Rating:

5.0 (3 votes)

Groundhog Day - and the famed groundhog Punxsutawney Phil is once again getting all of the attention.

Immortalized with his own "holiday" every February 2nd and star of the near-eponymous 1993 hit movie with Bill Murray, the fuzzy critter is known worldwide for his weather-prediction ability.

But what about here in Montana? We thought it would be fun to have a Big Sky version of Punxsutawney Phil, so we put the question to our Facebook friends, asking them what animal Montana should use as its "Groundhog Day" mascot.

The clear winner: GOPHER, with nearly one-fifth of all submissions. There were several other strong contenders for the role: moose, squirrel, grizzly bear, and even two votes for rattlesnake and one for a kangaroo.

So what we need is a proper name for the Montana gopher that will now be tasked to let Montanans know whether or not to expect six more weeks of winter. Among the suggestions: Gus, Gandolph, Gary, Glenda, Loafer, Gabe, Gus, Greta, Harvey, Gertie, Gomer, Gilbert, Gibby, Jeri Jo, Gambit, Gollee. Which one sounds "best" for a Montana gopher? Let us know in the comments!

By the way - in today's formal Groundhog Day event in Pennsylvania, Punxsutawney Phil did indeed see his shadow, which means six more weeks of "winter." Click here to learn more about gophers.

Here's the complete list of submissions - thanks to all of our Facebook friends for the suggestions!

Missy Blalock: Monte Moose
Andrea Dowell: Mortimer Moose
Bryan Buckridge: Milton the Moose
Robert Schoff: Steve the Moose
Jewels Hansen-Eckersley: Merlin the moose
Leanne Schillinger: Ricky Rattlesnake
Joe O'Meara: Ralph the Rattle Snake
Chris Vine: KRTV Kangaroo always jumping into action
Kenzee Wright: Bernard the Bighorn Sheep
Darcie Doney: Barry the Buffalo
Heidi Propp: Mr. Button Down Badger
Christina Colleen Broadhurst Super: peppa bigtailcious outofhibernation ismas the squirrel
Sheena Pursley: Rudy the Robin...sure sign of spring
Colleen Roll: Swifty the Swift Fox
Jeredene Mayfield: Montigue the Magpie
Roger Graham: Prickly the Porcupine
Shawnee Rose Skunkcap Prairie Dog Pete!
Donya Ringdahl Great Falls very own Gus the Gopher !!! :)
Chris Vine Elusive Elk!
Anna Lyn Olson Gandolph the Gopher!!
Donya Ringdahl my husband says that is how he knows Spring is coming... lol
Leanne Schillinger Ricky Rattlesnake
Lisa Vert Schamp BigSky "Buck"!
Diana Mattis Ginther Grouchy Gus the Grizzly
Gayle Carlson Gifford Mike Rawlins!
Missy Brawley-Blalock Monte Moose
Sharon Burgen Polaris the Prairie Dog or Willard the Woodchuck
Andrea Walsh-Dowell Mortimer Moose
Lisa Vert Schamp Or change it to incorporate a Bear! Like BigSky Benny! LOL
Russ Fisher gotta be Gary the Gopher...
Jayne Burgin Stokes Pishkun Petey the "Prairie Dog"
Chris Vine The KRTV Kangaroo- Always Jumping into the action
Robert Schoff Steve the moose.
Dan Woodz Mikie Marmot
Emi English Moore Glenda the gopher, Rupert the racoon , Sam the skunk or George the ground squirrel. :)
Lori Fay How about Simon the Squirrel, or George the gopher?
Allie Mumma monte the montana bear.....since monte is so big!
Roxanne Swartz From my son Travis Swartz who is driving truck in Alberta with no internet access.......Loafer the Gopher and Gusty the Goose.
Jackie Balek Wilbur Wapiti--or Reinhold Robin
Jackie Balek Oscar Otter
Vern Green ‎"Courtney The Court House Squirrel"
Robert W Thomson Ralph the Rockchuck; Mike the Marmot; Gabe the Gopher...
Kenzee Wright Bernard the Bighorn Sheep
Jackie Balek Brutus Beaver---or Edgar Eagle
Bonnie Bogardus Meznarich Meggie Marmot ;D
Katie Kenneway I like the gopher Gus one cuz it'd true for Montana u start to see gophers and spring is almost here lol
Darcie Doney Barry the Buffalo
Stacy Day Griessmer El the elk
Shelly Marie Swanson Erhard Elle' The Elk!!!!
Shelly Marie Swanson Erhard Greta the Gopher
Heidi Propp Mr. Button Down Badger...
Michael Anderson Molly the cow. Duh! :D
Michelle Feldmann Jacobs Gus the Grizzly! *with hibernation and all ;0) *
Ace Williamson Gail force the griz. Seeings how there are powerful winds and Montana adopted the griz as the state animal 1983
Christina Colleen Broadhurst: Superpeppabigtailciousoutofhibernationismas the squirrel! Haha
Sheena Pursley Rudy the Robin...sure sign of spring
Dan Gertge Belle the Bluebird
Khris Svela Havre Harvey the gopher. after all, if it is spring in Havre, it is spring everywhere!!!
Darcy Ludeman Gertie, the gopher.
Sharon Smith Clark I WOULD BELIEVE IT WOULD BE DKYON THE DEER YOUR IN MONTANA IN THE BIG SKY COUNTRY
Angie Hansen Bentley the Badger.
Jody Hulburt Olson Bear Paw Burt
Jesse Oldham Fearless Fred Pheiffer of the Falls, but he retired. Could be a once a year gig for him.
Angie Hansen Or Marley the Meadowlark because when you hear his tune, you can bet spring is here.
Tina Voss- Mann Rodney Robbin or Garry the Gopher
Monica Schaefer Hasner Ferris the Black-footed Ferret..he's gonna decide if he wants another day off!
Marge Sorensen Monty the Marmot!
Joe Hall Bobby bumble bee,an gomer the gopher:-)..when ya see them.ya know sping time is here.or about to hit;-)
Kim Marie Cripps Grant the gofer!!!!!
Joeblackfeet L Hall Gertie the grass hopper:-)
Keely Opdahl Jane the Jackelope
Colleen Boucher Roll Swifty the Swift Fox, he never sees his shadow.
Joe O'Meara Ralph the Rattle Snake.
Deborah Richerson I like Gus the Gopher - you see them all over the state!
Jeredene Mayfield Montigue the Magpie. even had a couple of parades dedicated to the return of the magpies a couple of decades ago in Great Falls (Magpie Day)
Staci Sylva Gilbert the gopher.
Dewey Goering Rudie the Rock Chuck
Stacy Day Griessmer Stan the sturgeon
Heather R Mitchell Gregory the Gorgeous Grizzly
Carrie Galvez Gibby the Gopher
Josephine Olivas Blackman For sure a gopher I would think! but what would his name be? Jeri jo the Gopher!!
Kristi Jackson Windy Will
Pam Arvidson ‎"Montana Muskrat"
Roger Graham preston the prairie dog
Don Petrini barry the beaver
Keri Stelzer Sammy the Squirrel
Roger Graham I THINK PRICKLY THE PORCUPINE
Bryan Dwayne Buckridge Milton the Moose
Bryan Dwayne Buckridge Barney the bear
Olivia Blalock tommy the trout. . the river wasnt froze over so he could jump out.
Ross Bradshaw Don the Deer
Amanda Wilson Oscar the bulldog......
Trinette Smitherman precarious porcupine
Nancy Stohl Ohlson Lucky would be seeing your shadow on a cloudy day ... How about "Gambit the Gopher" :o)
Dixie Lee Stordahl Gollee Gopher!
Noreen Peterson bill the billings badger
Karen Krings Bluebird of happiness lol
Jewels Hansen Eckersley Merlin the moose
Kris Frank Benny Bunny.
Del Blaney Marty the marmot
Karen Krings Henry the horse
Stacy Edgar Kacer Instead of the previous suggestion of Marty the Marmot I was thinking Monty the Marmot so Monty would be short for Montana.
Heidi Gibson Curtis the Cutthroat Trout (our state fish)
Karen Krings Bob the bobcat... As in MSU
Burt Burton How about Ricky Marmot?
Lorri Schafer Helena Harry Hare