) 871-5022
01.908.542.0244
Automatic / Pneumatic Drills: http://www.AutoDrill.com
Multiple Spindle Drills: http://www.Multi-Drill.com
Production Tapping: http://Production-Tapping-Equipment.com/
Flagship Site: http://www.Drill-N-Tap.com
VIDEOS: http://www.youtube.com/user/AutoDrill

V8013-R

OT what is this strange animal in our backyard
 

On Jun 18, 2:42*pm, wrote:
...
A reminder about live traps - *rig a remote release in case it traps
something you don't want ... like a skunk. *:-)

Wayne

They can't spray through the solid door. I tape over the latch slot
from the inside anyway to keep mice and chipmunks from squeezing out.
Approach behind a trash bag and drop it over the trap. If you expect a
skunk you could put clear plastic over the trap.

Some burrowing animals will scoot into a dark bag or tied-off pant leg
pulled over the end of the trap when you open that door.

jsw

OT what is this strange animal in our backyard
 

On 2010-06-18, Joe AutoDrill wrote:
If you staple a brightly colored tag to its ear it will be easier to
recognize next time.

I'll make you a deal. I'll catch a few NJ-born and bread Raccoons and *you*
can try to get that tag on their ear.

I swear the one we had at my last place was a small bear. It would take him
a while to squeeze himself down the sewer at the street and he could easily
look *into* standing garbage cans that were larger than those galvanized
steel (on topic!) ones.

True story - one that my wife makes me feel bad about all the time... I put
the garbage cans below my office at home about a year ago. The office is on
the 2nd floor. When the raccoons would "visit" I would go into the office,
open the window and try to scare them away. Once they got used to it, I
started dropping things on them.

Folding chairs, combination locks... Basically anything I could find. They
came back a few minutes later EVERY time.

...Until I bought a 25 lb. dumbell from the local sporting goods store.
...IO swear, they never showed up again and I kept that thing there by my
desk until we recently moved.

I'm still amazed that a folding chair from 16+ feet up, landing squarely on
a raccoon's head and back didn't chase them off for more than a few minutes.
I guess our garbage was top shelf stuff!

I shot a raccoon with an air rifle once (that 1000 fps one).

He never showed up again.

Later others started coming.

i

OT what is this strange animal in our backyard
 

I shot a raccoon with an air rifle once (that 1000 fps one).

I had a Benjamin air rifle at one point... I think it was either 780 or 970
fps... That thing was fun and looked like a shotgun. However, with it's
rifled barrel, it's licensed the same as a "real" gun here in NJ. I'd be
more likely to get wawy with a 1/4 stick of dyno than an air rifle in my old
town too... Don't ask how I know that one. :)

--


Regards,
Joe Agro, Jr.
(800) 871-5022
01.908.542.0244
Automatic / Pneumatic Drills: http://www.AutoDrill.com
Multiple Spindle Drills: http://www.Multi-Drill.com
Production Tapping: http://Production-Tapping-Equipment.com/
Flagship Site: http://www.Drill-N-Tap.com
VIDEOS: http://www.youtube.com/user/AutoDrill

V8013-R

OT what is this strange animal in our backyard
 

On 2010-06-18, Joe AutoDrill wrote:
I shot a raccoon with an air rifle once (that 1000 fps one).

I had a Benjamin air rifle at one point... I think it was either 780 or 970
fps... That thing was fun and looked like a shotgun. However, with it's
rifled barrel, it's licensed the same as a "real" gun here in NJ. I'd be
more likely to get wawy with a 1/4 stick of dyno than an air rifle in my old
town too... Don't ask how I know that one. :)


I have no choice but to ask!

i

OT what is this strange animal in our backyard
 

I have no choice but to ask!

LOL. I'll have video on YouTube in a few weeks if my domicile move goes as
planned. Ask me then and I'll show you proof. Let's just say it involved
the only misfire of a home made cannon I ever experienced and it saved the
life of a human being in the process.

Regards,
Joe Agro, Jr.
(800) 871-5022
01.908.542.0244
Automatic / Pneumatic Drills: http://www.AutoDrill.com
Multiple Spindle Drills: http://www.Multi-Drill.com
Production Tapping: http://Production-Tapping-Equipment.com/
Flagship Site: http://www.Drill-N-Tap.com
VIDEOS: http://www.youtube.com/user/AutoDrill

V8013-R

OT what is this strange animal in our backyard
 

Ignoramus13320 wrote:

All of my guns are far louder than really is sensible for the
situation. Plus the ricochet issue in a suburb. I do not own a .22.

I visited a gun dealer recently and saw no .22 rifles cheaper than
$200, WTF?


Perhaps the price would seem more reasonable if you purchase it to both ruin your rodent
and use to take your son to a range to target shoot.

Wes
--
"Additionally as a security officer, I carry a gun to protect
government officials but my life isn't worth protecting at home
in their eyes." Dick Anthony Heller

OT what is this strange animal in our backyard
 

On Jun 18, 1:10*pm, Jim Wilkins wrote:
On Jun 18, 2:38*pm, "Buerste" wrote:

...

The last time I trapped a raccoon in the shop and took him for a ride it
took him two busses and a taxi to get back three days later.

Catch and release laws, huh?

If you staple a brightly colored tag to its ear it will be easier to
recognize next time.

Bright orange spray paint on the back works, too, and can be done
through the trap mesh. My sister was trapping and transporting coons
that wanted all of her sweet corn. Had several repeaters, those were
eventually given a shot of lead instead of paint. Picked up over 30
that one year. Eventually, the b-in-law came up with an electric
fence plan that took care of the large AND small critters, kept the
deer out, too. Their barn cats managed to find a way in, though, and
got stuck. Mostly rural states have depredation laws, if wild
critters are found munching crops or livestock, they can be dealt with
on the spot with whatever means is to hand.

Stan

OT what is this strange animal in our backyard
 

On Jun 18, 2:28*pm, Wes wrote:
Ignoramus13320 wrote:
All of my guns are far louder than really is sensible for the
situation. Plus the ricochet issue in a suburb. I do not own a .22.

I visited a gun dealer recently and saw no .22 rifles cheaper than
$200, WTF?

Perhaps the price would seem more reasonable if you purchase it to both ruin your rodent
and use to take your son to a range to target shoot.

Wes

Not a lot of what used to be called "boy's rifles" out there, all the
boys have grown up and the manufacturers are going after thicker
wallets now. You can still find some used bolts cheap at pawn shops
and there's the Chipmunk and relatives for the younger set. Cheapest
new full-size bolt .22 is either a Marlin or a Savage and runs about
$150 on sale at Big 5.

For in-town use, I'd recommend one of the more potent air rifles, you
can still get a good springer for under $120. That should take care
of most anything up to rabbit size with proper shot placement. Ammo
is a hell of a lot cheaper than .22s, too.

Stan

OT what is this strange animal in our backyard
 

On 6/18/2010 12:56 PM, Ignoramus13320 wrote:

Sounds like havahart is the way to go.


A word of warning: In most places it is illegal to possess a "wild"
animal. My Dad was threatened with a summons by a state cop who drove up
as Dad was releasing a groundhog in a wooded park.
He could have shot it legally.

Welcome to civilization.

Kevin Gallimore

OT what is this strange animal in our backyard
 

"axolotl" wrote in message
...
On 6/18/2010 12:56 PM, Ignoramus13320 wrote:

Sounds like havahart is the way to go.


A word of warning: In most places it is illegal to possess a "wild"
animal. My Dad was threatened with a summons by a state cop who drove up
as Dad was releasing a groundhog in a wooded park.
He could have shot it legally.

Welcome to civilization.

Kevin Gallimore

The same is true here, unless you get approval from the animal control
officials first. All it takes is a phone call here.

--
Ed Huntress

OT what is this strange animal in our backyard
 

On 2010-06-18, axolotl wrote:
On 6/18/2010 12:56 PM, Ignoramus13320 wrote:

Sounds like havahart is the way to go.


A word of warning: In most places it is illegal to possess a "wild"
animal. My Dad was threatened with a summons by a state cop who drove up
as Dad was releasing a groundhog in a wooded park.
He could have shot it legally.

I do not want to traumatize my kids, they are too impressionable. And
it is illegal; for me to shoot guns in my backyard.

i

Welcome to civilization.

Kevin Gallimore

OT what is this strange animal in our backyard
 

Wes wrote:
Ignoramus13320 wrote:

All of my guns are far louder than really is sensible for the
situation. Plus the ricochet issue in a suburb. I do not own a .22.

I visited a gun dealer recently and saw no .22 rifles cheaper than
$200, WTF?

Academy has a Savage semi-auto on sale now for $99.95