Need advice on Porky problems!

[The Nailer]

I built a new shed last fall and went up this weekend to stain and trim it out. What I'm assuming are Porkies (by the droppings I saw) have chewed on the siding about four feet across and a eighteen inches high. In some places pretty heavily. It's sided in T-111. They have also chewed on the back of my shack but not nearly as much(it's painted). Is there a deterent I can spray or brush on to make this less desirable to them.

I've also got a bear coming into camp, he keeps knocking over the grill to get at the lava rocks and he has pulled 35' of PVC drain I had buried under the floor where we put our camp tent.

All suggestions and or solutions would be appreciated!

The Nailer

[Bushwhacker]

You got problems. I haven't heard of anything that you can brush on that will keep the porkies off. What we do up here is put metal siding or roofing about three or four feet up all the way around the camp. They won't chew through, but they may go under if they can. Best thing to do is try and find them, they don't go far and should be in some trees nearby, and shoot the darn things. Porkies do nothing but destroy trees and give your dog fits.
As to the bear, all you can do is clean the barbie after each use, and take the lava rocks out Make sure there is nothing in the camp that will attract him, but if he get's used to getting into yhe camp, nothing but killing him in the Fall is going to work.
Bushwhacker

[Tom222]

Staple chicken wire fence around the bottom of your shed to keep the porkies off.
As far as the bear goes, the best advice is not to leave ANYTHING that will attrack him. Possibly sitting down and having a heart to heart over a bowl of honey... skip it, bad idea

[Bob S]

I can`t help with the bear other than to say, keep everything picked up that will attract them.

As for the porcupines, in the spring before the leaves come out, spend some time walking around and checking out mature trees where they would be sitting on large limbs near the trunk. A .22 with a 4x scope works real well. This time of year they are hard to spot so you will have to protect the sides of you shed as others have recommended.

[Banditto]

They are aggressive eaters aren't they. They ate the pink insulation from the cottage, pink board, T-111, romex wiring, etc...

Apparently they need the nitrates and phosphates? to grow their teeth or something. We were able to control them like Bob S said--and they haven't been a problem since. Glass the tops of your trees when you are walking sometime.

[The Nailer]

Thanks for the advice everyone. I know where a group of porkies are living as I have been taking my grandson there to watch them since last fall. This will have to be a silent mission because my wife and grandson think they are cute.

[Banditto]

They are cute, and tasty too. The guys I hunt with eat whatever they shoot--well almost anything. When we they were up at the barn doing maintainance this spring somebody got a porky and they did in fact eat it that night.

Gives a whole new meaning to wing-dings.

I am glad I wasn't there...

[Jumpshootin']

Try leaving a big salt/mineral block out. They'll go for that before wood and stuff.

[trapper_carl123]

how about a 220 conibear over the hole where the porky got in.

[JasonTheOutdoorsMan]

Nailer i hope u will all let us know how it goes with the porkys that u are waging war on.lol. u have to do what u gotta do.

Jason

[Neal]

While we're on the subject, I have a simular problem, but with Ground Hogs. They keep tunneling up underneath the foundation of our log cabin and living in the crawlspace. I have caught a few of them with leg hold and live traps and dispatched them, but after a week or two a new family moves in. Anyone have any Ideas to keep them out permanently?

Neal

[Tom222]

I'm sure that you will get a better response than this, but if all else fails, throw a bunch of moth balls under there and see if that helps.

[Neal]

I'll try that Tom, but how do you get their little legs apart................Sorry, could'nt help myself

Neal

[Tom222]

Those old bad jokes just never go away. I'm ashamed to say that it still gave me a chuckle:p

[rick adams]

Fill in the hole, stomp it in good. Pour some enviromentaly friendly used motor oil all around. Problem solved- One question, where is your well?:eek:

[The Nailer]

I don't know what hole you're speaking of, but the well's too close anyway and beside that I couldn't bring myself to dump oil on the ground. I think what I need is more target practice w/ my .22. You just can't get enough target practice.

Practice, practice, practice!!!:D

As for the moth balls I used them under my deck at home last fall to discourage a skunk who thought that was a cool place to hang out. It worked w/ him but a groundhog was under there this spring. I think maybe one of them ate the mothballs, because for about two weeks the smell made it pretty tough to open the doorwall or use the hot-tub.

[Outdoorzman]

I have heard that throwing a dead groundhog back down the hole will keep a new family from moving in. But you may be inviting other critters with that lovely aroma.
The farmer who owns the property I hunt hogs on swears it works. To be honest I don't recall seeing any in the same hole I have shot and stuffed before.

Scott

[TrapperJeff]

Just keep trappin the critters then dump some concret down the hole.

[Al, L]

:D for the porkie problem salt blocks work for me with the added benifit of the deer coming to lick it also. 22 hollow points work very well also. Ya just cain't let your honey sit on the deck if ya want to keep bears away. :p . A good old junk yard dog, a 38, or 22 will incourage ground hogs {wood chucks} to find a new better living area.
The farmer next to my folks had a old lawn mower engine he'd mix oil with the gas so heavy it would just barly run and pipe the smoke down the hole till the critters ran out. he perfered a 12 gage. some times he would have smoke comeing out 5 or 6 holes at once that he would block, leaveing just one open. :p