I live in southern Wisconsin and do a fair bit of ADC work. Recently, a client asked me to trap out some animals that are digging holes in some mowed areas around a few corn fields. Right now it's November and the hole started popping up around the beginning of the month. The holes measure about 5 in wide and about 7 to 9 in tall. Most of the locations only have one hole. At a couple locations there are multiple holes but they're about 4 ft away from each other. It doesn't look like a woodchuck burrow to me and most the time with woodchucks I see multiple holes. I don't see any foot prints around either. I'm kinda stumped though. Any ideas?

Skunks?

All kinds of things still dig this time of year. Grubbing activity by skunk or raccoon is fairly consistent.

Skunks did for grubs but they should be denning up soon. Those are pretty large holes, larger than what I typically see from skunks. Do you havea badger in the area looking for gophers, mice, voles .
or other ground living organisms?

Bryce

The holes seem to be like a den. They go pretty far back. I would assume skunks as well. I did set a body grip over a couple of them but now as the night goes I'm worried about the what if's. There can be badgers in our area but it's very rare.

those would be badger holes here.

Yep, here too.

Badger

We have a pretty fair number of badgers here and would not surprise me that is what is doing the digging.

Nothing Is digging den holes at this time of the year. Skunks dig for grubs and the holes are pretty small.
I'm betting they are badgers, and they just dig for whatever and move on. And you don't what to be killing the state animal unless you have a depredation permit.

If his measurements are correct, i doubt its badger. Every badger hole ive ever seen is typically wider than it is tall. His is the exact opposite...maybe im missing something.?

I dig myself a big ‘ol hole when I stay out hunting/trapping way too long and leave the wife with our 2 month old

If you live in the SOUTH = ARMADILLO

Sarge