I've had a very crafty groundhog living under my front porch for most of the summer. I've been watching for her (that's what it turned out to be) daily but it wasn't until today that she decided to show herself. I heard a noise on the front porch and she was collecting artificial flowers, pieces of wicker from porch furniture, etc. apparently to take into her burrow for a winter bed. What a mess!

My first strategy was to go around the house and approach from the side. The problem was my wife decided to close the window to the bedroom and shortly came out the front door. The groundhog left and I doubted I'd see her again today. We removed furniture and wreckage from the porch.

Not too long later, she was out in the front flower bed harvesting dried ornamental grass. I came around the house again but she was gone so I waited with a 7mm Remington Magnum in hand. Sure enough, I saw movement briefly. I had forgotton about the brown ornamental rock in the flowerbed and I sent a Hornady 162 grain A-Max into the middle of it thinking it was her with her head down and back to me. Once again I thought she would be seen no more today.

A little later I looked on the front porch and she was there; I presume puzzeled by the lack of bedding materials. Bad weather must be coming otherwise why would she have been so anxious to make her bed? For porch work I chose a T/C Contender in 22 LR. I opened the front door and shot her as she came by; end of groundhog. There was a small hole in the porch floor (which I was expecting) but the damage she did was far worse than the little easily patachable hole so my wife wasn't upset.

This summer I made the mistake of leaving the groundhogs on the back forty alone thinking they wouldn't hurt anything. Not any more; next year, if I see them I shoot them.

Living under your porch ? what an insult !! They can do a lot of damage ,a corner of my field was washed out between heavy rains and woodchuck holes. Get 'em !!