I’m delighted to hear you’ve had success with the cat litter method! How much did you have to use and how often did you have to use it before the woodchuck(s) got the hint?

Usually, the burrow network is way too large – you can make one exit disagreeable but there’s always more than one and it doesn’t usually take them long to dig a couple more, if inclined. Over the years I’ve put used cat litter and many other repellants down woodchuck holes – gum is another popular one, also mothballs (which are a bad idea environmentally). Sometimes they worked; more often they didn’t. As far as I know, the woodchuck “bombs” sold at farm supply stores are the only thing you can put IN the hole and be confident of results, but even if you don’t mind killing you still have to find the exit hole(s) and seal them before proceeding or the bombs won’t work either.

So, proven success with litter is very exciting to hear about. Any extra hints about timing or whatever?

Said woodchuck should move on.

Well, the last time I ate woodchuck was when I was a young teen and went on a fishing/camping trip with a friend. Our jar of beans broke open in the spring where we placed it to keep cool. The fish didn’t cooperate, but by the second day we managed to catch a woodchuck by practicing our Earnest Thomas Seaton ‘woodcraft strategies’. Gosh were we hungry.

After cleaning it we placed it on a spit over the fire and roasted it ’till golden brown. Gosh it was beautiful and smelled superb.

We placed the spit off to the side to cool and turned our attention elsewhere for but a moment when Buddy, our camp dog, a beagle mix, grabbed the woodchuck and made off with it. Gosh wasn’t he fast!

But we were hungry, and after a short scuffle managed to retrieve the roasted whistle pig. After brushing off the dirt and such we carved it up for our first meal in a while. Gosh wasn’t it tough!

Buddy, the dog, by Gosh, got his just rewards, the remainder and bulk of the roast. He was the happiest camper of all.

As I say, that was the last time I ate groundhog.

Venison however is a different story and Leslie and I put a deer or two into our freezer annually and enjoy the fruits of that labor throughout the year.

Bill

If you check around on the web you can find many other recipes for them. Some folks compare the taste and texture to pork, some to chicken.

You clean them like any other small animal: skin them first and then eviscerate. The only other caveat is to remove the scent glands under the front arm pits.

Once past these earthy experiences you are left with a piece of meat that looks like it came from the supermarket, all of which informs the process of packaged meat pre packaging.

I know, some of us hire professionals to kill our meat, mow our yard, entertain our spouses. Some prefer the hands on approach.