NATURAL HISTORY. 



When a bird or a wild animal is killed, that is the end of it. If photographed, it may still live and its educationa 



and scientific value is multiplied indefinitely. 



CHUCKOLOGY. 



Hoosick Falls, N. Y. 

 Editor Recreation: 



The woodchuck is an industrious worker, 

 as one will see by inspecting his home. 

 In excavating his burrow he will throw 

 out flat stones 6 to 8 inches long, boulders 

 weighing 10 pounds and earth enough 

 to fill a barrel. 



His home, or main hole, enters the ground 

 at an angle of about 45 degrees and ex- 

 tends 7 to 10 feet before reaching the 

 nest; and there may be several other 

 shafts, or blind holes. These are usually 

 8 to 20 feet from the principal hole. There 

 is no earth or stone thrown . up around 

 them, the entrance is almost perpendicu- 

 lar and is usually overgrown with grass 

 and weeds. It is evident that the earth 

 and stone from these shafts is carried out 

 through the main hole. 



It is these blind holes that annoy the 

 farmer. Horses and cattle sometimes 

 step into them and are severely injured. 

 Last summer, while stalking a 'chuck, I 

 stepped into a blind hole, going in the 

 whole length of my leg. My rifle went in 

 one direction, my hat in another and I saw 

 a brilliant display of shooting stars. I 

 lost my 'chuck, but secured a game leg. 



A deserted hole can be detected at once 

 by the cobwebs covering it and its general 

 appearance of disuse. The woodchuck 

 is asocial animal, as is proved by the trails 

 from one hole to another. Occasionally 

 a hole seems a favorite resort, as there are 

 many trails leading to it; then again there 

 is only the trail from a field of clover or 

 a convenient orchard, or to the blind hole. 

 Farmers tell me that the woodchuck is 

 almost as destructive in a corn field as a 

 raccoon, and that it also eats squash, 

 beans, turnips, and in fact all kinds of 

 garden truck. 



The 'chuck is game too, and will whip 

 any dog of his size and weight. Last 

 August while Major Shorkley was hunt- 

 ing on my preserve he heard a furious 

 barking; it was at least half a mile from 

 any house. On looking over a hedge he 

 saw a fox terrier between a 'chuck and 

 its hole. They were having a lively time. 

 The dog would make a rush for the 'chuck 

 and the latter would crouch down and 

 snap his teeth. When the dog retreated 

 the 'chuck would rise until again attacked. 

 After watching the battle some time 

 the Major called off the dog and shot the 

 'chuck. 



One evening the Major came in my 

 office and took from his pockets 16 tails 



and laid them on my table. On looking 

 them over I noticed that some were short 

 and others long. I asked him how that 

 happened. "Oh," he said, "they are 

 just as I shot them." I did not under- 

 stand. "Well," said he, "go with me 

 tomorrow and I will show you." I went, 

 and am glad I did, for I never should 

 have believed him had he attempted 

 an explanation. As we were stalking 

 through a meadow, the Major stopped 

 suddenly and pointing to a stone wall, 

 exclaimed, "There! don't you see?" I 

 raised my 'scope and saw a large 'chuck 

 standing on his head like a circus dog, 

 his tail swinging in the air like an in- 

 verted pendulum, evidently to attract 

 attention. Crack went the Major's 25-36, 

 off went the tail and into his burrow went 

 the 'chuck. He had lost his flag but 

 saved his bacon. The Major counted 

 one more trophy and all were happy. 



One unacquainted with Areytomys monax. 

 would not think him capable of devising 

 schemes for circumventing the hunter and 

 saving his own life. Mr. J. F. Rabbeth 

 tells us that the woodchucks in the Con- 

 necticut valley will unhook their tails 

 and throw them at him in order to save 

 the rest of their anatomy. 



Considering the number shot on my 

 preserve it may seem surprising that they 

 are not exterminated. Yet last August 

 I counted 2 5 holes on ^ acre and on another 

 farm 30 on one acre. We will suppose 

 1 oof these contains each a mother 'chuck. 

 Naturalists tell us that sometimes they 

 breed twice a year and have 4 to 6 at a 

 litter. I will call it 5, which gives us 50 

 infant chucks. We will deduct 10 for 

 casualities and have 40 left. Did ever 

 one man kill 40 in a 40 acre lot? 



The 'chuck goes early into winter 

 quarters loaded with fat, pulls in his latch 

 string and sleeps until early spring. 



Twenty years ago the woodchuck was 

 hardly counted as game worthy of at- 

 tention. Now such men as Baker, Rabbeth, 

 Shorkley and Leopold talk of their 

 25-36 and 32-40 'chuck guns as they used 

 to of their 40-70 or 45-90 big game rifles. 



When a man thinks it requires no skill 

 to kill a woodchuck he is off his reckoning. 

 From my observation a 25 or 32 caliber is 

 none too large. It should be sighted for 

 100 yards: then one can hold over or 

 under. Most 'chucks are shot this side 

 of 75 yards; but in an open meadow it 

 is almost impossible to get within that 

 distance before they dive into their 

 holes. 



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