Critter is diggin up the mulch....dunno what though?

[Springer25]

There is something digging up the black paper I put down under the mulch in my yard.  just put the mulch down, and somethings decided to dig it up and rip it to shreds.  it's happening at night.  Would a Fox do this?  there are plenty of them to go around... and go down... if you know what I mean...

[oldpink]

Most likely something looking for grubs and other insects likely to hide under the paper.
My educated guess would be either a skunk or raccoon.
Could be Fox, but I doubt they would go to that much trouble.

[shadow]

Sounds like a Skunk digging into that nice soil for grub's etc. Ed

[dk1677]

I agree with Ed, sounds like a stinker

[Springer25]

really yea I saw a skunk just the other night walking the dogs...  gonna have to take em down.  Especially cause I don't want the dogs or me gettin sprayed.

[only1harry]

Another stinker.. 

[longislandhunter]

I've been having a similar problem in my back yard for the past 3 weeks.  There are a gazillion acorns lying all over my yard, nice big fat juicy ones, but yet some critter is digging holes the size of golf balls in my lawn and tearing up my grass in the process.  I'm thinking it's the nutters but I can't imagine what they're digging for since there are acorns literally all over the place.  I don't think I have grubs, as I put down grub treatment earlier this summer, but somebody's digging for something

Fedex just dropped off one of my new trail cameras about an hour ago and I just finished programming it and testing it (it works fantastic) so I'm gonna set it up in the back yard tonight and see if I can get some pics of the culprit 

Jeff

[only1harry]

Well if he is certain nothing is digging there during the day, then it has to be a skunk.  BUT, if he is not watching that spot every few minutes throughout the day, then it's a possibility it's a squirrel and he missed it.  I have seen squirrels dig in my lawn too looking for old food, or to hide a new nut.  If it's a squirrel, he probably hid some food there over the winter or last Fall, and came back to claim it, so he dug through the plastic cover.

Squirrel holes are are just a tiny bit smaller than the holes the skunks dig, but they can look very similar.  They only differ by 0.5" in diameter at the very most.  It can be very hard to tell between the 2, but I can usually tell if I 'm physically there looking at them.  I have 4-5 skunks that visit every night or live near by, and I have squirrels digging during the day, so I think I 'm pretty good at telling the difference by now because I have walked over to see what the squirrel holes look like right after I observed the squirrel dig, and I have done the same after I observed a skunk dig on my lawn at sundown.  There was still plenty of light left, and the stinker and I stared each other down at a distance of 20ft before I got him to walk after he raised his tail at me, but he gave up his bluff, and I examined the 2 holes he made.  I must say - very similar to a squirrel's, but the skunk's was just a little deeper than the holes a squirrel makes.  Also the skunk's holes were more uniform and consistent - very precise you could say, and look mostly the same.  Whereas the squirrel's holes were not so uniform in width or depth.  They might look the same, but if you start observing closer or take measurements, the squirrel exhibits greater incosistency.

[oldpink]

I've been having a similar problem in my back yard for the past 3 weeks.  There are a gazillion acorns lying all over my yard, nice big fat juicy ones, but yet some critter is digging holes the size of golf balls in my lawn and tearing up my grass in the process.  I'm thinking it's the nutters but I can't imagine what they're digging for since there are acorns literally all over the place.  I don't think I have grubs, as I put down grub treatment earlier this summer, but somebody's digging for something

Fedex just dropped off one of my new trail cameras about an hour ago and I just finished programming it and testing it (it works fantastic) so I'm gonna set it up in the back yard tonight and see if I can get some pics of the culprit 

Jeff

What only1harry said.
Almost undoubtedly a squirrel.
Burying new acorns or digging up old ones.
I've watched them do it in the woods many times, that is when I didn't have my rifle on me.

[only1harry]

Yes you are right.  I almost forgot. 
Jeff, if you have an abundance of acorns, the squirrels can't help it but bury them, hundreds or thousands of them!  There is only so much they can eat or carry to their den.  They will try and bury as much as they can for the winter and next Spring because that is the time when there are no nuts around.  Come Spring, the squirrels rely mostly on what they have buried the year before to survive.  If you have an abundance of food for them on your property, they will be doing a lot of digging to store it.