Your best critter in a tree story

[Jeff]

The "Foreign Objects in the canopy" thread got me wondering: What's everyone's best animal in a tree story? Not the usual "the raccoon hissed at me" daily stuff, but more like Big Rig's golden shower and StihlMadd's stepping over a koala.

Mine: We were working downtown, removing every tree in 1 city block so they could put up a new parking garage. Easy bucket work, just hack and slash. One small maple had a Eastern Gray Squirrel in it, and despite several suggestive attempts from the guy in the bucket, it didn't want to come down and instead just kept climbing higher. Bucket guy kept limbing up the tree, and of course the squirrel kept climbing higher until he reached the top. (Maybe 50'?) Squirrel finally decides it's hopeless and jumps. Now remember, we're downtown in a concrete jungle, so all of us on the ground said "Ooooh, that's gonna be a messy splat!" Squirrel did his best spread eagle and managed to 'glide' across the narrow street to a vacant lot. About 3' off the ground, he grabbed the tippy top of a volunteer piece of woody brush, which bent over and stopped in an upside down U shape, with the squirrel now only 3" off the ground. He looked at us, let go of the brush and stepped off as calmly as if he was getting off the elevator, and ran off.

Once we all picked our jaws up off the pavement, the question arose: Did he plan that? Had he done that before? Or was he just 1 lucky s.o.b.?

 

[JeffGu]

Those bastards are gifted, man. They never cease to amaze me with their natural talent for arboreal acrobatics.

Ok, the truly strangest critter I saw in a tree, actually followed me up it about 20 feet or so. My own dog. He's a Catahoula Leopard Dog, a breed rather notorius for tree climbing. He's gotten heavier over the years, and won't climb them anymore (I suspect the landings hurt more these days, as do mine). They climb like a cat, very strong toes, apparently. Their exit strategy is pretty sloppy, but most of them will climb trees until they get about 5 years old or so. Never got a pic of mine doing it, but here's a rather typical shot of one I found on the web.

 

[evo]

I relocated a flying squirrel.. We fell the tree, and this little bugger runs up the the now vertical limb of the doug fir. We peeled the limb down with the silky, caught the squirrel and let it go on the trunk of a near by cedar..

I was taking ivy out of a cherry. There was a wad of trash, leaves, ect. It looked like a long ago abandoned nest so I kicked it out of the tree. The moment my boot made contact I heard a squeak, while this baby squirrel went flying. It caught a twig by it's hind foot, and started squealing for mom. Mom come running up the tree, to find me in the way, and runs back down and I was stuck in the middle for a while.

Then there was the eagle.. I was on a overhang on a 200' bluff, standing on brush with daylight between my feet. About 8' out from me a bald eagle shot straight up from below on the air current... Those birds have some freaking BIG talons, and the beak is giant too

 

[kstreehuggerco]

The other day I got a call from a lady who's son's pet iguana got loose and climbed up into a tree in the yard. I didnt have time to deal with that crisis so I referred her to some one else. I need to follow up on that and see how that one played out. Im sure its worth a chuckle.

I also know a guy who rescued some ones pet parrot out of a tree. Keep in mind I live in Colorado. Whats up with rescuing exotic pets out of trees in the Rockies? I think its a sign of the end of the world or something.

 

[Treetopflyer]

Don't know if its my best critter in tree story ,but it happened more recently ,when a rogue blue Jay tried laying some beak on me up in a tree and I fought him off by grabbing my top handle off the hip waving it around as i revved it up only to have him swoop my groundie who took a couple swings at him with a rake . Then the son of a gun cut us a break for a minute resting on homeowners gutter only to have the poor old gal and her girlfriend pull up in the driveway get out and before we could even spit it out to warn them of this little hard ass trouble maker tweety he was in there hair dancing on there heads. Ohh the screaming and yelling obscenities and finally laughter that followed after they ran inside . what a scene. This relentless s.o.b. then focused back on us for a few more swoops and dive bombs , then the kids got off the school bus a house or two away and there he went off to peckerhead some poor innocent childrens lol .. Mothers were grabbing there kids and hauling ass into houses with there heads down like they were in a war battle. What a great scene one pissed off blue Jay could cause. Riled up half a block of people. Freaking awesome.

 

[Hotsaw]

Crane removal on a Silver Maple. Tied in on stem ,18"ish limb slung to hook. Limb came upthen went perfectly horizontal for about 6' before turning up again. Whole top half of horizontal section was gone and limb was hollow enough to get your arm in. Didnt need a PHD to know there was probably something calling that home. Started top cut. Wasnt quite comfortable as wanted to be. Backed off throttle for a split second shifted my weight and got right back on the cut. As I brought saw back into cut at full Rs I saw a flash go thru the hollow spot TOWARDS my saw. Out of corner of my eye I saw the flAsh flying thru the air and all my groundies were slapping their knees laughing. Gray squirrel ran past my running saw prob trying to get into the more hollow part of limb but just as he got there the crane had lifted the limb away so he flew to the ground about 30' down but never slowed down. He was outa there!

 

[GregManning]

1. You mean a "critter" other than me ?

2. Years ago, I was having a 12" maple, with a significant hollow near the base, removed from the back yard.
The sawyer rapped the trunk to determine the soundness.
A flying squirrel scrambled out of the hole, and up the tree.
He then launched, flew about 40 ft, into another very large maple.
(It's only the 2nd flying squirrel I've seen. They are nocturnal.)

3. Many years ago (there I go again), as a kid I worked at a YMCA with a weight room.
A local fireman came in frequently. He had arms the size of my waist !
He also trained & hunted w/ coon dogs.
Out of season, he would still go out with the dogs.
When a raccoon was treed, he put on a pair of very heavy leather, lineman's gloves, with heavy gauntlets.
He climbed into the tree, pulled the raccoon out, & dropped it to the ground so the dogs could begin the chase again !

 

[TimBr]

The "Foreign Objects in the canopy" thread got me wondering: What's everyone's best animal in a tree story? Not the usual "the raccoon hissed at me" daily stuff, but like Big Rig's golden shower and StihlMadd's stepping over a koala?

Mine: We were working downtown, removing every tree in 1 city block so they could put up a new parking garage. Easy bucket work, just hack and slash. One small maple had a Eastern Gray Squirrel in it, and despite several suggestive attempts from the guy in the bucket, it didn't want to come down and instead just kept climbing higher. Bucket guy kept limbing up the tree, and of course the squirrel kept climbing higher until he reached the top. (Maybe 50'?) Squirrel finally decides it's hopeless and jumps. Now remember, we're downtown in a concrete jungle, so all of us on the ground said "Ooooh, that's gonna be a messy splat!" Squirrel did his best spread eagle and managed to 'glide' across the narrow street to a vacant lot. About 3' off the ground, he grabbed the tippy top of a volunteer piece of woody brush, which bent over and stopped in an upside down U shape, with the squirrel now only 3" off the ground. He looked at us, let go of the brush and stepped off like he was getting off the elevator and ran off.

Once we all picked our jaws up off the pavement, the question arose: Did he plan that? Had he done that before? Or was he just 1 lucky s.o.b.?

That was quite an amazing story; thanks for sharing it.

Tim

 

[misfit]

The other day I got a call from a lady who's son's pet iguana got loose and climbed up into a tree in the yard. I didnt have time to deal with that crisis so I referred her to some one else. I need to follow up on that and see how that one played out. Im sure its worth a chuckle.

I just rescued a pet iguana about 2 weeks ago. It had chewed through its outdoor cage and climbed into a very large tree. I figured there was no way I would be able to catch up with it on those very long branches, so I strapped a cat trap on his branch in the tree and left. The next day, the pet owners called and said the iguana was locked in the trap, so I went back out and retrieved it. They were very happy to have it back. They really loved their iguana.

 

[Reg]

The guys tied a dead rat on the end of the rigging line once. I didn't notice it coming my way obviously. They thought it was funny !

 

[TimBr]

Were they still laughing after you hit them in the chest with it from 80 feet up?

 

[Big rig]

i once did a mulberry removal covered in english ivy, the ivy was in bloom soo millions of wasps bees hornets every flying stinging insect was up in this tree feeding on the ivy flowers. apparently they werent threatend by me though cause after each cut i made the tree turned into a cloudy explosion of stinging death but not once did i get stung in the whole 3 hour removal. ever since that day ive been deemed bee king by my crew, if not that they usually call me the fat squrrl lol due to me and my plus sized agility!

 

[Treetopflyer]

the ivy was in bloom soo millions of wasps bees hornets every flying stinging insect was up in this tree feeding on the ivy flowers. apparently they werent threatend by me though cause after each cut i made the tree turned into a cloudy explosion of stinging death

hoverflys .. Harmless .. You can still tell your crew your the bee king though .. I won't tell

 

[Big rig]

Yeo tree top flyer what are hover flys?

 

[JeffGu]

They're a large family of flies that resemble bees... they're pollinators, and fly like a hummingbird or helicopter... hover in midair, stop, back up... fun to watch. Don't sting or bite but they look very much like some kind of bee and are often mistaken for bees.

 

[Treetopflyer]

They're a large family of flies that resemble bees... they're pollinators, and fly like a hummingbird or helicopter... hover in midair, stop, back up... fun to watch. Don't sting or bite but they look very much like some kind of bee and are often mistaken for bees.

Yo ...treetopflyer ..thanks .

 

[JeffGu]

My bad.

 

[TimBr]

Your good, I would think.

 

[Treetopflyer]

My bad.

Get the hell out a here ,,jsut messing with u gu, i could give a shit less .. I enjoyed your description, that matches them perfectly ..big rig I actually found out about them when a client asked me to remove a tree swarming with them , thought they were bees at first few times I had contact with them too. Got up in personal with no foul results and they sparked my interest. Saved a few trees swarming with them with concerned home owners since.

 

[JeffGu]

We planted a Viburnum alongside the front porch, and when it flowers, they swarm the thing like you described. Hundreds of them, all different sizes and colors... I had no idea there were that many different species of the things around here. I know that flies and beetles are the largest insect families, but wow... such diversity. Some of them look so much like bees that I can't bring myself to stick my face too close to them...