Woodchucks gone badddddd - semi graphic pic

[cmjust0]

I know someone who had a big Boxer that got in a fight with a groundhog which was living under their backyard shed.. The groundhog bit the dog's tongue -- bad -- and the dog almost bled to death. After the vet finally got the bleeding stopped, the dog got a little better and then took a serious turn for the worse.. They think an embolus (clot) travelled from the injury to the brain, causing the dog to have an ischemic stroke. It lost quite a bit of motor function and after several agonizing days, they had to put it down.

For those of you who have never seen a groundhog up close, suffice it to say they're pretty stout critters. They have huge claws and extremely powerful legs, and those two big curved teeth -- while not pointy, per se -- are honed to a keen edge.

I'm frankly surprised the OP's banty isn't history.. That ol' hog could have ripped it wing from wing in no time, flat.

 

[laughingllama75]

we have a momma woodchuck here that chases my barn cat. Needless to say, mommas goin' buh-bye soon. She has 3 babies, cute as a button......but with the large animals here, last thing we need is holes in the ground.

Sorry it hurt your hen, but glad you got it.

 

[rachiegirl]

I'm going to go with he was after the lettuce and rather startled by the hen! They don't see too well, and probably felt he needed to protect himself. Glad you got him, but I wouldn't worry they are not carnivores and wont attack chickens for food. Being rodents, they LOVE to chew and just about anything is fair game...including car wiring!

We had mice do the same thing to the wiring in our quad. Stupid rodents.

 

[Poultra]

I rather like the name whistle pig.....

Yes, those bloody chucks are an awful nuisance. I had one of this year's crop charge me when I was in my backyard the other day. Umm, scary, I was thinking rabies since that was out of character. I found a big stick and came across another one in the garden who errored and got itself stuck under a pallet. It didn't live long.

They're increasing here to the point that DH just bought himself a Savage Model 10 22-250. He needs to sight it in but once he does, I hope the population goes down quickly. They are also so bad that I, who doesn't care for handling guns, shot a .22 for the first time ever last week so I can help take them out.

I hope your hen recovers quickly. Spunky girl!

 

[barngem]

*GEL* :

Well, I think that's why everyone is a little freaked out, as Gound Hogs, Woodchucks, etc.... are known herbivors.....not carnivors. Maybe he was just fighting for the lettuce....??

Not sure why one would turn nasty on a chicken....weird!

Great shot though!

Glad you said something.

A Woodchuck might stick up for itself if it were scared and might fight for territory but no self respecting woodchuck would ever eat a chicken.
I have never seen one be aggressive they are usually very timid, must have just startled it. They have herbivour teeth too, no fangs, but I am guessing they could lay a bite on something.
You do know you probably could have just scared it away?

Or were you just using him as an example for the other woodchucks in the territory

heheheh​

 

[Country4ever]

That really surprises me too, and I'm thinking like barngem. They are very easily intimidated.
We did have a family of them living in our woodshed and one of the babies was obviously sick.....falling all over the place. We found it by our porch hissing at us. Needless to say, we disposed of him.
They climb trees too.
But I'm very surprised at it in the situation you described. Maybe just a big misunderstanding?

 

[bryan8]

Quote:
Glad you said something.

A Woodchuck might stick up for itself if it were scared and might fight for territory but no self respecting woodchuck would ever eat a chicken.
I have never seen one be aggressive they are usually very timid, must have just startled it. They have herbivour teeth too, no fangs, but I am guessing they could lay a bite on something.
You do know you probably could have just scared it away?

Or were you just using him as an example for the other woodchucks in the territory

heheheh

They have 4 big teeth... And im not about to let some woodchuck hurt my hens, so he got the 50 grain pill
~Bryan

 

[Chickie'sMoma]

EEEKK!!!

i'm glad i haven't let my birds out of their coop much the last couple of weeks due to all our rain here. i just saw a woodchuck last friday while there was a break in the weather, waltzing around the backyard near the coop. i told the dh that if he saw it to take it out just because of the garden. i didn't think that it would bother the birds.

i guess i'll have to start practicing on my aim! for a first time shooter last September, i beat the pants of the dh in the class. (and he has been a gun owner for over 20 years!)

 

[EweSheep]

Bryan=1 Woodchuck=0