What ever happened to Ontario groundhogs?
- Thread starter KRASHED
- Start date
Dominion Link
CGN frequent flyer
I 100% disagree. Having lived in the same region of Ontario for more than 4 decades, I've seen the change in small game and deer populations as the eastern coyote arrived and flourished.
I live in the country with nothing other than villages and farms. The farmers are tilling less and using fewer chemicals than they were even 20 years ago. In the late 70's, coyotes started showing up in my area. They became established in the 80's and their numbers exploded in the 90's. At the same time, ground hog, grey squirrel, jack rabbit and cottontail numbers continually dropped. Over the last decade I've also noticed a steady drop in whitetail numbers in my area. A few winters back I found a mature buck, dead in a field, about 5 miles away from his normal stomping grounds. Looks like he was run and dragged down after what must have been quite a chase.
Coyotes are packing up more in recent years, when they were much more solitary a few decades ago. They are also becoming bolder, to the point where they have come after our coon hounds while out hunting. They are also going after larger domestic animals, including horses. My nieces sport pony was cornered and attacked by 2 coyotes the summer before last. My friend's Percheron foal (approx 400 lbs) died from infection after being attacked by coyotes.
Reality is that eastern coyotes have had a significant impact on large and small game since they became established here.
I used to see hogs all over.. even where I lived in Toronto at Weston Rd/Hwy 401 area 30+ years ago. Dominion Steel (before they went bankrupt building the skydome) had a huge complex on Jane , near the bottom of the 400 hwy. there was hundreds and hundreds. Development has pretty much eradicated 100 percent.. maybe a few holdouts along the banks of the Humber River system.
They were in much higher numbers back then in northern Ontario as well. With the amount of coyotes I see now, I can perhaps understand why there are fewer hogs. I do still see them though, on the farm lands around here, when the grass is short enough. To be fair, they are stealthy and you will never see them once the grass is 6 or 8 inches high. I tend to leave them alone now unless a real problem in hopes they will multiply for sport later
Even the squirrels around here are not so plentiful. In the city there are tons, due in part to lack of predators and feeding by meterosexuals.. teehee.
Used to go to Alliston to shoot em long rang with my 22-250 all the time.. there sure were a lot in those parts.. I wonder about now?
They were in much higher numbers back then in northern Ontario as well. With the amount of coyotes I see now, I can perhaps understand why there are fewer hogs. I do still see them though, on the farm lands around here, when the grass is short enough. To be fair, they are stealthy and you will never see them once the grass is 6 or 8 inches high. I tend to leave them alone now unless a real problem in hopes they will multiply for sport later
Even the squirrels around here are not so plentiful. In the city there are tons, due in part to lack of predators and feeding by meterosexuals.. teehee.Used to go to Alliston to shoot em long rang with my 22-250 all the time.. there sure were a lot in those parts.. I wonder about now?
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I don't think coyotes are the only ones to be blamed, for some time now I've been noticing a great increase in red tailed hawks, an d I mean a great increase, in some areas I've seen one every 500m driving along a highway or closer, usually I stop counting after 5
you are correct sir. all them coyotes do not eat junk food.
Yup, I think we all need to. I aim to do my part this year.
canadaman30
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Far from the City
Your 100% correct about this part of Ontario, as the ground hogs were rampant here 25+ years ago as well as other game. The Yote is the most adaptable mammal and has prooven that in this area of Ont.
- Location
- Kawartha Lakes, Ontario
I expect that the decline in groundhogs is a complex thing.
I'd be very surprised if the explosion of coyote numbers didn't play a role, but agriculture has certainly changed as well.
Around here, what used to be pasture and hayfields is now largely soybeans. That's why there is no buffer, and everyone is going nuts trying to buy decent hay - much of the hayfields are now growing other things.
The movement of other carnivores like fishers may also be important - it does appear that their range is moving south.
Bottom line, groundhogs are scarce compared to the 70s when I used to hunt them avidly.
For me, that's a good thing, because my pastures are not swiss cheesed with leg-breaking holes for my horses to step into.
On this farm, porcupines and groundhogs are shot on sight.
I'd be very surprised if the explosion of coyote numbers didn't play a role, but agriculture has certainly changed as well.
Around here, what used to be pasture and hayfields is now largely soybeans. That's why there is no buffer, and everyone is going nuts trying to buy decent hay - much of the hayfields are now growing other things.
The movement of other carnivores like fishers may also be important - it does appear that their range is moving south.
Bottom line, groundhogs are scarce compared to the 70s when I used to hunt them avidly.
For me, that's a good thing, because my pastures are not swiss cheesed with leg-breaking holes for my horses to step into.
On this farm, porcupines and groundhogs are shot on sight.
Some of the same reasons game birds are rare I thing, down my way anyhow
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A friend has a sheep farm in the Barrie area. They have to put them in the barn each night as the coyotes are ravaging their herd. After a while, the coyotes realized the sheep were in the barn and found their way in to kill the lambs
canadaman30
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Far from the City
25 years ago I could not get on or off the 401 without seeing a groundhog or two on the islands of grass seperating the on-off ramp with hwy. No agriculture there, we had them in our back-yards in town no farming around for a few miles. Rabbits were the same, any side road or back street even around or close to town would have them running along them. Just talking to a fellow at work with chickens in a fenced pen. Coyotes always around even in daylight trying to figure out a way in.
Any good land in southern Ontario has been farmed for at least 150 years now and the groundhogs only multiplied until the last 10 to 20 years so I doubt its farming practices because if anything these days there is less and less chemicals being used and lots of no till planting being used on the crop fields.
Back when there were good numbers of them in Ontario...I was a young man more interested in girls. Now that I'm almost a middle-aged man...married with kids, I've smartened-up...and know that time is better spent with a varmint rifle looking for groundhogs. We used to have them living in our back yards, they wouldn't move unless you started the lawnmower. Now, I have to drive 2-3 hours to find spots and even then...on a busy day, I might see 6 and shoot 3. Best day ever was this past summer, I took my nephew out and we took turns. 16 bit the dust. In contrast..I've put 7-8kms on the boots and shot 1....or none. Long story short~I don't know what the "hay day" of groundhog hunting was like, I only know what it's been like for me in the last 4 years I've been doing it. (2013 will be year 5) That is, try your best to find spots, be respectful of the land, spend time chatting with the landowner if he/she wants to, and ask them if they know whether or not their neighbors would be receptive to having a hunter on THEIR property. Like any hunting~be prepared to work your a** off without being discouraged if things don't pan-out. I truly believe that success comes to those who put the time in and who (like me) can have nearly as good a time hunting and NOT getting a shot as they do on days when everything clicks. When I put my back pack on, shoulder my rifle, and lock my truck...I say these words EVERY time; "you're here, you've ALREADY won" Everything else is icing on the cake.
We used to have them living in our back yards, they wouldn't move unless you started the lawnmower. Now, I have to drive 2-3 hours to find spots and even then...on a busy day, I might see 6 and shoot 3. Best day ever was this past summer, I took my nephew out and we took turns. 16 bit the dust. In contrast..I've put 7-8kms on the boots and shot 1....or none. Long story short~I don't know what the "hay day" of groundhog hunting was like, I only know what it's been like for me in the last 4 years I've been doing it. (2013 will be year 5) That is, try your best to find spots, be respectful of the land, spend time chatting with the landowner if he/she wants to, and ask them if they know whether or not their neighbors would be receptive to having a hunter on THEIR property. Like any hunting~be prepared to work your a** off without being discouraged if things don't pan-out. I truly believe that success comes to those who put the time in and who (like me) can have nearly as good a time hunting and NOT getting a shot as they do on days when everything clicks. When I put my back pack on, shoulder my rifle, and lock my truck...I say these words EVERY time; "you're here, you've ALREADY won" Everything else is icing on the cake.
