Upstate NY woodchucks
 

Hi All, I have been hunting big & small game in Upstate NY for the last 15 or so years. Big game...no problem. Small game, specifically Woodchuck, seems to have dried up. All the farms I used to hunt are now void of chuck. None. I would love to say that it is because of my hunting prowess, but I know better. I hunt in Amenia NY, and locals blame fox & yotes. Still seems like a strech to me, as I have never seeneither. Anyone in NY know of anywhereupstate public or private that allows hunting?

RE: Upstate NY woodchucks
 

dont forget about farmers using "pesticides" to kill off the woodchucks. they do it. all kinds of different ways for farmers to take care of things on their own and noone really notice...till the chucks are not around.

crop rotation is another thing that effects the population i believe. if the crops were recently rotated within the last year or 2 id think you wouldnt see as many...alot are probably killed when their holes are plowed over...not sure on that...but seems likely...and my boomer years are always right before the crop rotation years.

also, time of day, location, food, hunting pressure(you and other guys), weather etc all influence what you see...just like all hunting. dont think they are all dumb.

talk to the farmers and see when they rotated last and if they use anything to kill the population. if thats not the case and you dont see any or any active holes its time to move to the next farm...

RE: Upstate NY woodchucks
 

it is mainly from coyotes...not so much the foxes because actually foxes are becoming harder to find because the yotes are killing off everything and are more effecient hunters then the foxes and leave no food for them...coyotes are also to blame for lower rabbit populations and also lowering the population of all small rodents and other critters...im not saying they are the only reason for low chuck numbers but i believe they are one of the main reasons for poplations of small animals going down...although they are often not seen because they are very smart and usually go about undetected almost anywhere ive been in new york state and where i live you can hear coyotes just about every night...i live in cental new york and the coyote poplation throughout the entire state and locally in my area is booming...i love hunting coyotes but i wish theyd let the fox population come back a bit

RE: Upstate NY woodchucks
 

Thanks for the input guys! All things seem to point to predators, though. Mauser, good point about pesticides. I never thought of that. Ususally, the plows don't destroy the holes because they mostly burrow under and around boulders imbedded in the field and create mounds. Alsoaround stumps and wood lines. Plows & harvesters avoid them.If you spot a bump with tall grass in the middle of a field, 9 out of10 times you will find chuck there. As far as crop rotation, the fields I hunt are mostly pasture for cattle & livestock...grass & clover. One of my usual hunting farms was sold last year & the new owner flipped everything to corn & planted orchards. No good. But that's the exception in my case. The only other variable could be pesticides, which I could understand. I guess it's time to start knocking on doors again.