The Signature!

   Lately, we have been noticing a lot of holes being dug in the yard.  These usually appear overnight.  They are not large being only a few inches in diameter.  They are deep in comparison to that diameter as they are approximately ten inches deep.  We pondered what could be digging and why.  First thought was the armadillos digging after grubworms.   I had seen several armadillos and actually knew a pair had a den under an old boat near the marsh.  I figured those critters were helping keep our yard free of pesky grubs.  Mark had often said we need to put out the night-camera so we could catch them in action. I should have but never did.

  Today as we were on our late afternoon hike, we stumbled upon yet more holes.  These were freshly dug (as in last night fresh).  It surprised me to see that several of the holes had been dug in the gravel pathway.  Well...I guess grubworms are there, too, but that sure seemed to be some hard digging.   We continued back toward the canebrake following the holes.  The critters had been busy!  

  Suddenly, I realized that I was blaming the wrong critter!  These were not dug by armadillos, at all!  The critter left its signature by one hole!  A telltale footprint was all it took for me to know that the raccoons were digging the holes.   They were after much the same things as the armadillos would have been.  Coons will eat just about anything and are not above digging for grubs, earthworms, insects or even roots.  I figured that we fed the coons enough from what we put in the compost pile to keep them from digging but I suppose I was wrong.  That footprint gave it all away!