Groundhog Attacks!

[GardenerGal]

Woodchucks will run away, not attack, when healthy. The rabies vaccine is a very wise move.

 

[they'reHISchickens]

I have never ever heard of a groundhog attacking. Snarling showing teeth, yes, but outright attack? never. I pray that tests comes back negative but please people, unusual animal behavior usually means illness!!!

 

[AnotherSusan]

If it had a hole it was trying to get to, it might bite. I have been between a groundhog and it's hole. Came around a corner of our house and it ran at me. They can really move when motivated. I slipped on the loose gravel and cut it off unintentionally. It backed off a few feet and then rushed me again. I could not get out of it's way so kicked at it and yelled. It made one more run at me before it gave up, ran around the house and got to it's hole that way.

You might want to look for it's hole. I know it's not coming back, but there may be another one.

 

[they'reHISchickens]

Susan, That is typical behavior, IMHO. Threaten, bluff, but in reality run the other way because there is always a backdoor hole. Actually biting--nope. Sure hope you are ok OP!

 

[sunny & the 5 egg layers]

 

[mondotomhead]

I was reading a story about a woodchuck stealing American flags at a cemetary!

I also read they are called gophers and "whistlepigs"

Just my 2 cents............

 

[GardenerGal]

I never heard them called gophers (which are another species of smaller rodent that does look a little like a 'chuck), but we do call 'em whistlepigs (they have a high pitched warning whistle) and groundhogs. They're actually marmots, and are native east of the Mississippi. There is another species of marmot that lives west of the Mississippi.

Hope that the OP writes back and lets us know if it was just an angry woodchuck, not a sick one.

 

[Mattemma]

Groundhog chewed through my 6 foot chainlink fence back in 2009.They got some serious grinders. Hope you won't get any sort of infection.Last groundhog I trapped looked like it had some sort of mange skin disease.Maybe yours was a momma.All the groundhog I encountered only tried bite when I gave them no out.Speedy healings!

 

[GardenerGal]

I raised an orphaned woodchuckling years ago, and it became quite tame. However, as they get older they become solitary and territorial. I was able to release the 'chuck to the "wild" of an abandoned orchard/nursery where it wouldn't be a pest to anyone but would have lots of food and burrow territory.



Also, I used to work at a science museum that always had a resident woodchuck, always an adopted orphan that grew up and lived out its life surrounded by people and "domesticity." While these 'chucks could be handled, we ALWAYS used gloves, and never did a public demo with them if they were in a cranky mood. Only when they were in a good mood, and even then we bribed them with "woodchuck bisquits" so they would spend most of the demo eating!


Woodchucks are not sociable by nature. BUT again, while they will be territorial and charge at you to protect a burrow when there are babies, they will not attack to bite if they are normal. The first defense (if there are no babies) is to scoot down the burrow. If there are babies about, the mother will whistle, which sends the babies scooting down the borrow, then momma follows. Males usually just scoot because they do not stick around to help raise babies.


So unusual to have a woodchuck not only not break off a charge, but to run in and bite. That's what makes me uneasy, and why I hope all the best for the OP!

 

[codechicken1]

I had a similiar situation. I asked and was told by an animal control offiecrt that groundhogs do not get rabies. Don't know if he was messing with me.