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Last Updated: Thursday, October 1, 2026 at 05:09 PM
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Punxsutawney Phil, the Other 364 Days of the Year

<p>See how the weather-predicting groundhog spends his time, along with the 'Inner Circle' of top-hatted helpers who handle his travel and well being.</p>
Kids visit with Punxsutawney Phil in the halls of Punxsutawney High School during a youth wrestling match on Saturday, January 26,  in Punxsutawney, PA."They really see that Phil's not actually a puppet, or just something they saw on television," says Inner Circle member Ron Ploucha. " I get to see the looks on their faces with eyes as big as fifty cent pieces, it's my favorite part about being Phil's handler."

Ploucha also explains that he sometimes gets a little apprehensive when Phil is around large groups of people. "I'm worried that somebody--even though I tell them not to--will come up and put their hands near Phil's face. Sometimes those fingers of theirs looks like carrots to him. It's never happened fortunately, but there can always be a first time, so I am very careful with having him out in the open around people."
Kids visit with Punxsutawney Phil in the halls of Punxsutawney High School during a youth wrestling match on Saturday, January 26, in Punxsutawney, PA."They really see that Phil's not actually a puppet, or just something they saw on television," says Inner Circle member Ron Ploucha. " I get to see the looks on their faces with eyes as big as fifty cent pieces, it's my favorite part about being Phil's handler." Ploucha also explains that he sometimes gets a little apprehensive when Phil is around large groups of people. "I'm worried that somebody--even though I tell them not to--will come up and put their hands near Phil's face. Sometimes those fingers of theirs looks like carrots to him. It's never happened fortunately, but there can always be a first time, so I am very careful with having him out in the open around people." Matt Mills McKnight