Ugh, is it number 1, 2 or 3? Not for the faint of heart.

[F, Calla & Luca]

I just let the dogs out and I went out the gate to see how the front little gardens were doing. Clue 1, no doodles pacing around looking for me to return. Clue 2,  two doodles huddled over something on the lawn. 

When I went to see what the attraction was it was a baby woodchuck who was quite dead. I was a little anxious that he (I am using the masculine tense but truly I didn't check the telling parts) might pop up but when I saw the string of small intestine trailing from him, smelled him and got a clearer look at the body it was clear the TOD, time of death, was earlier but I did not take a liver temp for a more exact guesstimate.

I let out a string of "leave its" and "eh,ehs". I know commands should be given once clearly but that would have been more self restraint than I could muster just then. Surprisingly, aside from approaching once or twice the dogs did leave it. I got my trusty shovel and dispatched the body to a woody area outside the fence.

I sat down to contemplate the case. I knew I have had generations of woodchucks under my shed. I did try to catch them long ago but to no avail. I haven't quite geared myself up to attempt, ahem, stronger methods. When I got home from my trip I noticed that a doodle free yard had resulted in a lot of tops nibbled off plants and I started to think about what I could do to get the woodchucks to move on once and for all, one way or another. I don't think the adults can get through the fence since the latest gnaw proofing but they may be able to tunnel under still.

Possibilities: 1)Could a cat have gotten in through the small gaps near the gates and done the deed? Chipmunks and squirrels are vegetarians right? 2)A hawk might have descended. 3)As you can tell I am really hoping it wasn't my sweet doodles double teaming a mere baby--he did have evil looking claws and teeth, though. And they do have priors; the sad case of the squirrel came immediately to mind.

While I was musing I noticed doodle interest in another area nearby and a suspicious number of flies--sorry, no genus and species noted. Sure enough more woodchuck entrails. Trusty shovel again to the rescue. I am ashamed to say that it never entered my mind to take crime scene photographs til now.

It occurred to me that this sort of thing might cut down on dog food bills--ugh. Furthermore, no DKs for my dogs for a while---ugh.

[Jane, Guinness and Murphy]

Oh, F, this is bad....really bad.  I have to say though, that Tina's snake blog is even worse.  Your Doodles didn't chase and taunt you with the dead body, or worse yet "throw" it at you.

[Carol and Banjo]

Oh, F......so glad you're back!   Funny lady!   You do sound as tho you have a background in criminology my dear.   "Priors", "crime scene photos", "TOD"....LOL.   You're just beating jet lag and now THIS?!!!   Oh my, time for some real relaxation!     Your two apparently are making up for "lost time".

[Sue, Murphy and Bella ()*o*()]

Yes F, it could be worse, at least they left it alone and didn;t grab it up and start running towards the house with it! 

[Joanne ~ Spud*]

Up,  Chuck.

[F, Calla & Luca]

Ha!

[Bonnie and Kona]

yup

 

[Jennifer,Chloe & Myla]

So awesome to sum this up Joanne!!

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Could definitely have been hawks or even owls. Cats can get through some mighty small gaps, too. Not squirrels; I had the unpleasant task today of burying a whole litter (if that's the correct term) of dead baby rabbits whose mother was apparently inept at nest building and/or avoiding predators herself, and the neighborhood squirrels have been hanging out all around the completely open nest all week and never went near it. The babies died of natural causes, i.e. starvation and the elements.

I refuse to believe that two such lovely, well-bred doodles as C & L could have committed such carnage. Clearly, this was the work of some kind of intruder.

F, if you lived closer, I'd invite you out for a drink this evening. You and I were not meant to be performing interments, especially not on a holiday!

[F, Calla & Luca]

The drink sounds like a good idea though. Somehow, and mind you  I spent over $800 having the fence perfected once again this spring, Luca managed to visit the scene of the body dump. He had to be dragged back by his collar, since I didn't have a leash at hand. Well bred, I think he is becoming a hardened criminal! He is now in solitary confinement and he will have to be on supervised visits to the yard until I figure this out. He clearly is smarter than me, if only he would put his talents to good causes he might be able to solve the world's problems.

 

BTW, no wonder rabbits multiply like rabbits. They build the most superficial nests and then the mother stays away most of the time to avoid having predators find the nest. Is this good planning?

[Joanne ~ Spud*]

1. On another note, how BIG are the cats in Jersey?  Good Grief.  

2. Hawk sounds better, or even an owl~ we had something similar here with my Robin's nest the other day.  Dad Robin went to another nest for lunch.

3. Doodles? Maybe, but I think even a doodle would back off from those teeth.  

My guess is that the nest was built somewhat higher or the babies were brought out of the burrow because of the rain and flooding.  Maybe they were to high up and nipped by a recent lawn mowing? Either way,  many are out of the  nests too soon because of the rains and they are not surviving.  .

As for the dog food....................  Free roaming chickens are common in food and maybe a free roaming ground hog could work also.  There certainly is a large supply.

Another guess is that they thought if maybe they caught something for you they would never have to go back to Hilda's house.   Welcome Home,  Mom.

[Sue, Lola, Pongo & Hubby]

oh no, this is one of my biggest nightmares. Poor you!!! I'm sure your sweet doodles kept to themselves and had no part in this disaster.

[Jennifer and Jack]

Yuck.... yuck and more yuck, That is all I can say.. Thank God for shovels!!!