Match the damage pattern, height, and timing to the most likely culprit.
| Animal | Height | Damage Pattern | Timing | Key Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deer | 3+ ft (browse line) | Ragged, torn edges — deer have no upper front teeth so they tear rather than cut | Dawn/dusk/night | Large split-heart tracks; large pellet piles |
| Rabbit | Ground to ~18" | Clean 45° angled cuts on stems; whole seedlings clipped off | Night, some daytime | Small round pellet droppings; small tracks |
| Groundhog (Woodchuck) | Ground level | Entire plants mowed down, leafy greens and beans hit hardest | Daytime, especially morning | Large burrow entrance, often with dirt mound; large tracks |
| Chipmunk | Ground level | Bulbs/seeds dug up and taken; small bites out of tomatoes and berries | Daytime | Small burrow holes, no mound; small tracks |
| Vole | Ground / underground | Girdled bark at soil line on young trees; seedlings disappear from below; tunnels through mulch | Anytime, mostly hidden | Narrow surface runways in grass/mulch; small tunnel holes, no mound |
| Squirrel | Ground to high in trees | Dug-up bulbs and containers; bites out of tomatoes and stone fruit; bark stripped on branches | Daytime | Small holes with scattered dirt; caches of buried nuts |
| Raccoon | Ground level | Corn stalks pulled down and stripped, ears partially eaten; sweet fruit stolen just before ripeness | Overnight | Hand-like 5-toed tracks; scattered husks |
| Porcupine | High — climbs trees/shrubs | Bark stripped in patches high on trunk; girdled branches | Overnight | Large tooth marks in bark; found resting in trees by day |
| Skunk | Ground level (lawn) | Small neat conical holes dug in lawn/mulch hunting grubs | Overnight | Strong musky odor near the digging |
| Mouse / Rat | Ground level | Gnawed bark, bulbs, and stored produce; scratched mulch/seedbeds | Overnight, mostly hidden | Tiny rice-sized droppings, small gnaw marks |
| Mole | Underground | Raised, winding ridges just under the lawn/bed surface; plants disturbed from below | Anytime | No entrance mound — continuous surface ridges instead |
| Opossum | Ground level | Raids fallen fruit, compost, and pet food; occasional knocked-over bins | Overnight | Large scat with seeds/fur; minimal live-plant damage |
| Black Bear | Ground to high in trees | Knocked-over feeders/hives/compost; broken branches high in fruit trees | Overnight, sometimes daytime | Large scat full of seeds or fur; broken limbs |
| Wild Turkey | Ground level | Scratched, scattered mulch and seedbeds hunting insects/seed | Daytime, often in flocks | Feathers, wide scratch marks in loose soil |