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groingo
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# Posted: 22 Aug 2015 05:41pm - Edited by: groingo
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This was a very interesting season, had six squirrels (mom pop and two batches of young), the mother kept beating the tar out of everyone so I relocated her so she could terrorize someone else.
We all got to know each other, all had very individual personalities especially Adolf who was a second gen male who was as mean as his mother and would fight with everything, he'd even jump at birds if they flew to close yet he never picked on his sister Bobby.
Adolf was so crazy he tried several times to attack and chase me so out came the squirt gun which at first was effective but soon even that didn't bother him so I took a bail of water and doused him.....that worked and he mellowed right out looking like a drowned long tailed fuzzy rat, Dolf has since moved on leaving only Bobby who made herself at home in the cabin as we played games like hide the food and what I learned was squirrels have good memories as I switch feeding spots and she'd go to where it had been last.
She'd also check out the cats food while the cat was eating from the same dish, went on a stashing rampage, grabbing food a nut at at time and running off to stash it, she had five stashes and ran everywhere....actually thought she might stay the winter been now 4 days without a sign, looks like she too has moved on to carve out her own territory.
It has not been dull this past season!
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old243
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# Posted: 23 Aug 2015 09:46am
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Last fall during the deer hunt, one of the guys brought a 5 gallon pail of acorns. We intended to spread them around our property while hunting , to get new oak growth started. They were sitting on the porch, in the pail. First we noticed there was a red squirrel, in the pail. He kept busy lugging them away one at a time. Near the end of the week the pail was about a third gone. We then put a planting ,bee on. Hope at least some of them will grow.We might end up with an oak forest around our camp. They can be interesting to watch, but can be destructive little buggers if they get in your attic.. Old 243
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beachman
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# Posted: 23 Aug 2015 09:57am
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They can be destructive. Don't lock one in your camp or you will have quite a big mess to clean up from the damage. We opened our old place one spring and my wife was sweeping up what she thought was a dustball. It was a squirrel carcass that the mice had feasted on. She was not amused.
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paqcrewmama
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# Posted: 24 Aug 2015 07:22pm
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I can handle quite a bit beachman, but that might have pushed me past amused as well. 
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NorthRick
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# Posted: 24 Aug 2015 07:47pm
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A lot of people up here won't tolerate a live squirrel within 100yds of their cabin. They can really cause problems if they want to.
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creeky
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# Posted: 25 Aug 2015 04:40pm
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groingo. if the squirrels are disappearing. check for predators. um. "introduced predators" are the most likely culprit.
there's a brand of .22 shell. "wildcat" i somehow lose a few every spring / summer / fall. dag nab it.
all our american bittern this year fed the "i p"s. and I also lost the chipmunks. it's tough seeing the bitterns come from one nesting family to finally get up to 3 and then disappear.
i'm buying a new .22 for next year.
least bitterns (endangered) nested in the reeds and they did great. whew. always a good story to go along with the troubles.
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groingo
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# Posted: 26 Aug 2015 10:42am
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Creeky:
Truthfully, I think the gang has moved on to stake territorial claims of their own, had they stayed here they would be constantly fighting which is what they do.
Bobby vanished for several days but has returned....for the time being since there are no others to bother her and she gets along good with the Chipmunks and birds she may stay, who knows.
The only real predators are some Great Horned Owls, and an occasional Coppers hawk but Cooper most always gets run off by the crows.
All the critters vanish at dusk into the thickets, they know who's waiting out there and are pretty savy.
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Littlecooner
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# Posted: 26 Aug 2015 07:14pm
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Squirrels move with the food. I love watching the critters and think one would make a good pet. Any one of these critters within 100 yards of my residence suddenly becomes a pest, like a rat, hornet, wasp or fly except 5000 % more destructive. Most die an instant death from 22 LR, 17 HMR or 12 Gage # 6 shot and are fed to the Eagles and Ospreys. You can not believe the damage they can do inside a cabin or house, thousands of dollars of hard earned money can go away quick. To each his own. Close to my house, and they are Eagle feed for the next day.
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groingo
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# Posted: 27 Aug 2015 05:08pm
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I agree they can be destructive if allowed too, but they are very easy to live trap and relocate as well which is what I do if they disturb the other resident critters and pursist in being jerks.
Around here, we all get along.
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