The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-09-09
sELP-PRESERvED WOODCHUCK.
Advantax &c Taken by Maine Farmers OF the
AnimaI's Long winter sleep.

MONROE, Me, Sept. iO.-One OF the features
OF the North Waldo Agricultural Society's
fair. at Monroe. is the great woodchuck hunt
held on the hily pasture lands just outside the
village. On these hunts more than one
hundred men and boys. all armed with guns
and spades and picks, make n day OF 1t un-
earthlng and killing the warllke little animals,
which have wrought greatharm TO the growing
crops The hunt results in the Staying OF from
fifty TO two hundred ground hogs. and ends with
an outdoor barbecue. at which scores OF wood
chucks and many bushels Of green corn are
roasted and eaten. Though the orchards are
robbed Of much valuable fruit and stone walls
are pulled down and acres OF grass land are
dug full Of holes the owners OF the property
believe the sacrifice Is n small one In view OF
the good accomplished in Kidding the fields Of
50 many noxious pests.
"Afore the boys started In on these ere hunts, "
said Peleg Cole. "all the farmers hereabouts
could raise was woodChucks and the Old Scraich'
and ez they couldn't eat the Old Scratch, they
he'd to feed on woodchucks or starve. Ill bet
that ef the census man was To come Ground
and take ercount of the woodchucks he'd find
more'n or million right here In Waldo county.
and he wouldn't have to hunt very hard at that,
An er woodchuck Amt so very bad ter eat, II
yer didn't get 50 all fred hungry trying to get
him that yer lost yer appetite afore he Was
cooked. He's Jest erbOut like money, Is, the
woodchuck, so hard to. catch that you don't
know what TO do with him when he's in your
hand. But take him and skun nm ana pun
out his innards and bile INN n SaleIatus water
five minutes, and he makes the best roast YOU
ever seed or ever want 10 see. FIJI him ~
with stuffin' with plenty Of sage and fat pork
chopped into It. sew him up and put him in IA
pan In the oven with lots OF sweet potatoes
alongside of him, and when he has cooked Two
OF three hours Ia a slow ire be, NJ ior ihe Ptes.
woodchuck with the 'taters and the stuf1in'
and the fxin's will make a good meal Ter tour,
and hev enough LETT over ter feed the dog and
cat, which is more'n "a Plymouth Rock rooster
will do. no matter how big he Is,
In towns where, ~eravclly knobs and, rank
clover are plentiful the farmers suffer heavy
losses from the Expectations Of woodChucks.
After asking the state TO put "A bounty on the
animals and suffering defeat before the legls-
lature from tho residents OF, the, lowland towns
whore woodChucks cannot dwell. Monroe went
ahead alone and made an oflcT OF 10 cents i3r
the tail Of every wOodchuck that WAS brought
to the Office Of the Town Treasurer. This Imam
cial stimulus caused all he boys 10 buy guns
and made It impossible TO have any school In
than 500 The first year The second season II
was nearly as large. and the people had an idea
they would b. bankrupt before the animals
were slain. when evidence Of conspiracy and
fraud was discovered that put a permanent
end to further bOunties. In a few years the
surviving woodchucks had filled their depleted
ranks with new recruits and made new misery
for the farmers until the visitors at The, fair
added woodchuCk hunting 90 the regular feat-
ures of the exhibition. The residents OF the
village, who live twelve miles from the nearest
railroad station, and who are not acquainted
with jhiCago dressed beef. make a pfHCliCp Of
LAYING in from 50 TO 100 live woodchuCks every
fall TO tide over the long winters when fresh
meat IL scarce and beef cattle are EXPENSIVE to
feed. The old males ara busy fighting among
themselves, and the females are employed in
bringing up their young early IN the season,
80 the woodchuCks do not beEin TO lay on fat
until after having. when the second crop clover
has become rank and green on the hillsides
where the woodChuCks dwell. SO long a. n
woodChuCk II lean and hungry he i very shy,
but after he puts on a little Fat his nature UNDER
goes a great change, and he will stop and argue
with a newcomer until his escape to his hole il
endangered. When he has sought safety under
ground he will 40 no deeper than far enough
10 conceal his body and will remain there
Chattering defiance until he is killed or HIS
pursuer goes away, Taking advantage Of this
habit, the hunters bend tough. birch withes
and push the blight into the hole, ~whcreupon
the maddened grounding takes the stick be-
tween his teeth and f. pulled out before he IL
able to unlock his curved inCisorS fromthe Wood.
He is then put inside a stout canvas bag and
carried 10 a tight cellar. where he soon falls into
his winters sleep, from which he does not
awaken until March or April Whenever a
thrifty householder has company TO feed or
feels the need Of a fresh meat dinner, n wood
chuck Is brought up from the pile in the cellar
and killed In its sleep. passing from dormant
life 10 the bRBepan without a pang. In this
way the farmers keep fresh meat In stock all
through the winter without having 10 go to
the eXTrn@e Of feeding or giving IL any form Of
attention, beyond the Staying and dressing.
Therefore II is safe to say that while the wood
chuCks hold out refrigerator beef will never be
DOpular I'm the community.