Joyce Carol Oates is battling a groundhog and it's hilarious

Twitchy regular Joyce Carol Oates has been chronicling her battle against a groundhog that’s been ravaging her garden and it’s hilarious.

First the author and outspoken critic of hunting tried a cat:

Sheba has promised to help guard the garden from a rapacious groundhog much larger than he is. pic.twitter.com/UqeKPRbGWN

— Joyce Carol Oates (@JoyceCarolOates) May 28, 2017

…but that didn’t work so she decided to trap the varmint instead, with a compassionate trap of some sort:

Ominous sight near garden: young groundhog. Is this the new generation? & how many in a litter? have ordered HaveaHart trap. hurry!

— Joyce Carol Oates (@JoyceCarolOates) June 20, 2017

She baited the trap with apples:

Have-a-Hart trap w/ apple pieces. Awaiting groundhog. pic.twitter.com/G50mOjYjQV

— Joyce Carol Oates (@JoyceCarolOates) June 24, 2017

And promptly captured a racoon:

Raccoon trapped instead of groundhog. Will release. pic.twitter.com/JguuGi0Avh

— Joyce Carol Oates (@JoyceCarolOates) June 27, 2017

And then she captured another racoon and some squirrels:

Four squirrels, two raccoons. Groundhog laughing up his foreleg. Trap is proving useless. Predation continues. pic.twitter.com/T3xi2C7y41

— Joyce Carol Oates (@JoyceCarolOates) July 1, 2017

Next she decided to move the trap right next to the groundhog’s lair:

Having failed utterly at trapping groundhog I have placed baited trap directly in front of his burrow. pic.twitter.com/mrkBbinmX2

— Joyce Carol Oates (@JoyceCarolOates) August 1, 2017

Will this work?

No. Mr. Groundhog remains at large. In the struggle between Ivy League professor & groundhog, who would you expect to triumph? bets taken. https://t.co/Ylfq10nFgO

— Joyce Carol Oates (@JoyceCarolOates) August 1, 2017

Success! But…

Mr. Groundhog looking sheepish (sic). Almost convinced us just to release him w/ promise he won't ravage garden. pic.twitter.com/2bzkU01p3W

— Joyce Carol Oates (@JoyceCarolOates) August 2, 2017

…After she released the groundhog at a wildlife sanctuary, Oates came home to find another groundhog in her yard:

Returned after releasing groundhog to wildlife sanctuary miles away to discover, looking out window, even larger groundhog defiant in garden

— Joyce Carol Oates (@JoyceCarolOates) August 2, 2017

Keep trying!

***

Related:

Noted science expert Joyce Carol Oates absolutely BUTCHERS a simple Hindenburg analogy https://t.co/IitWzW0i8h

— Twitchy Team (@TwitchyTeam) July 23, 2017

Joyce Carol Oates’ current status: ‘Embarrassed to be abroad as an American’ https://t.co/djVhmq99W8

— Twitchy Team (@TwitchyTeam) July 14, 2017

Joyce Carol Oates suggests Bill Maher look into complexity of free speech issue before slamming Berkeley https://t.co/2aBreey4Qf

— Twitchy Team (@TwitchyTeam) April 23, 2017