Tastes Like Chicken?

Dateline Punxsutawney, PA.
The watchdogs at PETA are trying to convince the good folks of the tiny village in Western Pennsylvania that they are evil. Apparently it has been suggested to the Groundhog Day planners that they replace old Punxsutawney Phil with an animatronic version. That's right...A ROBOT GROUNDHOG!
PETA people say groundhogs are anti-social creatures that are stressed out by bright lights and contact with humans (kinda like me in the morning). This, they attest makes the practice of pulling Phil out of his artificial stump at 5a.m., in front of 100's of onlookers, an inhumane act.
In response William Deeley, president of the Inner Circle of Punxsutawney Groundhog Club, says that PETA has it all wrong and that Phil is actually treated "better than the average child in Pennsylvania." No word on when Child Protective Services will be visiting the Deeley home.
Just in case that chubby little bastard sees his shadow though, the folks at Gobbler's Knob may want to consider sending PETA a free lunch:

Country-Style Groundhog
Courtesy of Oregon's Hevanet.com
1. 1 groundhog
2. 1/2 c. flour
3. 1/4 tsp. salt
4. 1/4 tsp. pepper
5. 1/4 tsp. soda
6. 1/4 c. cooking oil
7. 1/2 tsp. sugar

NOTE:Clean and skin as soon as possible. Remove all sent glands. Cut off head, feet and tail. Cure in cool place by suspending from hook approximately 4 days. When ready to cook, lard according to recipe.

Dress groundhog as for rabbit, removing the small sacs in the back and under the forearm. Soak groundhog overnight in salted water to remove wild flavor. Combine flour, salt, pepper and soda; rub into groundhog pieces. Brown groundhog in hot oil in skillet; sprinkle with sugar. Reduce heat; add 1/2 cup water. Cover; simmer for about 30 minutes or until tender. Remove cover; cook for 10 minutes longer.
Bon Appetit