[T A 70]

Help me get rid of this little ba$tard; put a 3" hole through my once was PERFECT stained redwood siding along with other smaller peck marks mostly on one side of the house. Looks like it came around the front and started doing the same, but settled on the west side of it. I have covered the 3" hole with a tacked on wood block for now and hung some bright stringers on that side.
As soon as I make the corner on this thing it flies off.
I need a game plan, and will shoot it gladly endangered or not.
Mostly starts hammering in the AM, but no consistant time.

Hide out in the brush freezing my A$$ off until he arrives?

BTW, I've read about the faux owls, snakes, and other remedies recommended on the web but I don't think there's any other way but to kill the thing.

What do you think?

[The Boss]

Any chance you have carpenter ants or bee larva in any of the boards?

Woody doesn't peck for sport, if there's no food they move on.

[T A 70]

Originally Posted by The Boss

Any chance you have carpenter ants or bee larva in any of the boards?

Woody doesn't peck for sport, if there's no food they move on.

No, clean as can be..the house is (was) perfect in every way...and I just had it stained again last year/every other year. I read that it can be a mating call to hammer like that in the spring.

[Lloyd-TX]

Originally Posted by T A 70

I read that it can be a mating call to hammer like that in the spring.

Horny bastard!

[T A 70]

Originally Posted by Lloyd-TX

Horny bastard!

He better get some soon before it's too late

[GoatRider]

Maybe put a lure of some kind out in the yard, away from the house. (Where you can get a clean shot at him...)

[salem1912]

Originally Posted by Lloyd-TX

Horny bastard!

Are you saying Woody got wood??

[goatless]

Originally Posted by T A 70

No, clean as can be..the house is (was) perfect in every way...and I just had it stained again last year/every other year. I read that it can be a mating call to hammer like that in the spring.

I'd put money on there being some type of insects in that wall. He wouldn't keep going in one spot unless he found something. You could kill it if that makes you happy, but there will be another there before long.

[T A 70]

Originally Posted by goatless

I'd put money on there being some type of insects in that wall. He wouldn't keep going in one spot unless he found something. You could kill it if that makes you happy, but there will be another there before long.

No bugs dude, really! As I said, he started around front too and moved to the side. Also read he could also have been making a nest. Very common around to see this type of damage, but like I said, 15 years and never a prob till now. And yes, killing it would make me happy for this season anyway.

[Cammer-6]

Originally Posted by The Boss

Any chance you have carpenter ants or bee larva in any of the boards?

Woody doesn't peck for sport, if there's no food they move on.

Bull
I have cedar siding and no "bugs'"and they knocked a hole in it to build a nest in the wall.
My youngest son(3 yrs old at the time) came in my bedroom early one Sat AM to tell me
"daddy,woodpecker peck,peck,peck on my house and wake me up." I introduced "Woody"
to my shotgun and solved the problem. BTW we have the pileated woodpeckers here,and I believe if they wanted to,could tear up an armored tank.

[beemergary]

I have cedar siding and they will make a hole then other birds will make a nest there. They can sound like a machine gun. Try sneeking around the house and there gone but can be ten feet away at the bird feeder and you can stand in front of the sliding door and watch them. I enjoy seeing and feeding them but there's always that one pain in a$$

[johnsma22]

There is a $500 fine for killing woodpeckers. There are all sorts of methods to deter them without harming them, most of which don't work very well. Everything I've read to help you out points to one logical conclusion. Kill the thing if you get the chance while nobody is looking!

[T A 70]

Originally Posted by johnsma22

There is a $500 fine for killing woodpeckers. There are all sorts of methods to deter them without harming them, most of which don't work very well. Everything I've read to help you out points to one logical conclusion. Kill the thing if you get the chance while nobody is looking!

No problem with anyone seeing me, I back to national forest with rarely a person hiking up. I'd pay the 500 anyway as I'm sure the damage is or will be above that amount.
I have a scoped air rifle, just can't get a shot off without him seeing me/flying off. He knows I'm out to get him and flies off way out of range.
Guess I need to do a stake out!

[Jim Scites]

.17 HMR. He won't fly out of range with one of them around.

[Sirrotica]

There doesn't have to be bugs in the wood for them to hammer on it, it doesn't even have to be wood for them to hammer on it. I had one that for like 2 weeks pounded on my stainless chimney flue for my woodburner. The stove pipe ran up the outside of the wall on my bedroom and he would wake me up every morning just after sunup. I think it's to attract females or stake out their territory. You would have thought he'd pound himself silly beating his beak on that pipe. It only happened that one year I lived in that house and after a couple weeks he finally stopped.

[T A 70]

Originally Posted by Sirrotica

There doesn't have to be bugs in the wood for them to hammer on it, it doesn't even have to be wood for them to hammer on it. I had one that for like 2 weeks pounded on my stainless chimney flue for my woodburner. The stove pipe ran up the outside of the wall on my bedroom and he would wake me up every morning just after sunup. I think it's to attract females or stake out their territory. You would have thought he'd pound himself silly beating his beak on that pipe. It only happened that one year I lived in that house and after a couple weeks he finally stopped.

Exactly!

This is totally isolated for my home to get hit, must be new to the area or a young one...
Yes, I've read it's a territory deal or a mating thing. I have a painter who lives 1.5 hours away who tends to my home often checking for everything including any rot or damage from the winter months. I pay him to always make certain the home is perfect especially in this climate. No bugs ever..
I'm miffed about having to do a repair on it as stained redwood isn't the easiest to repair and painting it is out of the question for me.
At least you give me some hope that it will stop soon or in a few weeks although there was no activity today.
The one bad thing about staking out a bird with a pump air rifle is the air doesn't last long enough to just sit there and wait without pumping it again and spooking him. I would rather not bring out the 410 shooting against the house.

[goatmanmitch]

Originally Posted by T A 70

Help me get rid of this little ba$tard

Correction, that would be a little pecker!

[Bud Lyons]

years ago a buddy had the same problem. We sat out near the barn one evening with 12 gauges and beer. Got totaly hammered and then the little bastard flew into the hole. We shot the hole and he flew out. 2 drunks blasting away at the sob. 1 pellet hit him in the eye and dropped him. Busch beer works good for this problem.

[T A 70]

Originally Posted by Bud Lyons

years ago a buddy had the same problem. We sat out near the barn one evening with 12 gauges and beer. Got totaly hammered and then the little bastard flew into the hole. We shot the hole and he flew out. 2 drunks blasting away at the sob. 1 pellet hit him in the eye and dropped him. Busch beer works good for this problem.

Wish I was there to see the victory dance LOL

[beemergary]

There was one hammering on my house just a minute ago. Put out some suet yesterday. Maybe just wanted to terrorize me. Tapped on the window and he left. Had one awile back that you couldn't get rid of. Go outside and he would be gone just to come back. Thought to myself would take a good hunter to bag this guy. I do have a cedar house and live back in the woods of Michigan. Maybe he thinks hey I was here first.