# House guest



## Old Philosopher (Dec 7, 2009)

This definitely has nothing to do with wine making.
About a month ago, my dog started alerting on something under my cabin. It got to the point she would wake me up at 2 am, growling and barking! She even tried to claw through the floor to get at the "guest".
Since a momma skunk had a litter of 3 under the barn, I thought it was probably one of the young skunks. 
I keep a garbage pail under the kitchen sink. There is also a sizable hole around the water pipes where a frozen pipe had to be repaired previously. The hole is about 8" x 6". We (dog and me) heard something trying to get into the garbage. Ah! Mice! I opened the cupboard and found the 5 gallon garbage pail laying on its side with half the plastic liner pulled down through the hole in the floor. BIG freakin' mouse!
So tonight, figuring I'd roust the skunk, I went down in my root cellar, which is under half the cabin. I started shining the flashlight around, expecting to see junior skunk off in a corner somewhere. Holy Crap! There's a stepped bank under the cabin, and it looked like I had a portal to the Underworld there! Some "thing" has dug a burrow big enough to house a full grown badger! 
So now I have something living in a basement of their own making under my cabin, and my cabin is filled with the wonderful aroma of Naphthalene. Oh, joy!


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## Runningwolf (Dec 7, 2009)

you gotta get a game camera. At least then you'll know what your fighting.


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## Hillbilly Bill (Dec 7, 2009)

OP... let it dig... it's building you a wine cellar. Feed it... the fatter it gets, the bigger the wine cellar. I should be so lucky.
HB


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## kiljoy (Dec 7, 2009)

Um, Do you have bears in your area??


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## Hillbilly Bill (Dec 7, 2009)

kiljoy said:


> Um, Do you have bears in your area??


 
Now you're talking... really BIG wine cellar.
HB


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## Old Philosopher (Dec 7, 2009)

Runningwolf said:


> you gotta get a game camera. At least then you'll know what your fighting.


That would be the ticket. Got a couple furry C-notes you can lend me to buy one? 



Hillbilly Bill said:


> OP... let it dig... it's building you a wine cellar. Feed it... the fatter it gets, the bigger the wine cellar. I should be so lucky.
> HB


Maybe if I fatten it up, it will get stuck in its own hole and DIE!!!!



kiljoy said:


> Um, Do you have bears in your area??



Well...yeah...but my cabin's so small, if it was a bear, it would have carried the cabin off on its back.


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## Wade E (Dec 7, 2009)

I dont even want to talk about skunks!!!!! my dog got skunked 4 times this year, 2 the previous, and 3 previuos to that. He just doesnt learn nor does my wife when she lets him out at night. She opens the door and hes off like a bullet before she even knows that hes out the door. the 1st 2 times was me a few years ago but since them Im smarter then that and hold him to see if is on to something.


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## Hillbilly Bill (Dec 7, 2009)

Old Philosopher said:


> Maybe if I fatten it up, it will get stuck in its own hole and DIE!!!!


 
Yeah... that would be great. I'm sure it wouldn't rot under your house and stink or anything like that... huh?

Do you really want it to die? Think about it this way... make friends with it and it will keep the other animals away... not to mention that it will give your dog another way to enjoy life. I know mine is happiest chasing a possum or other animal... as long as she doesn't catch it!
HB


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## kiljoy (Dec 7, 2009)

Hey man, he just want's to share your wine! Unless he has a red T-shirt. Then he just wants honey...


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## Old Philosopher (Dec 7, 2009)

Hillbilly Bill said:


> Do you really want it to die? Think about it this way... make friends with it and it will keep the other animals away... not to mention that it will give your dog another way to enjoy life. I know mine is happiest chasing a possum or other animal... as long as she doesn't catch it!
> HB


I don't want to kill it unless it's him or me. I just can't take the 2 am wake up calls and the dog ripping up my floor!


kiljoy said:


> Hey man, he just want's to share your wine! Unless he has a red T-shirt. Then he just wants honey...


If it's Poo Bear, he can go pull my Tigger! He ain't gettin' my honey!


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## Old Philosopher (Dec 7, 2009)

I'm beginning to think you guys think I'm pulling your leg(s).

Those moth balls are 3/4" in diameter.


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## Hillbilly Bill (Dec 7, 2009)

Old Philosopher said:


> I'm beginning to think you guys think I'm pulling your leg(s).
> 
> Those moth balls are 3/4" in diameter.


 
Wow... that's a serious hole. I know you're not pulling my leg... have you stuck your leg down the hole to see if anything's down there?
HB


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## Old Philosopher (Dec 7, 2009)

Hillbilly Bill said:


> Wow... that's a serious hole. I know you're not pulling my leg... have you stuck your leg down the hole to see if anything's down there?
> HB


If you didn't have a sense of humor, you wouldn't have any sense at all!


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## kiljoy (Dec 7, 2009)

Hmmm, might be a job for Red Green.... Dynamite maybe?


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## Hillbilly Bill (Dec 7, 2009)

kiljoy said:


> Hmmm, might be a job for Red Green.... Dynamite maybe?


 
Kiljoy... shame! What has that Tasmanian Devil ever done to you?
HB


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## Old Philosopher (Dec 7, 2009)

kiljoy said:


> Hmmm, might be a job for Red Green.... Dynamite maybe?



...or duct tape....


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## Hillbilly Bill (Dec 7, 2009)

kiljoy said:


> Hmmm, might be a job for Red Green.... Dynamite maybe?


 

Sorry about that Kiljoy... you may have a good idea... dynamite... what do you think? Maybe 4 sticks? Go for it!
HB


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## kiljoy (Dec 7, 2009)

Old Philosopher said:


> ...or duct tape....



Lots and lots of duct tape by the look of it!


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## Hillbilly Bill (Dec 7, 2009)

Dynamite... lots of it!
HB


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## Old Philosopher (Dec 7, 2009)

kiljoy said:


> Hmmm, might be a job for Red Green.... Dynamite maybe?





Hillbilly Bill said:


> Sorry about that Kiljoy... you may have a good idea... dynamite... what do you think? Maybe 4 sticks? Go for it!
> HB





Hillbilly Bill said:


> Dynamite... lots of it!
> HB



Yeah, right...screw the house and the dog. Thanks guys!


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## Wade E (Dec 7, 2009)

Flood it maye just to see aht it is. I like all animals, dont get me wrong. Id hunt and stuff like that but dont really belive i killing an animal just to do it.


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## Old Philosopher (Dec 7, 2009)

Wade E said:


> Flood it maye just to see aht it is. I like all animals, dont get me wrong. Id hunt and stuff like that but dont really belive i killing an animal just to do it.


I've hand fed porcupines and skunks in the wild. But that wasn't while I was sleeping! I don't even care if it's a skunk. I just don't want to be someone's nursery in the Spring!


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## Hillbilly Bill (Dec 7, 2009)

Poison gas... lots and lots of it... or maybe a mouse trap?
HB


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## Runningwolf (Dec 7, 2009)

run a hose from your car exhust down into the hole (ensure you git the hell outa there). Then let yur dog go down and git er later on in the day. Or you could put out a dish of anti freeze for it to drink but again don't let your dog around it or it'll kill it pretty quick also.


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## Runningwolf (Dec 7, 2009)

hey Billybob great minds think alike (well sick minds maybe). Hey where's are buddy Troy at? Damn I know where he is....


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## Runningwolf (Dec 7, 2009)

STOP ALL TRAPS AND POISON!!! tROY IS MISSING AND YOU GOT YOURSELF A NEW HOUSE GUEST HIDING OUT. PUT 2 AND 2 TOGETHER, wHAT DO YOU THINK? Sick the dogs on em?


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## Old Philosopher (Dec 7, 2009)

It's a perfect set for a Conibear trap, but I don't have one. We have cats running all over the place, so poison and extraneous traps are out. I set a Havaheart trap under the sink, but all it did was move it, trying to drag it down the hole!


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## Hillbilly Bill (Dec 8, 2009)

OP... I use live traps... I can not tell you how many animals I have relocated down to the boat docks. I don't know what you have there, but if it is hungry it will squeeze into the trap. I have two sizes... the largest is about 3 feet long and about one foot square. A pretty large animal can get in if it is hungry. 
Catch it and send it airmail to Troy... trap and all.
HB


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## Old Philosopher (Dec 8, 2009)

Hillbilly Bill said:


> OP... I use live traps... I can not tell you how many animals I have relocated down to the boat docks. I don't know what you have there, but if it is hungry it will squeeze into the trap. I have two sizes... the largest is about 3 feet long and about one foot square. A pretty large animal can get in if it is hungry.
> Catch it and send it airmail to Troy... trap and all.
> HB


I have the next size smaller. Suitable for squirrels and rabbits, too small for cats.


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## xanxer82 (Dec 8, 2009)

After evicting the critter, I'd say invest in some concrete blocks and mortar to get that hole sealed up.


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## Woodbee (Dec 8, 2009)

Try dusting the area around the hole with a bag of flour so you can see what type of tracks your guest is leaving. NEVER trap a skunk without a long rope tied to your trap.


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## Old Philosopher (Dec 8, 2009)

Woodbee said:


> Try dusting the area around the hole with a bag of flour so you can see what type of tracks your guest is leaving. NEVER trap a skunk without a long rope tied to your trap.


I was actually going to use the flour trick under the sink, until I realized it wasn't getting all the way up there. If I clear off the top shelf in the root cellar, and bait it, it will probably work.
As for the rope on the trap, the only options are 1) live trap, throw a cover over the trap to keep 'em calm, and relocate 'em, or 2) use a Conibear trap that snuffs 'em so fast they don't release their musk. And that only works about 80%-90% of the time.


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## Hillbilly Bill (Dec 14, 2009)

*Sprinkle Salt on It's Tail.*

It works for catching birds...
HB


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## Wade E (Dec 14, 2009)

So de we know what it is yet?


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## Old Philosopher (Dec 14, 2009)

It may remain a mystery until Spring.
Pick your favorite:

1. The moth balls chased it away permanently.
2. It went into hibernation.
3. It died of starvation.
4. The tunnel was a portal to the Underworld, and the Dark Elves captured the rogue Green Elf and took him back where he came from.


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## xanxer82 (Dec 14, 2009)

Some sheet metal cut to fit against the wall under the sink may be a good idea.


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## Torch404 (Dec 15, 2009)

If it comes back you can always do what the organic blueberry farm accross the way does for golphers. They run a line from a propane tank into the hole. Propane is heaver then air so it all stays down in the hole. Then ignite the gas. BOOM! There were burn holes coming out of the yard across the street, but I guess that's organic pest controll for ya.


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## Old Philosopher (Dec 15, 2009)

Torch, that's funny. Any connection between that story, and your 'handle'? 

Well...THEY'RE (it's) BACK! I feel like I'm IN a poltergeist movie...or an episode of Twilight Zone. Last night the dog went off again. I found part of the insulation around the cold water pipe, between the floor and the ground, was removed. Also...and here's the freaky part...all the mothballs laying on the ground under the hole beneath the sink were removed!
Now, unless the "thing" has hands, it had to pick up the mothballs in its mouth to move them. WTF? No signs of scratching, or clawing them away. Also, the trap in my sink was separated. Was it trying to climb up the drain pipe??? 
I have to shovel the snow away from the access door, but if I go down in the root cellar and find those mothballs in the tunnel were removed....<theme from Jaws playing in the background>


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## Hillbilly Bill (Dec 15, 2009)

Torch404 said:


> If it comes back you can always do what the organic blueberry farm accross the way does for golphers. They run a line from a propane tank into the hole. Propane is heaver then air so it all stays down in the hole. Then ignite the gas. BOOM! There were burn holes coming out of the yard across the street, but I guess that's organic pest controll for ya.


 
A propane bomb under the house... now there's a good idea...


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## Torch404 (Dec 15, 2009)

My nick comes from a different story involving 100 proof Pepermint shots. Although I have caught quite a few things on fire in my time...all accidently of course 

See if anyone has a rotwiler they wouldn't might letting sleep in your basement.


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## Old Philosopher (Dec 15, 2009)

Torch404 said:


> My nick comes from a different story involving 100 proof Pepermint shots. Although I have caught quite a few things on fire in my time...all accidently of course
> 
> See if anyone has a rotwiler they wouldn't might letting sleep in your basement.


You don't get braggin' rights unless you 
have a couple Honorable Mentions in the annual Darwin Awards!


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## kiljoy (Dec 15, 2009)

You don't need a trap, YOU NEED A PRIEST!!

Where's Mulder and Scully when you need them??


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## Old Philosopher (Dec 31, 2009)

*Ta-da!*

Part of the problem/mystery solved. But I don't think this little fella was alone.

House guest awaiting eviction:







Heading for the Tall Timber, and a new home!


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## Hillbilly Bill (Dec 31, 2009)

They sure are pretty, aren't they? I used to have one for a pet until he destroyed the living room furniture. Hopefully he'll find a nice new home and won't be traveling back to your house.


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## Wade E (Dec 31, 2009)

They are very cute until your dog gets spayed by one 5 times in 2 months! They arent very cute at that point!!!!!!!!!


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## kiljoy (Dec 31, 2009)

He's kind of cute. I was literally chased out of a campsite by feuding skunks and raccoons. They had gotten so used to human food, they were fearless. One racoon hopped up on the table and stole our bag of potato chips in broad daylight! The skunks were just as bad. I held them off with a maglite in thier eyes. We eventully surrendered our second campsite and retreated into the tent. The racoons and skunks screamed at each other all night long. It was like a horror movie.


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## upper (Dec 31, 2009)

Give us the Go-Go on the can goods OP...............Upper


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## Old Philosopher (Dec 31, 2009)

upper said:


> Give us the Go-Go on the can goods OP...............Upper


Pickled asparagus and peppers. Canned peaches and Kokanee salmon.


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## upper (Dec 31, 2009)

OP how does the freshwater salmon can?We have some here that get two pounds.And what kind of peppers does petter like to pickle?.............Upper


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## Old Philosopher (Jan 1, 2010)

upper said:


> OP how does the freshwater salmon can?We have some here that get two pounds.And what kind of peppers does petter like to pickle?.............Upper


I smoke it, then can it. Last a couple of years without any problem.
Peppers are usually jalapeño, or a mix of Hungarian Hot Wax, Italian Red and a couple Serrano in each jar.


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