What is this animal?

[Krugerrand]

Groundhogs are vegetarian. I have one under a shed.

Bad spot ... they can really mess up the foundation with their digging.

 

[Penpal]

Krugerrand, there is no foundation, just dirt. It's the second woodchuck I've had that likes going under the shed. I think it feels safer for them.

I had one in the pole barn. The floor is sand. What a mess. Sprayed with a water, white vinegar, and peppermint solution. It didn't come back.

 

[bhwms]

Groundhogs are vegetarian. I have one under a shed.

I caught one ravaging my garden once. I went inside to get my rifle, and by the time I got back, he took out an entire raised bed of peppers. Dispatched with extreme prejudice.

 

[dusta]

I put used cat litter in their holes. Guess they don't like the smell because they leave.

 

[DGandC]

I can’t believe my eyes! I swear this looks like a beaver to me but I don’t know if any creeks or ponds real close to us.View attachment 3668912

Like the others said, Marmot, groundhog. They mainly eat veggies but also bird eggs, so check that your chicken eggs are not vulnerable. Also since they burrow extensively, double check that one of their tunnels has not compromised your fencing.

 

[microchick]

Yeah, they are master burrowers and will dig under just about anything.

Make him go away. Live trap loaded with carrots should do the trick. They have really nasty teeth though and release a foul musk smell so be warned.

If you are in the country, shoot shovel and shut up as they say.

 

[PhelanHeritageBirds]

I didn’t know ground hogs had many names

 

[SourRoses]

There was a huge effort to get rid of Beavers across America because people thought them inconvenient. Turns out their dams are needed by so many habitats and other animals, and the water table for humans, that the government has since been returning the Beavers at great expense for decades.
Including air-drops from planes! In custom made boxes with parachutes, that open on landing.

If a creature is not preying on your livestock, threatening your family, or something you're going to eat, don't just kill them willy nilly. You don't know what benefits he brought until he's gone. That's also true of predators who avoid human habitation - they keep territory away from those with less fear, or less intelligence.

 

[Love Donkeys]

I can’t believe my eyes! I swear this looks like a beaver to me but I don’t know if any creeks or ponds real close to us.View attachment 3668912

Up in New England It's called a Woodchuck. Other states call it a a Groundhog. They are aggravating pests! They may be cute but they can cave in the building foundations with their tunnel digging. In hay fields they will dig their burrows on hillsides. When you're doing hay on the hillside, if you don't notice the borrow your tractor may tip when the rear wheel drops into the Woodchucks excavations.
Been there, done that, don't want to do it again!

 

[DLA]

Ground Hog.

x2 and it's a younger one. They often get lighter as they get older. some people say good eating if you get the scent glands out carefully, there's videos on youtube on how to do that. Grandpa used to serve them up for dinner once in a while when I was a kid, they're ok to eat. I wouldn't let them in or around your coop, they love to burrow under sheds and are difficult to stop once they get a burrow started. They love to rip up plastic and use it to line their nests. Common misconception is that they are completely vegetarian, they can and will eat their own young and other small animals on occasion. They wouldn't actively go after chicks but if the situation presented itself they might eat one. I've seen them carrying off young robins that fell out of the nest early.