A Farmer's Worst Enemy?

[Oleozz]

This morning I was mowing along in 4th gear, enjoying the day and the scenery, and all of a sudden it felt like the bottom of the tractor had fallen out. I had dropped in a groundhog hole with my front tire and then hit it with the rear tire. Fortunately there was no harm done but I wonder how much farm equipment is damaged each year due to groundhogs.
My friend, who farms 300 acres, shot 130 groundhogs on his place last year. He hates them and is out about every night trying to end their lives. I shoot them when I can but since a good bit of my ground was in CRP it's hard to spot them in the heavy cover.

 

[daTeacha]

I'd say a fair amount, but I think the farmers worst enemy is the developer who chops up farms into 5 acre farmettes filled with people who put a net economic drain on the local economy and eventually drive the farmer off the land to make more room for more subdivisions.

 

[Farmwithjunk]

I'd say a fair amount, but I think the farmers worst enemy is the developer who chops up farms into 5 acre farmettes filled with people who put a net economic drain on the local economy and eventually drive the farmer off the land to make more room for more subdivisions.

IMHO, one of the worst enemies a farmer can have is himself. Failure to adapt to an ever-changing economy as well as resisting the use of new technology has sank many a farmer.

Ground hog holes just make you stay on your toes. Hit one with the front end of a narrow front tractor and you'll know just how bad a steering wheel to the chest can feel.

 

[daTeacha]

It also isn't a whole lot of fun when pulling a small manure spreader with a little tractor like a B7100. Those little (12"?) front tires can drop a long ways into a hog hole.

 

[redlevel]

IMHO, one of the worst enemies a farmer can have is himself.

"We have met the enemy and he is Us."

Armadillos and fire ants have ruined a lot of pastures in the South East. Running over a huge fire ant mound or into an armadillo's hole gives a pretty good jolt, too. At least you can usually see the ant hills.

 

[ptfarmermd]

I have a lot of ground hogs around my place, about 70 acres. When I can, I shoot them, but that is not very often. I had a relative come up last year a few times who loves to hunt. He shoot 40 in about 30 hours of hunting.

I do not like ground hogs. Why? Because while baling hay one time in the middle of a Maryland summer (hot and 90% humidity) with about 90 bales on it, the wagon hit a ground hog hole. We did not have a baler with a kicker, so at least one person was on the wagon to pull the bales from the baler chute and stack them on the wagon. The front right tire went into the hole, and when it came out, the wagon's front axle on that side was bent.

We had to disconnect the wagon from the rest of the setup, then move forward and stop the baler and tractor. After that was done, we had to get the pick-up, off-load the hay from the wagon to the pick-up, which took about 8 or more trips, put the hay in the barn, then go back to the wagon. We jacked up the wagon, removed the tire, removed the axle, had the axle straightened, then put everything back together. It took into the next day to get the axle straightened properly before we could continue our baling.

Someone once asked me what ground hogs are good for. I told them target practice, and that is about it.

 

[BillyP]

If I had to pick one, which I guess worst means, would be Mother Nature. Farmers have or can get control on just about any situation but one. Mother Nature can bless you or kick your butt.

 

[SFish]

Hey, groundhogs taste pretty good. Especially the young ones.

Steve

 

[DieselPower]

Groundhog holes are not much of a problem for my tractors. The JD7410 and JD 4230 have front tires large enough to pass right over them. My biggest problem this time of year is rain and Alfalfa worms. Stinking Alfalfa worms are munching away the fields and with the rain I can't spray or get my first cutting.

The only time I have problems with groundhog's is when they wander into the pastures. The last thing I want is a cow with a broken leg. Once they stick their fat little noses into the pasture their history.

 

[Slamfire]

I like a dog that hates ground hogs. The best one I ever saw was a Scotch Terrier, the longer legged version. I got to admit that a Jack Russel Terrier is a close second place. Before he took up farming, my Dad wouldn't shoot a ground hog before June. He said he didn't want the young starving. After he took over the family farm it was whenever you saw one, you shot it. Either way, or in combination, you never get them all.