Re: Sometimes Patience with Chucks Pays Off
[Re: Jim Comstock]
#5929312
06/16/17 08:48 AM
06/16/17 08:48 AM
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Joined: Feb 2011
New York
Jim Comstock
OP
trapper
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OP
trapper
Joined: Feb 2011
New York
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As a kid I hunted chucks in farmers fields, not in town of course, but now they are not only in suburbia, but downtown and in heavily wooded areas with only small lawns where I never knew chucks to be. I often wonder if the well meaning have released them in woodlots near homes because the chuck issue seems to be almost epidemic, something for which I certainly have no complaints. I couldn't finish the last sentence before the phone rang, woodchuck. I should ask the state what their records indicate for number of chucks taken annually, increasing?
If a client has an open "clean" level yard with only one shed that can be excluded, they might be a good candidate for making the yard inhospitable. However, if there are chucks in all of the surrounding neighborhoods and their yard has a flower or vegetable gardens I think it's sometimes best to leave everything as is so that the same holes can easily be located and reset year after year when chucks do return. Like beaver, chucks seem to gravitate to the same spots when they do return. And though beaver and chucks will come back to the same exact spots time after time, it might not be every year or even every other year. Just have to deal with them as they show up.
I'm always amazed that chucks will dig out an old hole, easily finding a hole that was "totally filled in and leveled."
Back to patience. I had trapped a location for several weeks this year, perhaps a month, catching 3. I was hoping to be done, just wanted to be done there actually, after catching the last in a foothold. Just got the call that another has showed up so I have to go back, something that doesn't usually happen because I don't usually leave. I guess that's why sometimes it's best to leave sets for many weeks as chucks just keep coming. Just saves resetting. With these long term setting locations, if cage trapping, double door cage traps are a must. When a chuck suddenly appears in a trap after two weeks I'm going to guess he didn't just pop up out of the hole.
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Re: Sometimes Patience with Chucks Pays Off
[Re: Jim Comstock]
#5932961
06/21/17 07:27 PM
06/21/17 07:27 PM
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Joined: Feb 2011
New York
Jim Comstock
OP
trapper
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OP
trapper
Joined: Feb 2011
New York
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Not sure of the world record for leaving a chuck set in place, but we just hit day 64. With that said, most would think, why?????? I sort of wanted to pick the trap up at day 51 with chuck number 5, but the nice lady was worried as she had just planted the garden. Not wanting to be responsible for the possible loss of the garden, especially after all of my effort and her expense, we left it. Just got the call, chuck number 6. Hard to beat, a bait free, maintenance free set that just catches. Only have made trips to remove critters. Don't know how long this will persist, but probably won't leave it over the winter.
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Re: Sometimes Patience with Chucks Pays Off
[Re: Jim Comstock]
#5933376
06/22/17 08:37 AM
06/22/17 08:37 AM
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Joined: Jan 2015
Arkansas
Jason Turner
trapper
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trapper
Joined: Jan 2015
Arkansas
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Jim, was the baitless trap that caught a positive set at a den hole?
Wildlife Removal, Etc.
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Re: Sometimes Patience with Chucks Pays Off
[Re: MChewk]
#5955527
07/20/17 07:26 PM
07/20/17 07:26 PM
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Joined: Apr 2010
St. Louis area
Dave Schmidt
trapper
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trapper
Joined: Apr 2010
St. Louis area
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Electronic trap monitors are great for customers who can't/won't do required trap checks. I recommend TrapSmart - great guys.
ALL OUT Wildlife Control
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Re: Sometimes Patience with Chucks Pays Off
[Re: Jim Comstock]
#5956313
07/21/17 06:02 PM
07/21/17 06:02 PM
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Joined: Dec 2006
Adirondacks, N.Y.
trapdye
trapper
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trapper
Joined: Dec 2006
Adirondacks, N.Y.
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Patience pays, 17 days & their he was. Still waiting on his buddy.
John's Nuisance Wildlife Control If you like what you do for a living, It's better than a vacation. Most days.
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