What did this damage?

  • ThunderLund78
    Posts: 2486
    May 25, 2024 at 6:16 pm #2274352

    Cabin Neighbor has a 6×6 retaining wall that’s beginning to decay and black ants have taken residence. Something dug in and went after them last night. It was able to poke through about an inch of pretty hard wood to get to the cavity and opened up a big hole by pulling the wood away in longer strips and threw them 5-6 feet from the hole. Whatever it was wanted the ants. Wouldn’t think a smaller animal would scatter the debris so far. Perhaps small bear? Do woodchucks eat insects? He’s had burrowing issues with them before. Hopefully the pics work.

    Attachments:

    1. 20240525_173229-scaled.jpg

    2. 20240525_173115-scaled.jpg

    Eelpoutguy
    Farmington, Outing
    Posts: 10336
    May 25, 2024 at 6:44 pm #2274360

    I don’t believe a woodchuck could do that.
    Any footprints around that you can identify?
    Looks like something from the weasel family.

    ThunderLund78
    Posts: 2486
    May 25, 2024 at 6:52 pm #2274361

    No real footprints, and no claw marks aside from the hole itself. There was one other spot where it tried to make a hole and it was a single hole (almost like a woodpecker), not multiple claw marks like a bear might make. But those big wood shavings getting thrown far from the hole suggest a larger animal. Maybe a mink?

    wkw
    Posts: 713
    May 25, 2024 at 7:09 pm #2274363

    Pileated woodpecker ?

    wkw
    Posts: 713
    May 25, 2024 at 7:36 pm #2274368

    I got a buddy that had an old stump right off his deck. That big woodpecker would come everyday and scatter wood chips everywhere.

    Pailofperch
    Central Mn North of the smiley water tower
    Posts: 2912
    May 26, 2024 at 8:52 am #2274391
    LabDaddy1 wrote:

    Pileated porcupine

    Good Lord that sounds like trouble! jester

    My money is on the Pileated Woodpecker. Watching when they really find something in a tree and it’s amazing how the chips can fly!

    buckybadger
    Upper Midwest
    Posts: 8029
    May 26, 2024 at 10:39 am #2274398

    100% a bird. I’ve seen them put baseball sized holes in wood siding.

    basseyes
    Posts: 2493
    May 26, 2024 at 11:41 am #2274404

    Never underestimate a pecker head.

    Matt Moen
    South Minneapolis
    Posts: 4209
    May 26, 2024 at 12:50 pm #2274408

    Green sunfish.

    TH
    Posts: 529
    May 26, 2024 at 3:04 pm #2274416

    Pileated woodpecker. Never underestimate a horny or hungry one. They can wreck a tree trying to make a nest. In this case I’d bet on the hungry.

    B-man
    Posts: 5763
    May 26, 2024 at 5:10 pm #2274422

    “Buddy, when you’re dead, you’re a dead Pecker Head” mrgreen

    LabDaddy1
    Posts: 2364
    May 27, 2024 at 5:21 am #2274462
    Matt Moen wrote:

    Green sunfish.

    jester devil rotflol smash

    Keeping it alive, I love it.

    Just don’t overstep your boundaries and call it a snook.

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