Prairie dogs almost wrecked my plane!

[courierguy]

The demo is slowed down for, well, demonstration purposes. The bag is optional, only needed for the hard to catch ones. I don't care how long it takes anyway (minute or so), as long it persuades them to stay off my runway/kills them!

Another exhibit at the same farm show, had another approach: a 2 stroke engine with a powerful fan, and a length of high temp flex hose. The concept was to take the exhaust and blast it down the hole at a high rate of speed. Since the exhaust is heavier then air, the tunnel will soon be deadly to it's residents. Another model was designed to work off a tractor or ATV battery and exhaust system, same concept, gas 'em!

I still use the traps, the good thing is you get the bodies, and then you can cut their heads off and mount them on popsicle sticks and stake them out around the property, this is known to be a deterrent, according to experts.

Just making that last part up, but it could happen! Actually, since getting 26" Airstreaks, it is not that big a deal as it used to be on 8:00's.

[Twofiveecho]

A good remedy for any burrowing critter is to mix chlorine bleach and ammonia cleaner half and half and pour some in their hole. This mix forms ammonium chloride gas and is a deadly poison. It is heavier than air and settles throughout the burrow, killing anything there. DO NOT mix this indoors. I have killed groundhogs moles and pocket gophers with this mix. As a bonus, the ammonia really makes the grass grow around the burrows. Neighbor friendly too.

Another solution away from buildings is emergency road flares. Light it and throw it in the hole and cover with dirt.

For the sporting type, an Australian Shepherd dog is intolerant of any unwanted animal, or geese on the airstrip. No groundhogs on my farm and now working on my neighbor's abandoned barn.

Gene

[m7flyer]

One of my favorite rodent eliminators is this one. Looks like the users are having a good time.
http://www.rodenator.com/pests-controls ... rodenators

[Backcountry Tundra]

Boys, make it easy on yourself and get a Rodenator... just YouTube it and watch all the movies...gives me pure joy to see those critters dissapear and thus saving my airplane from a wreck or someone being badly hurt... Get the real thing, get the Rodenator!

[hicountry]

That looks like more fun than shootin' the little buggars!!
Always did like to blow things up.

[670x]

To bad you did not buzz the town Rob. You would have had some help from the friendly locals,That's the unofficial way of calling for a ride to the Virginian hotel.
The hotels only famous for Owen Brister writing his book "The Virginian" there, plus John Madden stops in once in a while.
The owners Scott and Vicky are great people, food is good and there is a bar. Sleeping on an overstuffed goose down bed is awesome.

Thats the last unpaved air mail strip in the US that's still open for use is what I was told.

I agree with everyone else though, bush wheels.

[courierguy]

Boys, make it easy on yourself and get a Rodenator... just YouTube it and watch all the movies...gives me pure joy to see those critters dissapear and thus saving my airplane from a wreck or someone being badly hurt... Get the real thing, get the Rodenator!

Anyone price one of these?? $1695.00 for the basic model! Not to say it isn't worth it, like one user says, it looks like a blast! You have to admire the genius that came up with the concept, and then decided he could make a business out of it, capitalism at its best! I paid a little less then 100 for the molecat, still pretty pricey compared to the old steel traps at around 10 bucks? I like the poison gas concept, didn't know about that. The thing that makes the problem difficult (them hiding underground) can be turned against them, they have no where to go.

[robw56]

To bad you did not buzz the town Rob. You would have had some help from the friendly locals,That's the unofficial way of calling for a ride to the Virginian hotel.
The hotels only famous for Owen Brister writing his book "The Virginian" there, plus John Madden stops in once in a while.
The owners Scott and Vicky are great people, food is good and there is a bar. Sleeping on an overstuffed goose down bed is awesome.

Thats the last unpaved air mail strip in the US that's still open for use is what I was told.

I agree with everyone else though, bush wheels.

Wow I had no Idea Medicine Bow was famous for anything by the looks of it.

[Savannah-Tom]

That thing is for wimps that don't want to be part of the action. Real men use this:

[Savannah-Tom]

That thing is for wimps that don't want to be part of the action. Real men use this:

Or this:

[Stol]

Those voles, gophers or whatever they are invade my yard every year ... As you guys know by now I do things in a big way so the way I "dispose" of those pesky critters is quite simple. I have a small pond that I draw water out of to irrigate my yard..... I don't need no stinkin multi zone sprinkler system... I bought a 240v 5 hp two stage high pressure fire pump and using 8 golfcourse sized rainbirds I can water the entire 2 1/2 acres all at once... I did place a hydrant in the middle of the yard and have a 1 1/2 hose connected to it in case a brush fire blows through.... My fix to the hole digging sons of bitches is fast, easy and entertaining to watch..... I find a hole they dug, shove the nozzle into it and turn on the 100GPM @ 100 PSI pump..... In about 2 minutes those suckers are drowned and as a side bonus,,, I have a new subterrainian irrigation system.

My question to you guys is.... At Haas International 3000 foot grass strip my issue is sometimes a big hole shows up on the runway,,, about the size of a bowling ball. I am guessing its a badger... What is the effective way to stop this ? My water trick would work but the strip is 40 miles from here and miles from the closest power lines to run a pump. Maybe that chlorine/amonia trick. mothballs, etc ???


Ben.

[courierguy]

Go big...get the Rodenator! It looks like for sure the most effective, most expensive scheme also but ya get what you pay for I guess.

[Jaerl]

On the other end of the scale, a 22 and a lawn chair might work.

[courierguy]

Well, my MOLECAT has started doing it's thing, it has finally started to warm up and the little critters are getting active. After a few accidental discharges (my own fault, I didn't read the instructions) I am now 3 for 3, in less then 24 hrs.

While I really didn't want to post this picture. for fear of inflaming the passions of the Vole community and possibly causing more bad feeling between them and us humans, here is the result of a MOLECAT doing it's thing. CAUTION: this photo may be too graphic for some!

I gave him the proper burial rites, (video taped for possible future use), and then buried him at sea. Well, eventually, once the creek that goes through my place empties into the Portnuef River, then the Snake, and then the Columbia.... he ought to be at sea in about a week.

[stratobee]

RobW!

Funnily enough, I landed at Medicine Bow in mid Sept on my way to Chicago in my vintage Aero Commander 520. I was surrounded by thunderstorms and low ceilings and could not get out. Flew a low pass to check out the surface, but had nowhere else to go, so had to commit. The Commander is very good on rough stuff, but this looked rougher than usual. High elevation, short, rough rwy doesn't make good bed fellows. But the landing wasn't as rough as I'd expected, although taxiing back I saw all the holes I managed to avoid by pure chance...

Got a ride down into the Virginian Hotel for a quick burger and then decided I'd have another go at getting out. Wind was howling, so got off in no time. Weather crap - couldn't get through this time either, so had to admit defeat and return to Medicine and spend the night. Next day the wind was gone and I was really nervous I wouldn't get out of the strip at an elev of 6600ft. Needn't have worried - she was off just a bit more than half. Not bad for a 60 year old gal with tired engines.

At 4:33 there are a couple of clips (sadly one is a profile of my ugly face as the one facing forward was out of battery) of me landing and taking off the day after at Medicine Bow.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K-9YDZj3qo0

/Adam

[SixTwoLeemer]

RobW!

Funnily enough, I landed at Medicine Bow in mid Sept on my way to Chicago in my vintage Aero Commander 520. I was surrounded by thunderstorms and low ceilings and could not get out. Flew a low pass to check out the surface, but had nowhere else to go, so had to commit. The Commander is very good on rough stuff, but this looked rougher than usual. High elevation, short, rough rwy doesn't make good bed fellows. But the landing wasn't as rough as I'd expected, although taxiing back I saw all the holes I managed to avoid by pure chance...

Got a ride down into the Virginian Hotel for a quick burger and then decided I'd have another go at getting out. Wind was howling, so got off in no time. Weather crap - couldn't get through this time either, so had to admit defeat and return to Medicine and spend the night. Next day the wind was gone and I was really nervous I wouldn't get out of the strip at an elev of 6600ft. Needn't have worried - she was off just a bit more than half. Not bad for a 60 year old gal with tired engines.

At 4:33 there are a couple of clips (sadly one is a profile of my ugly face as the one facing forward was out of battery) of me landing and taking off the day after at Medicine Bow.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K-9YDZj3qo0

/Adam

Hey Adam, cool video. Im a fan of the old Commanders. Looks fun. Any chance that old girl can digest some 100LL???

[robw56]

Glad to hear people are still having fun at Medicine Bow

[Emory Bored]

I've always had a love affair with those too. First "Big" airplane I ever got inside of. That would have been about 1966.

Has it still got the geared Lycomings? I guess there are engine mods for them. If I could just afford the gas! A Baron would be more practical I guess, but no where near as sexy.

It looks great!

[stratobee]

She loves Avgas! Actually, the way I cruise she's not too bad for a twin. I fly at 20" and 2500rpm (geared engines), which is pretty slow going. It's about 28gph at sea level, 25gph in the mid's and 23gph in the early teens and gets about 140kts.

Geared engines are fine and make TBO easily if you fly them right, they just a bit costly to overhaul. So you don't unless you have to. But I'm a pretty new twin driver and owner.

[Cambo]

Start out with your varment gun the top them off with the poison when you leave, just make sure you put it on themout side of the hole and not on the inside because they will just push it out.