Critters living in the tree's?

[WolverineMarine]

I was just curious if anyone has run across any critters that had residence in any tree you were either taking down..or just trimming? I was up in a silver maple today and about crapped myself when a oppossum poked its head out of a cavity about eye level on my way up and started hissing at me..

 

[memetic]

HOLY CARP! Yeah I would probably have screamed like a girl. Good thing you didn't slip or get hurt or get your nose bitten off. I imagine the opossum was pretty freaked out too.

The only thing we've encountered yet, in our short 6 months or so, was a bird's nest and a squirrel's nest.

 

[Blakesmaster]

I get into squirrels all the time. Little bastards. That's what a chuck n' duck is for.

 

[serial killer]

Displaced two baby doves last week from a spruce. Tried to relocate them to another tree, but I doubt they made it.
My buddy has raised two orphaned raccoons in two separate years, but will not take in any more.
Another guy I know raised a deer that he found while doing some land clearing.
Cut three baby flying squirrels out of a tree earlier this year, a groundie took home the entire section of log with the nest, two survived.
Cut straight through a nest of baby woodpeckers inside a hollow stag earlier this year by accident. No survivors. Blood on the 046.

 

[yooper]

I was just curious if anyone has run across any critters that had residence in any tree you were either taking down..or just trimming? I was up in a silver maple today and about crapped myself when a oppossum poked its head out of a cavity about eye level on my way up and started hissing at me..

yum yum, oppossum.....good eaten. Did ya save him fer dinner?

 

[masiman]

I scared a flying squirrel out from behind some loose bark on a dead oak. It moved so quick from where my feet were I only saw movement. Not until it flew off did I know what it was. Startled me for sure. I don't know what may have come out of me if I saw a possum in my face. They have some really sharp teeth.

Did you keep going or did you find a way around the cavity? I'd probably be thinking it was going to bite me where my 4 year old likes to punch me

 

[BCMA]

Raccoon, years ago when I was still climbing.

 

[B-Edwards]

Flying squirrels , bats, raccoons, gray squirrels, and of course birds. Scare the crap out of ya sometimes, omg I forgot Hornets!!!!!

 

[Dadatwins]

the worst are the mommies when there are young in the nest, squirrels will hiss and snap like a pit bull, scary stuff.

 

[BCMA]

We had a climber get stung in the face eight times by bald face hornets last week. We had to take him to the hospital, and give him the rest of the day off. He is OK.

 

[TexasTreemonkey]

Ive kept several squirells but they always get sick and die. Cute little boogers but ive alone had one make 3 months. something about them living in captividy

 

[Dadatwins]

Dropped a paper wasp nest into the bucket with me at 50', fastest I ever came down in a bucket and the crew hit me with the fire extinguisher to get them off me, quite the site as I strolled into the emergency room.

 

[WolverineMarine]

After I repelled down out of the tree like they did in Blackhawk Down out of a helo.. I made a short trip to my house(thank god the job was in my neighborhood) to change my drawers..LOL while I was gone..I asked the homeowner to keep on eye on the newly discovered cavity and had him get out his garden hose out and arc the stream right into the hole and convince said 'possum' it might be a good idea to vacate his home for a while..it worked..he came right out and went for a little stroll to another tree(one I was NOT plannng on working in!LOL) I called the local dog warden later for suggestions on non-lethal means of defense if I run into similar critters..he told me one of those little horn in a can things you can get at a boating supply place for emergency signaling..he said..they scare you..screw em..scare em back!..LMAO I got a good laugh outta that one..anyways..nice little adrenaline rush for the morning..
Livin the dream baby...livin the dream!

 

[serial killer]

Yesterday, found a family of flying squirrels in a big dead maple. One ran off, and three came home with us. They have about 20 acres of hardwood forest to live in now.

Today, another big dead maple, but a family of gray squirrels. One ran off, and we didn't find the rest until we had the trunk on the ground to buck it. Blood on the 044. Two cut in half, and one badly injured. I was the only guy with the heart to grab an ax and put it down. Wanted to throw up.

 

[TackleTree]

Baby squirrel nest. Buddy was in bucket. Fell on the ground. Didn't know they were up there till I almost stepped on one. Then we kept hearing another, sqeeking and found it under some branches in the back of bucket truck. Had gloves on and scooped a bunch of pine straw around them, put them in the woods. Mom was near chirping away and she was upset. Doubt they made it but one could hope. Besides I was feeling bad about the ones I threw into the chipper a few days earlier. So dang cute all bald and wrinkly, eyes that cant see, wait what am I talking about....lol. Pain meds make me do funny things

 

[Jlarnard]

Well I got one for you all. I've had the stinging stuff, the squirls, even a quill pig. But the freakiest critter I ever ran into was a pretty large snake. I don't like snakes, I can't even look at them at a pet store. This one wanted down
and I was in it's way, it slithered itself right through my buckstrap, between myself and the tree. I was happy to see it on the ground slithering away, but I was freaked out for weeks, looking for snakes. I am amazed I didn't release myself and jump the 25 feet or so. God was with me that day for sure.

 

[murphy4trees]

Early on, maybe mid 80s I was about 40' up in a red maple (takedown) with a large hollow center just above eye level... I was just about to start the saw, when this little thought came to me. "Hey, wait a second here"...So I put the saw back on the saddle and took a step up, to look down into the hollow, and there about a foot from my face was a racoon...
If I had started that saw and scared him, he might have come out teeth first. Rabis shots would have been required... Could have gotten ugly.
I've always wondered about those "little thoughts"... Are they some form of intuition or are they put into our heads by God or Angels or some other benevolent force? In any case when you have them, it is best to pay attention...
A few years later, I droped a tree toward a house. When it hit the ground something flew out of the top of the tree, hit the side of the house with a big thud, and dropped like a brick right down into a basement window well..
"What was that"?
Went over to look, and saw a large possum in the hole... Dropped a long limb into the hole and went to lunch...

 

[tree MDS]

After I repelled down out of the tree like they did in Blackhawk Down out of a helo.. I made a short trip to my house(thank god the job was in my neighborhood) to change my drawers..LOL while I was gone..I asked the homeowner to keep on eye on the newly discovered cavity and had him get out his garden hose out and arc the stream right into the hole and convince said 'possum' it might be a good idea to vacate his home for a while..it worked..he came right out and went for a little stroll to another tree(one I was NOT plannng on working in!LOL) I called the local dog warden later for suggestions on non-lethal means of defense if I run into similar critters..he told me one of those little horn in a can things you can get at a boating supply place for emergency signaling..he said..they scare you..screw em..scare em back!..LMAO I got a good laugh outta that one..anyways..nice little adrenaline rush for the morning..
Livin the dream baby...livin the dream!

This over a possum? And coming from "Wolverine Marine"? Anyone else see a certain irony, lol.

 

[oldirty]

I've always wondered about those "little thoughts"... Are they some form of intuition or are they put into our heads by God or Angels or some other benevolent force? In any case when you have them, it is best to pay attention...
.

same thing here man. different animal. we just finished our break and i went to throw my lid on and just before i put the muffs on something told me to look inside them.

take my helmet off and look. huge spider sitting just inside the rim of my muffs.

that wouldve sucked.

dont doubt your gut instinct, thats fo sho.

 

[Blakesmaster]

My brother and I have different feelings when it comes to the critters. Since we get into squirrels ( and their cutesy little offspring ) all the time we always come to a head about what to do with them. I'm not one to try and take them home and neither is he so THAT'S off the table but he generally thinks it's best to gather 'em up and put them out of sight while I try to dispose of them as quickly as possible. I figure after a long fall to the ground and being handled by human hands there's not much chance of them surviving or being rescued by their mother. Best to put 'em out their misery. What are your guys thoughts on this?