Author Topic: Rabbit or Squirrel or Skunk  (Read 3873 times)

Lionking

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Rabbit or Squirrel or Skunk
« on: June 17, 2018, 03:57:56 PM »
Came home today from a family getaway to find 3 mango seedlings that had just started to grow half eaten.   A couple of other mango seedlings that are a little bigger had the leaves eaten.
Also a couple of grafts that I did had been gnawed on.
So I’m curious as to what animal did this? 
I know that there is a rabbit that has been hanging around eating the green grass, as well as a ground squirrel that has been running around during the day.
At night I have seen a skunk searching for food.
I’d like to get rid of the one that’s doing the damage but not sure which one it is.
Has anyone had this happen and know who the culprit is?  Which one of these 3 animals eats mango leaves and would try to eat a scion?

spaugh

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Re: Rabbit or Squirrel or Skunk
« Reply #1 on: June 17, 2018, 09:47:46 PM »
Rabbit or mice/rats.

If you really want to be sure you can get a trail cam and take some video.  Thats what we do here if we need to figure who is doing what.
Brad Spaugh

Lionking

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Re: Rabbit or Squirrel or Skunk
« Reply #2 on: June 17, 2018, 10:18:12 PM »
Rabbit or mice/rats.

If you really want to be sure you can get a trail cam and take some video.  Thats what we do here if we need to figure who is doing what.

Thanks Spaugh,

     I first suspect the ground squirrel.  I know they eat the fruit but wasn’t sure if they would eat mango leaves and young growth.
I can see the rabbit eating lthe leaves but don’t think they can reach up to nibble on grafts that are about 2ft high without breaking or moving the graft. 
Never thought about mice or rats but now I will be keeping an eye out. 
The trail cam is a great idea.  I now remember you used one when you posted the video of the coyote climbing the trees.
Thanks for the help.

wslau

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Re: Rabbit or Squirrel or Skunk
« Reply #3 on: June 17, 2018, 10:25:29 PM »
If they were young leaves...maybe grasshoppers.  They don't attack the stems though...that I know of.
Warren

spaugh

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Re: Rabbit or Squirrel or Skunk
« Reply #4 on: June 17, 2018, 10:51:40 PM »
Rabbits like to eat leaves and also chew bark.  They have pretty cheap trail cams available on amazon.  Bushnell makes good ones.  Theres lots of brands out there though.  You want to get a tripod for it also if you get one. 
Brad Spaugh

behlgarden

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Re: Rabbit or Squirrel or Skunk
« Reply #5 on: June 18, 2018, 11:51:14 AM »
I am having a lot of issues lately, my 4 avocado young plants were chopped by trunk, mango growth on young seedling eaten up, and it constantly hits my stone fruits, eats apricot stems and chews out all new growth.

wondering if its Gopher or Squirrel.

Lionking

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Re: Rabbit or Squirrel or Skunk
« Reply #6 on: June 18, 2018, 06:26:12 PM »
So yesterday after replying to Spaugh,  I was about to head outside when I noticed the pesky wabbit.   He was eating grass again...  I'd hate to eliminate him if he is not the one doing this. 
I also saw the ground squirrel again but he to was nowhere near the trees.
Should I just eliminate both? Or just go wabbit hunting?


Lionking

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Re: Rabbit or Squirrel or Skunk
« Reply #7 on: June 18, 2018, 06:30:31 PM »
If they were young leaves...maybe grasshoppers.  They don't attack the stems though...that I know of.

I don’t think grasshopper only because it also gnawed and half ate the stems as well.
Out of curiosity,  do squirrels also eat roots?  What ever it was had also tried the roots.

Lionking

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Re: Rabbit or Squirrel or Skunk
« Reply #8 on: June 18, 2018, 06:45:32 PM »
I am having a lot of issues lately, my 4 avocado young plants were chopped by trunk, mango growth on young seedling eaten up, and it constantly hits my stone fruits, eats apricot stems and chews out all new growth.

wondering if its Gopher or Squirrel.

Hey Behl, 
Hope all is well.  Sounds like we have the same issue. 
So far I have yet to see any gophers but I do also know that I have a mole hanging around. 
The mango seedling trees are all in pots so don’t think it’s the mole.
Do you have any rabbits showing up in your garden?

behlgarden

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Re: Rabbit or Squirrel or Skunk
« Reply #9 on: June 18, 2018, 07:14:01 PM »
Tonnes of rabbits

Lionking

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Re: Rabbit or Squirrel or Skunk
« Reply #10 on: June 18, 2018, 07:42:08 PM »
Rabbits like to eat leaves and also chew bark.  They have pretty cheap trail cams available on amazon.  Bushnell makes good ones.  Theres lots of brands out there though.  You want to get a tripod for it also if you get one.

So talked to a buddy of mine that I go hunting with and he mentioned that he was planning on buying a couple of Bushnell.  I told him that I would go half with him.
Thanks again Spaugh.

For now,  I’m going to try to take out the ground squirrel with my sons 22 pellet rifle...

behlgarden

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Re: Rabbit or Squirrel or Skunk
« Reply #11 on: June 18, 2018, 09:08:21 PM »
I ordered my trail cam. I can't stand this anymore. I also have one bite bar all over my yard, up high, no I don't have dogs nor are these accessible to dogs. One bit bar is good for squirrels. but rabbits, I need to find alternate.

palmcity

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Re: Rabbit or Squirrel or Skunk
« Reply #12 on: June 18, 2018, 10:59:05 PM »

I know that there is a rabbit that has been hanging around eating the green grass, as well as a ground squirrel that has been running around during the day.

I’d like to get rid of the one that’s doing the damage but not sure which one it is.

Has anyone had this happen and know who the culprit is?  Which one of these 3 animals eats mango leaves and would try to eat a scion?
Wild rabbits will eat grass,mango stems, mango leaves, and they really love to come a hopping when they hear a ripe mango hit the ground at night to feast on it but usually just skinning it.

Not sure why you would want to identify the particular culprit by video/pictures??? ........

They are known to eat all & will eat all of the above when the opportunity presents itself... They are wild & will not be trained not to eat your fruit & small trees... That is what they do....

A meteorite hit one in my yard today while it was sitting next to a mango it had been eating on the ground... Any other varmints  capable of eating my fruit need to exit the property before another meteorite hits them...

Cages with their half eaten fruit are useful to round up the hopping varmints during the night...

spaugh

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Re: Rabbit or Squirrel or Skunk
« Reply #13 on: June 19, 2018, 12:41:44 AM »
Squirrels for sure shoot em dead.  Rabbits, you should really be closing off their entrances or they will just keep coming back.  Kill them if you have to but better to use chicken wire or whatever you need to do to keep them out instead of trying to kill them all.
Brad Spaugh

Lionking

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Re: Rabbit or Squirrel or Skunk
« Reply #14 on: June 20, 2018, 12:37:18 AM »

I know that there is a rabbit that has been hanging around eating the green grass, as well as a ground squirrel that has been running around during the day.

I’d like to get rid of the one that’s doing the damage but not sure which one it is.

Has anyone had this happen and know who the culprit is?  Which one of these 3 animals eats mango leaves and would try to eat a scion?
Wild rabbits will eat grass,mango stems, mango leaves, and they really love to come a hopping when they hear a ripe mango hit the ground at night to feast on it but usually just skinning it.

Not sure why you would want to identify the particular culprit by video/pictures??? ........

They are known to eat all & will eat all of the above when the opportunity presents itself... They are wild & will not be trained not to eat your fruit & small trees... That is what they do....

A meteorite hit one in my yard today while it was sitting next to a mango it had been eating on the ground... Any other varmints  capable of eating my fruit need to exit the property before another meteorite hits them...

Cages with their half eaten fruit are useful to round up the hopping varmints during the night...

I want both the rabbit and the squirrel gone ... just figured I’d start with the squirrel because it doesn’t show itself much but I do know where his ground hole is.
The rabbit,  I made the mistake of saying I was going to shoot it in from of my 2 young kids.  Now every time I am about to walk to the back yard,  my kids are on me.  Keep saying to leave the cute bunny alone...  I was thinking if I could get a video or picture of who ate my seedlings and it wasn’t the rabbit,  I’d let it live. But If I can find out where it’s den is,  I might have to set a snare in its path... I mean cover it’s den entrance with chicken wire as recommended by Spaugh. 

behlgarden

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Re: Rabbit or Squirrel or Skunk
« Reply #15 on: June 20, 2018, 01:54:47 AM »
my cam is on the way, in less than 3 days I will know the culprit, then its bloodbath. no kidding.

CA Hockey

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Re: Rabbit or Squirrel or Skunk
« Reply #16 on: June 20, 2018, 03:24:16 AM »
Rabbit chewed through my first edranol and killed it.

It also pulled out a very pricey thermalito rooted fig. Expensive taste. It recently knocked over 6 inches of growth on small shindler avocado. I haven’t let th dog out yet because I have many small trees and recently grafted trees and I’m worried he’ll knock those over in his excitement but if the trees can hold out till fall or so then he’s going to be loosed then.


Lionking

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Re: Rabbit or Squirrel or Skunk
« Reply #17 on: June 24, 2018, 07:54:33 PM »
So the rabbit has been taken care of.  Does it make for good fertilizer or should I just bury it? 


baccarat0809

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Re: Rabbit or Squirrel or Skunk
« Reply #18 on: June 24, 2018, 09:16:16 PM »
That's dinner man.  Skin it and eat it.  Don't waste good meat that mother nature provides.

spaugh

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Re: Rabbit or Squirrel or Skunk
« Reply #19 on: June 24, 2018, 09:37:07 PM »
I ate few of them.  Not that great.   My dog likes them at least.  Now I just leave them out and the buzzards and crows take it.  It will make fertilizer under a large tree for sure as it breaks down if you burry it. 

Hopefully you can fence your yard or they will just keep coming back.
Brad Spaugh

Lionking

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Re: Rabbit or Squirrel or Skunk
« Reply #20 on: June 24, 2018, 10:16:23 PM »
I ate few of them.  Not that great.   My dog likes them at least.  Now I just leave them out and the buzzards and crows take it.  It will make fertilizer under a large tree for sure as it breaks down if you burry it. 

Hopefully you can fence your yard or they will just keep coming back.

I hopping that they don’t.  I’ve been living here for 15 yrs and there has only been a couple in my yard since I’ve moved in ...
I did see the ground squirrel jump onto a table where I had raised my potted seedlings.  Mater of fact,  he ate 3 more.  Found 2 seeds that it dug up and chewed up.
I set a trap.  Hope it works.

behlgarden

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Re: Rabbit or Squirrel or Skunk
« Reply #21 on: June 25, 2018, 12:55:45 PM »
I ate few of them.  Not that great.   My dog likes them at least.  Now I just leave them out and the buzzards and crows take it.  It will make fertilizer under a large tree for sure as it breaks down if you burry it. 

Hopefully you can fence your yard or they will just keep coming back.

Brad, how high do rabbits climb? I cant imagine rabbit climbing trees, if that is the case my problem may not be rabbit but squirrels or gophers as both climb. Gophers eat roots and worms below ground. that that leaves down to squirrels only and you cant stop them other than take then out via one bite bar bait. Mine are getting cleaned up almost daily, need to spend some good dough until they are wiped out.

see images of broken branches, these are 5 plus feet high. Rabbits stay on ground and eat grass and occasionally nibble on my tender pepper plant leaves.






« Last Edit: June 25, 2018, 01:00:58 PM by behlgarden »

spaugh

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Re: Rabbit or Squirrel or Skunk
« Reply #22 on: June 25, 2018, 01:35:21 PM »
Rabbit damage always a foot or so off the ground.

Could be squirrels or rats/mice.  Did you get a camera?

Set some rat traps with peanut butter over night and see what you catch.  Or get a squirrel trap.  Animals are such a pain...
Brad Spaugh

behlgarden

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Re: Rabbit or Squirrel or Skunk
« Reply #23 on: June 25, 2018, 01:48:28 PM »
Rabbit damage always a foot or so off the ground.

Could be squirrels or rats/mice.  Did you get a camera?

Set some rat traps with peanut butter over night and see what you catch.  Or get a squirrel trap.  Animals are such a pain...

yes, I got the camera but its not working so I am trying to make it work. some settings I guess. Once it is installed, I am going to beat the crap out of whatever is destroying it. I already started feeding one-bite-bars to squirrels and mice, they love it and that is their last meal.

spaugh

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Re: Rabbit or Squirrel or Skunk
« Reply #24 on: June 25, 2018, 02:10:12 PM »
Just keep in mind when mice and squirrels eat the poison they go somewhere and die.  Then birds or someones dog can eat them and get poisoned too.  Just throwing that out there as something to consider.  Snap traps work really well and cost nothing to reuse. 

When mice get bad here I put out 10 or so snap traps in the evening.  Let them sit out from 8 to 10 or 11.  Then I go out, empty the traps and reset them and go out first thing in the morning and empty again.  Usually after a couple days I quit catching mice and problems stop for a while.  Rat sized snap traps work for rats and squirrels.  It helps to know exactly what you are trying to kill so you can set the appropriate trap out.

For gophers I have a tool that you stick in the ground and find tunnels with and then you drop poison pellets into the tunnels.  I prefer not to use the poison but trapping gophers is a lot harder than other rodents so thats what I do. 
« Last Edit: June 25, 2018, 02:43:38 PM by spaugh »
Brad Spaugh

behlgarden

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Re: Rabbit or Squirrel or Skunk
« Reply #25 on: June 25, 2018, 03:43:03 PM »
Just keep in mind when mice and squirrels eat the poison they go somewhere and die.  Then birds or someones dog can eat them and get poisoned too.  Just throwing that out there as something to consider.  Snap traps work really well and cost nothing to reuse. 

When mice get bad here I put out 10 or so snap traps in the evening.  Let them sit out from 8 to 10 or 11.  Then I go out, empty the traps and reset them and go out first thing in the morning and empty again.  Usually after a couple days I quit catching mice and problems stop for a while.  Rat sized snap traps work for rats and squirrels.  It helps to know exactly what you are trying to kill so you can set the appropriate trap out.

For gophers I have a tool that you stick in the ground and find tunnels with and then you drop poison pellets into the tunnels.  I prefer not to use the poison but trapping gophers is a lot harder than other rodents so thats what I do.

I have gopher hole trap for them and it works well if done right. On dead squirrels or mice, most I have are coyotes and let them eat poisoned meat as they have been pain in the rear to our community dogs too, have taken a few. I know no dog that owners let them off leash.  But I get your concern.

Lionking

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Re: Rabbit or Squirrel or Skunk
« Reply #26 on: July 11, 2018, 06:36:02 PM »
I finally got that burden of a squirrel. One shot, one kill!
 I can now be at ease for a bit when my new OS trees get here this Friday.  Until then,  I will keep an eye out to see if there are any others around.  I know that this one is the evil doer because it takes the same route every time I would see it.
As for the one bite bar. I have only been dropping it in the gopher holes and in the one squirrel hole that’s in my yard.  I did use this piece that is in the picture to lure the squirrel and to keep it steady for the shot.