I still think it's a woodchuck. Although woodchucks are primarily terrestrial, they can climb trees up to 15 feet or more to escape an enemy and to even feed on the berries and leaves of some trees, such as red mulberry and hackberry. They also take to the water and are good swimmers
Groundhogs have many colorful names, including "whistle-pig" for their tendency to emit short, high-pitched whistles. They're also known as land beavers, but their most famous nickname is woodchuck.Jan 31, 2020
Woodchucks seem to be everywhere around here (north central NC) and I live in town! had one get in my garage unnoticed and just about tore the place up trying to get out but I finally found him under my workbench in the farthest corner he could find. He fell ill from ingesting too much lead! That bad boy was over 40 lbs.