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Warning- disturbing, graphic images of a dead animal ahead.
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Still here? Okay then…
I woke up the other morning and thought I saw something strange on the front lawn. Still in my pajamas, I asked the husband to investigate. He came back inside with a strange look and a reticence to tell me what he’d found. After much shuffling of feet and stalling.. he told me Momma woodchuck had been killed.
I couldn’t believe it. She’s a tough old lady and I literally watched her chase off a fox last year.
Much as I didn’t want to, I had to see for myself.
.
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Poor thing.
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Something… coyote? fisher?… had ripped it apart. But as awful as it was, I told my husband the good news. It wasn’t momma chuck.
He thought I was nuts and proceeded to deal with the corpse. He said I couldn’t possibly tell one woodchuck from another … but I knew.
And a few hours later?
.
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Momma chuck and her baby enjoying some leftover deer grain.
Silly man. He should never doubt my ability to identify the critters I feed.
❤️
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River's world..... 
I wonder who it was then, if not mummy chuck?
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The ever absent father chuck?
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So sad…maybe it was a sibling…
We have a baby racoon who makes Tucker irate when it walks along the cables above the fence. It was still a baby a few weeks ago, and when I came back to the city recently, I saw a bigger racoon but it looked familiar in a way I can’t explain. Probably same baby growing up.
Somehow one gets to know the animals. Maybe because instinctively, we know they’re creatures of habit?
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I’m thinking it might have been her long lost husband. Once the babies are old enough he comes back around again looking to mate.
😉
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Oh… Poor thing, regardless. Nature is very cruel.
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It was a strange thing. Ripped apart, but not eaten. Nature is rarely that wasteful.
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Yes. True.
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I’m terrible at telling human faces apart, let alone critters. Barring some obvious distinguishing marks, I can’t tell (in my case) one squirrel from another. Guess Mama Chucker’s gonna have to hire a new body double now…
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Critters usually have some distinguishing characteristics. Momma’s desperate need of an 18 hour bra ruled this poor victim out immediately.
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Ew. But glad your Mama wasn’t the one.
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So am I. My heart was in my throat for a minute there…
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That’s pretty gnarly, all right. Any chance it was a bird? A red tail killed a rabbit in my own yard recently. It was a fight and the rabbit was screaming, which upset Cathy considerably. He ate some of it, mostly guts, and left the rest for the crows. Hawks don’t hunt by night, but a great horned owl could get it done. Any way, I’m sorry for the scare and glad for your friend.
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We live in the Maine countryside, it could have been anything. Owl, fisher cat, coyote… it’s hard to see, but it’s nature. I’m just glad it wasn’t one of our chucks.
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I’m so glad that it wasn’t momma chuckers. But if not her then who is is? One of her previous offspring perhaps? Either way I’m happy to see she’s still alive and kicking.
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It could be, but once they’re grown she kicks them to curb to find their own territory. I’m thinking maybe it was her ex husband.
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Ahhh……exactly how I’d want my ex husband to go….😝.
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I’m glad it wasn’t momma, but that poor woodchuck. Maybe it was poppa?
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That’s what I’m thinking.
😢
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Oh, poor thing. But glad it wasn’t momma!
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Too bad it wasn’t your dreaded red squirrel instead.
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I have the worst luck.
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