Like beaver that respond to castor scent nearly 100% of the time in an effort to assert themselves with territoriality, while maintaining boundaries with intruding beaver, likewise woodchucks are also territorial. Woodchucks can be be caught in positive den sets with traps set right in or over the den holes of course, with bait in single door traps and even with "dirty" free standing double door cage traps.
When woodchucks are caught at a den sight, which is the set of choice, and remain in the traps for a few hours, they often leave a lot of excrement in the bottom of the trap, a dirty trap. Woodchuck feces really stink, quite loud as they say. The first instinct is to clean the cage, remove all odor. But, if you leave the smelly cage as is, the cage with natural odors is a ready made set in and of itself. I usually look for dens or trails, but in the absence of either a smelly trap may do the trick. Just take the smelly double door cage, level up a spot and plant the trap, done!
The indigenous chucks will often come to investigate the odor to find out who is moving in to their area and simply walk into the cage without bait. Like a baited trap, nothing special is required for location, just a place where the woodchucks have been frequenting.
George Gardener, a nuisance wildlife trapper here in New York, had turned us on to this method having left smelly, set 18 inch double door traps out over night at his home while he cleaned out his car. Twice he unintentionally caught woodchucks this way, so why not do it on purpose?
Wednesday, June 24, 2015
Tuesday, June 23, 2015
Baitless Trail Set for Coon, Just can't help myself
There are few 'coon in our area due to rabies, but we do get a job now and then. A few years ago 'coon had infested a warehouse. I followed the tracks from the warehouse outside in the dusting of snow and set along a fence line. If 'coon travel a trail once, they will be back. We caught 2 outside in trail sets. The 'coon were traveling along the eves also, so I put a couple of 220's in their path and nailed the rest. Think we got 6 or 8 when it was over, again no bait.
After inspecting a 'coon job yesterday I found raccoons living in the ceiling of a modular home, but again I opted for a trail set outside of the home. The normal method would have been to use a positive set on the soffit with a double door cage, but since the soffit was missing in many places around the house on all four sides, at least 30 feet of it, there was no narrowed single location to set.
With that, I noticed a well traveled trial in leaves leading from the porch steps through some brush to a small tree that was an access point to the roof. Like the old days, it was back to "trappin'." I just placed a trail set with a double door 30 inch 9x11 Comstock Cage and had one today, which was the good news. But, the homeowner said she saw another large one.
Sunday, June 21, 2015
Touch Up Painting Cages
Comstock Cages now come powder coated completely from the factory, frame and cage wire, beginning more than two years ago. In time there are wear points that need a touch up no matter what the coating. Even powder coating can chip. Custom made cages made in New York are spray painted with Rustoleum.
We began touch up painting with Rustoleum primer, both the red brown and black years ago. (The red blends in with red brush very well, another story.) I was later told that primer actually absorbs water. Primer holds for a while, but not as long as I liked. We have used the Rustoleum flat black, which was similar to the primer when sprayed.
You can also use speed dip, the gasoline mixed product, but make sure the traps are dipped on a hot dry day and the traps dry well so as not to be sticky.
Recently I bought some Rustoeum Satin just to try. Satin is a bit shinier, dries more slowly, but holds up pretty well, I think better than flat or primer. Animals don't pay any attention to it. I have not used gloss, not wanting anything that shiny, but that too could be an alternative especially if another coat of any non shiny paint is used afterwards.
I'm often in a hurry and often just spray whatever is handy, but if the metal was clean, primer applied before painting with Satin sprayed on after as recommended, I think it would last quite a while. The Satin seems to offer a harder finish.
We began touch up painting with Rustoleum primer, both the red brown and black years ago. (The red blends in with red brush very well, another story.) I was later told that primer actually absorbs water. Primer holds for a while, but not as long as I liked. We have used the Rustoleum flat black, which was similar to the primer when sprayed.
You can also use speed dip, the gasoline mixed product, but make sure the traps are dipped on a hot dry day and the traps dry well so as not to be sticky.
Recently I bought some Rustoeum Satin just to try. Satin is a bit shinier, dries more slowly, but holds up pretty well, I think better than flat or primer. Animals don't pay any attention to it. I have not used gloss, not wanting anything that shiny, but that too could be an alternative especially if another coat of any non shiny paint is used afterwards.
I'm often in a hurry and often just spray whatever is handy, but if the metal was clean, primer applied before painting with Satin sprayed on after as recommended, I think it would last quite a while. The Satin seems to offer a harder finish.
Monday, June 15, 2015
Speed Trapping Groundhogs / Woodchucks with Comstock Double Door Cage Traps with Nose Cones
Many of us know that groundhogs are diurnal, daytime feeders, usually out foraging in the cool of the morning and late evening just before dark. I have often mentioned that if traps are set early or late in the day just before woodchucks emerge, they can be often be taken quickly, sometimes in just a few minutes. Of course during cool weather stretches woodchucks can be out at any time of the day, but never at night.
When trapping groundhogs, to prevent catching unwanted non-targetted animals, you may simply cover the traps at night. The reverse is true when trapping nocturnal animals like skunks. Traps can be covered during the daylight hours to prevent woodchucks from entering.
In hot summer weather groundhogs are often out twice a day, meaning there are two chances to catch them. If a double door trap with nose cone has captured an animal in the morning after the trap has been set and not checked until the following day, you can lose the opportunity to catch more woodchucks in the evening because the trap is full. By removing animals quickly and resetting you will have yet another opportunity to catch a second woodchuck at the same location in the same day.
With a mini infestation at a recent location I did just that, set 11 Comstock Live Cage Traps and checked them twice in one day and again the following morning, leaving traps open for catching during each of the 3 prime catch periods. The first check in the afternoon netted 5 groundhogs, while the second check just after dark produced 3 more. Traps were left open and working during each of catch period. With a late morning check the following day there were 2 more groundhogs, meaning in just over 24 hours 3 catch periods had been utilized to take 10 woodchucks.
When trapping groundhogs, to prevent catching unwanted non-targetted animals, you may simply cover the traps at night. The reverse is true when trapping nocturnal animals like skunks. Traps can be covered during the daylight hours to prevent woodchucks from entering.
In hot summer weather groundhogs are often out twice a day, meaning there are two chances to catch them. If a double door trap with nose cone has captured an animal in the morning after the trap has been set and not checked until the following day, you can lose the opportunity to catch more woodchucks in the evening because the trap is full. By removing animals quickly and resetting you will have yet another opportunity to catch a second woodchuck at the same location in the same day.
With a mini infestation at a recent location I did just that, set 11 Comstock Live Cage Traps and checked them twice in one day and again the following morning, leaving traps open for catching during each of the 3 prime catch periods. The first check in the afternoon netted 5 groundhogs, while the second check just after dark produced 3 more. Traps were left open and working during each of catch period. With a late morning check the following day there were 2 more groundhogs, meaning in just over 24 hours 3 catch periods had been utilized to take 10 woodchucks.
Saturday, June 6, 2015
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