They eat the clover and alfalfa crops the farmers grow. Woodchucks are not limited to these two crops, they eat all types of farm produce and cereal crops. While eating these crops they also trample remaining crops. Some farmers try to control the woodchuck numbers by gassing their burrows. They are also hunted for sport, and the flesh of young woodchucks is said to be very good to eat.
Some farmers see woodchucks as good for the soil.
The tunnels that they build help to aerate the soil. What is unique about the woodchuck is that they actually benefit from deforestation. This creates more open areas for the woodchuck to inhabit. It also creates an increased food supply. This has also caused an increase in woodchuck numbers and more and more are being hunted.