May 12, 2009

Groundhog Day

I caught a groundhog today.  No, I don't mean the famous Phil from Punxsutawney, the movie starring Bill Murray or Gus, the second most famous groundhog in PA from the PA Lottery commercials.  I'm talking a real live, pain in the butt, plant eating, hole under the fence digging and which  recently discovered breeding under my porch groundhog.  




(this is not the actual groundhog, but it sure does look like it!)

We have been plagued by a groundhog problem for the past few years.  But until now, it was pretty much confined to one.  This year, we discovered a family of five living in our section 8 housing under our porch.  There are two adults and three babies - way more than I am willing to put up with. So I set a (no kill) trap this morning and the mama took the bait. In fact, I was on the phone with my parents as she walked into the trap and it snapped shut! My next thought was "how the heck to I empty the trap?"

Google the trap manufacturer and read the directions. Looks easy enough. Call from my dad asking me to please be careful and to ask my neighbor to help me since my husband was on the road. I assure him that I will wait for Spawn to come home from the gym. Take a drive and scout out a suitable spot for release. Protect the back of the car for the cage - groundhogs pee and poop a whole lot upon capture. Spawn comes home and off we go. The release was easier than I thought. Mama groundhog was happy to scurry to freedom down by the river.

The trap is reset. The babies have managed to steal the apples out of the trap, use it as a jungle gym (I caught one climbing all over it while an other was munching on apples in it) and run through it with out the doors closing on them. So I have closed one end and hope that at least two of them will be heavy enough to trigger the doors closed. Then I will reunite them with mom.

The rest of my day was pretty normal - buzzed Spawn's hair, bought a new washer, went to Wal-Mart and the grocery store, cooked dinner.

So, did you do anything interesting today?




6 comments:

Mental P Mama said...

I hope you get the babies to her soon!

Sue said...

You are kinder to critters then we are....We have a huge squirrel problem...while walking Boo on the lawn the other day I glanced up at the pitched roof in front of the house and there was a big squirrels ass hanging out of a huge hole in our chimney wall....(the house is cedar)....I went inside to get the Boss who went and got the gun (a high powered pellet gun) but he moved too slow and by the time he came out the rodent took off over the roof peak....they came out today from Atlanta Wildlife and set a trap if any are in the house....but we shoot to kill....Heck they are eating our house..

Nurse Nancy said...

Guess we need to add great groundhog hunter to your list of life accomplishments.....how many jokes did you come up with during the course of the day?
Hope the babies get caught and reunited soon and your problem is solved!

Barb Szyszkiewicz said...

LOL, aren't you casual? Just another routine day in the life of Ellen...LOL!

Time to watch "Caddyshack" I think!

abb said...

Did you catch the other adult?

Country Girl said...

Not as interesting as this! We've got a problem here too.