Fox or groundhog den?

[gtodave]

Is there any way to tell them apart? I've got a fresh hole behind my house (to go with the 10 others back there) and always wondered which was which.

 

[outrider58]

Is there any way to tell them apart? I've got a fresh hole behind my house (to go with the 10 others back there) and always wondered which was which.

My guess is it started out as a groundhog hole. Other critters will take advantage of them.

 

[Occam]

A cheap trail cam is always a useful - and often very entertaining - tool. A friend actually spotted a case of a den (who know what sort of architecture underground) entrance being shared by a family of foxes and a tribe of raccoons.

 

[gtodave]

A cheap trail cam is always a useful - and often very entertaining - tool. A friend actually spotted a case of a den (who know what sort of architecture underground) entrance being shared by a family of foxes and a tribe of raccoons.

yeah I could put another one out (or move one). I was just curious if there was a way to tell in my adventures outside of my trail camera range.

 

[gtodave]

My guess is it started out as a groundhog hole. Other critters will take advantage of them.

There is a groundhog hole two yards over from mine. I've seen 'hogs in and out of there multiple times over the years. Last year it was home to a litter of fox pups (one of at least two large litters of pups in the immediate area).

 

[MeatGrinder]

A camera would give certainty. One would think that ground hogs would be hibernating now.

 

[outrider58]

I've had groundhogs burrow dens under my ground level deck. I would capture or kill the hogs and coons would take it/them over. I've seen foxes come from my back yard(6' cedar fence), but suspect they were back there hunting.
Since we got Brutus, no more wildlife.

 

[DeadInside]

Groundhogs hibernate until late Feb early March. Probably a fox denning there (possibly tying into existing groundhog hole system).

From the DNR website regarding Red Fox;

Reproduction:​

The red fox usually uses a den or burrow only during the period when it is raising pups – a task the male and female fox share together. Red foxes mate from January through March. After a gestation period of 51 to 53 days, females give birth to a litter averaging 4 or 5 pups in the spring. Red foxes may dig their own burrows, but they usually improve an abandoned groundhog burrow. It also is common for foxes to den in the crawl space under decks and sheds. During the remainder of the year, the red fox avoids dens and sleeps in sheltered locations by relying on its thick fur for warmth.

 

[E.Shell]

My guess is it started out as a groundhog hole. Other critters will take advantage of them.

Agreed.

If it is really close to your house, it's probably a groundhog. Foxes like to be a little secluded.

You can use a small rake to loosen up the soil at the mouth of the den and watch for tracks. Big difference between fox and groundhog prints.

Groundhogs hibernate until late Feb early March. Probably a fox denning there (possibly tying into existing groundhog hole system).

Groundhogs can appear at any time of year and someone here just posted about seeing one.

The "Groundhog Day" date itself is founded on the fact that males leave the den around this time of year and investigate other groundhog dens looking for females. It is breeding season now.

When the wandering male finds a female, he will go into the den and mate with her as she hibernates. She will stay in the den and bear the young, then stay in there nursing the young and eating her cache of dried grass until they wean.

 

[RRomig]

Does he bother to wake her or just hit it and quit it

 

[outrider58]

Does he bother to wake her or just hit it and quit it

The same question occurred to me. Who need Roofies when you have hibernation?

 

[remrug]

A camera would give certainty. One would think that ground hogs would be hibernating now.

I saw one two days ago. I guess temperature has more to do with than the actual date.

 

[remrug]

Is there any way to tell them apart? I've got a fresh hole behind my house (to go with the 10 others back there) and always wondered which was which.

I have seen what looks like a groundhog hole , but has a bigger mound and size of hole. I always have assumed that a fox remodeled an existing groundhog hole.

 

[Sticky]

Groundhogs are out, it hasn't been cold enough. They usually have more than one entrance to a den, though some will be hidden/disguised, some more apparent. Fox den entrances are usually larger in diameter.

As suggested, smooth out any fresh dirt at the obvious entrance and check for tracks.