Ok--what kind of critter do I have in my garden?

[greybeard]

More bad luck with my 2015 garden....
Where's my Elmer Fudd hat? I think I have a bunny wabbit.
Lost the first garden to 2 solid weeks of innundation. Replanted one row of yellow squash and it is up about 3" and doing well. Caught a short break before the storm, and replanted 2 rows of crowder peas, another row of yellow squash and 5 rows of sweet corn on tall rows to keep them drier than the first go round. Peas being what they are, started up first--I saw the little leaves just poking thru the soil late yesterday.
Today, It rained again, but I went out there, and something last night or very early this morning has gone down the pea rows and eaten every little leaf off, and on most pulled the whole thing out by the root, but left the root and white shoot laying there.
Didn't touch the 3" squash in the other row, but I can see a couple little holes where something kinda dug around on the newer squash row.
No tracks, but as I said, it rained early this morning.
I'm thinking rabbit. Big enough foot they don't leave much track. I shot one back in early May right outside the garden fence, and saw another during The Great Deluge, but didn't feel like getting the rifle out in the downpour. I also this morning, saw a skunk out in the pasture about 50 yards from the garden. Saw a huge field rat in the same pasture last week while on the tractor but missed him with the rear tire and didn't feel like tearing up the pasture trying to run him down. I have a 6' chain link fence around 3 sides of the garden but just an old hogwire fence on the yard side, so pretty much anything could come in on that side.

I have heard of crows pulling up young corn shoots to get to the seed kernel, but haven't seen any around the garden since I pulled all the old garden up and tossed it on the compost pile last week.

Anyway--is it rabbit--skunk--rat--or birds getting my peas? (and I mean it (they) didn't miss a single one on that row.)

 

[rla442]

If you suspect a critter, get a trail cam and mount it low so a rabbit will trigger it.

I fought for a couple years on my garden with what your describing. Mine was red wing blackbirds going down the rows and plucking every sprout up to get to the seed. The shoot would lay on the ground and only the part in the ground was ate. I tried the pie plates on a steel step in fence post which works short term and only within 3 feet of the pie plate. I finally gave up and surrendered; now I only plant tomatoes and pepper plants. Not much time for anything else. Everything else I get at the local farm produce auction.
If at night slugs will eat the leafs off of the new sprouts pretty quick too.

 

[M.Magis]

I have the same trouble, with a variety of critters. Rabbits are my biggest culprit, getting all of my peas this year and nearly wiping out my cabbage/broccoli/cauliflower last week. I have to put netting over emerging sweet corn or the birds get it. Most years I have starlings peck off a pepper plant or two, though I got lucky this year. I also have coons or skunks dig up my pumpkins as fast as I can plant them.
I would say rabbits are the most likely problem you're having. I fixed the issue this week by taking my Stafix and running some polywire about 4" off the ground.

 

[Deepsouth]

My daddy had the same problem you described. Really eating his tomatoes bad. Deer would have left tracks. He finally set the game cam up and it was rabbits.

 

[skyhightree1]

I think its bugs bunny

 

[Nesikep]

We used to grow squash commecially.. crows were REALLY bad.. they'd go and pull them all up just before they broke through the soil.. we'd have to plant 8 per hill to get a chance at getting one in the end.. Rabbits, mice, rats are all certainly possibilities too

 

[greybeard]

I've about decided it is mocking birds. I haven't seen any crows in the garden area and I get up early and stay late. Sat out most of the night last night with a spotlight and didn't see anything, but today, some of the squash met the same fate and there were mocking birds all over the place including on the garden fence. I hate shooting mocking birds but it's 20 ga and #8 tomorrow.

 

[Deepsouth]

 

[M.Magis]

I forgot to mention, in years past I've had trouble with mocking birds as well. They're just as bad as starlings.