Ever cut a log with critters in it?

[Firewood Bandit]

My logger buddies were in the area so I stopped up to see them and took the trailer to get some log cut offs. When I got home I had to saw up the chunks into rounds so I could handle them, they are pretty fair sized even when cut up. After cutting a round off I saw these little guys inside unhurt but very frightened.

They had a rough day, as they were sitting in their tree, it got cut and they rode it to the ground, which was then pulled by the skidder to the landing where it was sawed up. This being defective was tossed to the side and thrown in my trailer for a ride of about 6 miles then had their little hidey hole sawn in half.

These were some fair sized chunks.

 

[Alex C]

I cut down a dead oak a few weeks ago only to find a family of squirrels inside. 4 babies. Mom was nearby, angry. Got two out and up the tree the mom was in, one wouldn't come out of the fallen tree and one went into the brush from another tree nearby. The one that wouldn't come out finally did and ran up my leg. Once I got him off my jeans, I put him at the base of the tree and a little while later all four were back up with the mother, still angry.

 

[English BoB]

I cut down a dead oak a few weeks ago only to find a family of squirrels inside. 4 babies. Mom was nearby, angry. Got two out and up the tree the mom was in, one wouldn't come out of the fallen tree and one went into the brush from another tree nearby. The one that wouldn't come out finally did and ran up my leg. Once I got him off my jeans, I put him at the base of the tree and a little while later all four were back up with the mother, still angry.
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Be glad it went up the outside of your pants............moma could have been after more nuts

 

[PA. Woodsman]

Wow, that's wild stuff! I once was splitting a round on the splitter and a field mouse jumped out, and a few seconds later 4 little bitty baby mice fell out, one actually flew out which scared the heck out of me, and me being "St. Francis Jr." the animal lover actually took them to a woman who rescues animals, she actually had a "foster" mouse who "adopted" them, raised them and they all lived and were released back into the wild! So I don't know which story is wilder, I'd say both are pretty "unusual"!

 

[Bad LP]

Had a tree crew who was cutting some subdivision roads thru the woods drop a big ass pine with a honey bees hive inside. The excavating crew avoided the area and called in a bee guy who transplanted the queen and many workers to a new hive.

We made it into the local paper as good guys.

 

[littleuing]

Just in the last few months i cut up a fallen black locust. Been hand splitting it a bit at a time... First time i found a bees nest inside.. The next night just ants... The third night a bone looked like a little dog bone... And yes was inside it... The tree also was covered in honeysuckle vines... The 4th night splitting it i stopped pulling vines off before splitting... Split a chunk off thr edge and a snake was hiding between the bark and vines... Next night found a few salamanders... Over a cord split from it and a few more of the big rounds to go.. Cant wait to see what i find next.

 

[firefighterjake]

Just ants . . . well other than a chickadee that fell out of a nest in a tree that I cut down one Spring . . . brought the chickadee to a nearby bird rehab place and he was later released . . . since then I've tried to avoid cutting down trees in the Spring to reduce the chances of bringing down a nest full of baby birds or eggs.

 

[AmbDrvr253]

Just ants here. Though my wood collecting career is short, I think a snake in a round would hasten my demise!

 

[sportbikerider78]

I have a soft spot in my heart for little furry creatures..especially babies. Most people see them as vermin, but chipmunks and squirrels can hang out around my house all day, every day.

We have black squirrels around my house. They are space black. Never seen that till I moved to this area.

 

[littleuing]

Yea the snake made me be extra careful. Hopeing not to find another... If i would have ripped off the vines like i was i might have grabbed it with bare hands... Anyways at least i had my axe on hand to take care of it fast.

On a side note i think the reason i hate snakes the most is even just a head and it still tries to bite you.

I would love to find squirels.

 

[Isaac Carlson]

I removed a big ash tree this year and was dropping large rounds from the top of the main leader. I got halfway down and my ground guy said he heard squeaking. It seemed to be coming from one of the pieces on the ground. We rolled it over and found 3 baby squirrels inside. The piece had fallen 25-30 feet with them inside. One was dead, but the other two were alive. We wrapped them in a towel and rushed them to the rehab lady. She said they had bruising all over their bodies but would live. We talked with her later in the summer and she said they were getting ready for release. Made me feel good.

 

[Vikestand]

Not myself. But as a kid Grandpa and dad hit a tree infested with copperheads. I never seen such a thing. The machete got some use that day!