Monday is Groundhog Day, and Dunkirk’s own groundhog, Dunkirk Dave, will be making his annual appearance at daybreak to predict the upcoming spring weather. Dunkirk Dave will emerge from his habitat at 5117 Farmlane Road in the Town of Dunkirk, at 7:30 a.m., for onlookers to watch as he looks for his shadow.

“We’ll find out what he acts like and what the prediction will be,” said Bob Will, Dunkirk Dave’s handler. “We’ll do our best to keep everybody happy with another prediction on Groundhog Day.”

Will is looking forward to the event, as he does each year. Even the unusually cold winter has not dampened his spirits.

“We never have failed to show up. No matter what, we’ve been outside,” Will said. “It’s nice because it marks the midpoint of winter. The longer days are coming and the warmer days are coming.”

As of Thursday evening, Dunkirk Dave was still hibernating, but Will believes everything will go smoothly on Monday morning, even with temperatures expected to be in the teens. Dunkirk Dave will emerge from his natural habitat and enter a customized home created by Will’s father a century ago, in order to protect him from predators. Dunkirk Dave’s appearance could be very brief, if the temperatures dictate.

“Everybody always has a good time when they come here. We’ll be happy to provide the look of Groundhog Day with whatever we have to do,” Will said.

Dunkirk Dave is recognized as the world’s second longest prognosticating groundhog, only behind Punxsutawney Phil, of Pennsylvania. The tradition of groundhogs predicting the weather stems from a Pennsylvania Dutch superstition.

Different from Punxsutawney Phil, Dunkirk’s annual appearance is a more natural, subdued occurrence. Rather than focusing on showmanship with the small creature held high in the air, Dunkirk Dave is given the freedom to saunter out of his habitat at his own pace.

If Dunkirk Dave sees his shadow when he emerges from his habitat on Monday morning, that indicates six more weeks of winter weather will be coming. Last year, he did not see his shadow, meaning spring weather was expected right around the corner.

OBSERVER Photo by M.J. Stafford Dunkirk Dave, longtime handler Bob Will, right, and assistant Bill Verge pose on Groundhog Day 2024.

Contrary to popular belief, Dunkirk Dave does not predict when spring will begin – that is dictated by the calendar. Instead, Dunkirk Dave’s prediction applies to what the weather will be like once spring arrives. With how frigid the temperatures have been this year, locals will surely be crossing their fingers in hopes of spring weather coming soon.

“Lately, the lake hasn’t been frozen on Groundhog Day. This is one of the colder winters that we’ve worked with over the years, especially with those violent winds,” Will said.

Will has been taking care of animals throughout his life. He became a State-licensed wildlife rehabilitator to legally care for sick, injured, and orphaned wildlife. He is a former teacher who now focuses on taking care of small mammals and rehabilitating them before releasing them back to the wild.

Will has noticed that the brutal cold this winter has caused many of the animals he normally sees in the winter to seek warmth. The deer are not out and about as often, and other animals, like squirrels, are visiting Will for food less often than usual this winter.

Will began tracking the predictions each year in the 1960s and has not missed a year, even through the pandemic. Even though Will has been using a groundhog to predict the impending spring weather for over 50 years, it wasn’t until former OBSERVER writers Ron Gustafson and Keith Sheldon took note of the annual event with an article that Dunkirk Dave’s popularity really began to grow.

“It keeps us busy with all the phone calls,” Will said.

After a pandemic-imposed hiatus, Dunkirk Dave’s annual appearance was opened back up to the public. Visitors are encouraged to attend the annual celebration again this year, but be mindful of the temperatures and dress warm.

“People are welcome to come down here. Usually, we get a fair amount of people. It could be anywhere from 15 to 50, you never know,” Will said.

For more information about Dunkirk Dave, visit dunkirkdave.com.