Where the Deer and the Antelope Play

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​A friend of mine lives in a suburban neighborhood where the wildlife is becoming too friendly, some might even say BOLD.  Despite repeated attempts to discourage them, the groundhogs have taken up residence underneath decks and porches and the deer walk right up to the front doors and ring the bells.  The family pets do little to deter the wildlife, and that includes a pet pig that can moonwalk on command.  It appears that the animals have taken up the lives we used to have.

My friend spent the first half of the pandemic trying to woo a groundhog out from underneath her back deck and then keep him out.  Since I am not sure where all of this is headed, my friend shall remain anonymous.  Let’s just call her Q.

Q began her interventions by placing a small fence around the groundhog’s front door.  To no avail.  The groundhog simply dug a bigger hole and went underneath the fence.  Next, Q piled small stones around the entrance to the tunnel, but the creature moved the stones to the side, crafted a pair of gargoyles that looked remarkably like my friend, and went on inside.

Q thought the natural animal fear of a predator might work.  Q got a large plastic owl and placed it at the entrance.  The groundhog knocked the owl over, slapped it to the side, and spit on it before regaining entry to its groundhog digs.

Giving up on barriers, Q then tried appealing to the groundhog’s senses.  Q sprayed the area with ammonia.  Again, to no avail.  Perhaps, the scent was no worse than the typical smells of a groundhog home.  Q also tried sprinkling cayenne pepper at the entry, but it appears that the creature preferred life spicy.  Shiny, spinning pinwheels were no distraction and may have been enough extra wind power to provide electricity to the underground tunnel.  Q tried sleep deprivation as a discouragement strategy and kept bright lights focused on the groundhog’s home night and day.   Q was pretty sure she heard the groundhog laughing at her. Desperate, Q left the groundhog a written notice of eviction and posted a Keep Out sign at the entrance to the hole beneath the deck.  Q later found a tiny pair of reading glasses in the snow.  The Keep Out sign was turned around with the words Live, Love, Laugh printed on the back.  There was no response to the eviction letter.

Q then sprinkled baking soda around the deck to track the groundhog’s footsteps so that she would know when it left the tunnel and which direction it had gone.  While the animal was out, she backed up the truck and filled the area with large rocks.  Q says she hasn’t seen the groundhog since, but Q has no will left.  If Q sees signs of the groundhog’s return, she plans to declare him a dependent on her income tax return.

Now the neighborhood is getting together on a Zoom call to discuss the deer problem—upping their game so to speak.  My friend is eager to hear what the neighbors have to say. 

This has me worried.  We are all a little on edge given the politics, the pandemic, and the weather.  I remind my friend of the lyrics to that old folk song, Home on the Range: …where the deer and the antelope play…never is heard a discouraging word and the skies are not cloudy all day.

We need that…
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but I think it might be too late.

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