Bob’s garden groundhog
Bobʼs brother-in-law Al sends an email detailing his encounter with a groundhog in his garden. As Al found out groundhogs will put up a fight for garden vegetables. Photo thanks to Mark Applebaum.
Our sources for this episode include:
- 9 Things You Didnʼt Know About Groundhogs
- Groundhogs in Your Garden
- Groundhogs by National Geographic
- Groundhog Fun Facts
Woodchuck photo thanks to Mark Applebaum
I have a groundhog story to share. I was standing in my mother-in-law’s kitchen doing dishes. She was in her bedroom across the hall recovering from surgery. I was trying to work quietly so as not to disturb her. Suddenly there was a loud noise on her back porch. Someone was dragging her plastic bag with recyclable cans and bottles off the porch. Her neighbor Tony always picked those up for her, but this dragging went on for a long time. Not wanting the rattling to waken her, I went to the door to see what Tony was going. But it was not Tony. It was a groundhog dragging the bag toward the steps off the porch. Being amazed, I hurried to get her brother, a Catholic priest, to come see. He stepped to the window, but I could not also see out because the curtains left room for just one person to have a view. So I have to believe this man of God did not lie, and trust the evidence left behind, because I was not an eye-witness to what happened next. There was one more round of noise, then silence. Her brother laughed in amazement and related what he saw. He said the groundhog shook the bag til all the cans and bottles were out of it and scattered on the porch. Then it sat up on its hind legs, took the plastic bag it its paws, wadded it up, stuffed it on the corner of its mouth, and scurried of the porch. When I resumed a spot at the window, all that was left was a collection of cans and bottles. No plastic bag. And no groundhog anywhere to be seen. Can you believe it?
Wow! That is quite a story. Thanks for sharing this. Anyone have any thoughts on what the groundhog did with the plastic bag?