Groundhog holes

[PBinWA]

Living in Florida, we have a similar problem with gopher turtles, they will dig a large hole under a fence and make it bigger. I filled one this past weekend the size of a very large cooler like 2 feet by 3 feet and one and a half foot deep? .
they are a protected species in Florida and a pain in the rear.
Jim

My dog loves Gopher Tortoises. To him they are just neat hard footballs that he would bring to me expecting me to throw them for him. When I lived down there I was constantly trying to return Gopher Tortoises to their respective holes. Not sure if I ever got them back to where they were found though.

 

[suttles]

Does the Karst geology make the groundhog holes worse?

We had three sink holes filled last winter when we bought the 10 acres?

These groundhog holes were not there then.
Yesterday I was over there and found a couple more in the same area.
We are going to work on them the week end.
It has been hard to see them with the weeds mowed of them.
I guess we will do the smoke bombs to try and find them all then fill with what ever.
Now I am thinking more dozer work.
There are small tree roots and a few or the limestone outcroppings in this area.

There is some rich soft dirt where these tunnels are.
Now I have to wonder about the rest of the property.
I saw plenty of skunk holes last winter.
These could be very tiny up and some were 5-6 inches in diameter.

We don't live on the land yet so this makes it harder to sit with something to shoot with.

I did see one last week before I saw the hole.
From a distance it looked plenty big.
Our old dog use to bring in smaller ones and eat them.
He never went after a grown one.
He is a 15 year old dog and yesterday he was smelling all around the hole and walking in circles looking into it.

travis

 

[roxynoodle]

I used to have a male Dalmatian who killed ground hogs left and right including very large ones. I was the one standing there freaking out when he grabbed one but he would just snap it's neck and throw it and be fine. He was quite the critter gitter. I'm after some groundhogs myself right now and could use my old companion. He lived to be 13 and will probably always be my favorite dog. I know I'm not supposed to have favorites but he was really something. I miss him.

 

[czechsonofagun]

My dog loves Gopher Tortoises. To him they are just neat hard footballs that he would bring to me expecting me to throw them for him. When I lived down there I was constantly trying to return Gopher Tortoises to their respective holes. Not sure if I ever got them back to where they were found though.

My airedale hunts everything whats moving. Sometimes I get home and he comes very happy to see me - and brings me this bloody slimy sandwich - what's left from an eastern box turtle. Told him many times to leave them alone - but when I am not around he treats them like a chew toy.

 

[slowrev]

I used to work with a farmer that used the poison/smoke bombs. Light them, drop 'em in the hole and cover it up. I've used them around our chicken coop to reduce the rat population with some success

A safer method is to hook a hose from your exhaust pipe put it down the hole and put dirt around it, not covering up the end of course. Now look for another entrance, there will usually be 2. fill it in , smoke a cig and wait a bit , maybe 15 min, then pull out the hose, fill in the hole , and on to the next one.

 

[JimR]

A safer method is to hook a hose from your exhaust pipe put it down the hole and put dirt around it, not covering up the end of course. Now look for another entrance, there will usually be 2. fill it in , smoke a cig and wait a bit , maybe 15 min, then pull out the hose, fill in the hole , and on to the next one.

Slowrev knows how to kill a chuck. I do the same using my tractor and an old Electrolux vacuum hose. It works every time.

 

[shvl73]

A safer method is to hook a hose from your exhaust pipe put it down the hole and put dirt around it, not covering up the end of course. Now look for another entrance, there will usually be 2. fill it in , smoke a cig and wait a bit , maybe 15 min, then pull out the hose, fill in the hole , and on to the next one.

I actually saw a kit in a store this week. it came with hose for just such a purpose. Any freebee hose that won't melt should work fine.

 

[Egon]

Does the Karst geology make the groundhog holes worse?

Can't answere that question but doubt if a tractor can dissapear in a groundhog tunnel unless it is over some a potential sinkhole.

http://http://www.exploreflorida.org/karst/karst_student_background.cfm

 

[slowrev]

Can't answere that question but doubt if a tractor can dissapear in a groundhog tunnel unless it is over some a potential sinkhole.

http://http://www.exploreflorida.org/karst/karst_student_background.cfm

No they just don't eat up the tractor they just bust it up or cause it to roll down a hill. I personally know of 3 instances where a front end was broken off a tractor by groundhog holes. 2 of thoses instances resulted in broken bones and such injuries to the operator. The holes are very bad if mowing around a slope and the downhill rear wheel drops into one.

btw I just use old cracked rubber reinforced pump suction line for the exhaust hose.

I also usually use the truck for this duty as the exhaust pipe is so much easier to deal with on it vs the tractor. My friends do it with Gators and ATV's and such though. smaller engines just need more run time to generate sufficient co.

 

[GeneD14]

A safer method is to hook a hose from your exhaust pipe put it down the hole and put dirt around it, not covering up the end of course. Now look for another entrance, there will usually be 2. fill it in , smoke a cig and wait a bit , maybe 15 min, then pull out the hose, fill in the hole , and on to the next one.

I think that is a great idea for 2 reasons:

1) it kills the varmit
2) there is a chance that Pamela Anderson (animal lover and PETA spokesperson) will come over to protest.

I have hear many farmers say they broke the front end or spindle due to the tire dropping into the hole.