Duckman - do not read, or anyone concerned for the safety of destructive wildlife.
My woodchuck story happened at the farm, one of the guys' brothers-in-law parked his newish Grand Am out there for a month while he went out of province on business. A woodchuck got up inside the hood and ate one of the wiring harnesses, so we repaired it, and just as we were getting done, the dog moseyed over and started barking her head off... we'd missed the fact the woodchuck was still IN the engine compartment. Get out a big steel rod, poke it, it hits the ground, dog scares it... it jumps back up into the engine compartment again... yell at the dog... poke the woodchuck again, again it comes out, sees the dog, jumps back up... after 3 of us looking like complete idiots for 30 minutes repeating this... it gets caught, head between the engine and crossmember... body underneath - head stuck against the engine, this sucker is STUCK.
A few good strong pokes at it... and a few swipes at the body underneath with a shovel... it is NOT budging. We all look at each other with that "alright... now what?"
The sick looks on everyone's faces as I take the keys, start the car up and drive it up and down the gravel road a few times were priceless.
Nearly as good as it'll be some day when a mechanic drops the crossmember and a small animal skull drops on the floor.
Bren R.
