On occasion the woodchuck's feeding and burrowing habits conflict with man's interests. This occurs on farms, in home gardens, orchards and nurseries. Damage to vegetable crops such as beans, squash and peas can be costly and extensive. Fruit trees and ornamental shrubs also may be damaged by woodchucks. They are primarily vegetarians and feed on a variety of vegetables and grasses.
Some preferred foods are beans, peas, carrot tops, clover and grasses.
Fresh dirt is generally found at the mouth of an active burrow in the form of pellets ranging from marble size to clods about as big as a fist. Clawed or girdled trees and shrubs also help identify woodchuck inhabited burrows and dens. M.S.A. 100.27, Subd. 2, states the woodchuck is an unprotected species in Minnesota and may be taken in any manner except the use of poison or artificial light. The most effective control of nuisance woodchucks is to remove them. In areas where hunting or shooting is not permissible due to local laws, the alternative is removal by live trapping.