Syracuse.com - Yes, CNY ground hogs (and elsewhere) do climb trees (see video)

[HuntingNY-News]

Anyway, the ground hog appeared to have its head wedged in a branch and at first my wife, Laura, and I thought it was dead. I grabbed a ladder and a canoe paddle and carefully put the ladder up against the tree. Yes, Virginia, ground hogs do climb trees. I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't seen it myself. Last night I was working on pulling weeds out of one of our flower beds when I looked up and spotted a brown clump, some 20 feet up in one of our locust trees.It was a ground hog, obviously chased up there by my dog, Cali. Cali has taken out two of these creatures before and is always on the lookout.Anyway, the ground hog appeared to have its head wedged in a branch and at first my wife, Laura, and I thought it was dead. I grabbed a ladder and a canoe paddle and carefully put the ladder up against the tree. Just then, it blinked its eyes and slightly moved its head. We then realized it was alive. I slowly climbed the ladder and started to come at it with the canoe paddle. The animal suddenly lifted its head, started to scramble down the tree -- and then lost hold and dropped about 15 feet to the ground. It hit the ground with a thud, righted itself and then quickly scrambled away. I was cursing myself afterward because I had my work camera with videotaping capability in my car, which was parked nearby in the driveway.Afterward, Laura went into the house and Googled "ground hogs" and "climbing trees." She found this video, which I included in this entry to prove that....Yes, ground hogs to indeed climb trees to escape predators!!

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