Daily Yellowstone journal., 1891-11-19
WEARING or woo0cHucks

a Boys Experience In Trying to Get hid
of the Tricky Little Pests.
had al interesting experience with
woodchuckS writes a New Hampshire
boy. The mischievous rodents nearly
destroyed a field Of clover, and then be
gan to forage in a bean patch in which
] had a particular interest as the pro
ceeds Of II were expected TO defray my
expenses a term o u two at the village
academy. l set traps 10 vain The
woodchucks were % cunning TO touch
my bait when they had a field of clover
IN which to forage. | tried to ct a
shot at them, but they were too wsy
for me- Tim. my dog. managed, with
my energetic assistance In demolishing
the stone wall where they had taken
refuge. to catch two Of the trespassers
and shake them to death. but that was
all
When | saw my academy tuition
falling before the woOdchucks' sharp
teeth and adding 70 the sickness Of
their fat sides | was fully aroused.
stoned up half a dozen woodchuck
holes but il awaited nothing The ras
Gals seemed just a. numerous and de
voured clover and beans just as per
sisteutly a. before. They had reached
an age and size when holes were Of
small account. In several Instances the
stones were removed doubt if / ever
succeeded ia penn lg a single wood
chuck.
Their time Of fe ding. I learned. was
very early 10 the morning. and ! re-
solved % be- IN E is0n for them. For
-four mornings ] as IN the field watch
ing for them b. ween 3 and 4 O'Clock
l suececded in footing one. The WY
fellows then b, an feeding in the even
ing 1t SCENE as If they kept spies on
the lookout c Instantly.
Just at dus one day | came upon a
solitary w~OOlchuck helping himself to
my beans seized a stone and threw
IL and the ~woodehuck fell l ran for
ward 70 secur my game. The next
moment the little beast. which had
been merely stunned. rallied and set
his sharp teeth in my finger choked
hun until he vas glad to let 60.
was on the point Of closing his Ca
reer then and there in a summary fash
iod. when | decided to ait a bit and
make an experiment I carried the
chattering. brown coated animal TO the
house. where | smeared him all over
with tar and then attached an old
sleigh bell TO his neck by a stout wire.
l took him IN a wire cage, an angry,
disguised woodchuck. Z the bean patch
and gave bis freedom. The instant he
was al liberty be began scratching at
the bell wire. rolling over and paving
the dirt In a vain endeavor to clean
himself Soon he ran of into the bean
patch
went out to the field next morning
70 Sc If my experiment had resulted in
anything. There were no fresh signs Of
devastation in the beans. and ! wa
proceeding toward the clover. following
along a little beaten track made by the
woodchucks in their travels between
their two feeding grounds. when | came
upon the dead and mutilated body Of
the unlucky creature which I had tar
red the previous day
From the signs ! judged that his fel
Low wOodchuckS enraged at his dis
graceful appearance, had attacked him
10 a body and literally torn him to
pieces
That was the end Of the woodchucks'
depnedatiOus ! never saw a sign Of
their work afterward They deserted
the premises ! learned. however, that
q farmer living a few miles away was
much annoyed by woOdchucks about
that time, and think it probable that
they were the an which had given
trouble earlier In the
Youths Companion.