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Bristol R.I. USA

Raccoons, Rabbits and Woodchucks...My question is Do Raccoons like to eat pumpkin leaves. I've had one of my plants decimated by a hungry creature. Last night I caught a 28 lbs. Raccoon. I've seen the woodchuck in the neighbors yard. I'm in the patch for about 3 hours a day and with the hot temps the chuck stays away. The Damage usually happens at night..I believe that it's the raccoon anyone think differently? The Chuck usually will leave when he sees me and he never comes out in hot weather. Anyway I got an extra
Haveaheart trap and I put down some conservation fence, making sure to bury it and put dirt on it. Also I layed down some moth balls and some some gopher repelant...Baited the traps and then also put down some laundry baskets on every leaf bundle.....So if the Woodchuck tried he has to get through the powerful smell of the mothballs, Gopher repellant and then the buried conservation fence. Then he has to get through the laundry baskets....Maybe he'll give up and just go for the easier food in the Haveaheart traps, that are filled with apples lettice and cabbage...Please share some of your expiriences with me and how did it all work out for you. I hope it was the Raccoon that was doing the damage. He certainly was intelligent and expirienced. He stayed away from the traps... And the damage was done at night so I have a good idea its been him, I disarmed him of his Uzi-Carbine and deported him about 4 miles away to a wooded area.....

6/9/2010 12:11:51 PM

Ohio

Kenny, racoons should only come out at night, if you see one during the day time it is usually sick. Also, you need to relocate the racoon farther away, they will travel up to 5 miles. So be sure you are over 5 miles as the crow flies. If it is a ground hog, they can surely dig! Find some coon hunters and they will be happy to get that dang coon, if they are a nuisance the season is open, well at least here. Good Luck.

6/9/2010 1:44:14 PM

Bristol R.I. USA

I cant shoot them as their to close to houses.

6/9/2010 2:07:36 PM

Anamosa, IA [email protected]

My acreage is crawling with coons, being next to a creek, river, big timber and a state park. The only time they ever bothered near the pumpkins was when I buried fish heads and guts for fertilizer. They woud dig them up no matter how deep I buried them. For that reason I don't use any fish fertilizer. But they rip up my sweet corn, even with an electric fence. If the damage occurs at night then it might be a coon. Woodchucks are more active in the day. If shooting and electric fence aren't an option, try fox or coyote urine. You can get them at most stores that handle hunting and trapping supplies. You just need to re-apply after it rains. I really works well for coon, wodchucks and rabbits.

6/9/2010 2:33:30 PM

The bottom of New Jersey

Do you have deer in your area? I've never known a raccoon to eat pumpkin plants but I have seen rabbits out at night believe it or not. Around here we would have no garden if it weren't for 7' high deer fencing with 3' high chicken wire at the bottom, curved outwards and pinned to the ground with sod staples to discourage digging. I would try to look for footprints in the soil, that might be your best clue. When the soil is moist footprints should be easy to see. Repellents can be effective, but in my opinion fencing is a much more permanent and worry-free solution.

6/9/2010 3:01:49 PM

Johnston, R.I.

If something is eating the plant I would bet on the woodchuck

6/9/2010 3:58:07 PM

Mercersburg, PA

looking past the fencing option, which really isn't an option for me, do mothballs help for deer, coons, chucks? how about human hair? (my wife is a stylist). I want to be proactive rather than reactive because everything is growing well right now.

6/9/2010 3:58:35 PM

ordinary,VA

I vote with Norm...dang woodchucks

6/9/2010 4:58:47 PM

Bristol R.I. USA

The only thing is that the damage is at night. It may be a rogue rabbit so the fence might work for him as far as the whistling pig, when i trap him hes dead!

6/9/2010 5:25:27 PM

Ohio

Check out Tom P 's Diary and look what kind of damage a ground hog can do,

http://www.bigpumpkins.com/Diary/DiaryView.asp?season=2008&grower=28048

amazing how they leveled his plants and how he came back to grow one at the 900 lb mark. He definitely had the come back of the year award for the growing season that year.

If they was my plants, Im pretty sure I would have gave up and called it a season after I seen something like that, no way would I have ever thought something could have been grown to 100 lbs shy of a 1000 lbs from that type destruction.

6/9/2010 9:28:32 PM

Pataskala,OH

Good thing my dog has a taste for woodchuck. lol

6/9/2010 10:02:59 PM

Bristol R.I. USA

I have a taste for them to. Dead ones!

6/9/2010 11:17:03 PM

Gold Hill, Oregon

live trap for raccoons they love fried chicken. gets'em every time.

6/10/2010 2:33:37 AM

Logan Utah

maybe a suggestion if it is a woodchuck dig a drench around it and fill it with hair i read somewhere that moles dont like it maybe it goes for woodchucks also just a thought

6/11/2010 12:20:33 PM

Pataskala,OH

Mole Max ? Is a woodchuck a rodent?

6/11/2010 1:38:26 PM

more than likely a wood chuck we dont get them here, but racoons do love chicken bones they are a sucker every time. I stuck one with a hay pitch fork last week that was near the patch because of strawberries

6/13/2010 2:51:25 AM