Squirrel obstacle course

Poststructural Pub
1

Cool video:

http://www.i-am-bored.com/bored_link.cfm?link_id=25309

My favorite part is at the end. :slight_smile:

I hope ya’ll enjoy this as much as I did.

–James

2

:laughing: oh, dear :laughing:

3

That’s nuts! :laughing: :laughing:

4

I wish I still had a copy of the video, but a couple years ago my cousin in Vermont taped his backyard squirrel working to foil a squirrel-baffled bird feeder. Ultimately, the successful squirrel leapt probably 8 feet from a tree to a clothesline, clearing the pie plate strung on the line, and retaining his grip on the rope so that he could drop onto the sloped roof of the feeder (took numerous tries before he didn’t slip off,) then scramble to the feeder ledge underneath.

Peeplj’s link is of a more complex experiment, but I’ve seen the determination and persistence of these guys.

My favorite squirrel trick is when they sit on a branch, just above a cat (who’s trying to appear nonchalant below) and chitter and throw acorns at the cat just for sport.

5

Is it true they don’t hunt squirrels in the UK?

6

Not video, but some humorous research on squirrel behavior with some cute stills:

http://www.wafu.ne.jp/~yaz/en/squirrel_fishing.html

7

There are 2 types of squirrel in the UK, Grey and Red. The grey squirrel is an American import that has bred at an astonishing rate and taken over traditional grounds for the red squirrel. It also carries a disease that is fatal to the red squirrel but not the grey. Consequently the red is very much an endangered species now (as well as generally being more awesome than the “rat with good pr” grey.

However the grey squirrel is undergoing various organised culls, poisonings and generally getting the shit kicked out of it to try and prevent the extinction of the red. But in general people don’t hunt it.

8

They can be fried and eaten… just like a Mars bar.

9

When my daughter went to UC Berkeley, she took me squirrel fishing over by Strawberry Creek. Didn’t see any that would take the peanut-much like my flyfishing, but that’s another story. I think CAL was in the 10 for best squirrels for fishing in the survey. (don’t EVEN go there!!!)

10

True enough. We used to eat them when I was a kid. Have to be careful about the shot, though.

11

What’s life without a few chipped teeth?

12

My old house had a huge wooden front porch. The roof was about 15 feet above the floor of it.

After have squirrels totally destroy several bird feeders (including breaking plexiglass on one), I hunge the feeder under the porch roof, and set back closer to the house - probably a good 5 feet or more away from the edge of the roof.

The house had “box” gutters - the tin kind that are permanently on the house because they are really the end of the roof joice (I know that’s not spelled correcly).

But the dang squirrels were still getting into the bird seed. I finally watched how they were doing so. The would hang FROM THEIR BACK FEET on the gutter edge, then swing back and forth until they got their momentum going and let go and “fly” over and hit the bird feeder!

I also had one use the top of the Rubbermaid garbage can as a trampoline, and look into the back kitchen window when the feeder was out of seed.

Of course, the worst part is when they decide to cross the electric lines where there’s a transformer on the pole and they kinda - well - don’t watch where they put their feet and create an arc. When I pointed out exactly what pole was out to a electric company lineman, he wanted to know how I knew. I pointed to the tail still hanging off the side of the transformer.

13

Great video. :laughing: :laughing:

14

The last time I purchased a 25 pound bag of black-oil sunflower seeds, I was shocked by the price. Even though I am getting used to the sudden rise and fall of gasoline prices, I took notice of a $2 jump in the price of bird seed. So I make an effort to keep the squirrels off my bird feeder. I want them to feed on the ground with the chipmonks and doves. I have found that a little vasoline on the bird feeder pole is all that is needed to convince them that I am adamant about this, although it is kind of comical to see them try to climb the slick pole. I’ve noticed that squirrels are fast learners, though. They don’t keep trying, over and over.

However, yesterday I saw a squirrel underneath my car. It would jump up out of sight and then would reappear again and would be chewing something. I saw it doing this several times. I panicked and went outside to see what the squirrel was chewing on under my car. I had visions of having to trap squirrels to protect my property, which I knew was a losing battle in my neighborhood, which is surely squirrel heaven. Crawlling under my car, I couldn’t see a thing that the squirrel might have been chewing on. Now I am feeling anxious about what I may have missed seeing.

15

hee hee

I love the music. :slight_smile:

Tom

16

That was a great video—I’ll have to get my husband to watch it.

We’ve had trouble with squirrels getting onto bird feeders but we seem to have some feeders now that work pretty well. We do have a squirrel feeder as well, so they aren’t being left out.

My husband was keeping the bird food in the garage in large Rubbermaid containers and the squirrels discovered them sometime when we left the garage door open while we were working in the yard and just chewed right through the lids. They would run in there and eat every time we left the door open. Now we have metal cans and so far, so good. Before we got special chimney covers we had some squirrels fall down the chimney—not pleasant for the squirrel or us. One of them really tore apart the basement trying to get out. My husband, who declined a friend’s offer of a shotgun :boggle: , opened the basement window and put a long board against it to serve as a walk way. The squirrel found his way out right away.

I don’t much like the idea of putting some money in a vending machine and having a squirrel suddenly jump out of it. Yikes :astonished: :boggle: :astonished: !