D*mn flying squirrels!

[Henz]

Flying squirrels are in my wall. Got one in a trap yesterday thank god. Been pissing me off all winter. nocternal things, and real loud. Which brings me to a question as to has anyone ever fell a tree to find any interesting nests in it?

 

[snowtime]

OK I have got a story for you. We have always had a tradition of going out on Christmas Eve and getting our Christmas tree. The kids use to choose it in the summer and we would mark the top so we could find it later. The snow will usually be over 10' deep by Christmas. Well one year sometime in the 70s we all got our snowshoes on and had a merry time singing carols as we marched to the marked tree. I dug down and made room for my oldest boy to go into the hole and cut the tree with a swede saw.
The 2 boys wanted to drag the tree for the 200 yards to the house. My wife and I just helped with the singing. When we got home the tree had some snow but it was -30 out so we decided to bring it in. We had a place all set up and we set a tarp under to catch the melting snow. We planned to take [drag] it out the front door to get rid of the water. This works if you have many hands.

About an hour later we started hearing noises from the tree. At first we were not sure what it was or where it was coming from as the ice clumps falling off the tree were making their own noise. Fred my youngest was there doing his duty picking up the clumps before they melted. I had been down stairs wrapping my presents for the family but when I came up I saw Fred looking in the tree. Suddenly Fred yelled "we got a squirrel in the tree. At that moment we could see a squirrel sticking its head out of a nest that we had missed. It moved down to the floor looking very tired and seeing as we woke it from hibernating I didn't blame it at all. My DW ran and got a few grocery store brown paper bags and she gave each of us one. I immediately said lets get the fishing nets but she said lets get the squirrel quick and in a bag as that will work good to release him. Well we are outdoors people and I knew to expect a hard chase. When I walked up to the squirrel he looked at me and I tried to be nonchalant with that I jumped but the squirrel easily dodged me but my oldest Hank was right beside and he pounced and came up with the squirrel. Well Hank and Fred said we had to return the squirrel to the wild. We all got dressed for the cold and took lights for it was now dark out. We snowshoed to the spot where we took the tree. We all knew the if the squirrel was to have any chance he would have to be very near the same spot to be able to find his food caches. DW had the nest and I placed it in a suitable tree and we both made a small opening in the other bag for the squirrel to get out. We then put that hole over the opening to the nest and waited. That stupid squirrel waited about 5 min before moving to the nest. Seemed longer in the cold. We had some branches from the cut tree and we closed up his entrance as best we could. We all knew that the chances of the squirrel making it were slim but we tried. Christmas day the boys went back and they reported that the squirrel is in its nest.

To this day we play Chases movie Christmas Vacation every Christmas. We all still get a kick out of seeing the squirrelrun around the house. Funny how traditions get started.

 

[billb3]

Having once had my foot penetrate a large log across a stream that was full of yellow jackets, I have a habit of whacking a tree with the back side of an axe (or at least something hollow and heavy).

One Fall I had a tree that buzzed every time I whacked it. Paper Wasps had built a huge nest inside an abandoned squirrel nest. That tree is probably still standing.

 

[bcnu]

We have around 20 Doug Fir trees out back and live in the middle of a Hazelnut orchard. Squirrels and mice abound. There is an older mobile home on the property that has had squirrels in the back room forever. I'm using a surefire way to reduce the population of both species - but am sure enough they will continue to survive and thrive...and then come the moles and gophers in the yard this summer. It's ok, as we an all coexist to some degree.

 

[Highbeam]

I have fallen quite a few trees byhooking up a chain real high and then pulling them down with a bulldozer. My old dozer had a roll cage system with a roof and heavy wire screens. I was pulling down alders one day in the summer and the trees were tall which meant that the tops of the trees would land on the dozer and frequently totally cover up the operator's station with branches and leaves on all sides. You keep pulling and eventually the tree slides off or you climb out and buck the tree up.

One time I yanked one of these trees over and never noticed that beehive in the tree nice and high about the size of a volleyball. Lucky for me the tree fell beside the dozer and not on top of it so I could steer away from it and then run for my life.

Bees are much faster than a dozer and only somewhat faster than a running man. The bees seemed more upset with the yellow dozer than the running man.

 

[dvellone]

Working in the woods a few years back my boss unloaded his knife, money and antique pocket watch under a rock overhang for the day because he couldn't stand the things jangling in is pocket while he worked. The pocket watch was in a small leather pouch he had made. He forgot his belongings there that evening but we both figured that they were safe in the woods and protected from the weather under the overhang. When we arrived the next morning everything was there but the pocket watch. It had snowed a few inches overnight and plain to see was the set of red squirrel tracks leading to the overhang and away. We followed the tracks for some time that morning and they eventually ended where the squirrel had made it's way up a great big spruce. My boss couldn't be convinced to cut the tree down and I bet that watch is up there still!

 

[fraxinus]

About 10 years ago I brought in an arm load of wood and set it down near the stove. Out of the corner of my eye, I caught a blurry shape scurrying into the next room. Thinking it was a rat, I grabbed a broom and pursued. No rat, but a flying squirrel, a pretty rare animal around here. The squirrel proceeded to sail from the top of one bookcase to china closet, back to bookcase, to window top. The three resident felines looked on with wide-eyed wonder, but offered little in the way of help. I finally managed to cornerit, throw a dish towel over it and return it to the outdoors. For two or three weeks afterward, each time I brought in a load of wood the cats would rouse themselves from their slumbers to check out the wood in hopes of another show.

 

[begreen]

I grew up with flying squirrels, in the house. My sister was a nature lover and would catch and bring in all sorts of beasts and domesticate them. Some were easier than others. The flying squirrels if caught young could be trained and became really nice pets. The got tame enough that they could be released outdoors and called back to come inside. She's put a ritz cracker with some peanut butter on it on her shoulder. Then she would call with a high-pitched whistle that mimicked their natural cry. The squirrel would glide out of our big oak and land perfectly on her shoulder to pick up it's treat. I grew to really like the little guys. Now the screech owl, well that was another story...

 

[drizler]

As soon as I started reading this I thought of Christmas Vacation. Its one of our Pagan rituals to start off the holidays by watching that comedy classic. I have to dig out the VHS just for that now days. Move over Jimmy Stuart, Chevy Chase has you trumped Ah Christmas in the real world. PRICELESS,

OK I have got a story for you. We have always had a tradition of going out on Christmas Eve and getting our Christmas tree. The kids use to choose it in the summer and we would mark the top so we could find it later. The snow will usually be over 10' deep by Christmas. Well one year sometime in the 70s we all got our snowshoes on and had a merry time singing carols as we marched to the marked tree. I dug down and made room for my oldest boy to go into the hole and cut the tree with a swede saw.
The 2 boys wanted to drag the tree for the 200 yards to the house. My wife and I just helped with the singing. When we got home the tree had some snow but it was -30 out so we decided to bring it in. We had a place all set up and we set a tarp under to catch the melting snow. We planned to take [drag] it out the front door to get rid of the water. This works if you have many hands.

About an hour later we started hearing noises from the tree. At first we were not sure what it was or where it was coming from as the ice clumps falling off the tree were making their own noise. Fred my youngest was there doing his duty picking up the clumps before they melted. I had been down stairs wrapping my presents for the family but when I came up I saw Fred looking in the tree. Suddenly Fred yelled "we got a squirrel in the tree. At that moment we could see a squirrel sticking its head out of a nest that we had missed. It moved down to the floor looking very tired and seeing as we woke it from hibernating I didn't blame it at all. My DW ran and got a few grocery store brown paper bags and she gave each of us one. I immediately said lets get the fishing nets but she said lets get the squirrel quick and in a bag as that will work good to release him. Well we are outdoors people and I knew to expect a hard chase. When I walked up to the squirrel he looked at me and I tried to be nonchalant with that I jumped but the squirrel easily dodged me but my oldest Hank was right beside and he pounced and came up with the squirrel. Well Hank and Fred said we had to return the squirrel to the wild. We all got dressed for the cold and took lights for it was now dark out. We snowshoed to the spot where we took the tree. We all knew the if the squirrel was to have any chance he would have to be very near the same spot to be able to find his food caches. DW had the nest and I placed it in a suitable tree and we both made a small opening in the other bag for the squirrel to get out. We then put that hole over the opening to the nest and waited. That stupid squirrel waited about 5 min before moving to the nest. Seemed longer in the cold. We had some branches from the cut tree and we closed up his entrance as best we could. We all knew that the chances of the squirrel making it were slim but we tried. Christmas day the boys went back and they reported that the squirrel is in its nest.

To this day we play Chases movie Christmas Vacation every Christmas. We all still get a kick out of seeing the squirrelrun around the house. Funny how traditions get started.

 

[RedRanger]

The wife and I actually like those little rodents with the big bushy tails. They used to dig up our bulbs until we started feeding them. Now, they get fed in the morning and again in the evening,and they are no problem whatsoever. Yep, there is also a bird bath out in the woods for them to have a drink as well. Maybe we`re crazy, but it seems that since we have been taking care of them for the past 5 years, they leave our gardens alone. They don`t try to nest anywhere in or near the house,(mabye cause of the milder clilmate it isn`t neccessary) not sure.

All I know is that we have learned to live with them and all of our spring and summer bulbs are left to flourish.

 

[bcnu]

Deep down I also like squirrels as they are cute and bushy tailed. However, I also agree with someone who said they are just rats with cosmetic enhancements and a good press agent. And mice...I won't even try to describe what happened last week to my garage door(make that ex garage door) when my pickup, with a manual transmission, self started. Get the picture? Sure enough, those cute little mice were having picnics in the engine compartment, with wiring for dessert. For now I'm leaving it in neutral with the parking brake ON. Glad I had one of those exta large blue tarps around. :bug:

 

[MishMouse]

Now all you need is a moose to go with your flying squirrels.

 

[bcnu]

Mish...lol should have seen that one coming.

 

[drizler]

Deep down I also like squirrels as they are cute and bushy tailed. However, I also agree with someone who said they are just rats with cosmetic enhancements and a good press agent. And mice...I won't even try to describe what happened last week to my garage door(make that ex garage door) when my pickup, with a manual transmission, self started. Get the picture? Sure enough, those cute little mice were having picnics in the engine compartment, with wiring for dessert. For now I'm leaving it in neutral with the parking brake ON. Glad I had one of those exta large blue tarps around. :bug:

OKAAAyyy, you brought it up so the question so automatically just has to be asked. How in the &%&#^% did the mice manage to drive through the garage door? Fess up this has to be a good one. Something tells me the mice didn't start or put the car in gear. WE ARE ALL WAITING????????? So who done it Mighty Mouse, Rockey the Squirrel or some dummmmmmmyyyyy.

 

[bcnu]

Honestly Driz - the mice. At least, that's my story and I'm sticking to it :red:
My wife was outside in the orchard when she heard a backfire and some sputtering - then she watched as the truck moved about 20 feet forward and whanmo - no more garage door - and I'm talking about a double garage door. When I got outside it was off but the starter was still clicking with the aroma of burnt something. Disconnected the battery cables. Thought it probably ruined something - but started it up later that day. Lots of filbert(hazelnut) shells on the air filter and manifold. The truck is a 15 years old and I drive it as little as possible. Those rodents are having a field day. On the other hand what can I do - as we live in the middle of a 15 acre orchard. No. I won't file an insurance claim - even though my Son In Law is my agent. That's my story in a nutshell :bug:

 

[drizler]

Now that is really messed up. The only problems I ever saw with mice are them getting in via the vent in front of the windshield and packing the air cleaner with stuff. I have seen a few blown small equipment engines brought on by the vermin due to extreme leaning. The windshield entry is nastier. Every time you turn on the heater you smell mouse unrine and get a blast of shells and insulation in the face. Thats after disassembling part of the duct work to pull out what you can. Really sucks but nothing like having em drive away with the truck. No doubt about it if those little B$#@^^ds don't start behaving you are going to have to take their keys away. Gotta treat them like bad children!
While you are at it you might provide them with something to eat while they are riding arouind. Its called DECON and it does the trick. Cats don't do it believe me I have 4 of em.

 

[bcnu]

I caught two of the critters in my indoor trap line so far this week, and I have a small fortune invested in Decon and traps. I've even tried the sticky trap on the air cleaner - never found it or whatever got stuck in it. Still, I love the country and am willing to coexist, to some degree, with the squirrels and mice. They may drive me crazy as long as they don't drive my truck ever again.

 

[RedRanger]

This does remind me that about 2 weeks ago I went to check the oil and stuff in my pickup truck and on top of the carb. were empty peanut shells. I suspect the culprits might have bushy tails.