[TowerTalk] Nuts to the Squirrels

[K5RC@aol.com]

Over the last couple of days, two of my wire antennas were found  
mysteriously laying on the ground. The 3/16 Cable Xperts polyester rope had  clearly been 
"chewed" through. The mystery might never have been solved if  it weren't for 
being at one of the tower sites when a gray ground squirrel came  bolting 
down the inside of the tower and ran into the woods with black fabric in  its 
mouth. On another tower, I found a winch-load of the rope that had a  significant 
amount of the black UV jacket chewed off.
 
There is plenty of rope coiled on tower bases around the property. What  
would motivate them to climb 40 to 60 feet in the air to chew on the rope? After  
8 years of absolutely never having a piece of this rope fail, I am curious if  
anyone else has seen their rope being scavenged for nesting materials? 
 
Tom Taormina, K5RC
Contesting from the Comstock
W7RN -  K7RC
_www.consultpr.com_ (http://www.consultpr.com/)