Hi Phil! I 'm taking the family to the Jersey shore tomorrow for a couple of days since I took off this week for some R&R and pest control :)
No I haven't gotten the 350 back yet. Curtis is waiting for some special self lubricating brass rod for the top hat and guide that is also very dense and used on the space shuttle(!?).
Anyway, just keep checking those windows and you 'll spot him. I check about every hour or two when I work from home and every couple of days I get lucky and spot one. I don't always go after them right away. Only when the conditions are right and usually I just watch them at first to learn their habits, record the time they come out (in my head) and what hole they retire to after they fill their belly. They are creatures of habit and tend to come out around the same time every day if all is quiet in the neighborhood. They also learn and study our habits believe it or not and adjust their feeding time. If they see you out there frequently in the afternoon working on the garden or mowing the lawn, they 'll come out "early" in the morning (8-9am) if it's warm enough ~60deg, and/or after you have driven off to work. Others will come out in the early evening or around dinner time (must be daylight) after everyone is home from work. If you hear noises outside from your neighbor's, work crew down the street, or someone is cutting the lawn or weed wacking across the street or next door, don't bother checking the windows. They won't come out until there is a "calm" in the neighborhood. That's when you look for them. Sometimes they come out if there are a lot of birds around or a pack of Starlings. They must think that if all those birds are out there, it must be safe. I had one come out in the middle of a big squirrel fight. There were about 20 squirrels fighting in the trees behind my house and this g-hog took me by surprise. I was in my porch watching the squirrels fighting and chasing each other (it was very noisy) when I see the g-hog come out of his hole and start feeding with a dozen or more squirrels 20ft above his head causing havoc, like it's just another day. I think the squirrel and bird noises attract them or make them feel safe with all the other animals around - there are more eyes to look out for danger. As you can tell I got nothing better to do than watch g-hogs.... and then shoot them :-)
