gobblers nob

oobie · Post by **oobie** » Tuesday Feb 01, 2005

just wondering how many of you will be attending groudhogs day festivities?

is anyone playing up there this year?

ToonaRockGuy · Post by **ToonaRockGuy** » Tuesday Feb 01, 2005

I have never understood all the hype over some dork in a top-hat holding up an oversized rat and calling it a holiday. It just seems so pointless...

Post by **Jim Price** » Tuesday Feb 01, 2005

It really wasn't that big a fuss until the Bill Murray movie came out. Now it's almost up there with New Year's Eve and Super Bowl Sunday for an excuse to party - at least in Punxsutawney. They get upwards of 25,000 people from around the world showing up to see the famous rodent.

You can check out two websites that have the info: www.punxsutawneyphil.com and www.groundhog.org. I don't think there are any bands performing tonight (Tues.) into Groundhog Day (Wed.); I think most of the band stuff happened earlier on Saturday and Sunday (when the festivities first started). There could be a band on Gobbler's Knob as they lead up to the main event at 7 AM.

I went to it two years ago (the review is still posted in "JP's Corner," the 2/5/03 Week/Weekenc Recap). They had a deejay spinning tunes on Gobbler's Knob, as the crowd gathered for the whistlepig to see its shadow. They did a huge fireworks display at 6 AM, right before sunrise and the appearance of Punxsutawney Phil. If you want to get a good vantage point to see the ceremonies and entertainment, get there early (they start running shuttle buses from downtown Punxsy up to Gobbler's Knob at 3 AM). And dress warmly, because you'll be standing around in 10-20 degree temperatures for several hours. And they don't permit booze on the grounds, there will probably be lots of state police around.

Post by **Ron** » Tuesday Feb 01, 2005

I was thinking about going this year, depends on my work schedule.

On a side note, has anyone here ever seen a groundhog in a tree? The first time I ever saw it I thought I was either hallucinating, or looking at the world's fattest squirrel.

tonefight · Post by **tonefight** » Tuesday Feb 01, 2005

Ron wrote:I was thinking about going this year, depends on my work schedule.

On a side note, has anyone here ever seen a groundhog in a tree? The first time I ever saw it I thought I was either hallucinating, or looking at the world's fattest squirrel.

When I was younger we had one in our bird feeder!!! It was a rather large bird feeder but it was quite puzzling to see that big thing in there and wonder how the hell it could climb. It was stuck and my dad got the bird feeder down then the thing got all vicious. Who knows how long it was in there.

facingwest · Post by **facingwest** » Tuesday Feb 01, 2005

D

A

M

N

I

T!!!

I totally forgot about it. For the past 8 years I've been trying to make it out to see ole Phil. Bah...I give up. Someone else please punt that little bastard for me for all the years of cold weather he's brought.

DMFJ03 · Post by **DMFJ03** » Wednesday Feb 02, 2005

He eh eheheheheheh....you said nob.l

daveb · Post by **daveb** » Wednesday Feb 02, 2005

I'm a paramedic that works for Jefferson County EMS. This year I was on the stand by crew up at the Knob. Everyone seemed to be having a great time. The temps were around 10 -12 degrees. No good tunes on stage, no bands either. Bam Margera and Ryan Dunn from Jackass/ Viva la Bam were ther this year checking out the scene. There was probably 10,000 people there give or take. No incidents. Lots of people looking like they needed more clothes on though. I just got home from it. I was there for 9 hours. I'm going to bed. Night, night all

FatVin · Post by **FatVin** » Wednesday Feb 02, 2005

I always thought the whole thing was dumb,

Of course he sees his shadow,

there are enough TV lights on him so that Gobler's knob can be seen from space,

If I woke up and looked out of the house to see thousands of people and TV lights and cameras and all that hoopla, I'd go back to bed for 6 weeks too.

Banana Fandango · Post by **Banana Fandango** » Wednesday Feb 02, 2005

I saw it on PCN this a.m. Phil peed on the handler during the prediction. I bet groundhog pee stinks!

onetooloud · Post by **onetooloud** » Wednesday Feb 02, 2005

Yeah groundhog day might be a bid odd to some people, but I think anything that can spice things up in the dead of winter in great.

esa · Post by **esa** » Wednesday Feb 02, 2005

It's not as much fun now that you can't drink there....
And I think it should be a new rule.. every time he see's his shadow, we should be allowed to go back to bed too...

DMFJ03 · Post by **DMFJ03** » Wednesday Feb 02, 2005

Stupid trivia...

Did you know...that if you are caught running over a groundhog with your car in Punxy, you will be pulled and fined by the police?

True.

Brian of the Clan Plush · Wednesday Feb 02, 2005

DMFJ03 wrote:Stupid trivia...

Did you know...that if you are caught running over a groundhog with your car in Punxy, you will be pulled and fined by the police?

True.

always honk your horn when running over a groundhog....

...that way if your aim is off and you miss with the tires, he'll raise his head and get clipped by the bumper (this also works for armadillos and drunks passed out in the street)

songsmith · Post by **songsmith** » Thursday Feb 03, 2005

We used to call them "whistle-pigs," because when you hunt them, you find a likely spot, usually near the fencerow in the corner of an open field. If you don't see one in the high grass at a distance, you give a loud whistle. They are stupid animals, and will raise their heads above the grassline to see , BANG, lights out. I've seen them do this from less than 20 feet away, too close to shoot.
Not only have I seen a groundhog in a tree, I took a picture of one, I should dig it up and scan it. I remember the pic isn't that impressive, it looked bigger in real life and you could barely tell what it was on film. Anyway, it was pretty surreal, kinda like catching a duck while fishing. It could feasibly happen, but it's unlikely enough to be noteworthy. I thought I was the only one who'd seen that!--->JMS

JayBird · Post by **JayBird** » Thursday Feb 03, 2005

Ron - I have two stories to tell about groundhog's in a tree. When I was about 17 I had a boarder coalie that just loved running animals up a tree. So this one day I noticed Rosie standing by this row of hemlocks just barking up a storm. I went over to get her and noticed a fairly young groundhog up in the tree. Well my brain started to work and I saw the work - PET. That's right...my neighbor was walking up the road and he saw my standing there on a ladder holding a fishing net. Yes, I was trying to scoop this little bugger up. He grabbed a broom, poked the little thing until it let go of the death grip he had on the tree, and boink...I now had a baby groundhog. I went and grabbed a huge garbage can, some carrots, some lettuce, and some celery...I figured he's like at least one of those items. After about three hours of having a pet groundhog, my father told me to let him go. This little guy was a bit too old to make a pet. Everytime I'd try getting near him, he would start chomping his teeth together lile some frightened animal...oh wait, he probably was frightened! So, I leaned over the can and set him free...hmmm...he didn't really feel like moving though. He stood there for about a half hour just looking at me. He must have liked being a pet. Well dad wouldn't let me keep him. We all had to go into the house for about an hour. I went back out and the little guy decided to venture back into the woods. My second story is just about the same. A year ago at my house my dog Haylee chanced something up into the tree. She was going frantic and would not come in. It's starting to get dark, so I simple went over, picked her up, and brought her into the house. The next morning my girlfriend and I went over to the tree to find a HUGE hog up in the tree. People always think I'm nuts when I tell them that hogs can climb trees. Trust me...they can!