[Magdalen] The Great Groundhog Caper

[Grace Cangialosi]

I think I know the hole this one lives on, and I'm going to try the kitty litter solution this weekend. Actually, having my grandson do surveillance with a .22 would probably be more effective!

As to the groundhog being in the attic, s/he may have been trying to get away from the dog. They are skillful climbers; my s-in-l has shot several of them out of trees.

If you can stand another story...I came home one day several years ago to find my beagle and two cats all sitting at attention and looking skyward. Following their gaze, I saw a very large groundhog sitting on a branch that was parallel to the ground and about 12' up.
I walked over to the little group, and it was clear that no one was going anywhere! So I went inside, called my s-in-l and told him there was a good opportunity for some target practice.
Sure enough, when he arrived about 20 minutes later, none of the creatures had moved an inch! So I removed all of the members of my household, and he shot the groundhog.

As a PS, earlier this evening my daughter, who lives in a nice housing development with woods behind her house, went to her kitchen door to toss out a stink bug, and there was a six-foot-long black rat snake looking in the door at her--this was on a second floor deck!  He crawled off, and when I arrived he had made his way off the deck but was rather tangled up trying to find his way down. I checked a little while ago, and he was gone. Of course, we don't know where he is...

The joys of country living!

> On May 13, 2016, at 6:22 PM, "Charles Wohlers" <charles.wohlers at verizon.net> wrote:
> 
> A groundhog in *the attic*?!?!?! Whatever was s/he doing there?
> 
> Speaking of those delightful creatures, we've had a pair (one big, one smaller) around, but, three days ago I put a bag of used kitty litter down their hole. Haven't seen them since.
> 
> Chad Wohlers
> Woodbury, VT USA
> chadwohl at satucket.com
> 
> 
> 
> -----Original Message----- From: Grace Cangialosi
> Sent: Friday, May 13, 2016 5:28 PM
> To: Magdalen
> Subject: [Magdalen] The Great Groundhog Caper
> 
> Just a tale to add to the recent conversation...
> Yesterday I was getting ready to leave and was looking around for my dog. (Not that she ever comes when I call her, but hope springs eternal!)
> She was nosing around in front of the open building that holds the tractor and assorted equipment. All of a sudden she took off running in a circle around the outside of the building. She went in all of a sudden and raced up the stairs to what is an unfinished attic space.
> And then came the most awful squealing and barking--and I had no idea what was up there.  There would be brief silences, then ferocious barking and this very weird squealing/whistling sound.  I thought it was some kind of large bird.
> I went to get the leash, hoping I could entice Gracie (don't ask!) down with the prospect of a car ride--usually a sure thing,  but she was having none of it. Why, you ask, didn't I just go up the stairs and grab her by the collar?!
> Well, the stairway is open with no railing, and because the action was taking place about three feet ahead of the top of the stairs--and because I still didn't know what I was dealing with--I was afraid that either the dog or the unknown antagonist might lung and knock me down the stairs.
> 
> I finally started up the stars until I could see--and there was a huge (probably 30-40lb) groundhog, backed into a corner, snarling and squealing, as he and the dog alternated lunges at each other.
> There was a large can of something at the top, so I heaved it in their general direction, hoping it would prove a distraction. The groundhog pushed it right back!
> Finally I took a few steps forward and got the leash attached and started the dog down the stairs.
> It was a very long struggle getting her to the house, but we finally made it and I kept her in until it got dark.
> Apparently the groundhog has moved on into its burrow. And I now know why one of their names is "Whistle Pig"!