The Woodchuck 5 



York State fanner, was a famous woodchuck hunter. 

 After locating a woodchuck, Shep would watch his 

 movements for a little time, then, whle the woodchuck 

 was feeding, she would move directly toward him. 

 Keeping her body close to the ground she would 

 stop instantly and lie very still whenever the wood- 

 chuck raised himself on his haunches to look about 

 for danger. When Shep believed herself to be near 

 enough to the entrance of the burrow she would 

 make a dash for it. If she reached it first, there 

 was sure to be one woodchuck less to nibble the 

 fragrant clover. 



No animal exerts less energy in the course of a 

 year than does the woodchuck. He feeds upon the 

 best in the meadow and occasionally the garden, 

 being particularly fond of the juicy peas and beans 

 and tender lettuce. Then as winter comes on for- 

 getting all care and worry he crawls into his burrow 

 and, like the bear, falls asleep, not to awaken until 

 the warm spring sunshine has touched with caressing 

 fingers the slumbering world of nature. 



Some years ago while returning from the miU-pond 

 where I had been fishing through the ice for pickerel, 

 I came upon a man in the open field digging for a 

 skunk, which he had tracked into what seemed to be 

 a woodchuck's burrow. As the man was evidently 



