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Oh, that's funny!! Poor mouse, and what a nice dog!Quote:
Originally Posted by Kubla
I can't help with the woodchuck problem; my apologies for that. I had one take up resident under a porch when I owned a townhouse (!), but I had cats which apparently convinced this one to move on.
http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/martin/wildrecipes/wgrwoch2.htm
WOODCHUCK (GROUNDHOG) STEW
1 woodchuck
2 onions, sliced
1/2 cup celery, sliced
Flour
Vinegar and water
Salt and pepper
Cloves
Clean woodchuck; remove glands; cut into serving pieces. Soak overnight in a solution of equal parts of water and vinegar with addition of one sliced onion and a little salt. Drain, wash, and wipe. Parboil 20 minutes, drain, and cover with fresh boiling water. Add one sliced onion, celery, a few cloves, and salt and pepper to taste. Cook until tender; thicken gravy with flour.
:D:D
The Joy of Cooking specified that there are "7 or 9 small sacs or kernels in the small of the back and under the forearm," and that it can be cooked "by any recipe for rabbit or chicken."
Mmmmm, woodchuq au vin.
You see why I had to keep my 1973 edition.
I have tried all sorts of methods of keeping nature out of my fenced yard, and nothing has really been terribly effective.
I temporarily had luck reducing the amount of mole activity by treating the lawn with milky spore for the grubs but that was, as I said, temporary. I think they were also feeding on the worms and whatnot.
Then rabbits moved in and my greyhound caught and killed a 7-8lb gray rabbit. I blocked every possible way into the fenced-in area, and it appeared that the rabbits set up a nest just outside our backyard.
Which leads us to the fisher we now have hanging around the yard, no doubt feasting on the abundance of rabbits.
<hums the theme from the Lion King>
Have you tried calling a wildlife/pest control person? Can woodchucks be trapped and relocated?
Ooh - fishers. That's the one I don't want around. I've had my own fisher experiences (don't trust them in the neighborhood of any pets), and heard/read many others. Those guys are downright vicious.Quote:
Which leads us to the fisher we now have hanging around the yard, no doubt feasting on the abundance of rabbits.
whats a fisher?Quote:
Originally Posted by Skierchickie
They really are nasty. Ugh. And they this horrible SCREAM when they are nearby, which totally freaks me out. If you've never heard it, consider yourself lucky!Quote:
Originally Posted by Skierchickie
That Wikipedia entry about fishers makes them sound less menacing than they are, from my understanding. Personally, DH & I & our 70 lb dog were menaced by one once, soon after our cat disappeared. It was pretty fierce, and acted like it was going to come after us. It was in a tree next to our path in the woods, scrambling down to about head-level, and acting vicious, while its young one hung out in another tree nearby. Granted, it did have it's kid with it. Then I started hearing local stories (one that killed a beagle, one that prevented a guy from getting to his house from his woodpile, one that chased a little girl to her house, because she was playing with a kitten and it wanted it, etc). They were reintroduced here years ago, partly because the loggers were having serious porcupine issues, and fishers are about the only thing that messes with them. Apparently they can catch red squirrels running around in the treetops - very agile.
We're in a pretty rural / woodsy / sparsely populated area, with a lot of wildlife. Urbanization was not an issue when we had our problem with them. They just moved in, cleaned out all the squirrels and other prey, and then apparently moved on.
In case anyone was wondering....I think the little bugger went off in search of a quieter neighborhood. I haven't seen him since I last posted. Between the dogs and cat, it was probably too crowded. (Now watch-I'll go home to find him on my doorstep!)
Quote:
Originally Posted by bmccasland
LOL...and that is precisely what will happen, with my luck!