oddest animals that have spooked you

[pro94lt]

Anyone ever made a cut only to release a nest of bats? Not something I want to do again...

 

[Nemus Talea]

Had a squirrel knock my visor down, ran over my helmet then down my back. Odd thing, he had a top hat, monocal and a cane. North American Tuxedo Squirrel. Serious.

If "oddest animals" is what yer after, the New Zealanders and Aussies will own this thread.

 

[treeclimber101]

Crotch cricket !

 

[Groundman One]

My climber was up a big pine and trimmed a branch while a porcupince was on it. That was interesting. The thing raised its quills and just sat there, he made a few quick cuts within a few feet of it and that was it.

The customer was yelling at him to cut the whole branch down and kill the porcupine - it was eating her trees - but my climber refused. He said that`s not what we do.

 

[CanopyGorilla]

I went to Aussie years ago. I went rock climbing in the Blue Mountains. I startled a flying fox (bat with a 6 foot wing span) I almost peed myself (ok I did a little bit).

 

[CanopyGorilla]

Production tree work I had a mad squirrel take aim and pee on me one time.

 

[VA-Sawyer]

Was doing a trim job. Going up the rope, maybe 25 or 30 feet off the ground, and this squirrel starts raising cane way up in the tree. Next thing I know, he is sailing through the air right at me. I kicked away from the tree, and the squirrel missed me, falling all the way to the ground. He did like 3 summersaults down the hillside, ran past the groundie, up a tree and disappeared into a hole. He sure looked big falling through the air at me.

 

[since16]

Cut down a tree with a red headed wood pecker nest in it. Mom was pissed all day the part with the nest was the last to go down I knew there were baby's in there they peeked thru the hole chirping at me half of the job. I didn't want to kill them so I cut just above hole to see if I could dig them out it was full of dust couldn't feel them. My next cut I made 3' lower so I could cut the whole nest out right in the middle I hit dust I kept cutting figured I killed them. I put the saw away and pushed the log over instantly two baby wood peckers exploded out of the saw dust flew to a tree 100' away totally fine. Homeowner said she had never seen them fly it was pretty cool! Must have missed them by an inch.

 

[sgreanbeans]

I am in Iowa, there is no "odd" stuff here. Only typical run in's. Coons, squirrels, birds and those F'ING BALD FACED HORNETS!

 

[CanopyGorilla]

We have those bald faced guys as well. They scare me! They seem to prefer blue spruce to any other habitat around here.

 

[treevet]

snakes in trees creep me out. quite a few times large black snakes in basal cavaties but one time working on the property of a devil worshiper multi millionaire I had an exotic snake go up a tree I had to prune. never saw him but was skeered for 2 hours.

 

[ReggieT]

Bobcats & Drop Bears count right?

 

[pro94lt]

Bobcats?

 

[ReggieT]

Bobcats?

Yes, Bobcat...aka Lynx rufus

 

[jimmycrackcorn]

First time I ever went up in the bucket I sawed through a bunch of baby squirrels. I felt pretty guilty about it. Couldn't find them after, pretty sure they got run through the chipper before I got down.

I think they were reincarnated & are now living in the sofet of my garage getting revenge by tearing into everything in there.

 

[treesmith]

Hormonal squirrels are pretty nasty , found some massive spiders, and last week an ant nest, spent half an hour beating myself in the groin...

 

[derwoodii]

twas logging down a big old yard tree cut cut cutting with the saws chips flying out,,,,,,then fur ?uh oh. We get possum a lot but more often they will run or be seen this one did not it pushed back into the hollow and awful to think i cut him in bits. More the awfull when the client watched me pull out the 2 bits and without enough sympathy throw them down to earth,,,, yes I was unhappy that the saw clogged and would need a de-fur pit stop.

 

[tidy]

Tawny frogmouth owls are a bit weird, they're an odd looking bird to begin with but they camouflage very well, sit dead still and refuse to move until you inside their personal space, often they end up startling you cos you dont realise they are there

 

[treesmith]

twas logging down a big old yard tree cut cut cutting with the saws chips flying out,,,,,,then fur ?uh oh. We get possum a lot but more often they will run or be seen this one did not it pushed back into the hollow and awful to think i cut him in bits. More the awfull when the client watched me pull out the 2 bits and without enough sympathy throw them down to earth,,,, yes I was unhappy that the saw clogged and would need a de-fur pit stop.

Know that one, did that in a park facing an office block, hollow dead oak, had to get mummy out with a felling bar and she was not amused, babies ran off and daddy went in two separate bushes.

Within half an hour the possum protection guy turns up(?) Looks like an Aussie rules tall forward (6'6"+ built like a brick sh*thouse) and holding a tiny cat basket, thankfully he didn't notice the furry repainted 288 as he was looking at a very angry and dusty mummy up a tree spitting out woodchips, I didn't mention daddy. The guy was way too serious...

 

[sgreanbeans]

We have those bald faced guys as well. They scare me! They seem to prefer blue spruce to any other habitat around here.

Here they like ash, seems most bees, wasp.....hornets do. Every time I have been nailed, its been in a ash.