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Do a search for ground hog dens or similar, you will see what they look like, I forget the depth of them, more than likely there are some voids under there. They seem to like the side of an embankment and under crawl spaces, anywhere there is easy digging also makes things more attractive, that and a place where they can look out before coming out, they spend a lot of time just watching. I'd be willing to be that since you have disturbed things, removed the barn, (roof over the den opening) and if you excavate, then re-compact, that amount of disturbance ought to keep em out. I had one that thought he was going to build a den on the side of a slope next to the house, caught it early, he must have had another place, he'd come by and dig then leave, and I'd fill it right back in, did not take long and he gave up. Funny thing around here is, they have used the same holes for years and years, I have seen new ones appear every so often, but most have been around before me. If you dig it out, you can tamp the ground with the back of the bucket,(anything vibratory is better) then let the rain do it's thing or water it down, should settle out fine if the soil is well drained, use a vibratory tamper or roller if you can get one, do it in 12" lifts, no guarantee that will keep them out, or prevent them from digging, they seem to have no problems in hard packed soils like we have here, but all the work activity should help them move on, you may even find the den if you dig deep enough, I found a chipmunk den while digging last year, it was 5 feet under, can't imagine how deep a chuck hole is, and he was in there in a pile of leaves and was kind of surprised.
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