Women vs Woodchuck and Other Assorted Ornery Beasts

Lately talk around the staff room table has been about the various critters which have been ravaging our gardens. Woodchucks, hornworms, slugs,steer, and deer have all been enjoying the fruits and vegetables of our labours before we can get to them.Various plans of attack have been considered and employed. Bowls of beer have been set out (for the slugs of course). Young children have been used as worm spotters because they are low to the ground, traps have been set and certain members of the family have been asked to walk the perimeter of the garden while answering a call of nature. Hey, let's face it-war is not pretty. While these are only some of the methods we have used, more can be found in The Organic Gardener's Handbook of Natural Pest and Disease Control edited by Bradley, Ellis , and Martin and Rodale's Vegetable Garden Problem Solver also by Bradley. Personally I think Fern Bradley is a bit lax with the woodchucks but Irma Rombauer of Joy of Cooking fame has an interesting solution. Woodchuck stew anyone?