Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1885-08-20
WOODCHUCKS.
How the Pests Are Discouraged in the
Eastern States.

How the Pests Are Discouraged in the
Eastern States.
The ravages of woodchucks in clover
fields and garden patches are so dreaded
by farmers that country boy seldom
appeals in vain for a half holiday to 60
woodchuck hunting. Hunting wood
chucks is sport peeul arly adapted to
the tastes of a chronically tired man.
All the hunter has to do is to take his
station, rifle in hand, at distance of
from twelve to twenty-five rods from
the woodchucks' den. lie down in the
clover, with the summer wind to fan
h m, and read novel, until the game
comes coughing and sneezing out of
his hole. just the moment the wood
chuck sits up on the heaped-up gravel
before the entrance of the pit Is tine
for the sportsman to send a bullet
through him. If the first shot is
miss, the hunter doesn't bother his
head about getting second one, know
ing that uncomfortable curiosity will
speedily tempt the an NAL out again.
His own curiosity is the only thing that
will bring a woodchuck out of his hole.
Old hunters say that pouring water in
is as Intellectual as turning it into a
sieve, as the woodchuck is wise enough
to build second story TO his house at
the bottom of the hole. perched in
which he chuckles satirically, while
hogsheads of water sink into the sand
beneath his feet.
Hundreds of woodchucks are killed
by boys and men every year in every
country town in New England, but if
farmers depended on their effol is alone
it would be almost impossible to cult
vate successfully small vegetables on
any farm remote from cities. TO the
lazy, awkward farm dog, who is not
smart enough to discriminate between
the track of an otter and that of a
squirrel, is due the credit of keeping in
check the worst pest of Connecticut
and Rhode Island farmers. 1t is dis
tinct breed of cur, self-develOped, and
is peculiarly interesting in that it hunts
no other game but woodchucks,
and hunts, as the farmers say,
entirely on its own hook. The
first-class Connecticut and Rhode
Island woodchuck dog is as worthy of
description as the fiattered setter or
pointer. He is usually a short-legged.
shaggy-haired, medium-sized dog. and
invariably good-natured, even when
staying his game. After driving
the cows to water early in the
morning and paying attention to
tramp or two. he sets outfor the distant
pasture or meadow and attends strictly
to business all dav. Taking h 8 place
behind big boulder or in a clump OF
bushes within easy range of prom s.
ing woodchuck hole, he waits patiently
until the game energies. Very saga
ciously he watches the woodchuck
strolling among the nodding clover
blossoms and daises until it has reached
a distance that assures him that in a
rush for the hole he will carrom ON his
prev. 1t is rarely that he makes a
miscalculation. Having killed the
woodchuck. he filings it over his shoul-
der. trots home, deposits it on the |
front porch, and sets out for another
hunt He resents all partnership by |
men, boys or other dogs in his sport. |
He is the only dog that hunts exclusive
" alone. 1t is astonishing the number |
of woodchncks destroyed in a season |
by well-edncated dog.-Forest, Farm
and Force.