All I really know about woodcucks is that they like warm car engines. Have had them in there under the hood a couple times.

+oM

So sorry to here your damages. I have the same problem with rabbits. Even with a fence, chicken wire lining most of the bottom half of my fence, and dogs, they still manage to come in and nibble on everything. Most of my trees will be limed up with nibbles. No cool skirt to look forward to on my 'Pendula Bruns'. They trimmed it up. The real damage is too the small stuff and miniatures. They completely ate my small 'Schirrmanns Nordlicht' down to a nub. Not a bud in sight. Is it possible for it to push out new buds in the spring or does no buds mean it's a goner? They also destroyed both of my miniature willows, Salix boydii 'Boyd's Willow' and chewed the bases of every Japanese Maple. Grumble, grumble, damn rabbits.

This spring I think my wife and I will purchase some recurve bows, fill our bellies with rabbit, and stop purchasing the horrible Industrial farm meat that is really hard to avoid. I heard juniper berries/cones are quite nice for cooking rabbit making the meat less gamey.

Hope you figure out who the culprit is. We have just about every critter out here including woodchucks but i have never had any problems with them that I have noticed. My guess is that you have ninja rabbits eating you conifers like me.

They're interesting little critters. Quite comical to see them bolt when my dog goes running after them.

This post was edited by whaas on Sat, Jan 12, 13 at 14:19

Do Woodchucks eat wood?

No. Woodchucks primarily eat wild grasses and other vegetation, and berries. They also eat grubs, grasshoppers, insects, snails and other small animals. The name woodchuck is unrelated to wood or chucking. It stems from an Algonquian name for the animal, wuchak.

I went through a massive up limbing of conifers and dwarf tree destruction during a heavy snow season three years ago. Some plants were eaten to the ground. The culprit was rabbits.

I have a chain link fence around three sides of my property with a state owned farm fence along the back. I went out and purchased rolls fine mash fencing and secured that to the bottom two ft. of existing fence with tie wire. It has to fit snug to the ground and trimming to fit the contour of you ground is a must.

I can see many rabbit and other varmit trails along the fence line now but they are now permanently screened out and damage has ceased.

Whass are you seeing any tracks. Rabbits will stretch on their hind legs and reach 2 + ft. up to nibble. Your problem is a huge issue. Without a fence you are going to need to encompass every plant with fence screening material. If not you will loose everything til their is nothing left or worth having. Ifeel safe in saying your problem is Rabbits.

Dave

No tracks because it happened in fall. That is another reason I think it was the woodchucks as there weren't any tracks in the snow from when the snow first fell mid-Dec to now almost mid-Jan. I found the info you pasted above as well and it appears that is the growing season diet. I found some info that if there are early season freezes and if it warms back up they will eat other plants before hibernating. We saw some freezes as early as Sept and some 20s in October. November was fairly mild then.

I'll do some more digging before I take action on the chubbies.

Garen, I used to have bad rabbit issues at my last home where they'd tear up my decidious plants. I ended up planted more Weigela just because they seemed to favor them...they ended up leaving the other plants alone. It was a win win since they pruned them for me! Your little guy might sprout up, I'd give it a chance.

After another walk I was suprised how many plants actually snapped from the snowfall. The damn Japanese maples really took a beating. I'm officially giving up on those as they get romped by early and late season freezes and then snap easily under some snow weight. White lightning took out a few plants too since everthing was covered and she didn't know what was where.

Ah, the joys of midwest gardening.

Whaas,

Let me refrase it.

If a woodchuck could chuck wood, a woodchuck would chuck as much as a woodchuck could chuck if a woodchuck could and would chuck wood.

He doesn't chuck wood. In season or out.

One thing you can be assured of.

A little off topic but true.

Bears really do sh*t in the woods.

or...

GEICO can really save you 15 percent or more on car insurance?

I think even Ken would agree to this.

Dave

If a woodchuck could chuck wood, a woodchuck would chuck as much as a woodchuck could chuck if a woodchuck could and would chuck wood.

He doesn't chuck wood. In season or out.

One thing you can be assured of.

A little off topic but true.

Bears really do sh*t in the woods.

or...

GEICO can really save you 15 percent or more on car insurance?

I found out they do feed on woody plant leaves, tree seedlings and gnaw on trees. My plant damage is on 2-4 year old plants. I talked to a friend of nursery around here and he has had issues with tree seedlings.

Since the damage happened in fall and no damage mid-December through January I'm not going to rule them out, certainly can't go off a tongue twister!

I actually saved 18% by switching to GEICO!

I don't see many rabbits in the daytime around here, but I've had tons of hemlocks, maple seedlings, and ground covers cleaned off due to rabbits. You can see the paw prints and the "whoppers" they leave behind! ;)

I've resorted to poking honeylocust thorns all around any susceptible plants (pretty much all of them), and hard chicken wire around every tree and shrub. They are horrible little critters, they'll gnaw a planting down to the ground! The worst thing is they seem to be just sharpening their teeth or something - Usually the top of the tree/shrub/whatever is lying on the ground, with just that 1 bite mark! @#!!@! critters!

Whaas, your ancestors must be pioneers or some other stalwart types. Your stories make me cringe but you just take it on the chin and plan on. Props.

I'm suprised you don't have foxes around with so many hopping lunches available.

Whether the damage is caused by woodchucks or another mammal, you can find products that will repel them from your trees or shrubs.
Using a combination of strategies such as a fear based repellent and a barrier (in this case a tree wrap) may do the trick.
A tree wrap such as those sold by Gemplers (http://www.gemplers.com/product/WEB153379/ArborGard-Tree-Wrap) may at least help deter them.
Getting rid of unwanted woodchucks or other mammals of prey can be accomplished through the use of a product that uses the cause of action; fear. Using genuine granualized predator urine, Critter Repellent is easy to use even in the winter time by simply shaking it on the ground. You can check it out at the link below.

Here is a link that might be useful: Woodchuck Repellent

All in fun.

I understand you pain and hope you can resolve this issue.

Dave

Well some of the elements of Capricorn are synonymous with stalwart!

I actually haven't seen much of anything once I got a dog. I like this new house as the windows are lower for her to look out. She lets me know when she sees something. Besides your everyday birds I see hawks the most.

I trained her from I'm so cute to "go get em"!

{{gwi:626790}}

{{gwi:626791}}

I'll jump in here one more time to make a long story longer.

My neighbor in the Spring of 2011 adopted two Farrel Cats that appeared out of nowhere. They are strictly outside cats and roam/hunt in our small neighborhood. Woods surround the backside of our development so there is plenty of natural food sources for these animals to supplement the food on the porch left for them by the neighbor.

I didn't see one ground squirrel this year. They invaded the neighborhood 4 years ago and have done much damage with all their digging and setting up house underground. I usually dispatched 1-200 a year before the cats took care of them. I didn't see one last year. Also gone are rabbits and squirrels which were destructive in their own right.

At first I wasn't to happy having the cats roam through the yard but they have proved their worth and I find no damage from their wondering.

Dave

The neighbor has two cats that roam past my lot line. They sleep in an overflow drain (its about a foot high) off the corner of the lot line. Little buggers where rolling past my patio one night and my dog went nuts. The cat was stunned that it just stood there like a deer in headlights.

This little tiger stays indoors. Although he comes packing 20 lbs of ferocity. He won't even back down from full size lab.

{{gwi:626792}}

Like any other plant lover, I wouldn't shed a tear if a feral cat was making mincemeat out of the local rodent population. Trouble is, they don't stop there. Songbird population declines have been extensively correlated with feral cat predation, which, coming on top of the larger issue of habitat loss, is especially damaging.

So I don't know..... a few fewer mice and other rodents, maybe even a lot fewer, but a lot fewer of a bunch of valuable critters too. Cats kill beyond their immediate food needs.

+oM

Well Tom I am not sure how to reply. I am sure your concerns are valid.

The Ground Squirrel/Chipmonk has become a total epidemic in our city. On occasion I could not step out the door without seeing one. and they were burring under everything. I couldn't set my traps quick enough to catch the next one. I trapped 3-4 a day and they just kept on coming. This went on for the last 4 years and since the cats none in 2012. So far I haven't seen any bird feathers or a decrease in population. The birds seem quite content at my bird feeders.

For me I count the cats as a blessing as they have removed an obnoxious varmint from my landscape.

Dave

This post was edited by dcsteg on Mon, Jan 14, 13 at 10:45