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To clarify a little more, the first post in 2021 in this thread about marmots does not have the illicit sentence, it is only located in the 5th paragraph of the reference in geteh's reply above.

Just to make sure everything is on the up-and-up, I want to make sure people know there was a sentence inserted into the first post on this thread with a reference to a commercial web site. It wasn't in my first post, and doesn't belong there now. I detest scammers more than marmots. Make...

Did anyone else notice the insertion of a completely new sentence into the referenced original post? Here it is for those who missed it: "Perhaps I'll find some inspiration on namescastle.com, but for now, I'm stumped." Yeah, it was't in the original post, but now it is. Surely, geteh, a bronze...

I thought my last post on this thread would be my final post: I was wrong. Marmots began emerging from their dens around mid-April this year and it was like the bell was rung and the match began. Through the end of June I had trapped an additional 60 marmots and so far this July added another 3...

It has been a couple months since the last post about my war with the marmots, so I thought I would update you, probably the last post on the issue. When I posted in June, I had added an additional 15 marmots to the tally, making a total of 202 trapped and killed or transported. I trapped...

I forgot to mention that groundhogs are also carriers of bubonic plague worldwide--rare in the US, but still possible.

They can keep their pelts. I don’t touch them, if possible. They are carriers of multiple diseases, including rabies. Here is a quote from a pest control website: Diseases Carried by Groundhogs Of all the rodents, groundhogs are most likely to have rabies. Rabid groundhogs behave...

It looks like Scootr hit the nail on the head. I bought a couple new drive belts, set the mower a little higher, and so far this year have had no problems at all mowing a very rocky and lumpy pasture. Thanks for your help.

Marmot Infestation Update It has been 10 months since I last posted anything about my ongoing war against marmots. The total trapped at the end of August last year was 187. We got off to a slow start this year, but in the past 4 weeks I have trapped an additional 15, bringing the grand total of...

35 degrees with light frost here at the east edge of WA State, light wind and still wet from the past couple days rain. Little bit of sun is melting the frost from the metal barn roof. Drained and rolled most of the hoses, stored 'em for winter. The rhubarb and tomatoes are bidding goodbye to...

Thanks for your replies. I think I have developed a plan, based on cheapest to most expensive. I'll start with the advice from scootr and put some new belts on the mower. If that doesn't solve the problem, I'll put some hammers on it. If that doesn't work, I'll shop around for a rotary...

I am just finishing my third year on my current property and have encountered a mower question I don’t have enough experience to answer. I am located on a basalt rock shelf with a very thin layer of dirt. The previous owners pastured a few beef cattle on the 1.5-2 acre back pasture and goats on...

For those who haven't dealt with puncturevine yet, don't worry, it is coming your way soon. Here is a map from the U of Georgia showing current distribution. puncturevine (Tribulus terrestris) - EDDMapS State Distribution - EDDMapS I got out early this morning to look over my puncturevine...

Love it!

Now there is an idea! I could make it a self-harvest health food garden. Kinda like the pick-your-own berry patch. People could pay me to pull up the plants.

I saw that .pdf. Further research shows the use of 2,4 D limited to certified applicators, i.e., people who go through the state education, testing, and re-certification process.

That is a very informative website. Thanks.

Both Roundup and Glystar glyphosate herbicides have surfactants included in the formula.

I have a Grampa's Weeder--the thing really works. I haven't tried it on the puncturevine yet, but when I was looking over the patch this morning to see whether the latest chemical application is working, I realized the device might work on this weed. Although each plant can spread out as much...

Thanks for the links. Hand pulling would be next to impossible right now. Some of the plants are six feet across and each vine is full of thorns waiting for a victim.

There is a new wildfire a few miles away: this area is a tinderbox at this time of year. Not able to use a torch.

2,4 D is off the table in this state. I may have to look into altering the soil pH. I am hoping today's super dose of glyphosate has a positive effect.

I got into more detail for WA State requirements: proctored testing at a nearby site and annual continuing education requirements. Probably won't do it.

I have done a little looking in that direction, but any time I have to ask a government functionary for permission, I get a bit rankled. I spent my time in the military and learned how to say, Yes Sir!, but I still get irritated. Napoleon used to call his veteran soldiers "Grumblers." I understand.

Thanks for the replies: Regarding surfactants, the leaves are actually a bit fuzzy, not waxy. Regarding Crossbow, WA State has declared it and its relatives restricted use only. Vinegar? I haven't tried it. If the stronger dose of glyphosate doesn't work, I may try the horticultural...

I have one of those torches, in fact my wife suggested I use it for the puncturevine. The problem is we live in a high fire danger area, particularly at this time of year. Several thousand acre wildfires occur frequently. Last year I spent half the summer inside to avoid the smoke. Criminal...

Puncturevine has taken over about a half-acre of rocky thin soil and is spreading rapidly. I sprayed the area with Spectracide to get rid of other weeds, and the puncturevine immediately took over the bare area. It grew so fast it got a headstart on me, and now nothing seems to stop it. I tried...

Now that you mention it, either marmots or gophers (or both) ate all my pepper plants two years running--right down to the ground.

Pepper embedded tape! I must live in a cave--I never heard of such a thing. It is too late for the '57 MGA (I bought it in 1963, haven't driven it since 1972. Probably time for it to go.), but a bit of prevention may be a good idea for the tractor. Here is a link about the tape: Honda's...

Many of you have talked about troubles with pocket gophers. The first two years on this property I put my efforts to control gophers on the back burner while I focused on marmots. Since the marmots got a late start this year compared to the previous two years, I made a serious attempt to at...

From the WA State Dept of Fish & Wildlife website: It is unlawful to trap for wild animals: These include, but are not limited to, padded foot-hold traps, unpadded foot-hold traps, all snares, and conibear-type traps. Using game birds, game fish, or game animals for bait, except nonedible...

I would love to set several conibear traps over known den holes in my back pasture, but body-gripping traps are illegal in WA State. That is the result of the larger population in the Puget Sound metroplex, mostly urban and suburban, voting to ban body-gripping traps. According to 2021 estimates...

Something I haven't mentioned before is that all 187 marmots were trapped in an area not over an acre in size, just my barnyard, garden and house yard. An infestation indeed! I haven't even started on the back or side pastures, maybe another 3 acres.

A brief update on my marmot saga: Since my post on July 21, I have trapped an additional dozen of the pests, 7 from the same barn door. That makes 32 since this May, and a grand total of 187 since June 2020, with 59 from the barn door. I can see where they come up through the floor of the barn...

Looks that way to me, too. Equal-I-Zer is about as solid a system as you can get. After thousands of often high speed highway miles, I don’t recall a single problem with it.

I never had a problem, but apparently a sharp turn in reverse can damage the sway bars, the hitch, or the trailer tongue. I just made sure to minimize angles when backing up.

https://www.equalizerhitch.com/ My vote is for the Equal-I-Zer sway control hitch. As others said, it is a bit fiddly to figure out, but once set up is simple to install and uninstall. I used it on a 22-foot travel trailer on several trips from WA State to Illinois and back. I commonly...

WA State is another state that should have been divided north to south, along the Cascade Mountains. It is mostly dry on the east side. Columbia River irrigation makes for productive ranches, orchards and vineyards. The west side is wet and cooler, even a temperate rainforest on the Olympic...

South Dakota is one of my favorite states, been through there north to south and east to west many times, but never heard of the east vs. west side rattlesnake difference. I suppose that is not something folks talk about with visitors. I just Googled it and discovered the Missouri river is the...

Rattlesnakes! No thanks, I’ll just leave them to their business. No grabbing them by the tail for me. We do have them in this area, the western rattler, but I haven’t encountered any yet. When my wife and I first visited WA State in 1974 we were camping our way across country from Illinois...

Thanks. I haven't tried yelling at the critters, but it is probably satisfying. I am enjoying the break from daily dumping trips, and just refreshing the trap bait each day. A neighbor across the road remarked that he hasn't seen as many marmots this year. I like to think it is because of my...

I am hoping this will be my last post about trapping marmots, although by this time I have a strange fascination with the whole process. I started trapping the varmints about a month into my second year on this property in eastern Washington State. By the end of the season last year (they...

I guess I get my entertainment in unusual ways. I happened to look out the front window this morning and saw a FedEx truck parked up at the road and the driver walking down my driveway with a package in his arms. He suddenly stopped and turned toward my side yard. When I opened the front door...

It has been a year since my last post about our marmot infestation. I was optimistic things were going to be better after trapping 155 of the critters last year; 37 out of a single barn door. It was a cold wet spring and I didn’t see many of the critters until a week or so ago. Then they were...

The neighbor across the road tried a pellet rifle on the marmots after a couple of his dogs were ripped up requiring vet care. I don’t have the particulars on the gun he used, but he gave up the hunt when the rifle he used wasn’t effective. There are pellet rifles that are big game effective...

Orezok, I see you are located somewhere in the Mojave desert. I was stationed at George AFB near Victorville many long years ago. Besides the sun being nearly unbearable, the blowing sand sand-blasted my left back fender from parking at an angle in the barracks parking lot. I considered...

It is a little over three weeks since I last posted, so I thought I would bring you up to date and reply to a few of your posts. The total marmots trapped to date is 120. 62 since May 1. A couple weeks ago I decided to focus on my barn, since so many of the critters run to the barn when I open...

I hear you about the rhubarb sauce. I am just about to finish off my last batch, and have been studying the patch to see what I harvest next. Rhubarb sauce practically makes itself: cut the stalks into 1/2 inch pieces, put them in a pan over low heat with a bit of water—a small bit—and walk...

I agree with MossRoad: the Victor Out O Sight trap is by far the most effective mole trap I ever used. I still have a few in reserve, although I haven’t seen a single mole on this side of the mountains. Of course, I can’t legally use them, since the urban/suburban majority voted to ban...

It has been a while since my last marmot report, so here is the latest update: As of today, in a little less than a year, we have trapped a total of 103 yellow-bellied marmots, 35 in the month of May alone. What makes that number especially remarkable is marmots hibernate from September to March...

Some of you mentioned dogs to help with the marmot problem. That was one of my first thoughts when I realized just how many of these critters there are. Then I talked with my neighbors up the road who have several dogs always on the prowl. They told me tales of torn up dogs and vet trips...

Amber, WA! We looked at a place on the lake before we bought our current home. That is a beautiful location.

It is interesting to see the varied replies to this post. It looks like every area has its own varmint problem. On the west side of WA State, it was mostly moles, voles, rats, and occasional beavers damming up the creek. My Anatolian Shepherds took care of the voles and rats, and I trapped the...

I moved onto a few acres in eastern Washington two years ago (moved from western WA—those who know will understand). We are located on a rocky shelf with a columnar basalt cliff rising maybe 50 feet in my front, and another basalt cliff 400 feet to my back, dropping off maybe 100 feet. There is...