"Priscilla Ballou" wrote in message
...
I was out in the wilderness of my backyard just now, clearing brush away
from a little apple tree I put in this spring. When I got closer to the
tree I saw the ground around it looked funny, and when I got up to it I
saw that there was a sizeable burrow dug into the earth right next to it.

I grew up with woodchucks who lived in burrows like this eating our
vegetable garden, and this is the first year I've had anything nibble my
growing plants, but (so far) it's been just the zucchini leaves. The
lettuce is totally untouched.

I don't know that we have woodchucks in the city -- I'm within the city
limits of Boston but in an area where we have decent sized yards (mine
is 7000 sq ft) and can garden -- but we do have raccoons and possums.
Do either of those burrow? There's also a small colony of feral cats
whom my neighbors and I help care for. They live comfortably with the
other wildlife, except of course for the birds. Of course I know that
cats don't burrow! ;-)

A clue may have been given to me by one of the young girls who live on
my street and like to come in to talk to me while I'm out gardening.
Apparently a large white pet rabbit with blue eyes (name given but I
forgot it) escaped from a house down the end of my street a while ago.
She said it's a big rabbit, but this burrow is about the size of a
woodchuck burrow, and them succkers is bigger than any bunny *I* have
ever seen!

What do folks think? What time of day would be best for my catching a
glimpse of it if it's a bunny? The wilderness of my backyard is *very*
overgrown, so I may not be able to catch a glimpse. I know! I'll have
to look for scat.

What would I bait a Hav-a-Hart trap with to catch it? It's still early
summer, but if it's a former pet rabbit it'll need to be retrieved
before it gets cold in the fall. I'm sure it's not ready to
over-winter.

Do possums burrow?

Any and all ideas would be welcome. The mystery of the summer! And it
damn well stay away from my tomatoes or there may be rabbit stew on my
stove. [Kidding.]

Thanks!

Priscilla

Hi Priscilla

Good question whether that burrow is a woodchuck or a rabbit den. There
are rabbits as pets that easily go 14 -18 lbs, and those back legs on a
rabbit can dig pretty darn well!

In heavy cover, your chances of seeing the 'rodent' really aren't great as
long as there is food in the brush. You may find greater predation in your
yard and garden as "whoever" becomes more bold and hungry, and especially if
there are young in the picture.

Pet Rabbits , even if gone feral, can be easily baited with quartered
apples, fresh carrots ( the carrot greens are favorite grazing treats).
Rabbits willl also follow the scent of their solid waste to return to their
home hutch, so if the owners were composting their rabbit waste, some of
that in or around the Hav a Hart would be a bonus. A hutch-kept rabbit
will not be spooked by a metal Hav a Hart trap, will think it is 'Home".

OTOH if it is a 'chuck, the carrots and apples will be perfectly good bait
too.

Good luck!

Sue
Western Maine