Re: Flying Squirrels

[Jean Ernest]

This message is from: Jean Ernest [EMAIL PROTECTED]

Well, my resident flying squirrel is alive and well and feasting on the
peanut butter, oats, and craisins (dried cranberries) I mixed up for him
plus a lump of caked Omelene 200 which is mostly molasses.  I decided since
I have all the grain in metal cans now I might as well feed him.  It was
neat to see him peeking out at me from the peak of the shed roof inside
where he comes in..Love those big eyes.  OK, I'm a sucker for for a cute
critter.

I read up on the Northern flying squirrel and apparently they have a pretty
long family life, with the young born in late winter, the male and female
will associate throughout the year, and the young often stay with mom until
the next litter comes which is the next year here in Alaska. So maybe I am
feeding a family!  At any rate, live trapping and release in another
location is not an option...That would be a cruel death sentence for sure.
Anyway, I think I sort of like him, now that I have the grain secured. At
least he(or she) doesn't scold and swear at me like the red squirrels do!

Jean in Fairbanks, Alaska gonna be cold tonight, -17 F degrees.

At 09:15 AM 11/2/1999 -0600, you wrote:
This message is from: Cheryl Beillard [EMAIL PROTECTED]

Oh Jean you are so lucky - to have seen - and unlucky - to have trapped! a
flying squirrel.   They are protected here, in Ontario, along with red
squirrels 

Jean Ernest
Fairbanks, Alaska
[EMAIL PROTECTED]

Re: Flying Squirrels

[Cheryl Beillard]

This message is from: Cheryl Beillard [EMAIL PROTECTED]

Oh Jean you are so lucky - to have seen - and unlucky - to have trapped! a
flying squirrel.   They are protected here, in Ontario, along with red
squirrels which are horribly threatened by hordes of large black and grey
urban squirrels which are gradually making their way out into the more
isolated woods (with suburban sprawl, I suppose .. and better roads!) .. I
am tempted to shoot black squirrels, when I see them but resist! I have
pictures of up to 11 red squirrels at my supposed bird feeders in the
winter -- you're right, it's not possible to eliminate them .. more will
just come in to fill up the territory ..we use humane traps (if they are
inside, which is a disaster if they can't get back out!) and then release
them miles away.  I can appreciate your frustration at the mess in the barn,
but I am glad you aren't setting out any more traps.  We have a neighbour
who watches them at night at his bird feeder, illuminated in the window by
the light from inside .. Our only experience was several years ago, finding
5 little flying squirrel tails (they're flat,unlike the red squirrels) under
a big oak tree, after hearing terrible screams one night .. presumably a
fisher or a coon got a nest of them and spat out the tails.  But I'd love to
see a live one swooping from tree to tree sometime.  Maybe you will, now you
know they're there!