why are they called whistle pigs

[bluebayou]

I am just chock full of questions on my day off.

[McLernon]

cus dey whistle!

Mc

[aulrich]

Reminds me of a time I was camping with my wife we were at the top of an old silver mine road right at the tree line the jeep like vehicle I had at the time had those things that attach to your bumpers that are supposed to scare away deer as you are driving. Well the I wondered what they sounded like so I removed it and blew through it. it was a high tweet.  But within minutes the local marmots (the hillbilly cousin of the groundhog) were coming around to see who the new comer was. There are no ground hogs where I live but I use a similar call to coax ground squirrels to stand up. It mimics their warning call  so they stand up to see where the trouble is coming from. I wonder what the response from GH to the whistle would be.

[myarmor]

Yeap, they do give off a little whistle and they can even climb trees too if scared enough. When I go out and after I get settled down, I give a high pitch whistle every few seconds. It's funny the look on their face when they hear. Standing tall and rotating their heads. Makes good for the final seconds you draw your hairs on them, it's like they are poising for your scope


-Aaron

[DalesCarpentry]

I wonder if a dog whistle would work?

[bluebayou]

Well, we don't have them down in my corner of Oklahoma.  I still need to find a farmer that wants some coyotes shot.

Also, I tried the "clicker" on the wild rabbits that come in our yard....and dang if it doesn't work.  I want to try a predator call on them, just for kicks, but might get my across the street neighbors mad.

[aulrich]

Whats a clicker

[d_hiker]

Yeap, they do give off a little whistle and they can even climb trees too if scared enough. -Aaron

You answered a question I was just going to ask when I saw this thread.  My son was claiming that he saw a ground hog in a tree.  We don't have anything else that looks like them, so I was sure that he wasn't mistaken, but I had never heard of them climbing a tree before.

[quickdtoo]

Maybe they're called Woodchucks for good reason!!!



http://www.flickr.com/photos/eqqman/8130667/






http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/ozarks/msg0417121120126.html

[myarmor]

Funny story, my Jack Russel had one cornered for about an hour but couldn't get to it. By the time I found her I was able to scurry it out, and it climbed right up a wild cherry tree close by. The scene looked exactly like that pic. I ended up shooting a groundhog out of a tree...It's strange seeing the sky behind one in your crosshairs

[bluebayou]

The "clicker" that my Grandfather In Law has is some kind of old toy from the 40s or 50s.  Its just a metal thing that clicks.  Its a clicker.  Anyway, he told me how this clicker would make rabbits stop and look around.  We tried it with a golf/baseball counter that clicks really loud and it worked.  Maybe I found some weird rabbits. 

[Dave Weiss]

Up here in Alaska they're called Marmots or Parka squirrels, don't know if they're the same critters, but they'll blow a stalk for you. I don't know how many times I've put the perfect sneak on a Dall Sheep or Bear, only to have a "whistle pig" spoil the game..., can't live with 'em, wouldn't be near as much fun without 'em...

>>>===> Dave

P.S. They're called "whistle pigs" because of their shrill warning whistle just before they dive into their hole.

[xhare]

Here in Kentucky, a "barking" fox squirrel is frequently my arch nemesis while deer hunting.  With patience (and sitting still) they usually get used to you and may actually come in close to investigate.  On a couple of occasions I could have pet one it got so close.  I have had similar problems with the cows on my brother-in-laws land while turkey hunting.  One nearly stuck his head in my blind, she was very surprised to find me sitting in it to say the least.  She spooked and the whole herd stormed off through the woods.  It made quite a ruckus. 

[bluebayou]

Squirrels are pretty annoying in general.

My least favorite animal when sleeping in a tent or sitting on a stand has to be the armadillo.  You would think that it was a 500 pound pig or a 12 year old boy walking in the woods.  They are like little bulldozers going through the leaves.  They ARE fun to chase when you are a kid though.