Ok, So who knows that groundhogs can climb trees?

[The Mad Duck 0]

I was out in the backyard this afternoon doing my daily ritual with my Lab, Katie. I get her out of the kennel and air her,then do some drills and throw some bumpers for her. After that, she cools off for a few and eats while I hose out the kennel. Today, I decided that I would move her dogloo and spray out from under it and then move the pallet she likes to lay on and do the same. I moved the dogloo and got it cleaned,then turned and sprayed under the pallet. I did that thinking that under that pallet would be a good place for a snake to be laying on a hot summer day. I sprayed under the pallet again and heard a loud whistling noise. Now, two days ago, I put a new end on the hose,so I thought it had come undone. I looked at the hose and it look fine. I shrugged and leaned down to pick up the pallet. About a millisecond before my hand touched the pallet, a groundhog shot out from under the pallet and headed for the woods, with Katie in hot pursuit. I called her and got her stopped just before she went through the barbed wire fence. At that point, I did a quick assessment of myself. Ok, no pains in the left arm or chest, so no heart attack. No blood on my fingers,so no bite, and no brown stains in the back of my shorts, so ...., well, you know. Anyway, I took a few steps towards towards the thin strip of woods that separates my yard from the neighbors cattle pasture and, what did I see?????? The groundhog that had just about taken my life,about 20 feet up a tree.

Dont believe me?

 

The wife asked me not to shoot him and I agreed....THIS time. I told her that the next time I saw his little rodent azz, he was going to meet my new AR15. My backyard is sure an interesting place.

 

[Mark Knapp 0]

I didn't know one would do that. Now I know.

[skeet3t 0]

The do climb trees. Wife saw one at our church camp. Just an overgrown squirrel.

[saltydancindave 0]

Knew a trapper that used to hunt groundhogs where ever they were, but the easiest ones for groundhog livers for catfishing because they stayed on the hook longer were those up trees.

[tjm 0]

yep, they do that when they're scairt, more amazing is snakes climb trees too with no feet

[niveker 0]

I've never seen one in a tree. He looks like a young one. Great that you have your dog so well trained.  

[Poopdeck 0]

I have a pet ground hog that lives under my shed. He keeps the skunks away. I hope he doesn't move into a tree, his job is important. 

[mikechell 0]

Ground hogs (woodchucks) can be cute, fat rodents.  But, of course, the "fat" part comes from the vegetables they're eating out of your garden.  We had a ton of them in Indiana, and Dad made sure we knew how to shoot, JUST to kill ground hogs.  Our Boxer used to dig 'em out and bring the dead ones back to the house. 

When I was 9, I became a human rocket with 12 gauge propulsion system when I sneaked up on one by climbing up on the cable spool we used as a picnic table.  I stood over that rodent, fired straight down.  Finger slipped and I hit both triggers almost at the same time.  Blew the ground hog in half and myself off the other side of the table.  I never pulled back both hammers again, after that.

They would go up the Mulberry trees we had, and try to steal all MY Mulberries.  I didn't mind killing them, just for that offense alone.

[Steeldrifter 0]

I had no idea they did that 🤨

[samsonboi 0]

I knew. But I live in a place with a lot of them.

[Justin H 0]

I found out they could climb last year and was just as surprised as you. I was bushwacking to a pond and passed a small tree amid some short bushes, and I heard claws on bark above me. I looked up and to my surprise, there was a big fat woodchuck. Apparently he didn't like that I had spotted him so he leapt from the trunk (15 feet in the air), landed at my feet with a thud, and took off. It was one of the most bizarre things I have ever seen out in the woods...