Durham, NH Official: Don’t Dump Pesky Vermin at Wagon Hill Farm

An official in the town of Durham reports that there is a problem with woodchucks in the gardens at Wagon Hill Farm and he is asking people to not dump pesky vermin there.

In the July 16th edition of the Friday Updates put together by Town Administrator Todd Selig, he wrote that the plants in the gardens at Wagon Hill are taking off with the rain and heat.

But something else seems to have taken off as well -- the woodchuck population.

Selig wrote that this is not something gardeners at Wagon Hill have noticed in the past and they are wondering if people may be relocating woodchucks and other pesky vermin to the farm.

"I guess they're seeing much greater numbers than what is historically the case," Selig said in a phone interview on Friday afternoon. "They can't explain the increase in activity."

Selig said there has been anecdotal evidence that would suggest people may be relocating woodchucks and other animals to Wagon Hill, but nobody has seen anyone perform any dumping.

Woodchucks, or Marmota monax, are part of the marmot family.

They are also known as groundhogs and whistle pigs because of the sounds they make through their large teeth to warn one another of danger.

If people need to deal with nuisance animals, officials at NH Fish and Game have some suggestions, including:

-Removing what's attracting the wildlife

-Putting barriers between the wildlife and the attractants

-Removing the wildlife

Officials remind people to have a plan for what they are going to do if they catch the animal.

People should make sure that their spot of release for the animal is acceptable before leaving it behind.

Contact Managing News Editor Kimberley Haas at Kimberley.Haas@townsquaremedia.com.