Why Do Some People In Idaho Wrap Their Cars In Chicken Wire?

I have never seen this trend before, but it's relatively common practice for people who spend time in the backwoods of Idaho mountain trails. You might run into cars parked on the side of the road wrapped in chicken wire.

@matadornetwork Any guesses what’s going on here? 👀 Answer in the comments 👇 🎥 @demoe81 #britishcolombia #outdoorsy #iykyk #outdoorstok #porcupines ♬ original sound - Matador | Travel + Adventure

You would think that this practice would scratch your paint and that the damage you could cause would far exceed whatever the reason for wrapping a car with chicken wire is, but you would be wrong.

While wrapping your car in chicken wire might help to keep burglars or vandals away, that's not why Idaho mountain visitors do it.

The reason you might see chicken wire wrapped around a vehicle is to keep rodents from going under the car or truck. Once rodents get under these cars, they start to chew, which can cause hundreds and thousands of dollars worth of damage to your car, and most insurance policies won't cover it.

According to Terminix, mice, rats, squirrels, chipmunks, groundhogs, opossums, and woodchucks are the most common animals that chew on cars. But they aren't the only ones. Check out this video of a moose trying to chew on this sedan.

The National Park Service urges Idahoans to stop putting chicken wire around their car. If you are going to park your car in an area known for this type of animal-on-vehicle crime, they would like you to try another prevention method. They have even created a step-by-step guide for protecting your car using a tarp instead of chicken wire. You roll out a tarp, park on top of it, and wrap it around the entire vehicle.