Large Holes in Yard: Groundhog, Fox, Skunk, or Armadillo?

A hole 6 inches across or bigger is a den entrance, and in most American yards the owner is a groundhog — an 8- to 12-inch hole with a big dirt mound is their signature. Foxes, armadillos, and skunks dig or borrow similar burrows, especially under sheds, decks, and porches, so smell, mound size, and location are what separate them. Never fill a large hole until you know it's empty.

Most likely causes

  • Groundhogs — 8- to 12-inch entrance with a large mound of packed, excavated dirt
  • Foxes — 8- to 10-inch den, often an enlarged groundhog hole, with food scraps and a musky odor
  • Armadillos (South) — 7- to 8-inch smooth-walled burrows under shrubs, stumps, or slabs
  • Skunks — 6- to 8-inch openings under sheds, decks, and porches with a telltale odor
  • Badgers (Plains states) — huge elliptical holes with massive throw mounds in open ground

Compare the possible causes

Possible cause Key signs When it happens How likely
Groundhogs (woodchucks) A main entrance 8 to 12 inches wide with a conspicuous fan of subsoil, plus one or two plainer secondary holes within 25 feet Dig most in spring after emergence and in late summer before hibernation; daytime sightings are common Very common
Foxes An 8- to 10-inch entrance, often on a slope or bank, with feathers, bones, or scat nearby and a strong musky, skunk-like odor Denning from late winter through spring while raising kits; often abandoned by midsummer Common
Armadillos A smooth, rounded burrow 7 to 8 inches across, usually tucked under a shrub, stump, brush pile, or slab edge, with shallow foraging holes pocking the lawn nearby Year-round in the South; digging increases in warm, wet weather Common
Skunks denning A 6- to 8-inch opening, most often at the base of a shed, deck, or porch, with a persistent faint skunk odor and small cone-shaped holes in nearby turf Den-seeking peaks in fall and again in late winter for breeding; mothers raise young May through July Common
Badgers A large elliptical hole — wider than tall, 10 inches or more across — with an enormous throw mound of soil, in open lawn or field edge Most digging summer through fall; a badger may dig several holes in a single night Rare

Visual clues to check

  • Measure the entrance: 6 to 8 inches suggests skunk; 7 to 8 smooth and round, armadillo; 8 to 12 with a big mound, groundhog or fox; huge and elliptical, badger
  • Smell from a respectful distance: persistent musk points to skunk or fox
  • Scan the entrance apron for prey remains — feathers, bones, or scat mean a fox, not a groundhog
  • Check the surrounding lawn: scattered shallow snout-holes accompany armadillos; precise little grub cones accompany skunks
  • Watch at the right hours: groundhogs show themselves by day; skunks, armadillos, and foxes mostly at dusk and dawn
  • Dust smooth soil or flour by the entrance overnight and read the tracks in the morning
  • Look for a second, mound-less hole within 25 feet — the hidden escape exit of a groundhog system

The causes in detail

Groundhogs (woodchucks)

East of the Rockies, the groundhog is the default answer to a big hole with a big mound. Burrow systems run 20 to 40 feet with multiple chambers and always at least one hidden 'plunge hole' without a mound for quick escapes. Groundhogs are active by day, so a chunky brown animal grazing near the hole in morning or late afternoon confirms it. The burrow itself is the issue: under a shed, slab, or stoop, years of excavation can cause real settling.

Foxes

Red foxes rarely dig from scratch — they enlarge groundhog burrows, which is why a long-quiet hole can suddenly get bigger in February or March. A fox den advertises itself: prey remains scattered at the entrance, a pungent odor, and, by April, kits playing outside at dawn and dusk. Fox families typically move on within weeks; most wildlife agencies recommend simple patience unless the den is somewhere impossible.

Armadillos

Across Texas, the Gulf states, Florida, and increasingly farther north, armadillos dig burrows up to 15 feet long and keep several in rotation. The entrance matches the animal's body — surprisingly smooth and round — and the surrounding lawn usually shows their other calling card, dozens of shallow snout-holes from nightly grub hunting. Burrows against foundations, AC pads, or driveways can undermine them over time.

Skunks denning

Striped skunks dig competently but prefer a ready-made hollow under a structure. The combination to look for is a moderate hole where lawn meets structure, faint but persistent odor, and precision grub holes across the lawn at night. A denned skunk raises the stakes on removal: sealing it in, startling it, or letting the dog investigate all end badly. Eviction timing also matters — from spring to midsummer there are likely babies inside.

Badgers

In the Plains states and parts of the West and Midwest, a badger hunting ground squirrels or pocket gophers can excavate craters overnight that dwarf anything else on this list. The elliptical shape (matching their flattened body) and sheer volume of thrown soil are diagnostic. Badgers usually move on within days once the local rodents are eaten, but they dig faster than any other yard visitor and deserve a wide berth — they defend themselves fiercely.

When to worry

  • The burrow runs under a shed, porch, deck, or slab — ongoing excavation can settle footings and crack concrete
  • Cracking, tilting, or sinking already visible in nearby hardscape or steps
  • Any large animal active in daylight that should be nocturnal, or one staggering or acting fearless — possible rabies; call animal control
  • Signs of young in the den (sounds, sightings, a mother's regular schedule) — removal timing and method must account for them
  • A dog or cat that keeps working the hole — a cornered skunk, fox, or badger will defend itself

What to do now

  1. Identify the resident first using size, smell, timing, and tracks — every next step depends on the species
  2. Keep pets leashed or supervised in the yard, especially at dusk and dawn, until the den is resolved
  3. For fox dens in tolerable spots, wait them out — families typically leave within weeks, and mild harassment (noise, human scent nearby) speeds departure
  4. Confirm vacancy before any filling: loosely plug the entrance with newspaper or straw and watch for 3 to 5 days of no disturbance (never during winter hibernation or spring baby season)
  5. After confirmed vacancy, backfill deep holes in tamped layers and skirt vulnerable structures with buried L-shaped hardware cloth to prevent re-digging
  6. Harvest-proof the attractions — secure garbage, pick up fallen fruit, protect gardens — so the next animal keeps walking
  7. For any occupied den under a structure, or any groundhog, skunk, or armadillo you need gone, hire a licensed wildlife control professional; relocation and trapping are regulated in most states and hazardous done casually

What not to do

  • Don't fill, cap, or concrete a large hole until vacancy is confirmed — entombed animals dig out sideways or die under your structure
  • Don't use smoke or gas cartridges under or near sheds, decks, and porches; the fire and fume risk is real and it's often illegal near structures
  • Don't reach in, prod with tools, or send a dog down any burrow
  • Don't trap and drive a groundhog or skunk to a park — relocation is illegal in many states and usually fatal to the animal
  • Don't approach kits, pups, or any large animal seen in daylight acting oddly

Think you know the suspect?

These animals commonly cause this clue — see their full sign profiles:

Frequently asked questions

What animal digs a large hole with a big pile of dirt next to it?

In most of the country that combination — an 8- to 12-inch entrance with a substantial fan of excavated subsoil — is a groundhog. Foxes produce a similar look because they enlarge groundhog burrows, but they add prey remains and a strong musky odor. In the Plains, a truly enormous elliptical hole with a mound to match suggests a badger.

How do I know if the big hole in my yard is still in use?

Plug the entrance loosely with wadded newspaper, straw, or leaves in the evening and check daily. An active resident clears it within a night or two; three to five undisturbed days suggests vacancy. Fresh tracks in dusted soil, new dirt on the mound, and flattened vegetation at the entrance are additional signs of an occupied den. Skip this test in winter — hibernating groundhogs won't respond.

Will a groundhog burrow damage my foundation or shed?

It can over time. A groundhog moves hundreds of pounds of soil building a den, and when the chambers sit under a slab, stoop, or shed footing, the excavation plus water funneling into the burrow can cause settling and cracking. A burrow in open lawn is a nuisance; a burrow under a structure is a genuine reason to act promptly.

Can I just fill a large hole with rocks or concrete?

Only after you're certain it's empty — filling an occupied den is inhumane and usually fails anyway, since the animal digs out around the plug. Once vacancy is confirmed, backfill with soil tamped in layers; for chronic re-digging spots, bury hardware cloth over the filled entrance or along the structure's base. Concrete alone, poured into a tunnel system, rarely reaches far enough to matter.

Related yard clues

Yard Holes Holes Under the Fence: What's Digging In (or Out)? A hole under a fence is usually a travel gap scraped out by rabbits, skunks, or a neighborhood dog — or the edge of a real burrow if a groundhog has moved in along the fence line. The key distinction is pass-through versus home: a shallow trench under the boards means something is commuting through your yard, while a deep hole with a big dirt pile means something is living there. Read the guide → Yard Holes Holes Near Your Foundation: Causes and When to Act Holes right along a foundation usually come from chipmunks, Norway rats, or voles, all of which like the shelter a house wall provides — but water pouring from downspouts and settling backfill soil carve foundation-line holes too. Sorting burrow from washout matters, because a rat burrow against the house is the one that needs fast professional attention. Read the guide → Yard Holes Two-Inch Holes in Yard: Chipmunk, Rat, or Something Else? A round hole about two inches across is classic burrow size, and the usual suspects are chipmunks, rats, and thirteen-lined ground squirrels. Chipmunk holes are clean with no soil pile, rat holes are worn and hug structures, and ground squirrel holes sit in open, sunny lawn — those three clues sort out most cases. Read the guide → Yard Holes Dirt Mounds in Lawn: Mole, Gopher, or Ant? Read the Shape The shape of a dirt mound is the fastest identification tool in the yard: moles build round volcano-shaped mounds with no visible hole, pocket gophers build fan- or crescent-shaped mounds with a plugged hole to one side, and ants, earthworms, and digger bees leave much smaller piles. Match your mound to one of those shapes and you've usually named the animal. Read the guide →

Still not sure? Compare with these clues

Tracks, Nests & Outdoor Clues Small Animal Tracks in Your Yard: How to Read Them Small animal tracks in your yard most often belong to rabbits, squirrels, raccoons, opossums, skunks, or a neighborhood cat or dog. Counting the toes, checking whether claw marks show, and looking at how the prints are grouped will identify the visitor faster than the shape of any single print. Read the guide → Animal Droppings Droppings Under Your Deck: What Animal Is Denning There? Droppings under a deck usually mean an animal is using the space as a den, not just passing through — most often a skunk, opossum, feral cat, or raccoon, and occasionally a groundhog. Skunk droppings are crumbly and full of shiny insect parts, opossum droppings are large and curved, cat droppings are often buried in loose soil, and a pile of tubular droppings in one corner is a raccoon latrine that needs professional-level caution. Timing matters: from spring into midsummer, most of these animals have babies down there. Read the guide → Animal Droppings Large Droppings in Your Yard: Raccoon, Coyote, Dog, or Fox? Large droppings in a yard usually come from raccoons, coyotes, neighborhood dogs, or foxes. Raccoon droppings are tubular with blunt ends and often accumulate in one repeated spot called a latrine; coyote droppings are rope-like and tapered with visible fur, bone, or seeds; fox droppings are smaller, twisted, and pointed at the ends. A raccoon latrine deserves special caution because of raccoon roundworm. Read the guide →