Torn up sod...caused by deer???

[Andrew Zuber]

With deer hunting season approaching, I know a few of us have a trigger finger that is starting to itch. Question for all you deer trackers and woodspeople: I work in an office building that is surrounded by about 450 acres of private company property. No hunting is allowed, so this place is like a game preserve. The lawn outside our building is manicured and watered to stay nice and green. Starting late in the summer (probably 3 weeks ago) something starts to tear up the sod around the building. (happened last year too.) The areas are huge! Most are about 4 or 5 feet in diameter and usually more round than square. The sod is very neatly peeled back in big chunks, almost like someone was using a sod cutter and rolling it back! There are no signs of tracks although I do see deer tracks crossing over the bare areas. What type of critter will do this? The area in front of the building is probably tore up in a 5 yard by 20 yard rectangular area! Some here insist that the deer are doing this, but what would they be digging up? This is a shaded area close to the building, but there are no trees overhead. And the fact that the sod is pulled up in big pieces - not shreaded or torn up???

I'm thinking maybe space aliens got tired of making crop circles and decided to land in Michigan and take up sod farming!

What do you think?



az

 

[Jim B]

I would bet that sod is torn up by skinks or racoons. they like to eat the grubs and will just ruin a lawn to get them.

 

[Steven Atwell]

Yeah coons are the best guess.

 

[Rob LaMoy]

Turkeys will scratch up a lawn, but not tear it up like that. Plus you would have seen them as they only are on the ground during the day.

 

[fatrap]

I'd vote for coons. Guy I work with has a part time lawn service he says his biggest problems are coons hunting for grubs.



fatrap

 

[mike chip]

As some one who works at a golf course... I would bet my best rod that it is a grub problem. Look closely at it while removing some turk and look for a small white grub with a yellow head... It coulkd also have a black head. it is a japanease beetle in larve form.

mike

 

[stan jones]

i agree with jim. it's probably skunks after grubs. it's very common. stan

 

[Marke Cicero]

It's a mystery....They just call it a "Michigan Crop Circle"...LOL

 

[Staci Matheis]

About 20 years ago, one of my neighbors was the Director of a non-profit agency that had about 35 acres of land smack in the middle of St. Louis County - half wooded and half fields. (Thompson Center at I-270 and Ladue for those of you who know the area.)



Dave gave me a call one day, "Are you still into killing poor, defenseless animals?" He asked.



I hesitated for a minute, then sheepishly replied "Yes....."



"Well!" He said. "Have I got a deal for you! We've got a problem over here with ground hogs digging up our lawns and destroying the yard tractor when it falls into their holes. Board of Directors said I should hire an exterminator. I told them I knew of someone who would do it for free!"



I spent a number of evenings that summer "contributing" my time and .22 shells to the Center..... In between dispatching groundhogs, I got to watch urban deer come out of the woods to feed in the fields and chuckled as I watched fox kits mousing! Dave even put out a salt block and bird feeders!



I often wondered how many of the people who lived in the surrounding homes ($350,000 to several million) ever realized the wealth that was in their own back yards.....



me!

 

[Steven Atwell]

That's an awesome story Scott.



I would love to be hired to go into a developing area and bowhunt all the deer out, nabbing a few trophies while doing so. In fact I would hate to contribute to the loss of deer habitat, but if I couldn't stop it, I might as well get a big buck or two.



Speaking of deer like that. Here's a link to a DurangoVSDeer match off. Guess who won. The last pic is kinda unsightly, but not meant to be disrespectful:



http://www.ls1.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=170183&perpage=15&pagenumber=1

 

[Scott Hammer TOXIC]

Here in VA the deer are so stinkin thick that they do a lottery and let guys go out and spotlight shoot em' out of the parks. The meat is then donated to the homeless shelters. Can't begin to tell you how many accidents and deaths are attributed to deer.



TOXIC

 

[Bill McElroy]

No doubt Tox,....my brother get's them in his yard too....I should be getting a UPS pkg of 'Straps any day now!!..LOL

Even a deer can't survive in a SEAL's yard when he has his "game face" on!!!....ahahahaa......and I'm not talkin' Army/Navy game either!!!! LOL