What lives here ?

[Hardscrable]

This hole opened within last couple days. I have a hole ( 1.5”, 1.75” diameter +/- ) appear several times per year, always within a few ( 10‘ ? ) feet . Sometimes with removed dirt piled on outside of hole and times like this with nothing. Lowest, wettest spot in yard. Stands water off and on. Dogs dont bother it, not attracted to a scent, nothing. As it opens off and on year round, have ruled out hibernating creature coming out in spring.

 

[UNCLE HARLEY]

Moles

 

[edwea]

got a trail cam?

 

[jerrob]

Well don't ask a liberal, they don't know their *** from a hole in the ground.

A 110 conibear will let ya know if ya can keep your pups safely from it.

 

[Mij]

This hole opened within last couple days. I have a hole ( 1.5”, 1.75” diameter +/- ) appear several times per year, always within a few ( 10‘ ? ) feet . Sometimes with removed dirt piled on outside of hole and times like this with nothing. Lowest, wettest spot in yard. Stands water off and on. Dogs dont bother it, not attracted to a scent, nothing. As it opens off and on year round, have ruled out hibernating creature coming out in spring.

View attachment 249180

Is there a bottom to it or does it burrow for some distance? Many possibilities more if you are near water.

 

[Hardscrable]

Is there a bottom to it or does it burrow for some distance? Many possibilities more if you are near water.

Never tried using a flashlight to look but can’t see too far otherwise. Guess I should try that. Hole angles @ 45*. Not far to water level.

 

[jerrob]

Maybe try a water hose to flush the critter or even one of those gopher smoke bombs.

 

[Mij]

Turtles, muskrat, little to big for snake. If it has a shallow bottom could be rabbit. If you have grubs could be moles or voles. Gophers go deep and long. Moles leave high dirt mounds. Just some ideas. Muskrat will have an exit under water. Ground squirrel, there’s a hundred different kinds. Depending on what you want to do, google can be your friend, that’s all I got. Good luck.

 

[nbunga]

Crawdads will pile the dirt around the outside of their holes. We get them around our pond. The size you describe seems about right.

 

[patience0830]

Chipmunk will carry the dirt away so as to not give away hole location. Some powdered mustard washed down the hole will bring a lot of things to the surface.

 

[mom45]

Is it big enough for a groundhog?

 

[flyingsquirrel]

Looks like a field tile wash out to me. It's late.

 

[Mgderf]

Is it big enough for a groundhog?

He said about 1-1/2" in diameter.
Too small for a groundhog.

 

[mom45]

He said about 1-1/2" in diameter.
Too small for a groundhog.

I missed that....speed Reading . I vote chipmunk or vole

 

[Hardscrable]

I am very familiar with everything that has been mentioned from moles to gophers to chipmunks to snakes to crawdads to turtles to muskrats to groundhogs to blown out field tile, etc., etc. The only nonaquatic type we have are chipmunks but area is not conducive as home to them. After 70 years of farm, woods, river, and ditches and 25 years of lake property I am pretty familiar with critters that burrow, dig, live below ground level, hibernate, do not hibernate, etc. and this just kind of baffles me. Lived here since ‘05 and always been somewhat of a mystery. Other than shoreline it is the lowest spot on my property, very close to water table. It is in a low area that acts as a water retention area during heavy rains and wet periods. In my experience normally rodents will not live where it is this wet. If it was a rodent my dogs would be all over the scent even if they didn’t see the critter. I know it has been abnormally warm but I have not seen any sign of hibernating critters coming out yet, Aquatic or upland types. Surprised me to see this opened up in January.

 

[Mij]

I am very familiar with everything that has been mentioned from moles to gophers to chipmunks to snakes to crawdads to turtles to muskrats to groundhogs to blown out field tile, etc., etc. The only nonaquatic type we have are chipmunks but area is not conducive as home to them. After 70 years of farm, woods, river, and ditches and 25 years of lake property I am pretty familiar with critters that burrow, dig, live below ground level, hibernate, do not hibernate, etc. and this just kind of baffles me. Lived here since ‘05 and always been somewhat of a mystery. Other than shoreline it is the lowest spot on my property, very close to water table. It is in a low area that acts as a water retention area during heavy rains and wet periods. In my experience normally rodents will not live where it is this wet. If it was a rodent my dogs would be all over the scent even if they didn’t see the critter. I know it has been abnormally warm but I have not seen any sign of hibernating critters coming out yet, Aquatic or upland types. Surprised me to see this opened up in January.

Well one thing is for sure, the dirt for the excavation is going some where. I’d look for top soil (black dirt) under water near the water line. Possibly a breathing whole for muskrat if you have ice on your water. Just a thought. Look for frost around the hole when a cold snap comes through. Water from the rats fur will escape and freeze around the hole. If any other animal then water from breath will form frost. That will tell you it has “somthing” living in there. I love a good mystery

 

[Hkindiana]

Crawdad hole (one liner, but QUALITY)

 

[Hardscrable]

Well one thing is for sure, the dirt for the excavation is going some where. I’d look for top soil (black dirt) under water near the water line. Possibly a breathing whole for muskrat if you have ice on your water. Just a thought. Look for frost around the hole when a cold snap comes through. Water from the rats fur will escape and freeze around the hole. If any other animal then water from breath will form frost. That will tell you it has “somthing” living in there. I love a good mystery

Normally no water UNLESS heavy rain, etc., This is the midd.e of yard…muskrat holes are along shorelines, none closer than opposing channel bank which would be a minimum of 200’. Would then need to burrow under channel, thru yard, around house, garage, under cement drive and then to the middle of the yard.

 

[Hardscrable]

Crawdad hole (one liner, but QUALITY)

Not crawdad in my humble opinion

 

[Mij]

Normally no water UNLESS heavy rain, etc., This is the midd.e of yard…muskrat holes are along shorelines, none closer than opposing channel bank which would be a minimum of 200’. Would then need to burrow under channel, thru yard, around house, garage, under cement drive and then to the middle of the yard. The hole is just to the left of the small white spot in center of pic.

View attachment 249359

Welp, rules out rats. Guess thats one way to do it. Eliminate everything it mite be, then whatever is left must be the culprit.

Someone said tile brake, do you folks have those under ground pipes that are horizontally board going to grinders for waist removal? They did it around the lakes in White and Carol county Indiana. Supposed to keep folks from draining there septic tanks into the lakes.