Strange

[coachg]

Second planting of sweet corn started coming in over the weekend . So for the last couple of weeks I’ve had 2 live traps set on each end of the 2 corn rows . There are 2 rows of peas ( purple hull and Hercules ) then a row of sweet potatoes. Got to the garden this am and it looked like someone had bull dozed half the peas and 2 rows of corn ! We are dry so it almost looked like it had been tilled or plowed . My trap was 20-25 feet from where I set it and there was the dirtiest possum in it I’ve ever seen ! Evidently coyotes or dogs tried to have possum for supper last night . I’ve never seen anything like this . I felt sorry for Mr possum so I turned him lose . Figured he’d not be back . Crazy

 

[farmerjan]

Looks more like bear damage to me.... and they can get on a tear and maybe went after the possum in the trap just because .....

 

[Travlr]

I trapped "something" using spring traps with their rings dropped over a couple of T-posts... and there was damage like that as far as the trap chains would allow. There was a hose that the thing bit about ten feet of it into four inch pieces.
But a 'possum in a live trap wouldn't have done that. That's gonna be a mystery...

 

[J Hoy]

Second planting of sweet corn started coming in over the weekend . So for the last couple of weeks I've had 2 live traps set on each end of the 2 corn rows . There are 2 rows of peas ( purple hull and Hercules ) then a row of sweet potatoes. Got to the garden this am and it looked like someone had bull dozed half the peas and 2 rows of corn ! We are dry so it almost looked like it had been tilled or plowed . My trap was 20-25 feet from where I set it and there was the dirtiest possum in it I've ever seen ! Evidently coyotes or dogs tried to have possum for supper last night . I've never seen anything like this . I felt sorry for Mr possum so I turned him lose . Figured he'd not be back . Crazy View attachment 48145View attachment 48146View attachment 48147

Thank you very much for setting the poor little possum free. It looks like the soft ground has tracks.

 

[coachg]

Thank you very much for setting the poor little possum free. It looks like the soft ground has tracks.

It was powder ! I looked for tracks but none were visible.

 

[coachg]

Looks more like bear damage to me.... and they can get on a tear and maybe went after the possum in the trap just because .....

We haven’t seen a bear and have never had one on the place . There has been sightings locally over the last few years so that’s one I haven’t considered. That’s interesting farmerjan !

 

[Twisted]

Bet that possum's bowls and bladder are empty. I hate picking peas because they are so close to the ground. I send my condolences.

 

[coachg]

Bet that possum's bowls and bladder are empty. I hate picking peas because they are so close to the ground. I send my condolences.

Only good thing about the peas was we have put up all we were going to . Bad thing I was picking the Hercules for a sweet little 90 year old lady we know . Went from a full 5 gallon bucket to a half .

 

[farmerjan]

Correct me if I am wrong, @kenny thomas , but a bear can go through and level a half acre, just to make a mound of corn or to just tear stuff up... They did some damage like that in our sorghum field last year. We have seen a sow with twin cubs and a single that we assume is a boar, this year right here near our main farm.... plus last year there were sightings of 2 or 3 that were not real big... and a couple years ago we know that she had at least 1 cub...
The 2 bears I saw the other morning, were at a farm that is at least 10-15 miles away by road, and several people over there have seen bears frequently. Neither had cubs, and I suspect they were not the bears here near our farm. The ones here did not have any mange or poor hair coat... and the cubs this spring were roly poly little ones...

 

[kenny thomas]

Your so close to the National Park I'm sure you get dozens of bear traveling through. A bear will sit down and reach out in every direction as far as they can reach pulling the corn or sorghum to them. Over several nights yes they can destroy a lot. Most times when they get up they will poop in the spot they were setting.

 

[Twisted]

My place in Arkansas is in a bear zone that has a 550 bear season quota. They put me in that zone because they knew that I would buy a tag every year.

 

[kenny thomas]

At this time of year the bear should be fat and slick black. As the acorns and hickory nuts start falliing they will add lots more fat.

My place in Arkansas is in a bear zone that has a 550 bear season quota. They put me in that zone because they knew that I would buy a tag every year.

Our kill is unlimited but only 1 bear per person. After the first one nobody is as anxious to kill one. Its gotta be huge. The population has exploded. We least 14,000 acres of very rough mountain land. 39 were killed on the lease last year. Cant tell a difference now.

 

[jltrent]

Wild hogs can make a mess out of a corn patch/garden in a hurry. We have some around here and I have seen firsthand the damage.

 

[coachg]

Wild hogs can make a mess out of a corn patch/garden in a hurry. We have some around here and I have seen firsthand the damage.

No hogs or bears here I know of . Pretty sure whatever it was had possum on the menu . Think the wire trap being rolled around knocked the corn and peas down . Think it had to be a team effort. My garden is not at the house but across a 40 acre bean field at my father in law’s house . He passed away 4 years ago at the age of 99 , so there’s no one coming or going. They haven’t tried to get in the chicken tractors and sample the laying hens . Yet .

 

[Mrcopier]

Like jltrent said hogs can cause that kind of damage

 

[Allenw]

Wild hogs can make a mess out of a corn patch/garden in a hurry. We have some around here and I have seen firsthand the damage.

Hogs was my first thought when I seen the pictures.

 

[TexasJerseyMilker]

Feral hog damage I have seen they plow up trenches.

 

[Farm Family]

Second planting of sweet corn started coming in over the weekend . So for the last couple of weeks I've had 2 live traps set on each end of the 2 corn rows . There are 2 rows of peas ( purple hull and Hercules ) then a row of sweet potatoes. Got to the garden this am and it looked like someone had bull dozed half the peas and 2 rows of corn ! We are dry so it almost looked like it had been tilled or plowed . My trap was 20-25 feet from where I set it and there was the dirtiest possum in it I've ever seen ! Evidently coyotes or dogs tried to have possum for supper last night . I've never seen anything like this . I felt sorry for Mr possum so I turned him lose . Figured he'd not be back . Crazy View attachment 48145View attachment 48146View attachment 48147

What I find amazing is you mention a 2nd planting of sweet corn in August! I am lucky if my 1st planting makes cob before the weather changes! Agreed you have a strange mess of a situation happen in the garden and with your trap. However still in awe of 2nd sweet corn planting. That is amazing!

 

[coachg]

My first planting came in right around the 4th of July . Always try to have fresh corn then . I normally have the second planting come in 2 weeks later but we were wet when it came time to plant so it was closer to 4 weeks . Only bad thing with a second planting is ear worms are worse and the varmits like that fresh sweet corn . That’s why I put the traps out . Caught 4 coons this year . And one traumatized possum .

 

[coachg]

Feral hog damage I have seen they plow up trenches.

That’s why I said it wasn’t hogs . Plus there were still a few small ears on the stalks and they weren’t touched, just knocked down.