stitchintime23, you have my sympathies. We've been through this many times over the years. Relocating them never worked for long. Can't shoot them in the suburbs.

So I decided to create a poultry wire fortress. The undersides are lined with heavy duty 1/2" hardware cloth. So far, so good.

{{gwi:1260133}}

Here is a link that might be useful: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SRjXAZqXvXA&fmt=18

One trick to fencing out woodchucks:

The fence should be flimsy.

I've fenced off my garden and watched from the house as a woodchuck tried to climb over the fence.

Because I used chicken-wire, as sqftsteve did for his Fortress, the woodchuck got 18 inches high on the fence and it then began to wobble back and forth

The woodchuck got scared and stopped climbing.

Now, I'm not certain of this, but I suspect that if I'd used something sturdy like Cattle panels he could have climbed over and down safely.

IIRC, the woodchuck had a tragic encounter with a 12 gage shotgun the next day. So sad...

BTW. those haveaheart traps are great. You bait the trap, catch the varmint, and as soon as you release the critter you shoot it.

What a time-saver !

Thank you both for your replies. My crops have been unmolested for two nights now, we're constructing a gate tomorrow morning, so I can get in there!

sqftsteve - I've admired your setup from the beginning

here's mine (sans gate and posts) 8 4x4 boxes total area 30' x 16'

jkirk - that is an interesting note about the flimsy fence - we just have the four corners up now, and was going to erect more posts for strength and appearance this weekend, but now wonder if I should just leave it be.

There is a havahart trap in place near the garden. It is illegal to relocate trapped wildlife in Massachusetts so you can make your own assumptions as to what will happen to the contents, should I capture Mr. Chuck. I also put some poisonous peanuts under the shed where I know another fellow lives.