# What animal is doing this?...Lawn Carnage



## jjp2222 (Jul 19, 2018)

http://imgur.com/a/IvkfUGt

Any ideas what nefarious animal is destroying my yard? I can't seem to catch it in the act.... I love in NJ and it's close to freezing

Any suggestions what to do?


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## Powhatan (Dec 15, 2017)

Skunk or raccoon?


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## Tsmith (Aug 11, 2017)

Most likely a raccoon or multiple raccoons. They dig for grubs mainly but will eat just about any critter in the soil and once they find a food source will keep coming back. They tend to visit my yard in the early morning between 1 and 4.

I've been dealing with this for a few years now and even had to hire someone to catch and remove 4 raccoons in fall of 2016 before buying a trap myself and catching 4 more the following spring. They keep coming back every year but it hasn't been as bad as it was then after doing my Reno.

Typically raccoons dig with their paws and will try to flip the turf over where skunks dig more with their noses creating holes.


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## Tsmith (Aug 11, 2017)

Here are some pics of my side lawn and what I woke up to one morning in early October 2016.



After fixing that I woke up the next morning to this


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## jjp2222 (Jul 19, 2018)

Jeez, I'm just waiting till it looks like that one morning. I'm hoping they leave once the ground freezes


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## Tsmith (Aug 11, 2017)

They are trying to fatten up for the winter.

I've tried a few things but removing them was only thing that worked. I may try one of those motion noise and or lights designed to scare them but I have a feeling that will only work until they realize no threat.

They also like to get in attics so keep an eye on possible entry points they can break into. I haven't had this happen but a few neighbors did.


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## g-man (Jun 15, 2017)

I kinda see tunnels too, so it could be voles.


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## craigdt (Apr 21, 2018)

Alright, so how do we help solve this problem?

Feral cats? 
Air rifle? 
Foxes? 
Traps? 
Poison?


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## Tsmith (Aug 11, 2017)

craigdt said:


> Alright, so how do we help solve this problem?
> 
> Feral cats?
> Air rifle?
> ...


Cats won't do anything, doubt foxes will either.

Best course of action is don't give them a reason to come to your property which is easier said than done. Preventing them from getting into your yard if possible would be the next step but also not easy.

Trapping and removal is best but where there is one raccoon there are others.

This could have been investigating digging too so it's entirely possible it won't keep happening.


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## piotrkol (Oct 27, 2018)

My first thought was boar but the damage is a little different when looking closer.

Sometimes they go crazy :roll:



fixing that is a nightmare


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## Pest and Lawn Ginja (Oct 18, 2018)

definitely an animal that's about to be dead LOL OMG. I'd have to agree with all the others, I've seen skunks and raccoons make these messes before.


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## Pest and Lawn Ginja (Oct 18, 2018)

I would dig into the soil to see what they're trying to eat so you can treat it.


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## iFisch3224 (Jun 11, 2018)

Holy sht! That's terrible! Any idea what did it yet? Man.... &#128549;


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## jjp2222 (Jul 19, 2018)

My crazy solution until the ground freezes was to fill my sprayer with bottle of squirrel repellent for bird seed (basically super hot sauce) and sprayed my back yard. It wasn't very concentrated but I'm hoping a somewhat spicy back yard turns them off.....


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## TN Hawkeye (May 7, 2018)

piotrkol said:


> My first thought was boar but the damage is a little different when looking closer.
> 
> Sometimes they go crazy :roll:
> 
> ...


You sure the Tasmanian Devil wasn't spinning around in your yard? He usually travels with a wabbit and a duck that argue a lot.


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## piotrkol (Oct 27, 2018)

Haha it might be that as well :nod:

Caught these guys red handed a few times though


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## g-man (Jun 15, 2017)

Wild boar, yummy.


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## TN Hawkeye (May 7, 2018)

g-man said:


> Wild boar, yummy.


I got chased by one of those growing up in Florida. They are not your average swine. I swear that is what improved my 40 time that summer. They are fast and they are mean.


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