Its all about trial and error. Pustilnik, J. D., Searle, J. For example, black pepper can simply be sprinkled around your garden to deter groundhogs. JMrocek / Getty Images. What is themosteffective way to repel groundhogs? Wild Boar Anatomy and Appearance 2. We wrote an in-depth piece on if awoodchuck can actually chuck wood here. Cayenne Pepper Skunk Repeller. Using physical deterrents is more effective than scent deterrents, but its also more costly. Or you can also try an electronic cannon such as the one below, that is meant to scare birds, foxes, deer and wild pigs from the area. Although landowners can use the shooting to reduce the groundhog population or to maintain a low population of groundhogs where necessary, shooting is not the best way to eradicate groundhogs. Spiders! However, it is important to remember that these animals seek to reproduce and maintain their numbers, just like any other species. Are wild boars . What not to feed pigs is anything moldy, slimy, or rotten. Dating as far back as the times of the Roman Empire, domesticated pigs, related to today's wild hogs, were used to hunt for truffles underground. Heres HowContinue, Your email address will not be published. I've concluded that no scent is as distracting to a wild hog as the scent of FOOD! He is compact, not long like a deer," Clayton said. Its not just for a successful hunt but for your safety as well. Cayenne and Chili pepper. But more specifically, its made with rotten eggs. When mixed with corn, it makes for the perfect wild hog bait attractant to put in your feeder. Hogs have a keen sense of smell that may be greater than even that of a whitetail. What Animal am I According to my Zodiac Sign? Pink, red, white, and yellow are the most common flower colors. They are very good at adapting to their habitats and adjusting to the weather that their region brings them, and that is why their numbers are growing at an outrageous rate. Wild hogs are native to Europe, Asia and some parts of Africa. In the warm months, you cant spray down enough with scent-eliminating spray. Keep all the dry hunting clothes in large ziplock bags and dont open them until youre ready to wear them for the hunt. Choosing the right mount for your Rifle Mount Flashlight. They have extremely strong jaws to crack open hard-shelled nuts such as hickory nuts and pecans. Hogs are used to encountering the scent of other hogs. Dating as far back as the times of the Roman Empire, domesticated pigs, related to todays wild hogs, were used to hunt for truffles underground. Like peppers, garlic and onions contain compounds that can upset a pigs stomach. Hogs are used to encountering the scent of other hogs. Hogs love to wallow in the mud. Take advantage of a hog's highly developed sense of smell. Code Blue Expandable Wicks are ideal for stand hunting as they can absorb a lot of scent and keep working for many hours. White vinegar. They wont hesitate to burrow under a fence. 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. After a few hours of being out in the hot sun, your mixture will begin to sour. Pour enough beer to where the corn can be easily stirred and let sit for two to three days. Either way, you should be practicing proper scent control if you plan on getting close and personal with the hogs. I grew up in an area of Upstate, NY where dealing with wildlife pests is a common occurrence. Find the best hunting times for game in North America, turkey hunting, turkey hunt, turkey hunting weather, turkey hunter, turkey tips, squirrel, squirrel hunting, hunting tips, hunting for squirrel, best time to hunt squirrel. This can include seeds and animals buried in the ground. Erect fences that are at least 3 feet tall to prevent pigs from jumping over them. It takes just 8 grams of sodium nitrite to kill a 100-pound pig, Gentry said. As we stated above, they have a great sense of smell, and they are large, aggressive animals that can come charging at high speeds which means that if you are planning on hunting or trapping these wild hogs, you must be careful with the techniques that you are aiming to use. Even though their hearing isnt as good as their sense of smell, it is still considered their second best sense. To keep groundhogs out of your garden, fencing will have to accommodate both the groundhog's digging and climbing. What smell attracts wild hogs? SMELL 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. Often, however, a more hands on, but safe approach is needed. 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. If you have any extra, be sure to store it in the fridge. According to astudydone in New York,coyote urinewas found to be incredibly effective at deterring groundhogs/woodchucks. Often times this means crossing over to farms, crops, and fields. There are three different kinds of pesticides; herbicides, insecticides and fungicides. Of the five primary senses, feral hogs tend to use four of these (that is, smell, sight, hearing and touch) in their daily existence. The average hog can smell up to 25 feet below its hooves in order to root up worms, insects, or whatever its in the mood to eat. So, where the heck do you find predator urine? I have had success with some while others prevented any hogs to from showing up in my sights. It should stand at least 5-feet tall above ground, down to 3-feet deep below. 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. If wild hogs have become a problem for your property, AnimalWised brings some practical advice on how to get rid of wild hogs. Therefore, with this information, it is easily noticed that the best times to hunt wild hogs is going to be in the colder months, as they are not putting in as much effort to stay cool. There are products out there that hunters swear by while others will condemn the same products totally. Then, depending on your preparation, brining large cuts can be a great way to mellow out the flavor. Use soap and shampoo right before your hunt that specializes in killing your human scent. Fill clear jars with clear water and place them periodically around your garden. Feral/wild hogs hearing is keen enough to detect a fairly loud whisper @ around 100 yards, human voice above a whisper and they are GONE. It is interesting to note that pigs have 9 different glands that allow it to to recognize a wide variety of odors anal, buccal, digital, Harderian, mental, preorbital, preputial, salivary and vulvar. But when you go to pull it apart, watch out. JavaScript seems to be disabled in your browser. In the 1950s and 60s, says Mayer, wildlife departments promoted pig hunting and sometimes even . If youre interested, you can read more about thebest coyote urines for repelling animals here. Its for this reason that youll want to use more than one deterrent to really keep these troublesome pests out of your yard and garden. (2001). They left their usual corn at the corn feeder to raid this mans garden. Hogs do not only use their strong sense of smell to smell whats in front of them but below them as well. Porker physiology makes other areas more vulnerable, he said. Everyone has their own opinions but in the end you have to do as much research as you can and experiment on things yourself. Cayenne pepper Our Farmers Almanac readers swear by this method: Simply pour cayenne pepper close to the groundhogs holes. If youre in need of an exterminator or wildlife professional, you can learn more about our nationwide network of pest control professionals. Then, address the cause. If youre just trying to get a quick hunt in, then you can sprinkle packets of raspberry jello mix around an area to attract them. This includes our own. Even the name sounds like it smells bad. They DO NOT deter wildlife. Hang dry your clothes. 4. Dog or Cat 5. With a hogs sense of smell being its strongest weapon, the hog is unable to use it properly due to the wind providing constant uncertainty of the smells around it. http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.352.5547&rep=rep1&type=pdf, Harper, C. A., & Deck, A. L. (2012, September 2). They take the same trails every day. Your email address will not be published. Rating a feral/wild hogs senses would be 1) SMELL 2) SIGHT 3) HEARING. You can always see them constantly sniffing around wherever they go, using their noses like metal detectors on a beach looking for treasures. Another tactic is to use predator decoys. One of the great things about groundhogs is that they are solitary animals. This cross-breeding is mainly true for males since the females avoid pigs. The smell alone of certain herbs and aromatic flowers will repel even the most determined groundhog. Please consult a pest control professional before applying any tactics from pestpointers.com. The owl also has eyes that light up, and it emits a hooting noise when motion is detected. Wild hogs are excellent foragers, moving soil with their snouts in order to reach food. Keep that in mind when you're thinking about applying scent to a drag rag. Wild hogs are known for using their snouts to root through vegetation and find food. Eliminate Skunk Spray Smell from Your Clothes with Baking Soda. Problems only arise when groundhogs begin burrowing near the foundation of your home or if they find their way into your garden. This is best applied to completely dry plants. The problem with this educational approach is that there are twice as many myths as there are facts out there regarding the challenges created by the senses of the feral hog. Read on to find out what scents you can use to deter groundhogs and how to use these natural scents to keep groundhogs away for good! They can be drawn to an area using feed that emits a strong odor. will cast a shadow, often times alerting one or more of the hogs in the group, they will become skiddish and possibly leave the feed area. It is like kryptonite to Super Man. You can also spray it on fencing around your garden. I only mention that only if the wind is perfectly linear and blows in one direction the majority of the day. Which breed of dog is the smallest used in hunting? This one is my favorite tip but if you can wear your hunting clothes in front of a bonfire before a hunt, do so! Fences should be resistant and made of a material that will withstand environmental conditions. What can farmers do to protect their crops? However, because of the complicated history of hogs in North America, the terms can be used interchangeably. For your convenience, we now accept phone orders Monday - Friday from 8:00am - 5:00pm CST. Wildlife and Fisheries, 6-7. https://trace.tennessee.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1014&context=utk_agexfish. Spicy Odors. They eat almost any plant material and are especially fond of tomatoes. Their sense of smell is so good, pigs can discriminate between mint, spearmint, and peppermint with 100 percent accuracy during academic testing. While we want the eggs to be a little rotten, you dont want mold growth in your mixture, either. Be sure to reapply the spray at least once a week, and especially after heavy rainfall. Avoid growing crops that pigs enjoy, such as strawberries and other sweet fruit. There are plenty of commercially available products likeI Must Garden Groundhog/Woodchuck Repellent, where the main ingredient is whole eggs. Before using an attractant, before doing anything, make sure your own scent isn't a hog repellant. Vinegar 4. By using scents, you can set yourself up in the best position possible to put that trophy buck down for the count! Just to add when you shop using links from Pest Pointers, we may earn affiliate commissions if you make a purchase. I have tried so many scent killing products myself. The Epsom salt won't do anything harmful to a groundhog, as it's a natural product. Shotguns work at much less. Building materials breeze blocks can trap Hogs, cement can burn paws, antifreeze will kill if drunk, diesel and oil will poison an animal if they are trying to clean themselves. They constantly chew and destroy property, and, Read More Hot Sauce And Cayenne Pepper: Why They Work To Repel RatsContinue, Finding a tick on your pet or in your home can be a startling experience. Three feet should be enough to deter them. White pepper and . They can be used against crawling, flying insects, mice, rats, cats, dogs, snakes or other pests. They always seem to know where to root for food or how to avoid certain predators like us. For nearly a century, scientists have investigated chemicals that can fell big, vertebrate pestsparticularly feral swine. But, just because you have a groundhog doesnt necessarily mean you have a problem. Their burrows can be extensive, up to thirty feet in length, but one burrow system cannot bring down a house. If you find a suitable wallowing location, it's a natural candidate for some scent. If a hog smells something that it usually doesnt smell in its habitat, like spearmint, it will stay away. You can often find it at home improvement stores if you would rather go to a brick-and-mortar store. If African swine fever were to arrive in North America, feral pigs could be pivotal in spreading this devastating and deadly porcine disease. They are also commonly known as European Wild Pigs, Hogs or simply Boars. They go by many names, including wild hog, razorback, piney . Therefore, that is all the more reason to hunt them. Check for burrows around your garden to determine if groundhogs are to blame or some other critter like rabbits or raccoons. Wild hogs are very strong, so they can charge weak points in a fence if they feel like it. Using our partner network helps support Pest Pointers, so thanks! Simple enough, right? Confident hog hunters accurately shooting well within their comfort zone might consider sending a well-placed round directly into the recessed spot behind a hogs ear. If you find a suitable wallowing location, it's a natural candidate for some scent. They can cover considerable areas, except when the females are pregnant. A scent such asCode Blue Sow In Heat Urineis essential for any hog hunt. Wild hogs are native to Europe, Asia and some parts of Africa. When a hog is downwind from a scent, it can smell up to 10 miles away. Hogs are creatures of habit. Hogs might not have the best eye sight out of the game that we hunt, but they do have very good noses. The store will not work correctly in the case when cookies are disabled. Baking Soda Detergent. ATTENTION TO RIGHT HOLDERS! Groundhogs have a keen sense of smell that helps them stay safe from predators. The sweet smell of raspberry jello mix will lure hogs in from all over. Make sure to bury it a foot beneath the soil and bend the last three inches out into an L shape for maximum effectiveness. While, Is a 26 or 28 inch shotgun barrel better? But when they, Read More Garlic: Can You Use It to Repel Squirrels? This site is owned and operated by Pest Pointers LLC | pestpointers.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. Safer Brand Spray powerful groundhog repellent that contains 3 great-for-repelling-groundhogs ingredients capsaicin, piperine, and black pepper oil. Second on the priority list of senses wild hog eyesight is best described as marginal as opposed to exceptional. 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. Considering many hog populations that are becoming hard to control are in the south (Texas, Alabama, etc. Visit our Terms and Conditions for more information. To groundhogs and other critters, at least. In summary take steps to minimize scent spreading in the hunting area. Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. Dont worry; no live animals will be involved on your part! Small croquettes of cereal mixed with some type of animal oil, such as fish oil, can be used. Smoke Wrap Up What Smells Keep Woodchucks Away - 9 Natural Ways So, let's read it out what woodchucks hate to smell, and then we can fix your woodchuck issue without any glitch! You can use them in a variety of ways. I know I mentioned earlier that hogs can smell further if a scent is carried to them by the wind. How strong is their sense of smell? That's my buddy, Vito. Try combining scent deterrents with physical or auditory deterrents. This may be a bit time-consuming and use a lot of pepper, but the effects should be pretty instantaneous. Uprooted soil from a wild pig feeding, bedding, etc. Primarily herbivores, they will occasionally eat smaller rodents and insects. Things like garlic, black pepper, onion, mustard, and hot sauce can be used to deter groundhogs from your yard and garden. The feral or wild hog (scientific name Sus scrofa) is a mammal belonging to the Suidae family, which also includes pigs. Several states allow the hunting of hogs on private and public land, with and without artificial light.