Primarily vegetarians, woodchucks prefer to feed during early morning and evening hours. A hungry woodchuck can consumer the equivalent of one-third of its body weight in one day. Woodchucks live in burrows or dens in the ground with a mound of excavated dirt at the main entrance. Hidden entrances are used for quick escapes from predators. Woodchuck burrows are typically near the edge of the woods, although they are also found near stone walls, under buildings or in woodpiles.
Woodchucks generally feed in field borders or gardens close to their dens.
You may find that entire lettuce, bean and squash plants are eaten when young. Roundish holes may also be eaten in squash fruits. The most permanent method to control woodchuck damage is fencing. Fencing should be buried 10 to 12 inches in the ground to prevent burrowing and should extend 3 to 4 feet above the ground to prevent climbing. An electric fence, plugged into the household electric supply, almost always deters woodchucks from entering your garden.