Page 17 - June 2016 BNP ALL
P. 17
Published by www.EPlusPromotes.com www.TheCatoctinBanner.com The Catoctin Banner Newspaper June 2016 Page 17
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Skeeter the Goundhog, an Unlikely
&
“Pet” Crane Rentals, Inc.
Crane Rentals, Inc.
Crane Rentals, Inc.
Crane Rentals, Inc.
Crane Rentals, Inc.
Crane Rentals, Inc.
Crane Rentals, Inc.
Crane Rentals, Inc.
Crane Rentals, Inc.
Crane Rentals, Inc.
Crane Rentals, Inc.
Crane Rentals, Inc.
James Rada, Jr.
Having a groundhog Courtesy Photo
as a pet wasn’t part
of Harold Long’s plan
when he took up the
hobby of trapping
groundhogs and selling
them over ten years 1 Creamery Way
ago while working a Emmitsburg, MD 21727
dairy farm.
Trapping them 301-447-3718
has helped curb
the damage that FAX: 301-447-1722
the groundhogs—
considered rodents—
can cause to farmland,
crops, and farm
equipment. It also Harold Long and Skeeter the groundhog.
serves to meet a
demand for the consumption of the grass and ginger snaps. He kept them
meat that is a common practice in in a cage in the house. Two of the
some cultures. cubs eventually died, but the third
“Some people came up from one had a strong will to live and
Montgomery County and asked if survived.
we had any groundhogs,” Long said. Long named him Skeeter, and he
“I didn’t. I didn’t have time to be is now his “pet.” Skeeter sleeps in a
trapping them.” cage when he’s in the house, but he
The idea stayed with him, though, is usually in the barn. Long built the
and when he retired from the dairy groundhog a fort in the barn, where
farm, he decided to start trapping it could hibernate through the winter.
groundhogs. He now has twenty-five “He will stand on my leg and
traps in Thurmont, Woodsboro, and wait for me to pet him,” Long said.
Walkersville, that he checks twice “I’m the only one he will go to. He’ll
a day. Last year, Long caught three snap his teeth if anyone else gets
hundred sixty-one groundhogs. close to him.”
He has eight clients to whom he Even when Skeeter is in the barn, www.
sells the groundhogs. The customers he will come to Long because he
travel to Thurmont from Montgomery knows that Long is the one who TheCatoctinBanner.
County just to buy groundhogs. They raised him and still feeds him. com
will buy ten to twenty groundhogs at Having a groundhog as a pet Your Good News Community
a time from Long. is not recommended in general. Newspaper
His customers use groundhog Though they appear cuddly and cute, Serving Northern Frederick County,
meat in recipes. Their meat can they are wild animals and they will Maryland, Since 1995
be used in any recipe calling for take action to protect themselves
small game, and in many other wild when they feel threatened.
game recipes, too. Groundhogs
are vegetarians and their meat
is considered tender and tasty.
However, groundhogs have a scent
gland (as do rabbits and raccoons)
that needs to be removed as soon as
possible to keep from tainting the
meat.
A side benefit of Long’s trapping
is that gardens near the areas where
Long places his traps are free from at
least one invader. Harold Long was
trapping groundhogs last year when
he caught a nice-sized female that he
thought his customers would like.
“I took her out, and three little
ones came out of the hole after,”
Long said. Long took pity on the
cubs. They would have died without
their mother. Young groundhog cubs
are dependent on their mother for at
least six weeks.
Long fed the cubs milk from a
syringe and, when they got older,
T MMMMMMMMMMMMMMM
T T T T T T T T T T T T
Skeeter the Goundhog, an Unlikely
&
“Pet” Crane Rentals, Inc.
Crane Rentals, Inc.
Crane Rentals, Inc.
Crane Rentals, Inc.
Crane Rentals, Inc.
Crane Rentals, Inc.
Crane Rentals, Inc.
Crane Rentals, Inc.
Crane Rentals, Inc.
Crane Rentals, Inc.
Crane Rentals, Inc.
Crane Rentals, Inc.
James Rada, Jr.
Having a groundhog Courtesy Photo
as a pet wasn’t part
of Harold Long’s plan
when he took up the
hobby of trapping
groundhogs and selling
them over ten years 1 Creamery Way
ago while working a Emmitsburg, MD 21727
dairy farm.
Trapping them 301-447-3718
has helped curb
the damage that FAX: 301-447-1722
the groundhogs—
considered rodents—
can cause to farmland,
crops, and farm
equipment. It also Harold Long and Skeeter the groundhog.
serves to meet a
demand for the consumption of the grass and ginger snaps. He kept them
meat that is a common practice in in a cage in the house. Two of the
some cultures. cubs eventually died, but the third
“Some people came up from one had a strong will to live and
Montgomery County and asked if survived.
we had any groundhogs,” Long said. Long named him Skeeter, and he
“I didn’t. I didn’t have time to be is now his “pet.” Skeeter sleeps in a
trapping them.” cage when he’s in the house, but he
The idea stayed with him, though, is usually in the barn. Long built the
and when he retired from the dairy groundhog a fort in the barn, where
farm, he decided to start trapping it could hibernate through the winter.
groundhogs. He now has twenty-five “He will stand on my leg and
traps in Thurmont, Woodsboro, and wait for me to pet him,” Long said.
Walkersville, that he checks twice “I’m the only one he will go to. He’ll
a day. Last year, Long caught three snap his teeth if anyone else gets
hundred sixty-one groundhogs. close to him.”
He has eight clients to whom he Even when Skeeter is in the barn, www.
sells the groundhogs. The customers he will come to Long because he
travel to Thurmont from Montgomery knows that Long is the one who TheCatoctinBanner.
County just to buy groundhogs. They raised him and still feeds him. com
will buy ten to twenty groundhogs at Having a groundhog as a pet Your Good News Community
a time from Long. is not recommended in general. Newspaper
His customers use groundhog Though they appear cuddly and cute, Serving Northern Frederick County,
meat in recipes. Their meat can they are wild animals and they will Maryland, Since 1995
be used in any recipe calling for take action to protect themselves
small game, and in many other wild when they feel threatened.
game recipes, too. Groundhogs
are vegetarians and their meat
is considered tender and tasty.
However, groundhogs have a scent
gland (as do rabbits and raccoons)
that needs to be removed as soon as
possible to keep from tainting the
meat.
A side benefit of Long’s trapping
is that gardens near the areas where
Long places his traps are free from at
least one invader. Harold Long was
trapping groundhogs last year when
he caught a nice-sized female that he
thought his customers would like.
“I took her out, and three little
ones came out of the hole after,”
Long said. Long took pity on the
cubs. They would have died without
their mother. Young groundhog cubs
are dependent on their mother for at
least six weeks.
Long fed the cubs milk from a
syringe and, when they got older,
