In 1980, a team of loggers from the Georgia Kraft Corporation worked their way through a grove of chestnut oak trees near Waycross, Georgia. After cutting a specific tree into logs for transport, a truck driver peered into the hollow center of one section and recoiled in shock.
Inside the dark cavity, a pair of bared teeth and fully preserved eyes stared back at him. The loggers had not discovered a fossil or a carving, but a perfectly mummified hunting dog that had remained trapped inside the trunk for approximately twenty years.
A Fatal Pursuit
Experts believe the dog, a hound likely used for hunting raccoons, entered the tree around 1960. The hollow base of the tree provided an opening, and the dog probably chased prey—such as a raccoon or squirrel—upwards into the trunk. As the dog ascended, the space inside the tree narrowed significantly. Around 28 feet above the ground, the trunk became too tight for the dog to move. Unable to turn around or back down, the animal became wedged in the center of the tree. The dog ultimately died of starvation in this position, hidden from the world and his owner.
The Science of Preservation
Under normal circumstances, a body decomposes rapidly due to bacteria, insects, and scavengers. However, this specific environment created a perfect accidental tomb. The chestnut oak tree contains high levels of tannin, a natural desiccant used in taxidermy and tanning leather. The tannin absorbed the moisture from the air and the dog’s body, which prevented the skin from rotting. Additionally, the hollow trunk created a “chimney effect,” where an updraft of air carried the scent of the decaying animal away from the ground. This meant that blowflies and other scavengers never detected the body, leaving the dog undisturbed for two decades.
From Log to Exhibit
Rather than processing the log into pulpwood, the loggers recognized the rarity of their find and kept the section of the tree intact. They donated the log and its occupant to Southern Forest World, a museum in Waycross, Georgia, dedicated to the timber industry. The dog remained nameless until 2002, when the museum held a contest to name the exhibit. The winning entry was “Stuckie.” Today, Stuckie remains one of the museum’s most popular attractions, still encased in the wood that captured him, preserved behind glass for visitors to see.
In 1980, Georgia loggers cut a chestnut oak and froze.
Inside the hollow trunk, 28 feet up, bared teeth and preserved eyes stared back.
It wasn't a carving, but a hunting dog trapped inside the living wood for twenty years, perfectly mummified and waiting to be found… pic.twitter.com/zGF0HtlPZJ
— Fascinating True Stories (@FascinatingTrue) December 19, 2025