Groundhog Wranglin'

Seems we have a bit of a groundhog (aka woodchuck) problem. Every year, one or two set up residence on our property. Which I don't care about too much, except if they try to burrow somewhere they shouldn't, like our barn. Or when the dog corners one and refuses to leave it be. Today, the dog cornered this baby on the tire of my car.

A couple of years ago, she chased one up in a tree. Groundhogs make a funny clicking noise when threatened, and have some pretty wicked claws and teeth. But they are very shy and not dangerous unless they are cornered (which, as I mentioned, my dog likes to do.)

When we can, we use a rake to push the cornered creature into a trashcan, and then we enter him in our "relocation" program (which means we drive him to a field down the street and release him, then he is someone else's problem). This sport is referred to as Groundhog Wranglin'. What? You've never heard of it? Well, that there's the way we do it here in the deep South of Jersey.