Critters: the local Squirrels

[Mags]

Just for fun and interest - the local TV critters. Starting with the Squirrels.

Eastern Gray - non-native to the TV. Aggressive at getting into things and very prolific. Someone's bright idea to bring to western Oregon in the '30s from the east coast.
Fox - non-native to the TV. Fairly docile with smug cute personality. Also brought to western Oregon in the early 20th century from the east. Comes to the door begging when the feeders are empty.
Gray Digger - native ground squirrel. Keeps to itself. Stupid - Burrows/lives on one side of the road, food source on the other. Runs from food source across the road to their burrow when cars approach. Get squished a lot.
Flying - native. Falls asleep in the squirrel feeder overnight.
Douglas - native. Bossy with attitude.
Chipmunks - native. Cute, but sneaky little bandits.
Western Gray - native. Grand silver and white. Sadly gone missing past couple of years.

[dave77]

Don't see a lot of squirrels here. There are some type that I've seen around a local golf course, they must be pretty smart, they use the overhead cables to get across the roads.

Lots of Chipmunks around when you get into the mountains.

[Mags]

Without bird feeders around, squirrels are mostly invisible. They won't waste their time hanging around without a steady easy food source.

[clovishound]

Gray squirrels are everywhere around here in the suburbs. By the way, the proper term is "tree rat".

We also have some larger fox squirrels, but they are rare. I've only seen two of them.

[BrokenolMarine]

Lots of gray squirrels on the farm here. Destructive at times, get into all kinds of stuff. As long as they stay in the woods and the trees, they get left alone. When they invade, they awaken the wrath of miss T and her CZ. She is as deadly as a Marine Sniper, and the remaining population immigrates to the farm next door for a while. Then the cycles begins again.

[North Country Gal]

Where I grew up in the Dakotas and Nebraska, the squirrel hunting was surprisingly good, even excellent by Eastern standards. All it took in farm country for good Fox squirrel hunting was a grove of trees. They were all the larger Fox squirrels and they got very little in the way of hunting pressure. Farmers were more than happy to have you hunt them because of their habit of raiding corn bins. The hunting was so good that I knew a couple of hunters who hunted nothing else. I hunted other animals, too, but nothing beat a day walking the squirrel woods in autumn with a good 22, rifle or pistol (the pistol was my favorite). Fed the kids so much squirrel that they got tired of it.

[Sir Henry]

Aren't squirrels just cute rats?

[clovishound]

Aren't squirrels just cute rats?

You are half right, sir.

They are rats.

[Mags]

This is a picture of the non-native eastern gray that was brought here from the east coast in the 30's. Someone thought they would look cute scampering across the Oregon capital lawns. Now they are a huge nuisance. These get shot, a couple dozen so far in the past month. Use a .410 with #4 shot. I don't use a .22 cause I don't want to think about where the bullet goes afterwards.

Note gray/brown coat, brown in the face and snow white under belly.

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[North Country Gal]

They (and Fox squirrels) can also be all black. The Gray squirrels (no Fox squirrels, here) we have, right in our yard, can be gray or black.

Gray squirrels aren't much of a problem as far as being pests, up here. On the other hand, these guys are notorious for getting inside buildings and doing a lot of damage. This is the Red Squirrel and despite it's smaller size than the Gray squirrel, the Reds are much more aggressive and active. Our deer hunters don't like them, either. Once they locate a hunter in a stand, they often park themselves for hours and scold. Very much a north woods squirrel. We enjoy watching them, but are careful to keep them out of any of our buildings.

[CT_Shooter]

I took this picture four years ago.

A Winter Invasion of Gray Squirrels on the Watergarden

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[North Country Gal]

Unbelievable. Wow!

[Mags]

That is a lot of squirrel together all at once!

[Mags]

They (and Fox squirrels) can also be all black. The Gray squirrels (no Fox squirrels, here) we have, right in our yard, can be gray or black. This is the Red Squirrel .... Once they locate a hunter in a stand, they often park themselves for hours and scold.

That red squirrel looks and has a similar scolding behavior to the Douglas we have here.

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[Henry88]

I took this picture four years ago.

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[PT7]

Interesting how many different & creative ways squirrels have earned their pesky reputations. For me, it is the daily raid and consumption of the bird feeder seed.

They are pretty unstoppable, and usually overcome obstacles put in the way trying to deter them. I like watching sparrows (bunches of them!), cardinals, sometimes Mr. Bluejay stops in, and a lot of evenings the Mourning Dove couple feed under the bird feeder and enjoy the knocked-out seed and kernels of corn. If the squirrel hits the feeder, within a very short time all food is gone, and so are the other visitors.

This summer the squirrel has been a regular, and I've been trying to figure out how to slow him down. On a web sight called "birdsforever," I found an interesting possible fix. It came under an article/paragraph with the heading "PROBLEM AND PUBLIC ENEMY #1: THOSE *!@*#*! SQUIRRELS!" And readers submit ideas and helps to solve their feeder problems, as seen here:

"I've been having trouble with squirrels trying to take over the feeder. Especially early in the mornings. But by adding a tablespoon of cayenne pepper to 10 pounds of birdseed and mixing it well into the seed. I find that the next time they came to the feeder it was probably the smell or the taste of hot pepper...and away they went. After a couple of tries they gave up without eating. It does not hurt the birds evidently the pepper has no effect on birds as they certainly enjoy feeding without interruption." ...by John M.

I don't really mind watching a squirrel roam around my patio at times. But my bird feeder is very small, and a lot of other critters also depend on the food supply.

I found this "battle plan" interesting, and might give it a try. Just need to get some cayenne pepper.
Onward.
PT7


PostScript: Surprise at the bird feeder. Not 10 minutes after I posted this, I glanced out at the bird feeder. There is a first-time rabbit eating the ground seed ahead of the Mourning Doves!! By first time, I've been here six years now....wow! Anyway, I wonder who else will become a visitor on my patio?!? Glad it's becoming a popular hang out.

[Mags]

@henry88, nice squirrel gun. What is it?

[Henry88]

Hey Mags, it's one of several variations of the .22 browning machine gun. Several folks produce them, not sure how well they actually work; more of a novelty thing................

[Mags]

Finally got 'em. I've had a very elusive eastern gray that kept getting on the bird tube feeders. He/she figured out a way to get around the top shields by doing a sideways launch from a suet feeder. For several days it would see me coming or peeking around the corner of the house and bolt. The last time it paused behind some foliage I could see through. Nailed it.