Ground Hog in a Tree

BuckSkin
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Ground Hog in a Tree Mar 31, 2022 0:46:35 GMT

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Post by BuckSkin on Mar 31, 2022 0:46:35 GMT

The wind has blown gale force the entire day.
Day before yesterday morning was 25°American.
Yesterday morning was 38°.
This evening, with a strong South wind, it was 82°

I was standing in the open doorway watching the world blow by.
About fifty feet away is a Yellow Pine; about 28-inches at the butt and probably fifteen feet to the first limb.
Every tree in the woods was bending wildly.

I saw something huge and woolly coming head-first down the trunk of that Pine.
I thought "my gosh, what a cat; where's the .22"
And then I thought "grab the .30-06; that's a bear!"
When it hit the ground where I could get a better eyeball on it, it was maybe not the biggest, but among the biggest Ground Hogs I ever did see.

I already knew Ground Hogs could climb trees as good as any squirrel; but, I could count the times I have actually seen a Ground Hog in a tree on one hand.
To not get much practice, those dudes can sure climb.
And, of course, the camera was on the shelf behind me and no way could I bring it into action before that dude went to ground.

Have any of you guys ever seen a Ground Hog climbing a tree ?

Elements 7 ~~~ 64-bit Windows 7

On a poverty-level Kentucky budget, a 24-exposure roll of film would have two Christmases and a summer vacation on it and we might have to wait another six months before being able to afford developing the film.
I still have trouble remembering that it doesn't cost anything to take thousands of pictures; it just almost seems impossible to be true.

pontiac1940 Senior Contributor Posts: 5,983 Open to constructive criticism of photos: Yes	Ground Hog in a Tree Mar 31, 2022 2:31:01 GMT BuckSkin likes this Quote Select Post Deselect Post Link to Post Member Give Gift Back to Top Post by pontiac1940 on Mar 31, 2022 2:31:01 GMT Never. Not many around here. I never knew weasels could climb high until I saw one hit a tree running ... it was 10 feet up that poplar in half a second.
	Sony A7IV and A7III full-frame mirrorless bodies, Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS lens, FE 24mm F1.4 GM lens, Sony FE 24-105mm f/4 G OSS, Minolta 100 macro. Currently using PSE 2023. Also used 2021, 2018, and had PSE 11, 10, 8, 6 and 3; PS LE and full PS.

BuckSkin
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Posts: 3,864

Ground Hog in a Tree Mar 31, 2022 5:08:11 GMT pontiac1940 likes this

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Post by BuckSkin on Mar 31, 2022 5:08:11 GMT

Mar 31, 2022 2:31:01 GMT pontiac1940 said:

Not many around here.

Ground Hogs are one thing we are not short on around here.
I would estimate on our seven acres there are no less than fifty in residence.
I don't mind them; they don't bother me and I don't bother them.
The neighbor, on the other hand, is a different story; he HATES them; but, of course, he also hates the deer, he hates the squirrels and rabbits, the crows and buzzards; he hates anything just for an excuse to be forever blasting away with his 12-gauge.
His wife is a lean rake-handle kind of a woman; poor as a snake.
A while back, I was up on a barn roof repairing something when I saw her come running out of a shed, packing that big old shotgun.
She racked the slide, sending one of those 3-1/2-inch Magnum loads into the chamber.
I could not see just what it was she thought needed shooting; but, KER-BLAMMM and it shook every joint in that woman loose.
It looked as if her shoulder had absorbed the impact of a mare mule's hind leg.

Last Edit: Mar 31, 2022 20:59:11 GMT by BuckSkin

Elements 7 ~~~ 64-bit Windows 7

On a poverty-level Kentucky budget, a 24-exposure roll of film would have two Christmases and a summer vacation on it and we might have to wait another six months before being able to afford developing the film.
I still have trouble remembering that it doesn't cost anything to take thousands of pictures; it just almost seems impossible to be true.

whippet Senior Contributor Posts: 3,268 Open to constructive criticism of photos: Yes	Ground Hog in a Tree Mar 31, 2022 19:31:23 GMT BuckSkin likes this Quote Select Post Deselect Post Link to Post Member Give Gift Back to Top Post by whippet on Mar 31, 2022 19:31:23 GMT Maybe she was aiming at you, thinking you were a ground hog, BuckSkin.
	A greyhound is for life - NOT just for racing. Windows 10. Fujifilm Finepix S8200. Photoshop Elements 2020

BuckSkin
Senior Contributor

Posts: 3,864

Ground Hog in a Tree Mar 31, 2022 20:55:25 GMT whippet likes this

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Post by BuckSkin on Mar 31, 2022 20:55:25 GMT

Mar 31, 2022 19:31:23 GMT whippet said:

Maybe she was aiming at you, thinking you were a ground hog, BuckSkin.

No; thank goodness; she had that thing pointed over toward Aunt Rhodie's instead of at me.
Honestly, though, if something they wanted to shoot popped up between them and something that shouldn't be shot, I don't think they would hesitate, nor think about what else they might hit; and, if it was on my property instead of theirs, that wouldn't even factor into the equation.

Elements 7 ~~~ 64-bit Windows 7

On a poverty-level Kentucky budget, a 24-exposure roll of film would have two Christmases and a summer vacation on it and we might have to wait another six months before being able to afford developing the film.
I still have trouble remembering that it doesn't cost anything to take thousands of pictures; it just almost seems impossible to be true.

WayneS Established Forum Member Posts: 476 Open to constructive criticism of photos: Yes	Ground Hog in a Tree Apr 1, 2022 2:37:39 GMT BuckSkin and whippet like this Quote Select Post Deselect Post Link to Post Member Give Gift Back to Top Post by WayneS on Apr 1, 2022 2:37:39 GMT Perhaps the groundhog climbed the tree in the high winds to get a bit of excitement in his/her life!!!
	Nikon D3500, 18-55mm, 70-300mm VRII, SB600, Nikon Coolpix S4100, Samsung Galaxy S9, PhotoShop Elements 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15 & 2021, ON1 Photo RAW 2018, ProShow Gold 3, ProShow Producer 4.5, ProShow Producer 6.0, ProShow Producer 7.0, Lightroom 3.6, Nikon Coolscan IV ED, HP 3570, Sony VRD-MC5

BuckSkin
Senior Contributor

Posts: 3,864

Ground Hog in a Tree Apr 1, 2022 8:37:06 GMT whippet likes this

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Post by BuckSkin on Apr 1, 2022 8:37:06 GMT

Apr 1, 2022 2:37:39 GMT WayneS said:

Perhaps the groundhog climbed the tree in the high winds to get a bit of excitement in his/her life!!!

With the wind bending the trees almost to the ground, it would have been like a carnival ride, that's for certain.

Elements 7 ~~~ 64-bit Windows 7

On a poverty-level Kentucky budget, a 24-exposure roll of film would have two Christmases and a summer vacation on it and we might have to wait another six months before being able to afford developing the film.
I still have trouble remembering that it doesn't cost anything to take thousands of pictures; it just almost seems impossible to be true.

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Post by BuckSkin on Mar 31, 2022 0:46:35 GMT

Post by pontiac1940 on Mar 31, 2022 2:31:01 GMT

Post by BuckSkin on Mar 31, 2022 5:08:11 GMT

Post by whippet on Mar 31, 2022 19:31:23 GMT

Post by BuckSkin on Mar 31, 2022 20:55:25 GMT

Post by WayneS on Apr 1, 2022 2:37:39 GMT

Post by BuckSkin on Apr 1, 2022 8:37:06 GMT