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Author Topic: New Yard Tenants  (Read 7181 times)
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KD1SH
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« on: May 08, 2022, 10:34:37 AM »

Discovered this family living almost under the feedpoint of my 75m loop. So far they haven't complained about any TVI. (they're big Fox News fans, of course)


* family.JPG (450.4 KB, 1960x1195 - viewed 435 times.)
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"Gosh, Batman, I never knew there were no punctuation marks in alphabet soup!"
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W1ITT
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« Reply #1 on: May 08, 2022, 11:54:19 AM »

Cute as a button until Mama-san decides that the household kitty would make a fine meal for the family.  I have twice seen foxes make a strange squalling sound that seems to hypnotize cats into standing still so the fox can attack.  Both times I was able to drive the fox away.  It's an eerie sound.
73 de Norm W1ITT
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KD1SH
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« Reply #2 on: May 08, 2022, 01:12:20 PM »

   No cats here, but a few neighbors' cats roam pretty freely, apparently with no fear of the foxes and have been doing so since the foxes moved in, so I guess they coexist. I suspect that the typical fox diet is more along the lines of mice and chipmunks and the like - which they're very welcome to in my yard - as well as insects, frogs, and snakes. Larger prey like rabbits and woodchucks, and maybe cats, are probably lower on the list because they're faster, and might fight back. But, I'd be keeping my cat inside for a while, if I had one. Actually, I've seen what look like feathers around the den, and neighbors up the road have chickens. I really hope Mom doesn't get herself shot doing that.
   I noticed the den earlier last fall, but I've often had woodchucks up there so I figured it was more of them, and I'd planned to set myself up a sniper blind and add a little lead to their diet. I was so surprised when, arriving home from work one evening, I saw three little pups romping around up there, wrestling and biting each other's tails while Mom looked on. But, once the little ones are older and the family moves on - probably mid summer - I'm going fill in the holes with rocks to discourage them from coming back. As adorable as they are, I don't want my yard to become their year-round abode.
   And yes, I've heard their weird calls at all hours of the night, sometimes waking us up. My wife will be glad when they're gone.

Cute as a button until Mama-san decides that the household kitty would make a fine meal for the family.  I have twice seen foxes make a strange squalling sound that seems to hypnotize cats into standing still so the fox can attack.  Both times I was able to drive the fox away.  It's an eerie sound.
73 de Norm W1ITT
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"Gosh, Batman, I never knew there were no punctuation marks in alphabet soup!"
—Robin, in the 1960's Batman TV series.
W2JBL
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« Reply #3 on: May 09, 2022, 07:29:58 PM »

   I use CCI Quiet .22LR 40 grain segmented hollow point, 710 FPS. It's quieter than many airguns yet still powerful enough to hydroshock a can of (spoiled skunky) beer to expolsion.
I've taken tons of rodents of all sizes with it and rarely need a second shot to induce the desired condition. Only drawback is it won't cycle in a semiauto. I use a levergun.
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Detroit47
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« Reply #4 on: May 09, 2022, 10:34:45 PM »

Ahh subsonic rounds. No crackle best for use with a sound suppressor.
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KD1SH
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« Reply #5 on: May 10, 2022, 08:32:49 AM »

   I live in a rural area, but with neighbors. Given the current attitudes, I don't shoot any "internal combustion" stuff on the property. For woodchuck sized pests, my high-powered air rifle - 1100 fps, almost supersonic - is like a ball-peen hammer to the head at anything up to 50 yards.
   One of the most depressing reminders of the inevitable creep of time was when I discovered that I could no longer shoot with open sights. Even with my glasses I can longer focus on the target and front and rear sights at the same time. But with a good scope, woodchucks beware!

   I use CCI Quiet .22LR 40 grain segmented hollow point, 710 FPS. It's quieter than many airguns yet still powerful enough to hydroshock a can of (spoiled skunky) beer to expolsion.
I've taken tons of rodents of all sizes with it and rarely need a second shot to induce the desired condition. Only drawback is it won't cycle in a semiauto. I use a levergun.
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"Gosh, Batman, I never knew there were no punctuation marks in alphabet soup!"
—Robin, in the 1960's Batman TV series.
KB2WIG
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« Reply #6 on: May 10, 2022, 12:10:00 PM »



Some how, i've come to the conclusion that one shot goes unnoticed.

klc
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Patrick J. / KD5OEI
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« Reply #7 on: May 10, 2022, 01:28:28 PM »

   I use CCI Quiet .22LR 40 grain segmented hollow point, 710 FPS. It's quieter than many airguns yet still powerful enough to hydroshock a can of (spoiled skunky) beer to expolsion.
I've taken tons of rodents of all sizes with it and rarely need a second shot to induce the desired condition. Only drawback is it won't cycle in a semiauto. I use a levergun.

I love my Marlin 39A lever action. Smooth for subsonic.
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Radio Candelstein - Flagship Station of the NRK Radio Network.
KE5YTV
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« Reply #8 on: May 10, 2022, 10:07:14 PM »

Good looking litter. It's sad that so many try to figure the best way to kill them. I'm honored to have a Bobcat family close.
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Mike
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KD1SH
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« Reply #9 on: May 11, 2022, 07:30:45 AM »

   I will readily shoot woodchucks, when they start digging huge holes in my lawn; squirrels when they start chewing my feedlines; chipmunks when they start eating holes through my basement door, but I've got a soft-spot for the predators. Far more intelligent and sophisticated creatures than the plant eating rodents - it doesn't take a lot of mental horsepower to sneak up on a turnip. Those foxes are beautiful creatures and I wouldn't hurt them for anything. But, if I were a farmer whose chickens were being decimated, I might feel differently.

Good looking litter. It's sad that so many try to figure the best way to kill them. I'm honored to have a Bobcat family close.
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"Gosh, Batman, I never knew there were no punctuation marks in alphabet soup!"
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« Reply #10 on: May 18, 2022, 05:45:26 PM »

nasty squirrels despoil and waste every peach on the tree.
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KD1SH
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« Reply #11 on: May 19, 2022, 02:07:11 PM »

Other than mice, squirrels are my least favorite rodent. I hope my fox family eats those things like popcorn.

nasty squirrels despoil and waste every peach on the tree.
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w8khk
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« Reply #12 on: May 19, 2022, 08:24:40 PM »

Other than mice, squirrels are my least favorite rodent. I hope my fox family eats those things like popcorn.

nasty squirrels despoil and waste every peach on the tree.

I wish that massive fox in my neighborhood would take out some squirrels, but instead he consumed all the bunnies that liked to eat clover under my dipole.  It will never be the same!
The squirrels still chew on the feeders and dig holes in the yard.  (Maybe we should not call them feeders?) 
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Rick / W8KHK  ex WB2HKX, WB4GNR
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KD1SH
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« Reply #13 on: May 20, 2022, 12:07:02 PM »

   Okay, having previously said that I'm not fond of rodents, I will admit a soft-spot for bunnies. I can't help but feel something for a cuddly little critter, all helpless and meek, that seems to serve mainly as food for other critters. I doubt many bunnies die of old age.
   Chipmunks, on the other hand really annoy me. It's almost like they're thinking, "hey, I can get away with anything 'cause I'm so cute you won't shoot me."
   Hah! Watch this you little striped rat!


Other than mice, squirrels are my least favorite rodent. I hope my fox family eats those things like popcorn.

nasty squirrels despoil and waste every peach on the tree.

I wish that massive fox in my neighborhood would take out some squirrels, but instead he consumed all the bunnies that liked to eat clover under my dipole.  It will never be the same!
The squirrels still chew on the feeders and dig holes in the yard.  (Maybe we should not call them feeders?) 
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"Gosh, Batman, I never knew there were no punctuation marks in alphabet soup!"
—Robin, in the 1960's Batman TV series.
KD1SH
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« Reply #14 on: June 01, 2022, 12:27:08 PM »

Nature is sometimes full of mysteries. Last week sometime I was thinking that my fox family had moved on, not having seen any activity for a while. Then, a couple days ago, I saw something up there. But it wasn't a fox, it was a big fat woodchuck, sitting right on top of the mound where the fox den is and the little pups play. Okay, I figured the foxes must be gone, but even still, that whole area must smell of fox - and will for some time - so why would a potential prey animal hang around up there? It's a big woodchuck, maybe a bit too much for the smallish mamma fox, but even so, it amazes me that a woodchuck would be so bold. But then, the other day, mamma and the pups are back, so they're not gone after all. Is the 'chuck still there? Curious; I'll be watching.
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"Gosh, Batman, I never knew there were no punctuation marks in alphabet soup!"
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w8khk
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« Reply #15 on: June 01, 2022, 02:30:15 PM »

But it wasn't a fox, it was a big fat woodchuck, sitting right on top of the mound where the fox den is and the little pups play.

Are you sure that was a woodchuck, or might it possibly be a ground hog, whistle pig, or land beaver?  Either one of these tend to chew on the tree bark early in the springtime, before other edibles have sprouted.

If your new tenant is a ground hog, perhaps you might get him to come out of his hole early in February, but only if it is a cloudy day.  I am getting tired of the ole "six more weeks of winter" rut.  Early spring and antenna weather is certainly preferable!
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Rick / W8KHK  ex WB2HKX, WB4GNR
"Both politicians and diapers need to be changed often and for the same reason.”   Ronald Reagan

My smart?phone voicetext screws up homophones, but they are crystal clear from my 75 meter plate-modulated AM transmitter
KD1SH
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« Reply #16 on: June 01, 2022, 02:46:08 PM »

   How much wood could a woodchuck chuck...? What sort of tune would a whistle pig whistle? Does ground-hog taste anything like ground-beef?
   It's not even summer yet and I'm already tired of the heat. If I shoot the critter and stuff him back in his hole, can we have an early autumn?

But it wasn't a fox, it was a big fat woodchuck, sitting right on top of the mound where the fox den is and the little pups play.

Are you sure that was a woodchuck, or might it possibly be a ground hog, whistle pig, or land beaver?  Either one of these tend to chew on the tree bark early in the springtime, before other edibles have sprouted.

If your new tenant is a ground hog, perhaps you might get him to come out of his hole early in February, but only if it is a cloudy day.  I am getting tired of the ole "six more weeks of winter" rut.  Early spring and antenna weather is certainly preferable!
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"Gosh, Batman, I never knew there were no punctuation marks in alphabet soup!"
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KD1SH
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« Reply #17 on: June 19, 2022, 03:27:04 PM »

   I haven't seem them for a while, so I think Mom took the pups out into the big world. I'll miss seeing them, but my wife won't miss the weird sounds they made in the middle of the night.
   Another picture, taken before the pups started to look more like Mom with the red fur and big fluffy tails. Last time I saw them they were pretty much smaller versions of Mom.
   One of the support posts for my 75m loop can be seen, with counterweight, in the background.


* mom and pup.JPG (570.7 KB, 2135x1395 - viewed 253 times.)
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"Gosh, Batman, I never knew there were no punctuation marks in alphabet soup!"
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Tom W2ILA
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« Reply #18 on: June 29, 2022, 07:23:55 AM »

Your ground hog moved to my garden yesterday. 
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KD1SH
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« Reply #19 on: June 29, 2022, 09:19:10 AM »

It's absolutely amazing the size of the holes those things will dig. My wife and I used to make a game out of who could count the most woodchucks in the grass along the highway, on the way to work; we thought they were cute. Then, we came home from vacation to find a huge hole, and a mound of dirt almost knee-high, in the middle of my front lawn.
The next hole that appeared wasn't in my lawn, it was between his eyes.

Your ground hog moved to my garden yesterday. 
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« Reply #20 on: July 06, 2022, 02:38:37 PM »

Driving home over the weekend I saw what may have been a Groundhog, Woodchuck or Whistle pig. It was standing on its hind legs after just crossing the road. Did slow down but was not inclined to stop. But what can I say, it decided to do the stupidest thing and run back out on the road and think I got it with one of the rear tires on the truck.
Needless to say, it will no longer be chucking wood, whistling and I have no desire to find out if it tastes anything like ground beef.
 Good thing was I did not have the wife or kids with me so no big scene like if they were there. Some years back the kids discovered a deer with a broken leg out on our road so I went out a shot it but my one daughter insisted that we then dig a hole and burry it.
Sorry if I offended anyone with such stories and they are not directly radio relevant, maybe next time I can talk about all the damage mice do at broadcast transmitter sites or why snakes are always attracted to AM broadcast sites?
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