CHUB LAKE
Otsego County
October 14, 1928: "About two months ago Adam Arndt, towerman on the Chub Lake tower in Otsego county, called up the district fire warden and stated in no uncertain terms that a porcupine was climbing his tower and messing things up almost every night. Arndt, a very good towerman, but not familiar with wild life and the recipient of a good many jokes, was scoffed at secretly. All agreed with him that he should set a trap for the animal, hoping that he might catch himself, but finally satisfied that no porky had or could climb the tower. The trap was set that very night.
'I got him!' came his voice over the wire the next morning. Sandy, the fire warden, still unbelieving but armed with a camera went out and sure enough there was the porky in the trap. The trap had broken one of its front legs and after a few futile attempts to clamber down the smooth, steel leg of the tower the porky fell to the ground.
However, it was evident from his ability to hang on with only three legs that he would have gotten down easily under normal conditions. Lamenting the fact that they hadn't been able to get a picture, the boys knocked him in the head and went home.
Two weeks ago when Arndt shoved his head up through the trap door entrance to the cab on the tower there sat another porky, this time unharmed, as there was no trap set. Arndt immediately called Sandy and the district warden and they left for the tower to settle once and for all time the doubt in their minds as to whether a porcupine could climb a steel tower. They started him in at bottom and not only went up the leg that has the ladder on it but crossed over and scaled the other legs of the tower that have no projections but are smooth and offer little support.
The animal went up into the cab again and as the boys followed him up he ran to the entrance and tumbled out into the open. He landed with a whop 65 feet below. The boys thought that was the end of him but after lying there a few minutes he got up and ambled off into the woods thoroughly disgusted with the human race.
But porcupines will climb towers. That has been proved beyond a doubt." (Detroit Free Press)
'I got him!' came his voice over the wire the next morning. Sandy, the fire warden, still unbelieving but armed with a camera went out and sure enough there was the porky in the trap. The trap had broken one of its front legs and after a few futile attempts to clamber down the smooth, steel leg of the tower the porky fell to the ground.
However, it was evident from his ability to hang on with only three legs that he would have gotten down easily under normal conditions. Lamenting the fact that they hadn't been able to get a picture, the boys knocked him in the head and went home.
Two weeks ago when Arndt shoved his head up through the trap door entrance to the cab on the tower there sat another porky, this time unharmed, as there was no trap set. Arndt immediately called Sandy and the district warden and they left for the tower to settle once and for all time the doubt in their minds as to whether a porcupine could climb a steel tower. They started him in at bottom and not only went up the leg that has the ladder on it but crossed over and scaled the other legs of the tower that have no projections but are smooth and offer little support.
The animal went up into the cab again and as the boys followed him up he ran to the entrance and tumbled out into the open. He landed with a whop 65 feet below. The boys thought that was the end of him but after lying there a few minutes he got up and ambled off into the woods thoroughly disgusted with the human race.
But porcupines will climb towers. That has been proved beyond a doubt." (Detroit Free Press)
September 30, 1932: "Tom Marlatt, who mans the fire tower at Chub Lake, in Ostego County, reports that a porcupine climbed the steel tower and entered the observation cage to eat the telephone box. Tom has a photograph of the porky, with the chewed up telephone box inside of him." (Clare County Cleaver)