St. Landry democrat., 1889-08-17
Woodchuck's Burrows,
HOW THE CLEVER LITTLE ANIMALS CON-
STRICT THEIR sTRONGHOLDS.


Many years ago, during my boyhood
days, which were mostly spent in happy
old New England, did my share of both
shooting and trapping woodchucks, and
even helped eat roasted one on an occas-
ion. But also did more than this, for
several times | had them as pets, and
closely studied their habits in nature and
in confinement.
Through some parts of the State of Con-
necticut, it would be hard to pick out
clover field of any size that did not have
woodchuck burrow in some part OF 1t.
Sometimes they choose a site somewhere
under the stone wall which surrounds the
field or if there is a large rock, as is often
the case, anywhere about the middle OF
the field, the animal will burrow under
this as a very choice location.
Finally the roots of an old apple or other
trees are often chosen for its stronghold,
the burrow being dug down among them,
the owner seeming to possess realizing
sense that no one would ever dream OF
attempting to dislodge him from such
quarters. AS is the case with the eXcaVa-
lions made for their habitations by most
fossorial mammals, the burrow of a wood
chuck at first descends obliquely into the
earth, then passes nearly horizontally for
several feet, rises moderately for the last
half of its length to terminate IN quite
spacious and round chamber, which con
stitutes the Giving room" OF the entire
family. In it the female brings forth her
litter, and the young remain there until
they pair off and dig their own homes
elsewhere.
Such burrow may be at least thirty
feet in length-so long that one never
thinks of digging woodchuck out-but L
have seen farmers bring up two or three
barrels of water on cart and drown the
occupants of this subteranean establish
me Mt at short notice, and rejoice most
heartily if the pair, and, perhaps, seven or
eight quarter grown Young, are caught at
the same time. Very often | have cap
| tured them in steel traps set at the
| mouth of the burrow, taking the precau-
ton to sprinkle it carefully over with fine
dirt. One old woodcLuck, | remember,
constructed his burrows almost i'll the
center of a twenty acre clover lot, and
every attempt to capture him in any kind
of trap utterly failed. 1t was the rarest
thing in the world to even catch him stand
ing M at the entrance of his burrow dur
ING the day, but frequently We would see
| VI
seems to me must have fred thirty or
forty times a, him under such circum-
stances from the outer side of the stone
wall which surrounded the field, and that,
too, with heavy old-6ashioned muzzle
loading Kentucky rifle, ', hich at Is to 100
yards was good nearly every time for all
small game. But here every shot failed
cloud of dust would puff up at the en-
trance of the burrow each time and would
confidently walk over to pick him out, but
no, next day at noon he was there again,
| looking out as smiling as ever. he was
captured finally by my tying Colts re
yolver to stout stake driven down within
a few feet of the burrow and training the
aim down the entrance, and then tying g
long string TO the trigger | waited behind
the wall till he again showed himself
when the string was pulled and sealed his
| doom. -Erc}tange.