How far can squirrels swim? (might be OT)

I found a couple of squirrels in my pool, so I don't think they swim very well.

Scoutt wrote:I found a couple of squirrels in my pool, so I don't think they swim very well.

Were they in a Havahart trap?

I have not much compassion for squirrels since the day one of those ate my B-B-Q cover it looked as a
Gruyere and still didn't stop attacking it

Saddly, here you could be fined if you kill them So I vote for the kerosene solution or the cal 22. take your liberty.

McSnoresalot wrote:

I find it highly unlikely the launch will harm the squirrles, impact with the water may be problematic, but the real key will be which way they decide to swim and if they can make it.

Mac.

Well, I guess the obvious solution is to catch the squirrels first, and teach them to swim. Then perhaps a mini-parachute training without the parachute. But to really placate your wife, I suggest a rescue boat in the middle of the lake, to save any squirrel that is floundering.

Or you might make them go through a life-belt to get at the nuts, which will inflate on impact with the water.

cheers

Mars

PS: and I could not resist -

http://news.ninemsn.com.au/technology/8 ... -sensation

I had a fox squirrel as a pet for 7 years. His name was Sniffles. A rouge female squirrel threw him and his sibling out of the nest. I could only save him. His eyes were not even open when I rescued him. He had the opportunity to leave at any time. I would go outside with him and he would dash around the trees but when I would start back home, he would come running as hard as he could to get on my shoulder and go back inside. He disliked men and would pounce on any that came into the home. He would have to be put in his house before friends could come over, he was very territorial. He loved grapes and would peel them before eating them and watermelon was a special treat. He had a homemade den in a tree in my livingroom, complete with a sleeping hidey hole where he would steal anything and stash it away. The remotes for the television always had the plastic buttons sheared off and keys could never be left laying or hanging anywhere. He loved swimming in the pool if I was in there and could not swim for very long before climbing on me to rest. I am not sure if this is part of the "wild" squirrel thing or not because Sniffles was VERY well fed. When he would sit up to eat his belly would hang over his feet, so it could have been his weight that kept him from swimming for very long. I feed the squirrels at my home, birds and deer too. I love watching them.

I have a more humane idea (being imaginative ):

You know how people have plastic owls on their roof to ward of woodpeckers?

Get a big plastic dog that looks just as ugly and mean as Cujo and have a recording device that has a wrapping/looping bark (whatever you call it) like Cujo. Next, the plastic dog should be periodically moved throughout the yard to fool the squirrel(s) that its for real. Have a squirrel sensor the radius of 50 yards so that any time a squirrel is detected the recorded bark would go off.

I get an "A" for imagination

Starlette

PS...Good to see you again Mac *hearty waves*

Thanks folks. This was a fun read. I'm still smiling.
I had a fox-squirrel in my yard once, though it's not native to this area. Had to look it up in my nature book to see what this strange looking squirrel was. It stayed for two days.

My husband tells stories of what he did as a teenager.... we live on a hill with a "beautiful" view of Boeing Field (the original one) in the same house where hubby was born. Hubby used to build various types of cannons/potato guns and shoot things over the freeway and onto the field. Squirrels, mice, and rats were some of his favorite ammunition (it's still fairly wooded even now).

Bad teenage influences aside, he did grow up to be a very nice man.....but the squirrel population quickly re-established itself. Now they just drive the cats nuts.

Weezy

McSnoresalot wrote:[snip]

Anyway, sometime during the wee hours of Sun morning, I devised a new system that I think will solve my “squirrel” issue and give them a sporting chance to boot.

As a kid, I got pretty good at designing and building water-balloon launchers with surgical tubing. Building on that expertise, I hit the hardware store on Sunday to pick up:

20 feet of surgical tubing
6 inch square piece of thick leather
1 key ring
1 3/16” cotter pin
1 Screw into the gound dog tether anchor
10 yds of paracord

Cut up the tubing 5 foot lengths and tied them to two flowering cherry trees in the back yard that stand about 5 feet apart.

Take the other end of the tubing and tie it to the chunk of leather at the corners where I punched holes with an awl.

[big snip]

Sounds like this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l3Ya6z-NlDo

If you watch closely, you can see why Gray Squirrels have those huge fluffy tails. When they leap from branch to branch they spread their legs and soar much like a flying squirrel, and steer using their tails. I doubt one would be harmed by being launched like that. Notice the squirrel kept coming back for more nuts.

I just have to say that I have had the week from hell. I had seen you post earlier but just wasn't sure about the topic so I passed it by. Boy, so glad that I finally opened it....I really need the good laugh today!!!

Thanks!!!!

PS...I think you live in my area...Washington State?

As for what is legal and effective: no firearms or poison in town;
definitely no kerosene/fire; Humane traps are as likely to catch an opossum,
raccoon, or skunk. I'm glad our squirrels seem to be less problematic here.
They are kind of cute to watch.

chunkyfrog wrote:I'm glad our squirrels seem to be less problematic here.
They are kind of cute to watch.

Yep, one of the complications of human life. One person's weed is another person's flower. One person's pest is another person's friend.
Who is right, or wrong? Neither, and both!

Baked or fried would work for me.

So many squirrels, so few recipes.


Den

Wulfman... wrote:Baked or fried would work for me.

So many squirrels, so few recipes.


Den

LaurieP wrote:[snip]
PS...I think you live in my area...Washington State?

If you're referring to me, no, but my wife lives in Gig Harbor. We're separated by careers and my need to care for elderly parents and kids in school. So I commute one weekend/month more or less. Was at the Chateau Ste. Michele winery last weekend and saw the Moody Blues concert.