The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-09-10
WOODCHUCK MEAT rs coon.
Down In Maine They Have Found That
the Farmers Pest Is Worth Hunting.

WOODCHUCh MEAT IS GOOD
Down In Maine They Have Found That
the Farmers Pest Is Worth Hunting.
PROSPECT FERRY, Me, Sept stern men
who are members OF the Baptist church have lived
on this side OF Hogan's mountain for half q
century. Other men have raised beans and
clover on the mountain slopes for an equal length
of time. A good number Of practical Christians
have attempted to grow beans and clover on tho
mountain. but as yet no ono has succeeded at both
callinga After few seasons Of prayerful trial
every man who has attempted TO combine religion
with clover culture has been forced to abandon
one or the other
The woodchucks are to blame for all of il
There is no Maine man living who can SEQ his
clover patch wallowed down by marauding wood
chucks without giving vent TO his natural feel
ings in copous profanity. The talk relieves
his mind and enables him TO NOW his tangled
crop, but il mars his reputation for piey to such
an extent that his expulsion from church becomes
only a question OF time Hence it has passed
into local proverb that no Maine man can grow
clover and belong to the church at the same time
The Maine woodchuck has been in disgrace
for more than a century. II feeds upon the crops
which the farmer wants for commercial purposes
and what it does not cat up il wallows down and
covering wide areas of tllage with dirt 1t breeds
rapidly. II hides cunningly. Ii dies hard. In
til ten years ago il was Of value living or dead
and was looked upon as one of the worst curses
which Adams sin entailed upon the human race
No wild creature upon the globe ever exter-
minated for the wanton sport Of killing. As soon
an animal becomes useful TO man ii begins 10
give way before its destroyers and the more valu-
able it becomes, the nearer 1t is to extinction.
Woodchucks would have lived in clover for
centuries TO come II some benevolent glutton had
not discovered they were good 10 eat and con-
veyed the information TO his neighbors. After
that woodchuck hunting became refined and cle-
waiting sport, and woodchuck dinners grew in pop
ularty until they surpassed the bear the raccoon
and the deer, holding the honored place al the
North which the 'possum has maintained at tho
South for many years.
Woodchuck hunting begins in September and
lasts until late in October. when these overfat
animals finding no more clover to feed upon. get
ready for their long winter nap. As it takes as
much killing to slay a woodchuck as II would to
capture bear. the process of taking is always
vigorous Catching tho animals in stout steel
traps concealed at the entrance 10 their dens
drowning and smoking out from their holes
killing by trained dogs and shooting with double
B shot from 10-gaugc guns are among the me-
thods in use. AS a woodchuck has sturdy spirit
inside Of tough hide and as its meat is easily
discolored by blows is exercised in the slaugh
ter in order that the tender flesh may not receive
blemishes The grounding is not only good
fighter but a skilled tactician, hiding away at
the first sign OF foe, and remaining in his hole
for days at a time sooner than come out and take
the chances Of battle.
1t requires two ounces Of double D shot backed
up by five drains of powder and delivered at a
range of fifty yards or less to kill grounding.
When wounded to death it often manages TO drag
itself into its hole beyond the reach of the hunter.
II water is handy TO the holes ii is good plan to
drown the animals out and hit them on the head
with a club when they emerge. A good number
also captured by boys who bob for them with
yellow birch twigs A slim withc about six feet
long Is employed by those who bob woodchucks
Holding an end in each hand, the boy inserts the
blight Of the withe in the groundhogs burrow
and moves II back and forth until the animal
grows angry and bites As the teeth of wood
chucks so built that they cannot let go their
hold when the stick is drawn taut, a fact which
the boys know very we'll, after the grounding
Is pulled from the hole by its teeth a club ends
its career.
A woodchuck's skin, while Of great value to
the woodchuck has no worth in the market Az
washed down in cold water, the meat Is hung up
over night in cool room. In the morning it Is
boiled for twenty minutes in saleratus water.
which removes the animal taste It's then stuffed
with rich dressing and laid in pan, the body be-
ing shored up by slices OF sweet potato and strips
Of raw salt pork, with perhaps an onion or two
for seasoning tits baked in a slow oven and basted
frequently for two'hours. When properly cooked
a baked woodchuck is nut brown and is covered
with scaly coat Of cracklngs, compared with
which a roast pig is no b tier than sawdust Those
who have eaten of the dish always like it and call
for more Cooks can produce nothing like it
north Of Mason and DiXon's line
Many thousand Of woodchucks are killed and
eaten in Maine every year, Hunters make up
large shooting parties and go forth to beat tho
record Levi. Berry. local rifle man. killed
twenty three in one forenoon last week These kept
a dozen families in baked woodchuck for several
days The hunters like the sport Of shooting
woodchucks, and the farmers rejoice TO have
them shot As for the woodchucks, they have
nothing to say about it.