Calling on the hive mind. Somethings been digging...

[BlueStarLizzard]

Something has been trying to dig up Pearl's grave. She was buried back in November and Dad buries the dogs deep (he used to work at a graveyard so he knows how to dig a grave) packs the graves and puts cinder blocks on top. We've never had this problem before.

So we're trying to figure out how to discourage whatever it is from digging. Dad thought he had solved it by putting more cinder blocks down, but that's not working. It won't move the cinder blocks but it's digging around them.

He was thinking of packing down rocks and more cinder blocks, or even long nails (which I don't think is a great idea) but that won't discourage whatever it from coming back. I was thinking putting down something nasty smelling/tasting that would get it to go away, but I can only think of clove oil (which would take a lot to cover around the hole grave) or Bitter Apple (which would also be expensive) or maybe chili powder?

Of the possible culprits, we think it's likely to be a dog or coyote since it seems to dig like a canine. Dad thinks possum or raccoon is too small to do what it's doing.

[BlueStarLizzard]

Tractor Supply guy suggested lime as the only solution. 

[Hawkmoon]

Pepper?

How long would ammonia last outdoors?

[dogmush]

Do you want to kill whatever it is?

[sumpnz]

Claymore should do it.

[Fly320s]

To paraphrase Josie Wales, "coyotes gotta eat, same as worms."

[Angel Eyes]

Ghillie suit.  Rifle.  Lie in wait.

[RoadKingLarry]

picture of the digging might help to ID likely suspects. also look for paw prints in the loose dirt.

[bedlamite]

Mal-Wart has a 6mp IR game camera for $25 that works pretty good.

[MechAg94]

I was wondering if it was just the loose ground leading them there, but I am not sure how it would pack in after a few months of winter.  If the grave was that deep, it may be something else drawing them in, but I have no idea what that might be.

[HankB]

If your sure nothing but the digging varmint could get access to the area, you might consider poison bait like they use on groundhogs and coyotes in some places.

Otherwise, the cheapest things to put down there to try discouraging an animal are mothballs or human urine.

[BlueStarLizzard]

Ghillie suit.  Rifle.  Lie in wait.

This is Dad's favored plan. I said no, because I'm no fun.

The claymore idea was also touted by DDay on FB. He said we should visit Claymore Mart.  

As far as actual idea's go...

Dad did get a game camera today. I *may* have pushed him to go a little higher end then the $25 ones, since I've been wanting one for years now just for poops and giggles. So, now I have my game camera to play with. Whatever it is, I do thank it for that.   I went and set it up, so we'll see what it captures.

Dad's not good at shopping, Walmart was a zoo and he had to wait for people to unlock the camera in sporting goods and then he had to go over to his most dreaded section and ask for help to find something he doesn't know what the hell it is. I needed SD cards for the camera. He called me on the way out and was so fussy I just told him to come home.

So, I'll hit Tractor Supply and the grocery store on my way home for deterrents. If it's a coyote or other wild varmint, I don't mind killing it. I'd rather not kill someones pet dog over this, though.

When I went to set up the camera, I took a closer look. Dad has been pretty careful about repairing damage before I get near it. He didn't even tell me at first, since I had so much else on my plate and he didn't want me to get upset. So I haven't seen how bad it's gotten until just now.
Whatever it is has managed to tunnel down pretty far. Far enough down that I could smell her. Whatever it is, I do think it's got to be either a dog or a coyote. I shoved some of the dirt back in, but it was getting dark and I would have needed a shovel to really do much. Plus, due to the smell, I think lime really is the best bet.
So, I'll get lime tomorrow and shove that in to where it's digging with dirt, repack the outside and then... Well, DDay suggested citrus, so I'm going to get a bag of lemons, a big container of chili pepper and whatever else looks like it might make a canine sneeze and spit and spread that around the outside of the grave.

I don't think ammonia would last long... Wouldn't it just soak into the ground? Maybe I'll get some and pour it on the cinder blocks.

That said, if whatever it is has managed to dig her up to the point where I can see her tomorrow, I may freak out a little. Smelling her actually did upset me a bit. There are some things you really just don't want to see.  

[BlueStarLizzard]

If your sure nothing but the digging varmint could get access to the area, you might consider poison bait like they use on groundhogs and coyotes in some places.

Otherwise, the cheapest things to put down there to try discouraging an animal are mothballs or human urine.

Going to go tell Dad to go piss on Pearl's grave right now. And I think I might have some mothballs...

[lupinus]

Perhaps a sheet of plywood laid over the grave, and then put the cinder blocks over the plywood.

Seems like a full size sheet of plywood would cover an area a good bit larger than the actual grave. So might discourage the critter by way of removing direct access, or if nothing else make it's attempts more difficult.

Sent from my Pixel XL using Tapatalk

[KD5NRH]

Lime is cheap, urine is free, and both should help eliminate any scent an animal might be following.

[Kingcreek]

Mothballs are your best and cheapest option. If you have an old piece of wire fence or stock panel or concrete reinforce mesh or something throw it on the ground and toss the cinder blocks on top.

[Kingcreek]

My almost 13 year old yellow lab had a rough day today and I sure hate thinking about what's ahead.
I dig a hole with the loader tractor 5' deep or so. I've always wrapped my friends in an old carhart coat, some dirt to cover, and then put a 1/2 sheet of plywood down before filling the hole the rest of the way. We have 3 up on "dog hill" out on the farm. After the first one a cottonwood tree sprouted up and grew quickly and wild flowers and prairie grass fills the area. There are usually a couple pheasants and often quail hanging out there. Appropriate since they have all been hunting dogs.
Funny how my carhart coats last about the same years as my dogs. If you see me sporting a new coat you know I just lost a friend.

[MechAg94]

This is Dad's favored plan. I said no, because I'm no fun.

CCI Quiet-22 ammo should be available and not too expensive.  Really quiet out of a rifle.   

[BlueStarLizzard]

I did put mothballs down last night and had Dad go pee on her. When I drove by this morning it looked like it hadn't been disturbed overnight, but I didn't have time to stop and really see.
I'm still going to get lime and some other stuff this afternoon. I'm not really worried about overkill. Chili powder and lemons arn't going to break the bank, nor are more mothballs, so I don't see why not.

We have been thinking this happened because of the heavy rain we had. The ground was really saturated for at least a week or so, so maybe that's why it got so putrid and started attracting critters.

[T.O.M.]

When we had critters trying to get under our deck (raccoons and a skunk), I bought a giant economy bottle of cayenne pepper.

https://www.samsclub.com/sams/tone-s-ground-cayenne-pepper-16-oz-shaker/158867.ip?xid=plp:product:1:1

I shook a ton of this all the way around the edges of the deck.  Seemed to work.  Only cost six bucks, as opposed to the $15 for the Havahart repellent, which is basically the same thing.

[230RN]

So anybody named Frahnkensteen move into the neighborhood lately?  Or maybe a police cadaver dog is running around loose?

[Unisaw]

So anybody named Frahnkensteen move into the neighborhood lately?

 

[Larry Ashcraft]

Funny how my carhart coats last about the same years as my dogs. If you see me sporting a new coat you know I just lost a friend.

Same here.  All our dogs get wrapped up in a blanket or farm coat.

My suggestion would be a scrap piece of chain link fence, staked down.  Dogs and coyotes can't chew through it.

[BlueStarLizzard]

Alright, well, apparently I didn't set the camera right last night and I didn't get any pictures. I double checked it to make sure it was taking pictures before I left it this afternoon.

So, I picked up the cinder blocks. Spread a 50 pound bag of lime over the grave, topped it with a bag of soil, tamped that down. Then I spread out chicken wire, put the cinder blocks over that and added an old truck tire with the rim still in it to hold down the wire.

I cut up a whole bag of lemons and squeezed them around and then stashed them around, including under the edges of the chicken wire. Spread two more bags of mothballs, in addition to the mothballs that I spread last night that are now under and mixed in with the lime. Finally, I took a big bottle of chili powder and circled that around the grave and poured it all over.

I'll have Dad go down there and pee on it again when he gets home.

So, either the critter is going to be absolutely disgusted and go away... Or think I spiced her up and added some lemon zest to make her even more appealing.

[Kingcreek]

Well your digger problems are probably over but I hope the EPA doesn't declare your site toxic and make you file a remediation plan.