Who misses hunting or hunting camp?
Who misses hunting or going up to deer hunting camp? What about pheasant hunting?
Our season doesn't begin for several months, however, hunting of a different variety has been ongoing lately.........hunting of pesty critters.
Within the past two days, we've trapped one oppossum, one groundhog (both in a have a heart trap) plus a field mouse* inside our furnace room in regular mouse trap. *The cooler days & nights are when they begin to seek shelter indoors.........plus all this rain we've had.
The first two critters were just taken to the "forest" for resettlement with the rest of their "cousins".....from long ago & far away......
Our daughter's husband has just trapped & shot three raccoons who were attacking & eating their laying hens........they are waiting for the rest of that crew of the raccoon family............they also had a bear who ate their groundhog.....who was attacking their chickens.
Quite a few years ago, we had a massive groundhog invasion, of which I took about 35 photos........my husband eventually believed me & set to work capturing them for "relocation".............they were HUGE. One more ornery than the next. (Might have been more or less than 35).
When we ran out of apples & fruit, we gave them chocolate chip cookies which they really loved.
Today's critter was young but also ornery. Many are. At first I thought he was more laid back & friendly as he would sit on the rock just gazing up at the house.......but he was becoming too familiar ; we needed to eliminate him; they are rodents after all.......and many grow quite large.
The chipmunks we tolerate as they are cute........but the rest need to go.
Years ago, our cousin in N.J. kept saying ours was the same groundhog returning.......the rumor being that they know their way back home....... Some old Jersey farmer had told him that "legend"....
Not so, as ours were all different sizes, colors, temperments.........not the same critter.
Some would whistle very loud.........they were brazen & would sun themselves on our patio........
Luckily, we caught our new visitor (and the opposum) with fruit.......in the have a heart trap. Luckily also that it was not a skunk.
At first his weight was too light to spring the trap door...........but guess we fattened the critter up after two weeks..........meanwhile, the rabbits, the squirrels, etc. & beautiful red & blue birds were enjoying the apples........sometimes the groundhogs liked tomatoes.
Because of the rainy summer, the deer family make frequent appearances, perhaps because of our pear & cherry trees.........or the fact that this property, this entire neighborhood was once apple orchards at the edge of town.............they must have a familial "memory" to return & sniff & dig in the soil.........even in places where we have had to remove old apple blossom trees.......the deer remember & return.
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