Hattie’s
1867 schoolgirl letters
 |
| Herbie Blakely |
Aug 24: “How do Herbie’s woodchucks increase pretty fast?”
Sep 4: In a note to her little brother Herbie: “…you would be poking around to see if you could not find a woodchuck hole I guess.”
Woodchucks
were pests around the farm, so is woodchuck harassment a useful job for a young
boy? Does he chase them or trap or shoot
them? I know that Herbie grew to love deer
hunting in the woods, and maybe this was his first prey. Did the family eat them? I haven’t seen any mention of this in any of the letters.
My brother, Herbert's great grandson, hunted woodchucks on our family farm. He waited quietly and hidden near where he knew the woodchucks lived. When one came out he would take aim and shoot it with a 22 caliber shotgun. I don't think any Blakelys ever ate woodchuck. Some people thought it amusing to hang the carcass over the fence that surrounded the fields. Our parents did not allow this so the dead animals rotted where they fell or were eaten by larger animals.
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