The speaker is a gardener working in a rural area, tending to food crops like everbearing roses and vegetables. After discovering that local wildlife is eating the produce, the speaker purchases a cyanide "knockout bomb" from the local Feed and Grain Exchange. When this non-lethal method fails to remove the animals, the speaker grows frustrated. This failure causes the gardener to begin rationalizing more direct, violent measures to protect the property.

The woodchucks are native animals living in a complex network of underground burrows, which the speaker describes as a "sub-sub-basement." They feed heavily on the garden vegetables, viewing the human-planted crops as a natural food source. Proving highly resilient and adaptable, they survive the gardener's early attempts at extermination. They continue to surface completely unharmed and hungry for more plants.

This animal is the first individual the speaker encounters after abandoning the initial poison method. It feeds quietly among the everbearing roses, triggering the immediate escalation of the property dispute.

A mature female providing for her offspring in the garden space. She follows natural instincts to gather food from the available crops. She acts as a central figure for the younger, dependent animals.

A young, dependent animal born into the local garden ecosystem. It relies entirely on the mother for survival and follows her daily foraging habits among the vegetables.

An older, experienced member of the foraging group. He survives the initial gassing attempt and uses his accumulated instincts to avoid the gardener's traps for days. His persistent survival directly challenges the speaker's patience.