some holes

[5 SHOTS]

These holes are in a berm next to a very busy county road about a mile outside of Sidney mt. I thought somebody might be able to tell me they are NOT coyote holes. there are no prints that show. The dirt is to soft. there are three large holes and one looks like it was occupied, (dirt pushed up from inside blocking the hole) I keep telling myself coyotes wouldn't dig this close to people, but then....

[FinsnFur]

Coyotes, will if they have to. But those holes look too much in the wide open to be a coyote den.
I'm going to guess badgers.

[Bopeye]

My uncle had a pet badger when he was a kid.......for about 20 seconds. Then he petted it. 

Not sure what made the holes, but badger is plausible. Looks a little big for prairie dog........... :roflmao:

Oops.......sorry. 

[Hawks Feather]

If it is a Badger there will probably be Prairie Dog "parts" around the hole.     Like a little skin here, a little bone there, etc.

Bop, is that the uncle that you call "one hand"?

Jerry

[Carolina Coyote]

I've seen Groundhog hole that looked like that. cc

[vvarmitr]

G'hog hole?    CC you better get your hinnie up here & I'll show g'hog holes & they look nothing like that. 
When you come don't forget the Mason jar.   

I've heard of fox having alternate dens so if something goes wrong at the main den they have a plan B. 
That might explain why the lack of tracks. They may only check these dens periodically.
But the holes were dug by a canine.

[FinsnFur]

I think coyotes will have alternate dens too now that you mention it VV. They have been known to relocate at least once due to intrusions or flea infestations.

But I still think they are too exposed to be coyote holes.

[5 SHOTS]

I thought someones dog or may by badger, but I was still hoping coyote. The dirt mound is about 3 or 4 feet tall. The first two holes were dug in Nov. or Dec. the third in March. The dirt is so soft that any tracks are covered as soon as it lifts its foot. I'll try to get some tracks if it rains.

[Greenside]

Sure looks like coyote to me. It's hard to tell from the pictures but it almost looks like the holes make a  turn a  foot or two in and that could indicate coyote.  In the past I have found  dens that were highly visible from the road so I'm not real sure what to say about the proximity to the road. And the  too open of a location will change considerably from the time the pups are born  till the time the exit the den for the first time. That grass and cover will  change allot when the "spring flush" occurs.

I'm in historic fox country and  that doesn't look at all like  red fox to me.  And it sure doesn't look  like a badger den although they initially could have be the work of a badger after ground squirrels. I'm also thinking that a coyote wouldn't dig three dens in close proximity of each other and maybe  would assume that not all  those hole were completed.

The slope exposure might also be an indication of what you're dealing with.  IMHO


Up's up with the quote feature?


  EDIT: The first two holes were dug in Nov. or Dec. the third in March.   I think that November- December  time frame would indicate  badgers  at least starting the first two holes
[/quote]

[FinsnFur]

LOL! 
Let me know which one of those you want greenside...and I'll get rid of the other one for ya.

[Greenside]

All I wanted to do was a simple quote and look what happens. 

Can you delete the first one?

thanks

Dennis

[Carolina Coyote]

VV   Now that sounds like a good plan, me ride up there with Jar in hand and you and I go out in the field to a Groundhog hole, sit down, throw the lid to the jar away and by the time we empited the jar I sure you will have me educated on GroundHog holes.  cc

[Bopeye]

You throw away the lid and you couldn't see a ground hog hole if you were crawling over it. 

[FinsnFur]

You throw away the lid and you couldn't see a ground hog hole if you were crawling over it. 

ROFLMAO  :roflmao:
Are these guys roughin you up Carl?  Move your fingers if you can hear me

[Carolina Coyote]

Jim, I don't claim to have any expertise's on holes in the ground,  don't have badgers in this part of the country, never seen a Coyote den out in a field, but see a lot of holes in the ground down in Georgia and can't tell what dug them,   so a tour with a hole in the ground expert would be very educational to me and Bopeye sounds like he has had some experience with the throwing away the lid on the jar and would be a lot of fun on the tour so he will be invited but I would probably need to bring a bigger jar.  cc

[FinsnFur]

I'm no expert either Carl. I was just quoting a previous post, I wasn't slamming you. And it was all in fun my friend 

[Carolina Coyote]

I didnot take any of the comments as slamming me just having a little fun with my friend VV and Bopeye.  cc

[vvarmitr]

I would probably need to bring a bigger jar.  cc

You have bigger JARS!     

[Bopeye]

I'll bring a jar too. Talk about double your fun and triple your hangover...........

[CCP]

We don't have Badgers, ground squirrels or groundhogs so it would be hard for me to determine which it is without tracks in your area. Here it would be easier because it would have to be a coyote or fox.


Unless of course I was to see the pups outside of the den.