Woodchuck Factsheet

8/13/2019 Woodchuck Factsheet

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WoodchucksThe woodchuck (Marmota monax)alsoknown as the groundhog or whistle pigis one of the largest members of the squir-

rel family and is closely related to otherNorth American marmots. Historically,woodchucks were less common than theyare today. As forests were cleared forfarms, pastures, and orchards, settlersprovided suitable habitat and the wood-chuck population expanded. Today, thishighly adaptable mammal commonlyinhabits farm fields, idle lands, and sub-urban neighborhoods.

General Biology

The woodchuck has a compact, chunkybody supported by relatively short, stronglegs. Its tail is short and bristly. Its forefeethave long, curved claws that are adaptedfor digging ground burrows where itseeks refuge and hibernates during wintermonths. Woodchucks have yellowish-brown to blackish-brown fur. Like otherrodents, they have chisel-like incisor teeththat are used to nip off vegetation. Fromtip of nose to end of tail, woodchucks areapproximately 20 to 27 inches long andweigh 5 to 12 pounds.

Woodchucks hibernate during the win-ter, beginning with the first heavy frosts,which usually occur in October. Theyemerge from hibernation during lateFebruary or March when mating seasonbegins. After a 30-day gestation period,young are born in April or early May.Litters average three to four young, andby mid-June or early July the young leavetheir home burrows and establish theirown territories, usually moving into old,

abandoned dens. The average life span ofwoodchucks is four to five years. Primarypredators include hawks, owls, foxes,bobcats, coyotes, dogs, weasels, andhumans.

Woodchucks often can be observedbasking in the summer sun during thewarmest hours of the day. They climb

well and often sleep on fence posts, stonewalls, large rocks, fallen logs, and grassyareas, all of which are close to their bur-row entrance. Even feeding woodchucksnormally do not travel farther than 50yards from their dens. There are excep-tions; male woodchucks have beenknown to travel long distances to find amate. Occasionally, woodchucks will trav-el several hundred yards to forage in timeof drought or to eat fallen orchard fruit.

Habitat and Food Habits

Woodchucks dig burrows, which they uto bear and raise young and escape from

predators. Dens are typically located inopen fields, meadows, pastures,fencerows, and woodland edges. In sub-urban areas, woodchucks commonly burow under barns, sheds, and porches.Often woodchucks will take up residencunder stone walls, woodpiles, or porcheusing several auxiliary dens for shelter.The burrows dug by woodchucks are 8 66 feet long and 2 to 5 feet deep. Theynormally have two or three entrances,although there may be as many as five.

The main entrance can be identified bythe mound of excavated dirt and stonessurrounding the entrance. A single chamber, used for sleeping and rearing youngis formed at the end of the main burrowAnother room is used for urination anddefecation. In this way the den is kept ratively clean and free from disease.Secondary entrances are dug from insidethe burrow and usually do not have dirtmounds. Other species such as skunks,raccoons, and foxes will remodel vacantburrows and use them to bear and raise

young. In addition, rabbits may seek shter in dens, particularly during the wintwhen woodchucks are hibernating below

Woodchucks are herbivores and eat awide variety of vegetation, includinggrasses, weed shoots, clover, alfalfa, andsoybeans. They will also consume gardevegetables such as cabbage, beans, peasand carrots and fruits such as apples,cherries, and pears. Woodchucks preferearly morning and evening hours for fee

Woodchucks, Wildlife Damage Management Fact Sheet Series, Cornell Cooperative Extension, Ithaca, N.Y. 2001 by Cornell University.

Paul D. Curtis and Kristi L. SullivanCornell Cooperative Extension, Wildlife Damage Management Program

Wildlife Damage Management Fact Sheet Series


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ing because they depend on dew andplant moisture for their water intake.

Description of Damage

Woodchucks can become a nuisancewhen their feeding and burrowing habitsconflict with human interests. They fre-quently damage vegetable and flower gar-dens, agricultural crops, orchards, nurs-eries, and areas around buildings. Damageto crops can be costly. In addition,mounds of dirt and holes at burrowentrances can be hazardous to farmequipment and livestock. Woodchucksare excellent climbers. They can damagefruit trees and ornamental shrubs as theygnaw or claw woody vegetation inorchards. Similar to ground squirrels,woodchucks may strip bark at the base oftrees near their burrow entrance to mark

their territories.

Laws and Regulations

The woodchuck is an unprotected speciesin New York State. Unprotected speciesmay be taken at any time without limit. Ahunting license is required, however, tohunt unprotected wildlife with a bow orfirearm. Given current EnvironmentalConservation Law in New York State,woodchucks captured in live traps mustbe humanely euthanized or released else-

where on the landowners property. Onlylicensed nuisance wildlife control opera-tors may transport wildlife off the proper-ty and will do so for a fee. Contact yourlocal Department of EnvironmentalConservation (DEC) office for the name ofa licensed nuisance wildlife control officerin your area.

When considering shooting, trapping,or both to control problem animals, localordinances must also be followed, so it isbest to consult with local law enforcementauthorities or your regional DEC office if

you have questions regarding specificlocalities. In other states, consult withyour state wildlife agency about laws andregulations pertaining to woodchucksbefore shooting or trapping nuisance ani-mals.

Preventing Damage

Population Reduction

Although woodchuck numbers can bemanaged by shooting, trapping, orgassing the den, the results are usuallyshort-term. Spring is the best time to uselethal controls because adults are activeand young animals may remain in theirburrow. In addition, burrows are moreevident before annual vegetation concealstheir entrances, and other wildlife is lesslikely to use burrows as shelter duringspring.

Shooting can be used to remove prob-lem woodchucks from fields, but it maybe illegal or unsafe in many situationsnear homes. New York State law prohibitsthe discharge of firearms within 500 feetof a building without the owners permis-sion. Woodchucks can be captured using

#2 foothold traps or #160 or #220 body-gripping traps placed at the burrowentrance. Body-gripping traps do notneed to be baited.

Live traps, baited with apples, can-taloupe, carrots with tops, lettuce, cab-bage, or ample amounts of fresh peas, canalso be effective. Live traps should be setnear burrow entrances. Where food isabundant, however, woodchucks may notenter cage traps for bait. A cage trapshould be at least 10 x 10 x 24 inches insize. Double-door see-through traps

should be at least 10 x 10 x 30 inches insize. It is a good idea to conceal the trapwith canvas or grass. If baiting fails, adouble-door cage trap can be set directlyin the woodchucks trail and concealed.All traps should be checked at least twicea day. Live traps should be used in areaswhere pets or children might be at risk.New York State law prohibits setting atrap within 100 feet of a house, school,playground, or church unless you havepermission from the owner of the landwhere the trap is set.

Lethal controls have been reported tohave had limited success in controllingwoodchuck populations. Shooting andtrapping will not eliminate woodchucksfrom a farm. In a Pennsylvania study,1,040 woodchucks were removed from a600-acre site over four years without sig-nificantly affecting the population.Woodchuck numbers were unaffectedowing to increased juvenile survival,increased birth rates, and movement of

animals onto the site from surroundingareas.

Repellents

No products are currently registered withthe U.S. Environmental Protection Agency(EPA) for use as woodchuck repellents.Studies in Connecticut have shown that

some commercial deer and rabbit repel-lents, as well as some insecticides thoughtto have repellent properties, were general-ly ineffective at preventing woodchuckfeeding on crops.

Predator odors may be a useful repel-lent for woodchucks. For example, bobcaturine sprayed on the base of apple treeshas been shown to reduce woodchuckgnawing by 98 percent relative to untreat-ed trees. In addition, bobcat urine used incombination with electric or rope fencesreduced damage to cabbage fields in New

York. In this study, electric fences alone orelectric fences with cloth strips sprayedwith bobcat urine were nearly 100 per-cent effective at reducing woodchuckdamage to cabbage. A single-strand ropefence sprayed with bobcat urine reducedwoodchuck damage by 90 percent and isa simple, low-cost approach for home-owners.

Fencing

Fencing can be very effective at reducingwoodchuck damage, but precautions

must be taken to keep woodchucks fromclimbing over or digging under fencing.Woodchucks may be excluded from gar-dens and other small areas with a 4-foot-high hardware cloth fence. To preventwoodchucks from digging under thefence, the bottom of the fence should beburied 10 to 12 inches below ground orthe lower edge should be bent at an L-shaped angle leading outward and buried1 to 2 inches below ground. To preventwoodchucks from climbing over thefence, an electric wire can be added 4 to 5inches off the ground and the same dis-tance away from the outside of the fence.Bending the top 15 inches of wire out at a45-degree angle can also prevent wood-chucks from climbing over fencing.

Hardware cloth can be used to excludewoodchucks from under buildings, decks,and other structures. However, it may benecessary to remove existing woodchucksfrom under the building through trappingor the use of one-way doors. Attach the



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hardware cloth to the bottom of the deckor building in question, and be sure tobury the bottom of the hardware cloth 10to 12 inches below ground. Bending theburied section of fence at an L-shapedangle leading outward can help to preventburrowing under the fence.

Cultural Practices

Modifying habitat in and around homesand gardens can help deter woodchucksand can increase the effectiveness of othercontrol techniques. Eliminating brushpiles and overgrown areas reduces theamount of food and cover available, mak-ing an area less attractive to woodchucks.Unfortunately, elimination of these areasmay also remove valuable habitat forother wildlife.

References

Bollengier, R. 1994. Woodchucks. InPrevention and Control of WildlifeDamage. S. Hygnstrom, R. Timm, andG. Larson, eds. Lincoln: University ofNebraska Cooperative Extension.

Henderson, F. R., and C. Lee. 1992.Woodchucks: Urban Wildlife DamageControl. Manhattan: Kansas StateUniversity Cooperative ExtensionService.

Swihart, R. K., and M. R. Conover. 1991.Responses of woodchucks to potential

garden crop repellents.Journal ofWildlife Management 55:177181.

2001 Cornell University

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Woodchuck Factsheet