NEWS Flash: Wild Wombat Stops Farmers Brumby in its tracks

tambox · Post by **tambox** » Wed Feb 06, 2013 8:15 pm

A cattle farmer,whilst quietly working on his East Gippsland property today, had a fright, as his Suabaru Brumby was almost swallowed by a freshly dug wombat hole.

He was performing the anual Blackberry bush spraying, when driving through long grass, his Brumby dropped into one of the many new Wombat holes. Over the previous years there has been very little Wombat activity, this year there are fresh burrows all over the property.

The farmer survived the ordeal, by eduring a long hike back to the farm shed, where the Massey Ferguson and a drag chain were used to sucessfully recover the Brumby.

After hiking in the heat, the farmer was heard to comment "this is the year of the killer Wombats", but both I and my Brumby have survived, so far.

Post by **TOONGA** » Wed Feb 06, 2013 10:33 pm

So are you going to declare war on the wombats, like Carl Spackler did on the gophers?

Or are you just going to mark out the no go zones?

TOONGA

tambox · Post by **tambox** » Thu Feb 07, 2013 7:36 am

Unfortunately, due to the damage Wombat holes cause, its war.

As they are bigger, tougher and have a "bulldozer" attitude, compared to gophers, I will need to revise Carls strategy.

Subyroo · Post by **Subyroo** » Thu Feb 07, 2013 11:34 am

Flamethrower or a grenade down the hole will liven them up.

tambox · Post by **tambox** » Thu Feb 07, 2013 11:41 am

A friend of mine owned a business called Bunny Blasters, where they would feed gas into the rabbit holes, then ignite it, with the desired effect.
He was developing it for Wombats as well, then he sold it, I might call him and find out what is happening with it nowadays.

Or I might try other methods.............

lovey80 · Post by **lovey80** » Thu Feb 07, 2013 11:55 am

Back burning time?

tambox · Post by **tambox** » Thu Feb 07, 2013 11:59 am

Bushfire season, not allowed yet, plus fire won't go underground, without some assistance.
Light fire= jail= Wombat wins, can't have that.

60766244 · Post by **60766244** » Thu Feb 07, 2013 3:24 pm

We had The Emu War (legit, google it) back out west, machine guns, military and all.

And we lost.

Methinks wombats are a bit tougher than the Emus...
I remember seeing a video of a big old wombat taking on 3 hunting dogs in a fight, he killed two of them (or at least they stopped getting up) and before the third one went the same way the farmer shot him.

Unlucky wombat...

NachaLuva · Post by **NachaLuva** » Thu Feb 07, 2013 3:42 pm

I know you might be unhappy with wombats digging holes...but they were here first...

They help to oxygenate the soil, spread seeds which keeps the ecology healthy & are a native animal which is protected by law. I would suggest the bloke who was going to develop the gas ignition thing decided not to cos he didnt want to go to prison!

Could I suggest a metal stake to mark the holes?

Reminds me of when there was a bounty on wedge-tailed eagles cos a few dumbasses thought they would predate on baby lambs...since proven untrue yet I'm sure there are still people who believe it happens just as there are those who believe in a flat Earth lol.

We can learn to co-exist if we want to...

tambox · Post by **tambox** » Thu Feb 07, 2013 4:35 pm

We could coexist quite happily if the Wombats would listen to our advice on how to use our "developed farmland". I have nothing agaist Wombats, I had a pet we brought up from a dead mother that was hit by a car.
Its just when a lot of them dig into the hillsides near each other, to make a Wombat village, then we get heavy rain. Then what happens, due to Wombats building their village in clear ground, as its easy to dig, a thing called landslip, which is very bad.

To make a farm work well you need a lot of long hard roots. They hold the base of the farm together and help with production.

We do happily support a viable Wombat population, but the numbers are getting to high, which causes damage. Then the Wombats leave as they have made it un-livable.

Everybody has to work together to balance our use of limited resources.

Post by **Bantum** » Fri Feb 08, 2013 12:23 am

Oopps ... Did it suffer any damage ... ? ( apart from your pride ) Suprised you could'nt reverse out with 4WD engaged + putting some weight in the tray - or was it wet & slippery ? Got any 'after' shots with it out of the 'big' hole ?

NachaLuva · Post by **NachaLuva** » Fri Feb 08, 2013 1:28 am

Yep, I understand too many causing a landslide isnt a good thing. Nor is a cow getting a broken leg from stepping in a burrow. I just objected to the methods being described. As a passionate nature & animal lover, & as a wildlife rescuer, I couldnt let it go... But I also get your point of view as well...

Nice to hear you rescued a baby wombat...very cute while little & fine even as a "teenager" but when just a lil bigger...they turn feral lol. Not an animal that can be tamed & powerful enough to break a leg if they charge at you!

tambox · Post by **tambox** » Fri Feb 08, 2013 6:37 am

Couldn't back out, had 100kg of spray in the back as well.
The drivers rear wheel was in the air and the passengers front was in the air above the Wombat hole. The belly was well and truely grounded. Almost enough to make me put the rear LSD in, soon, after spraying and tractor repairs and house repairs and shed repairs and other farm work.....

Damage?? Its a Brumby, this Brumby gets well and truelly tested for its abilities on steep country, this was just another one.

The baby Wombat was just like a real child, when it was young, it was happy with the food and bedding we supplied. Then when it hit teens, it would wander off and only come back for a good feed. Then one day,it was gone.
No phone calls, nothing, just dissapeared.

Esubie · Post by **Esubie** » Fri Feb 08, 2013 8:13 am

Dead Womble threw my L wagon sideways off the dirt road.
Came over a crest. Big dead womble was in the centre erosion gully I was already straddled. BANG. Then I'm sliding along off the side of the road. Plenty of space off the side of the country road thankfully. Rejoined road and Subie was fine.

Will have to be puting star pickets where the holes are at home tho or I'll end up like the Brumby and I don't have a tractor.

Post by **Bantum** » Fri Feb 08, 2013 11:31 am

Ahh - the old 'opposite wheels in air' trick ...

tambox · Post by **tambox** » Fri Feb 08, 2013 11:52 am

Another Wombat hole cave in as I drove over the top of it in 2010.
Wombats would be much easier to live with if they replaced their divots, when they move on. Hmm this is heading back to Caddyshack.

Note the use of the Subaru OEM anti roll over device, can also be used as door, gee Subaru is thoughtfull.

Post by **Bantum** » Fri Feb 08, 2013 12:03 pm

Hmm ... time for diff locks me thinks ...

B00sting · Post by **B00sting** » Fri Feb 08, 2013 3:37 pm

What are you using to spray the blackberries?
And what ratio.

tambox · Post by **tambox** » Fri Feb 08, 2013 3:50 pm

This year I am using a slighly different mix, following a bit of testing and consultion the manufacturers.
500ml oil based wetting agent, 350ml Grazon or equiv and 20g brushoff or equiv per 100l.
Works well and sticks very well.

The red bonnet in the last pic was dye from thistle spray.

B00sting · Post by **B00sting** » Fri Feb 08, 2013 4:42 pm

tambox wrote:This year I am using a slighly different mix, following a bit of testing and consultion the manufacturers.
500ml oil based wetting agent, 350ml Grazon or equiv and 20g brushoff or equiv per 100l.
Works well and sticks very well.

The red bonnet in the last pic was dye from thistle spray.

cheers always curious related to my field of work.
grazon is some nasty stuff though, even brushoff.
Hope your wearing a respirator mate.