I was hunting a couple of winters ago on a very still and quiet overcast winter morning. Fresh snow was on the ground and my surroundings were the picture of tranquility. Suddenly, a vertical hollow tree trunk appeared to shake. I paused to see what it was. The shaking got more intense and there were thumping, scratching, pitter-patter, and squealing noises coming from within the tree. It was apparent that a family of racoons was playing inside of it. They played for quite a while like that.
