Squirrel Migration

[Phil Lilley]

Remember a few years back when squirrels mysterously all began to move around, migrate?

I've heard they may do the same this fall because the acorn crop is expected to be down this year- freeze this spring.

Anyone heard this?

[RiverRunner]

In some years, especially dry ones, I've seen a lot of squirrels swimming the White River. I usually see the most in early fall. I've been told that they will cross it when their food supply runs out. Its always an interesting site to see those bushy tails swimming the river.

[Phil Lilley]

This particular year, they did swim the lake here but more over, they swam Table Rock and Bull Shoals and end up drowning by the hundreds.

More than once I picked one up in the middle of BS and gave it a ride, just to see it turn back to the middle of the lake and swim off.

[stone9-7=2]

I remember a few years back the were laying dead on 65 by the 100's.

Anybody else remember that?

[skeeter]

Recall them swimming the lakes but first I've heard of the Hwy. 65 crossing deaths. Think we discussed this lack of acorns issue back in the Spring when all the Oak trees looked really bad after the big freeze. Said something like " It's gonna' be a hard Winter for squirrels, turkey and deer due to freeze killing the oak flowers that result in acorns". Someone else came back and said the Red Oaks only produce acorns every three years (?) and this was their year and they were unaffected ??? Most of the oaks in my neck of the woods produced a second batch of flowers because, as usual, they got in my gutters and stopped them up. So maybe the acorn crop will not be affected. Maybe an arborist or really good observer out there knows.

LMAO about "giving a squirrel a ride" . Trying to figure out how you got the feisty little buggers in the boat without losing a finger or two and kept them calm enough to drive the boat ? I've got a couple of large red squirrels that visit my deer feeder and an adult red fox that hunts the squirrels. Have seen the one squirrel kick the foxes butt ( how I wish I had a video camera for that one !! ) and they can be pretty good at defending themselves.

[Crippled Caddis]

At least where I live in N. Ark the bumper crop of acorns last year produced a bumper crop of wildlife this year. The squirrel crop in particular was heavy and I've been seeing more twin fawns than normal as well with reports of triplets trickling in. There can be little doubt that the late freeze this year will have a deleterious effect on the mast crop---the only question is the extent. So yes---I fully expect to see some additional squirrel migration. If it is as massive as the year cited @ a decade ago remains to be seen. But I do expect to see a lot of desperately hungry wildlife this winter and early spring. If, like myself, you enjoy feeding the wildlings at your home plan on putting out more than you normally would this year. It is usually the very early spring before new food sources appear and after leftovers from the previous year are long-since exhausted that the 'starving season' takes place.

[Phil Lilley]

The squirrels I picked up were totally exhausted. Picked them up with the paddle and set them on the bow of the boat. They just sat there and enjoyed the ride... well they seemed to.

[brownieman]

CC,

You are exactly right imo. The 'critters' will have a hard time finding forage late this winter and early spring...so all who can need to help em out, they will be using a food supply that would have been otherwise saved or utilized later in the year...due to the late freeze it will be a necessary for survival.

The weak and 'runts' of the litters will have an especially hard time.

I ask of you CC...do you beleive this is "Mother Natures" way of culling the weak out or is this partially an incured event produced in part by man and modern methods, climate change, etc. ?

One other question...can you CC or anyone explain the lack of Catalpa worms...they were thick when I was young, I have a huge Catalpa tree in my yard and have seen no worms on the tree for several years now...I am just curious why I see them no more ??

[Crippled Caddis]

<do you beleive this is "Mother Natures" way of culling the weak out or is this partially an incured event produced in part by man and modern methods, climate change>

I think it part and parcel of the natural cycles of an ecosystem. I don't think mans' effect on the natural world has been an improvement. IMO we still have the mindset of 'conquering' the natural world rather than living in harmony with it. It will prove our eventual undoing when 'Mother Nature' execises the same culling of our specie that we wil see in the coming winter take place with the 'lesser' species that will starve. Taking without giving back has the same eventual effect on the land that it does on a bank account. Ultimately the survival of all species is tied to that of the earth itself.

<can you CC or anyone explain the lack of Catalpa worms...they were thick when I was young, I have a huge Catalpa tree in my yard and have seen no worms on the tree for several years now>

While no expert since I've never had a Catalpa tree nor been around them much my understanding is that the worms pupate in the soil underneath their nursery tree. If so then I suspect that the fertilizers, insecticides and plant poisons spread wholesale on lawns and pasturage have worked exactly as advertised. CC

[jcoberley]

The squirrels here at my houst are tryong to dig a hole into my atic. This is the first time they tryed to do it here at this house. Living in town I cant shoot them so I was thinging of using a live trap and moving them out in the county. Would some of you have a better idea as to how to stop them?