As the name suggests, its solar-powered. Hunting often comes down to trying to intercept them. On average, groundhogs measure 1 to 2.5 feet long and weigh 7 to 13 pounds, although they can potentially grow to be 24 inches (3 feet) long and weigh as much as 30 pounds when in an area with few predators. Keep the scent usage at striking distance. If you think that the posting of any material infringes your copyright, be sure to contact us through the contact form and your material will be removed! This will prevent any ambient scents from getting onto your clothes. Is it against the law to shoot a groundhog? In summary take steps to minimize scent spreading in the hunting area. Also, keep Fido's food in the house. So, if you see a large hole in your yard, chances are you have a groundhog. Coyotes can be persistent little buggers, so here goes: Eliminate Skunk Spray Smell from Your Clothes with Baking Soda. Consider all rodenticides sufficiently toxic to cause death to pigs. This results in more pregnant females and, therefore, more offspring per litter. But when you go to pull it apart, watch out. They wont hesitate to burrow under a fence. if you do not disrupt there senses. ), knowing this fact will help you better plan your hunts, and hunt the weather to the best of your ability by getting into the mindset of a wild hog. If you see one, it does not indicate there is a whole colony around. He is compact, not long like a deer," Clayton said. , Bow and Arrow Hunting hogs with bow and arrow is a thrill that challenge-seeking hunters love. Author: HOGMAN | Posted: February 10, 2018. With these 7 facts in the back of your mind, and your HuntWise app to guide you along the way with predictions of the best times to hunt in your area, you are sure to see success afield and harvest a wild hog. You can add garlic or hot sauce to the mixture if you want to provide additional deterrent effects. Shadows are detected as a potential threat, running a light beam across the body of a hog, a tree, feeder leg etc. Then, address the cause. Repellency of plant, natural products, and predator odors to woodchucks. Groundhogs are also confused with woodchucks. What can you do to keep wild hogs from tearing up your yard? If you wish, you may try planting repellant plants such as fragrant herbs among growing flowers and fruit trees, as these are supposedly plants javelina will not eat and tend to avoid. To groundhogs and other critters, at least. Reapply Hog Scram as a preventative to repel Hogs from the area. We wrote an in-depth piece on if awoodchuck can actually chuck wood here. That causes all sorts of agricultural,. They can also damage certain crops by feeding on them or their seeds. Keep this in mind when you are preparing or traversing to and from your hunting area or stand. Feral hogs are credited anecdotally with good, but not great eyesight. Also, use a complete scent elimination system to remove scent from your body, clothes, and gear. Everyone has their own opinions but in the end you have to do as much research as you can and experiment on things yourself. A sounder's rooting can resemble the mad ramblings of an out-of-control backhoe. Today, America's feral swine include wild boar, escaped domestic pigs, and hybrids of the two. Pigs have a remarkable 1113 active genes related to smell. The problem is, this second opening is often hidden or covered to help protect the groundhog. Primarily herbivores, they will occasionally eat smaller rodents and insects. The combination of these ingredients drives woodchucks away by creating an unpleasant burning sensation. The most effective deterrents will be those that are combined with other deterrents. Have you ever wondered if woodchucks (groundhogs) can actually chuck wood? Their burrows are typically ten to twelve inches in diameter, so it would be hard to confuse them with a mouse, rabbit, or other small, burrowing mammal. Please consult a pest control professional before applying any tactics from pestpointers.com. The Epsom salt won't do anything harmful to a groundhog, as it's a natural product. Managing domesticated hogs as free ranging livestock is not a common practice any more. If you havent read my article on hunting hogs in the rain, I think you should do so. You can bend the top foot of fencing outward to make it more effective. Essential oils are quickly becoming popular for home remedies, aromatherapy, and the treatment of some minor ailments. The rain will wash away the spray pretty easily since all the ingredients are natural. Of the five primary senses, feral hogs tend to use four of these (that is, smell, sight, hearing and touch) in their daily existence. Groundhogs come to a yard or garden because they think its a good place to find food and it provides a safe haven. To read more from the Texas A&M research on wild hogs, click here. As always, the best way to deter any pest is tocombine several different deterrents. Few other animals have as well evolved and refined a sense of smell as do swine. You can sprinkle the repellent around the perimeter to create a barrier and keep them out or spray liquid right onto surface of plants, wood, grass, mulch or wherever you have found signs of the ground hog. Even human scents or human related scents left on such things like boot tracks, trail cameras, and ground blinds become washed away in the rain. Wild hogs prioritize monocular vision, that is using each eye separately as opposed to our priority of binocular vision. Controlling your odor is an even bigger issue during the hot summer months when plenty of folks are hog hunting. Wild Hog Scram is a proprietary blend of natural and biodegradable ingredients specifically designed to reduce and eliminate wild hog activity. 18 Tips To Prepare For A Helicopter Hog Hunt. Predator urine may sound like a strange deterrent, but its an effective and natural deterrent that you can find easily online. Masking your scent from hogs is no easy task. Whether these little bandits have been stealing your garden vegetables or their burrows are getting out of control, youre ready to do something about it. In January, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) approved a warfarin-based pesticide for registration called Kaput. This guy right next to me? Hang dry your clothes. One of the great things about groundhogs is that they are solitary animals. Also, keep Fidos food in the house. In general, boars have widely distributed populations and, in some cases, show signs that their numbers will keep on growing. Anecdotal evidence points to one of the strangest frightening devices. What can farmers do to protect their crops? Chain-link fences and those made with heavy-duty steel hog mesh should keep the wild pigs out of your garden, but . Practice good sanitation in your orchard, keeping dropped fruit out of . When used outdoors, they end up in our groundwater. The boars are usually loners and are more prone to run away at first indication a human is near. What smells do hogs hate? You can use them in a variety of ways. Hogs love to wallow in the mud. Their sense of smell is so good, pigs can discriminate between mint, spearmint, and peppermint with 100 percent accuracy during academic testing. If you have these types of vegetables and plants in your garden, be vigilant! In Nuisance Wildlife Repellent Handbook (p. 17). Use soap and shampoo right before your hunt that specializes in killing your human scent. Table 9. They left their usual corn at the corn feeder to raid this mans garden. Landowners or their agents are allowed to kill feral hogs on their property without a hunting license if feral hogs are causing damage. That familiar smell can have a calming effect. The hot sauce and garlic will reinforce the message to STAY AWAY. It will just work to drive away the groundhog if you sprinkle it around the perimeter of your garden. You can also catch wild hogs laying in the mud, or moving late at night when they temperatures begin to drop. They can be used against crawling, flying insects, mice, rats, cats, dogs, snakes or other pests. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. Garrett Boelkes of Last Breath TV shares his unique techniques for creating a mock scrape. However, since then, the truffle hunting job has been given to dogs due to the pigs natural instinct to root up the land looking for food. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Additionally, foxes are predators of groundhogs, and fox urine can repel groundhogs as well. This means that if you are aiming to spot and stalk this game you best be careful, as they can hear and see you at decent distance. it is this lack of depth perception that i believe leads to the near blind myth. By using scents, you can set yourself up in the best position possible to put that trophy buck down for the count! Pigs have a remarkable 1113 active genes related to smell. Are wild boars . The Best Scents To Repel Coyotes and Why They Work. That means you must be extra careful not to overly-contaminate the area before your hunt. Farmers would complain like they do nowadays when the wild hogs root up the land looking for their own truffles.. If you have sufficiently technologically advanced equipment, it could be possible to set up a trigger where the presence of an animal sets off the noise. Published April 30, 2021. It will usually wait for the high winds to die down before venturing off again. In some areas, the problems caused by wild hogs have increased as due to crossings with domestic pigs. The nice thing about these types of scent deterrents is that they are probably already in your pantry! He is the 11, A person must be at least 18 years of age to hunt with (possess), High-powered rifles are must-haves when going out hunting. In addition, there are natural ways to repel groundhogs besides planting groundhog-proof plants. Fence Height:To deter groundhogs, your fence should be at least three feet high. Another option is to pound small stakes into the ground and spray the stakes. If a hog smells something that it usually doesnt smell in its habitat, like spearmint, it will stay away. If a hog is uncertain of what predators or hunters may be lurking by, it will refuse to come out from its comfortable hiding spots. Their sense of smell is so good, pigs can discriminate between mint, spearmint, and peppermint with 100 percent accuracy during academic testing. The more variety of scents you use, the more likely it is to deter a groundhog. The Wild Boar is an extremely adaptable animal as it is found in a variety of different habitats, eats almost anything that will fit in its mouth and not only runs fast, but also swims well too. In a 1913 photo, two feral hogs on St. Vincent Island, Florida, trigger a camera by pulling on a baited string. No one wants a tomato that tastes like hot sauce and mustard, right? In field tests I have intentionally made noises to alert the hogs at a feeder, they typically acknowledge but tolerate the common noises (movements, rustling of brush, shuffling of rocks etc.) Garlic And Onions. ATTENTION TO RIGHT HOLDERS! Be aware of seasonal food sources, whether native or agriculture. Keep the meat as dry as possible too, he says. Well list a few scents that groundhogs cant stand and how to use them. You can often find it at home improvement stores if you would rather go to a brick-and-mortar store. They take the same trails every day. You can always see them constantly sniffing around wherever they go, using their noses like metal detectors on a beach looking for treasures. Bean, N. J., Korff, W. L., & Mason, J. R. (1995, August). If you are 100 yards away, a . Whereas using the wrong scent during deer season can blow your chances of getting that trophy, a sow can breed every four months. Cuny noted feral hogs have a strong sense of smell and are able to detect odors several feet deep, hence their rooting into the ground for a meal. Another added benefit of essential oils is their repellent capabilities. Lazy, right? However, any landowner that plans to trap or snare hogs should have a valid Texas hunting license, since these activities could affect other wildlife species. When Im not out roaming around 50+ acres of pastures, woods, and a freshwater bass pond, Im at my computer writing on Pest Pointers. However, hogs will surely awaken to sudden, abrupt noises and will further investigate or make a quick getaway. Here are 7 facts that every hunter aiming to harvest wild hog should know. This wild hog repellent can also be spread around crops so that the wild pigs will not think of the food as something appetizing. They usually dont cause too much damage or fuss but have the potential to create problems when they burrow or when they find your prized garden. Click here to view your states wild hog hunting regulations, as it can vary from state to state, but more states are loosening their regulations yearly due to the rapid growth. Snake predation by feral hogs is most likely insignificant at best. Lets break these senses down. After white-tailed deer, feral pigs are the most popular big game animal in North America, though existing patchy data hardly bear out the true extent. Hello everybody. Frightening devices are less effective on groundhogs than other critters, but they do still work and are great to pair with other deterrents. Wild hogs possess one of if not the strongest highly developed senses of smell of any animal you will hunt, capable of detecting certain odors in excess of 5 miles away. Groundhogs have a keen sense of smell that helps them stay safe from predators. Hogs forage in several ways: (1) browsing and grazing - leaves, fronds, stems, etc. Wild boars are an invasive type of pig that are largely distributed around the world. "A hog's vitals are low to the ground. How strong is their sense of smell? It has been proven that areas with sufficient available food, such as acorns and other forest fruits, have a positive effect on wild boar reproduction. Four different kinds of cryptocurrencies you should know. The feral or wild hog (scientific name Sus scrofa) is a mammal belonging to the Suidae family, which also includes pigs. This is why you see many hunters seeing success with the spot and stalk tactic, as you can fool the eyes if you are careful, but rarely can hunters fool a wild hogs nose. Many farmers choose to use chemicals to keep weeds and pests from destroying their crops and to add more nutrients to the soil. The smell alone of certain herbs and aromatic flowers will repel even the most determined groundhog. Hogs might not have the best eye sight out of the game that we hunt, but they do have very good noses. Physical barriers can be used to prevent feral pigs entering protected areas, if the space is not too large. groundhogs and woodchucks are the same here, American Heritage Industries Coyote Urine, I Must Garden Groundhog/Woodchuck Repellent, Mary Tylor Naturals Geranium Essential Oil. (2001). Contacts | About us | Privacy Policy & Cookies. As they predate upon or scavenge animal carcasses, they can easily break bones and often consume the entire carcass, often leaving little if any sign behind.