Quick Answer
The most common animals digging holes in Montana yards are Columbia and plains pocket gophers, thirteen-lined ground squirrels, Richardson's ground squirrels, meadow voles, woodchucks (groundhogs), striped skunks, and raccoons. Montana splits decisively by water: the wetter western valleys and the Bitterroot host heavy pocket gopher pressure, while the drier High Plains and short-grass prairie of eastern Montana makes ground squirrels the dominant digger. Grazing land across the state carries some of the densest ground squirrel populations of any region in the U.S.
Identifying Yard-Digging Wildlife in Montana
Montana's digging problems follow its rainfall line even more sharply than its county borders. The western half, around Missoula, the Flathead Valley, the Bitterroot, and Great Falls, is wetter and more timbered, and there pocket gophers rule — pushing discrete mounds that ruin lawns and bury sprinkler systems. The eastern two-thirds is high, dry, short-grass prairie, and there Richardson's and thirteen-lined ground squirrels run open burrow systems on pastures, roadsides, and the edges of towns from Billings to Miles City. Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks (FWP) and Montana State University (MSU) Extension both rank burrowing rodents among the most common nuisance wildlife calls in the state, and the U.S. Grazing Lands data treats eastern Montana ground squirrel densities as among the highest in the West.
Key Identification Tip: Split your holes first by whether there is a mound, then by the hole's relation to that mound. A fan- or kidney-shaped mound with the opening plugged on one side = pocket gopher, and in western Montana this is almost always the answer. An open, clean hole ringed by neat dirt, often with the animal visible nearby in daylight = a ground squirrel. A large 6-8 inch burrow with pushed-out soil on a slope or under a shed = woodchuck. Shallow surface runways plus 1-2 inch flush holes = meadow vole. Scattered small cone-shaped pits that appear overnight = striped skunk probing for grubs. Lifted, rolled patches of sod and overturned rocks = raccoon.
Montana Yard-Digging Animal Identification Table
| Animal | Hole Size & Shape | Depth | Damage Pattern | Montana Range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Columbia / Plains Pocket Gopher | Kidney- or fan-shaped mounds; plugged side opening | Main burrows 6-18 inches below surface, up to 200 feet long | Discrete conical piles of loose soil; buried irrigation lines gnawed; collapsed tunnel ridges in turf | Columbia pocket gopher west and north; plains pocket gopher on east-side prairies; heaviest in wet valleys |
| Thirteen-Lined Ground Squirrel | Small 2-3 inch clean holes, ringed by dirt, often near cover | Burrows 1-2 feet deep, near lawns, roadsides, gardens | Neat dirt rings; grazed seedlings; raided birdseed; burrows that collapse under walkways | Statewide in short grass; common across eastern and central plains |
| Richardson's Ground Squirrel | Large 3-5 inch burrow openings with bare dirt apron, colonnial clusters | Burrows 2-6 feet deep, extensive colonies | Colonies of open holes on pastures and rights-of-way; grazing of forage and hayfields; tunnel collapse | Northern prairie grasslands, border counties from the Hi-Line to the eastern plains |
| Meadow Vole | 1-2 inch clean holes, flush with the soil | Shallow, 1-3 inches | Surface runways through grass; girdled trees and shrubs; grid of runways revealed at snowmelt | Statewide in grass, meadows, orchards, and irrigated yards |
| Woodchuck (Groundhog) | Large 6-8 inch burrow openings with pushed-out soil | Burrows up to 5 feet deep, 30 feet long | Dirt piles at entrances; eaten garden crops; collapsed holes under sheds and porches | Around towns and river valleys, most common in the south and west of the state |
| Striped Skunk | 3-4 inch conical holes, scattered over the lawn | Shallow, 1-2 inches | Clusters of small pits (grub hunting); holes dug under porches, decks, and sheds | Statewide, common in towns and around farms |
| Raccoon | Peeled-back sod, 6-12 inch lifted patches | Shallow digging into the top few inches | Lifted, rolled turf; overturned garbage and planters; dug-up bulbs and garden rows | Along rivers, lakes, and in towns across the state, especially in the wetter west |
Columbia & Plains Pocket Gopher
Montana hosts two pocket gophers that matter to yards. In western Montana the common animal is the northern pocket gopher (Thomomys talpoides), the species in the Columbia Basin grouping that dominates the wetter valleys from the Flathead and Bitterroot south to the Gallatin. On the eastern plains the plains pocket gopher (Geomys bursarius) takes over the short-grass prairies. Both are stout, almost mole-like rodents with small eyes and ears, powerful front claws, and fur-lined cheek pouches, and both build burrow systems that can stretch 200 feet with a main run 6-18 inches deep.
The calling card is a kidney- or fan-shaped mound of loose soil with the opening plugged on one side. Western Montana's wetter, deep soils let gophers tunnel freely, which is why Missoula, Bozeman, and the Flathead consistently report the worst gopher lawns in the state. Gophers eat roots and tubers, so they also chew through buried irrigation and sprinkler lines — meaning the same wet lawns that draw them also cost homeowners real money in repairs.
Pocket gophers are unprotected in Montana and property owners may trap or destroy them on land they own, including cultivated land, without an FWP permit. Because gopher tunnels are closed, poison baits are less practical than for aboveground rodents; trapping at active, plugged mounds is the standard control. On rangeland, some Montana landowners welcome gophers, whose burrowing aerates heavy prairie soils and speeds moisture infiltration.
Thirteen-Lined Ground Squirrel
Thirteen-lined ground squirrels (Ictidomys tridecemlineatus) are among Montana's most visible yard diggers because they are active in daylight. Their small 2-3 inch holes appear as neat dirt rings on lawns, cemeteries, and roadsides, and because the animal is diurnal the squirrel is usually in view near the hole — unlike most other diggers on this list. There are three to five on the Hi-Line and southern border are the most common form across eastern Montana grasslands.
They graze seedlings, raid birdseed, and occasionally build burrows that extend under walkways and patios. In Montana they are nongame wildlife, and FWP allows property owners to trap, poison, or otherwise control ground squirrels on land they occupy without a permit. Because they are surface-active, exclusion and removing birdseed work best; trapping individuals against a widely reproducing colony is usually a losing battle.
Richardson's Ground Squirrel
Richardson's ground squirrels (Urocitellus richardsonii) are the big colonial diggers of Montana's northern prairies. They are larger than thirteen-lined squirrels, up to 10-12 ounces as adults, with buffy gray-brown fur, and they build entire neighborhoods of burrows on pastures, hayfields, roadsides, and the edges of Hi-Line towns. Their bare 3-5 inch openings cluster by the dozen, each apron of hard-packed dirt where the colony has chipped away loose soil over years.
On grazing land in the northern prairies, Richardson's squirrels are often the single biggest wildlife consumer of forage, and Montana State University Extension documents their damage to hayfields and the hazard their tunnel collapse poses to livestock and people. They are classified as nongame in Montana and may be controlled on land a person owns or occupies without an FWP permit. Because they hibernate through the winter an aboveground-poisoning or trapping program in late summer, before they retire, is the most effective timing.
Meadow Vole
Meadow voles (Microtus pennsylvanicus) dig small 1-2 inch holes flush with the soil, connected by shallow runways through grass, and they eat roots, bulbs, and bark — often girdling young trees and shrubs so they die back in spring. In Montana the runways are most obvious in irrigated yards and orchards and after the snow melts, when the grid of tunnels carved under the snowpack is suddenly exposed. A heavy winter can push vole numbers sharply higher by spring.
Voles are often confused with moles. Moles leave raised ridges and eat insects; voles leave surface runways and chew plants at ground level. The effective lever is habitat change rather than trapping a population boom: keep grass mowed, pull mulch away from plant bases, and wrap young trees in hardware cloth. Voles are unprotected in Montana, but trapping rarely wins against a fast-breeding population.
Woodchuck (Groundhog)
Woodchucks (Marmota monax) are among the largest yard diggers in Montana, about two feet long with gray-brown fur and a stout body. They are most common around towns that sit in river valleys and in the southern and western parts of the state, where they den under sheds, porches, and rock piles. Their burrows — up to five feet deep and 30 feet long, with large piles of pushed-out soil at the entrances — are often the first thing property owners notice, not the animal itself.
As in most states, abandoned woodchuck burrows get reused by raccoons, skunks, and foxes, so a cleared "groundhog hole" can turn into a raccoon or skunk den. Woodchucks are unprotected in Montana and may be trapped or shot without a permit year-round on land a person owns or occupies, but durable control is exclusion fencing buried at least 2 feet with an outward flange, plus removing the brush, wood, and rock piles that give them cover.
Striped Skunk
Striped skunks (Mephitis mephitis) are the classic source of clusters of small, cone-shaped 3-4 inch holes scattered through the lawn — each pit where the skunk probed for grubs at night. Fresh, damp, loose soil in the morning points to overnight skunk activity. Skunks also dig under porches, decks, and sheds to den, and they are active across all of Montana including within Bozeman, Billings, and Missoula city limits.
The main risks are the spray, which is extremely hard to remove, and rabies — skunks are a rabies-vector species in Montana, so never approach one, especially one active in daylight, and keep pets vaccinated. Removing food and shelter is the best prevention: secure garbage, bring pet food indoors, and seal under-deck openings with hardware cloth. Controlling lawn grubs removes the food that drives most skunk digging.
Raccoon
Raccoons (Procyon lotor) are common across Montana, most abundant along rivers and lakes and in the wetter western valleys that fringe the Columbia system, and increasingly in towns from Kalispell to Helena. In yards they roll back and lift patches of sod hunting grubs, overturn garbage cans, topple planters, and dig up bulbs. Their damage is patchy lifted turf rather than neat holes.
Raccoons are a rabies-vector species in Montana, and FWP regulates how captured raccoons may be handled — in practice this usually means professional removal rather than hauling a live raccoon across the county to release it. Reduce attractants with locking garbage lids, bring pet food in at night, and seal den sites under porches and decks only after confirming no young are inside. See the Raccoon Removal Cost Guide for what professional removal runs.
Seasonal Digging Patterns in Montana
| Season | Most Active Diggers | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Winter | Voles (under snow), pocket gophers | Voles tunnel under snow; gophers stay active below ground all winter; ground squirrels and woodchucks hibernate |
| Early Spring | Richardson's squirrels, thirteen-lined squirrels, woodchucks, voles | Snowmelt exposes the vole runway grid; ground squirrels and woodchucks emerge and dig |
| Summer | Ground squirrels, skunks, raccoons, pocket gophers | Warm nights bring grub-hunting skunks and raccoons; gophers and ground squirrels stay active |
| Fall | Pocket gophers, voles, ground squirrels | Rodents build fat stores and fresh mounds before freeze-up and hibernation |
How to Get Rid of Animals Digging in Your Montana Yard
1. Identify Before You Treat
Montana's diggers range from unprotected species a property owner can manage directly (pocket gophers, ground squirrels, voles, woodchucks) to rabies-vector furbearers with real restrictions (skunks, raccoons). Use the identification table above, or contact your county MSU Extension office to confirm the species before investing in traps — especially in western Montana, where pocket gophers are far more likely than in the eastern grasslands.
2. Gophers: Trap at Active Mounds
Because gopher tunnels are closed, set traps in fresh, plugged mounds and leave them until the mound is rebuilt. Flatten mounds, place traps at the fresh opening, and check daily. Tracking which side of the mound is plugged tells you which way the tunnel runs. Gopher traps are not the same as mole traps, and in the west heavy clay confirms gophers over the rare mole.
3. Ground Squirrels: Time It Before Dormancy
For dawn-active ground squirrels, act in late summer before they hibernate. Poison bait or trapping at colony entrances works best then, and removing birdseed and excluding them from gardens extends the effect. On rangeland, work with your local MSU Extension agent on timing that does not threaten nontarget wildlife.
4. Voles & Woodchucks: Habitat and Exclusion
For voles, mow short, clear mulch from plant bases, and wrap young trees in hardware cloth. For woodchucks, fence at least 2 feet deep with an outward flange, and remove brush and rock piles that give them cover.
5. Skunks & Raccoons: Remove Food, Seal Shelter
Secure garbage, bring pet food indoors at night, and control grubs. Seal den sites under porches and decks with hardware cloth only after confirming no young are inside. Never approach a daylight-active skunk.
6. Professional Wildlife Removal
If DIY fails, or if a skunk or raccoon is denning under the home, contact a licensed wildlife removal service. Licensed operators know Montana's rabies-vector relocation rules. Search for Montana wildlife removal. Professional removal in Montana typically ranges from $200 to $900 depending on the species and access.
Montana-Specific Regulations
- Columbia & plains pocket gopher: Unprotected. Property owners may trap or destroy them on land they own or occupy, including cultivated land, without an FWP permit.
- Thirteen-lined & Richardson's ground squirrel: Nongame. Property owners may trap, poison, or otherwise control ground squirrels on land they occupy without an FWP permit.
- Meadow vole: Unprotected. May be trapped or excluded on land a person owns or occupies.
- Woodchuck (groundhog): Unprotected. May be trapped or shot without a permit year-round on land a person owns or occupies using legal methods.
- Striped skunk: Classified as a furbearer by Montana FWP and a rabies-vector species; live relocation is restricted and trapping must follow FWP rules.
- Raccoon: Classified as a furbearer and a rabies-vector species by Montana FWP; how captured animals may be handled is restricted, so nuisance raccoons are typically handled by licensed operators.
- Protected species: White-tailed deer, elk, pronghorn, bighorn sheep, grizzly bears, all migratory birds, and most nongame species such as snakes, hawks, and owls cannot be taken without proper authorization.
FAQ: Montana Yard Digging
What is making mounds in my western Montana lawn with no visible hole?
The fan- or kidney-shaped mounds with the opening plugged on one side are almost certainly pocket gophers — in the Columbia Basin and Bitterroot this is the Columbia grouping of the northern pocket gopher. The plugged side hole is the giveaway; gophers, unlike moles, keep the tunnel closed behind them.
Why does my eastern Montana pasture have colonies of big holes?
Large, bare 3-5 inch openings clustered by the dozen on short-grass pasture are typically Richardson's ground squirrels, which form colonial burrow systems across the northern prairies. Control is most effective in late summer before they hibernate.
How do I tell a pocket gopher from a ground squirrel in Montana?
Pocket gophers stay below ground and leave fan- or kidney-shaped mounds with a plugged side opening. Ground squirrels are active by day out of open, unplugged holes with neat dirt rings, and the animal is usually visible near the burrow.
Are ground squirrels protected in Montana?
No. Thirteen-lined and Richardson's ground squirrels are nongame wildlife, and Montana property owners may trap, poison, or otherwise control them on land they occupy without an FWP permit.
Can I relocate a raccoon I trap in Montana?
Usually not far. Montana classifies raccoons as a furbearer and a rabies-vector species and restricts how captured animals may be handled. In practice this means professional removal is the practical route for a persistent raccoon problem.
What animal is leaving small holes in my lawn every morning in Montana?
Clusters of small, cone-shaped holes that appear overnight are almost always striped skunks probing for grubs. Fresh damp soil in the morning points to overnight skunk or raccoon activity. Controlling lawn grubs removes the food that drives it.
Professional Wildlife Removal in Montana
If you need professional help, see our Wildlife Removal Cost: $200-$1,500 (2026 Complete Price Guide) for pricing, and our Rodent Exclusion Cost Guide for sealing rodents out of your home. For neighboring states in the northern Rockies, see our Idaho Yard Digging Guide.
By Marcus Webb. Sources: Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks (FWP), Montana State University (MSU) Extension, USDA APHIS Wildlife Services. This guide is for informational purposes only and does not constitute professional wildlife management advice.