Hobbies And Interests
Identify by Sight
One way to know a woodchuck is an inhabitant in your yard is to see one. These creatures are most active early in the morning and late in the afternoon, notes the Upstate New York Waterfalls Nature &Photography website. They're between 16 and 32 inches in length, including a prominent bushy tail. Woodchucks average between 4½ and 14 lbs., with short legs, small ears and yellow-gray brown to blackish fur. Woodchucks feature black eyes and the males usually are larger than females.
Woodchuck Burrows
Woodchucks live underground, with separate burrows for winter and summer. In the winter, a woodchuck resides in a burrow typically dug near the woods or along a forest edge, with just one opening. The summer burrow has multiple openings, including a large one about 12 inches wide that will have a telltale mound of freshly excavated dirt near its entrance. The woodchuck will often sit on this mound surveying its surroundings. Search for a woodchuck's burrow near any fences, stone walls or building in your yard. The ground hog doesn't stray far from its burrow, as it needs to get underground quickly to avoid predators and perceived threats.
Finding Woodchuck Tracks
If you have a garden or an area with soft dirt or sand, you can tell a woodchuck has been in your yard by finding its tracks. Since woodchucks are hibernating during winter, you won't find their tracks in the snow. In warm weather, look for tracks with five toes on the front feet, but just four on the rear. Each footprint should be about 1½ inches long, with the spacing between tracks depending upon if the woodchuck walks or runs. Those made from a walking woodchuck will be about 4 inches apart, states the University of Illinois Extension. Tracks of the running woodchuck should have about 12 inches between them.
More Ways to Know
A woodchuck's presence in your hard is identifiable by any damage it may do to your gardens. Woodchucks will devour crops such as alfalfa, peas, tomatoes, beans and squash. They will gnaw away at landscaping shrubs and trees. You will often hear woodchucks in your yard without realizing it. The ground hog is a vocal mammal, leading to its odd nickname of whistle pig. An alarmed woodchuck gives off a shrill, sharp whistling sound, notes the "National Audubon Society Field Guide to Mammals." The rodent will continue making a series of softer whistles as it heads for its burrow's safety. Woodchucks also make chattering sounds with their teeth, as well as hisses and growls when frightened or agitated.