A 19th-century Americanism derived from raccoon hunting, where hounds would mistakenly signal a tree that the prey had already vacated. In the early 1800s, hunters relied on dogs to “tree” raccoons; however, the elusive animals would often leap from one canopy to another, leaving the dogs barking at an empty trunk. The phrase serves as a reminder to verify data and strategic assumptions before committing significant resources to a specific course of action.
Tags: Strategy, Error Analysis, American History