Problem Groundhog and Skunks in Pumpkin

[Pa Teeny]

I have been growing pumpkin for 9 years and still have problems with groundhogs and skunks eating and scaring the outside shells of the largest pumpkins. I have tried alot of stuff ( shooting, waiting and Gas) You see they will dig holes in the field where they will not need to leave the field until late Oct.

Ps. 5 gallons of gas is alot of fun- Relieves built op frustration $$$

I just purchased 2 #220 conibear traps to place over the holes. any other ideas?

 

[greg223]

Don't know about groundhogs, but have lots of experience with skunks. A couple years ago we had lots of them. Here is how I solved the problem. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/ooo.gif Take a small jar with a metal lid. Put hole in it about 1" in diameter and two small holes to run a wire through. I use concrete form wire. Put the wire through the two holes and twist it so it won't come undone. Put some tuna fish in the jar and tighten the lid. Run wire up over a fence, tree limb, etc and attach the wire on the other end to some cans (or anything else) with a few pebbles in them. When the skunk tries to get the tuna, the other cans make enough noise to hear, then I step outside with a flashlight and my single shot .410. It's a bang-flop. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grinning-smiley-003.gif Once, I got a double with one shot. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif Got 18 of 'em that way, neighbors call me "skunk". /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grinning-smiley-006.gif Does get a bit smelly sometimes, but not near as bad as the time I caught one alive. I tried to prod it enough to make it lose it's "stink". Found out skunks don't lose their "stink". /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused1.gif I got sick and started puking all over. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif Killed it. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grinning-smiley-003.gif I got to learn things the hard way. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smiliesmack.gif I hate skunks. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[Lungbuster]

Conibear traps work great, the hog has to come out sometime, you dont even have to stake them very deep.

 

[Sparky]

Reminds me of when we used to grow cabbage and had problems.
Nothing like 5 gallons of gas and 50' of garden hose on a HOT day! We would drag the hose out of the hole just as we finished dumping all the gas down the hose and then touch it off after it had time to vaporize. WOW! Don't know how many we actually killed, but the explosions were fun.
I still remember the sight of everyone running when a skunk came out in flames on one of the holes.