I have fished and hunted Western New York's eight counties from the Great Lakes to the PA border since 1955. I am stumped. Took my Grandson Turkey Hunting today on my own camp in Lyndon, NY and he starts poking me saying, "What is that animal climbing that tree?" I am looking and cannot say. It was golden brown about 35 Plus pounds, It's head was a little darker than the body. It turned it's face toward us and the face was very much without a snout like a coon, porky or bear. My grandson said it kind of looked like a monkey face. It was pudgy and slow moving. The forelegs were awkwardly very thick and paws were awkwardly broad with long visible claws. I said it looked like a Sloth on the wrong continent! Here is the most odd part, the tail had no rings of color. The topside of the tail was very dark and the underside was the same golden brown as the body.THE SHAPE of the tail was startling. It was very broad at the base, perhaps 5 inches across and the tail was easily over a foot long and had a straight taper to a point. The tail looked heavy and not fluffy and dragged straight down behind the animal as it climbed upward. I don't know what this flat faced animal was. It came down the tree backwards slowly when we stood up and waddled away in the brush.
My woods there is hardwood only, mostly Maple, Cherry, Hickory, Ash, Hornbeam and Hawthorne. Altitude 2200 Ft. A visibly rocky forest floor with Juniper, May Apples, Trillium, Wild Leeks, Strawberry and Ivy
This animal had a strange way of climbing with all 4 legs stretched as wide as they would go and just moving one broad claw at a time, very slowly like Sloths I have seen in Zoos. It was not 3 toes to a paw like a sloth, It had five toes per paw and long visible claws.
Sure wish I had a picture. Does anybody know what this animal is?
Gary