The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1895-04-04
EWASHARDTOBEAT
A SLY OLD wooDCHuck AND HIS
PERSISTENT ENEMY.

A Lons Island Farmer Relates His Expert
ence With . Chuck That Had Become
Very Smart Through Close Touch with
Civilization.
"Speakin Of woodchucks," said an
old Long Island farmer the other day,
reminds me of some curious incidents
with 'em. 'Twarn't more'n SO years
ago when they was thick as flies ON this
island, an we ate them instead of rab-
bits an made muf1ers and mittens out
Of their skins. They was mighty warm,
too, those old woodchuck mittens an
mufiers. When a man wanted q big fell
low, he only had to walk down into
the nearest field an take his pick out
Of two or three. They was so plentiful
that it was no trouble to kill 'em. But
they have been killed of now SO that
there amt many more roun. Onct in
awhile a big fellow brings up a litter
into the lower clover lot an we have to
root 'em out.
Ever hunt w%oodchucks? WAL, it
amt much If they be young ones. II
you wait long enough, you'll catch them
runnin across the lot in broad daylight.
If you are a good shot, You can bring
n down. They're tough, an a big fell
low will carry away q big load Of shot.
But il You get hold Of a big fellow, an
old veteran, SO to speak. you'll find it
no easy job to dislodge him. He's too
knowin a cuss to live. He'll only eat
your clover at night, an. Lord, how
much be can get away with in one
night! In the daytime he keeps close
into his hole an laughs at you. Dig
him out? WAL, yes, you can try it,
but he'll dig a good deal faster on the
other end than you will an take it
easy at that. Mind you. I'm talkin of
old ones-those know all the tricks of
the business. The woodchucks that you
find on Long Island are wiser than those
most anywhere else cause they have to
be cunnin an shrewd not to get killed.
They re SO close to civilization that they
learn new tricks all the time.
"A few years ago q cunnin old fell
low took up his home in that clover
field just of the lower medders, an we
had the hardest time to kill him that
you a imagine. I guess afore we got
through with him he cost us bout 500
is, fur clover destroyed an labor
ut 81. 80 per day lost in trying to cap
ture him. 'Twarn't any use layin in
wait fur him with q shotgun. He was
too wise to poke his nose out Of the
hole But every night he'd come out
an eat clover fast enough. He brought
up seven litters of young chucks in that
field, but we killed 'em all except the
old me-. He'd bring a new mate with
him to his home every season, but she'd
be shot in tryin to save her young ones.
But we could never get a shot at the
prime mover of the whole trouble. We
waited fur him on moonlight nights an
did get q shot at him net But ! guess
we only crippled him, an he never ven
tured out again except Oh dark nights.
We had no chance then. We tried to
dig him out, but after three days of
steady work we got tired. Then we
started to burn All smoke him out. but
it amt no easy matter to make smoke
60 down hill an get into all of the holes
that q woodchuck can make. Finally
we decided to drown the old critter out.
We got together all the old pork an
oil barrels that we could find an filled
them full Of water. Then when every
thing was ready 81 an Jake, my two
sons, stood ready with . pitchfork an
shotgun while I poured the water into
the hole.
WAL, sir. that hole held more wa
ter than any millpond. 1t took the hull
ten barrelfuls to bring it up to the sur
face, an then, jest as l put in the last
pailful, that pesky old chuck showed
his nose. 81 jabbed at him with the
pitchfork, an Jake shot the handle to
pieces as he banged away at the critter.
But it warn't no use. The water soaked
away rapidly, IN the woodchuck went
down again, GRIMM at our failure.
But we warn't so easily discouraged.
Next day We added five more barrels
an all the tubs an pals round the
house. Then we began to food that hole
again. This time we had plenty of wa
ter, but there was no woodchuck to ar
pear. The water came up to the surface
all flowed out of the hole, but no wood.
chuck. We thought he had left his
home for good after his first duckin.
But no. He came out again that night
an ate more clover than usual jest as i.
to spite Us. WAL, we found out in time
that the critter was SO wise that he had
dug his hole way up toward q hill so
that he could sit up there an watch
as pourin water in at the other end.
This put n stop to any attempt t o drown
him nj
1T was 81 that rugged up the trap
that finally caught the old fellow. He
took a big stone weight bout so pounds
an suspended it right over the hole.
Then he fixed a little stick down below
jist as he would set a rabbit trap. The
old muskrat couldn't get out of the hole
noway without hitting that stick, an
well, the thing happened two nights
later. The first night the critter didn't
venture out, but the second mornin the
stone was down. an the old fellow was
crushed beneath it. We amt had none