Groundhog or Woodchuck?

For weeks now I've been trying to spot the elusive groundhog that I know lives somewhere near us. I've scanned the fields and forest edges... nothing. Maybe I was out at the wrong time of day... so, I attempted to go out early, then late in the evening... still nothing. Yesterday, as I was enjoying the beautiful sunny afternoon, I walked out to a nearby field and finally spotted something moving in the grass off in the distance. Though I couldn't see him very clearly, I could tell it was a groundhog. He too saw me and became immediately alert and nervous. Even though I was easily 150-200 feet from him (I'm not good at judging distances though), he was taking no chances and started shuffling towards his den entrance. Every few feet he would stop and stare at me, then continue his course.

After he spotted me

Groundhogs, also known as woodchucks even though they don't eat wood, are the largest members of the squirrel family. They prefer to eat wild grasses and other vegetation, including tasty greens in your garden, if they can get in. To them, your garden is a free, all-you-can-eat restaurant with delectable choices. However, they will also eat grubs, grasshoppers, insects and snails, as well as certain nuts and fruit. Since they hibernate during the winter, they don't usually store food and instead, gorge themselves throughout the spring, summer, and fall until they are nice and fat.

Just about to disappear into his den

These rodents are incredible diggers and can move more than 700 pounds of dirt when digging a burrow. The burrows often have several entrances and can have up to 46 feet of tunnels. Groundhogs can also climb trees and are capable swimmers, though I have yet to see one do either of those. Sometimes you will hear them make a loud whistling sound. This is their way of alerting other groundhogs about approaching danger. When they are happy, they will make little grunting sounds.

Now that I know where he lives, I look forward to spending more time observing him and learning about his habits.