17 years with a wild Fox Squirrel friend.

[earlfor]

I had taught her to jump from trees and land on my head and ride around there as I walked in the yard. She seemed to enjoy tracking a moving target. heh I had not told my wife about her doing this. One day Kath was going out to the pool deck and foxy was on the roof overlooking the deck. As kath walked past her 10 feet below, she jumped and landed on Kath's head. I was sitting on the back porch and watching when it happened. Kath was totally surprised and screamed and took off running and waving her hands. Foxy just sat there hanging on as the crazy woman ran around like a nut case. I think she was wondering what is wrong with this woman. LOL Eventually, she hopped off and kath slowed down.
I thought I was going to bust a gut laughing on the porch.

[earlfor]

Foxy loved playing chase with the German Shepherds. Sometimes she would chase them and it was funny to see two big sheps running with a squirrel behind them. Sometimes, she would tease them and get them to chase her. She knew just how far to be from a tree to get them to give it a try at catching her. They never had a chance though. She was much faster on a short sprint than they were and she could jump nearly 8 feet straight up, so she was already that far up the nearest tree for her starting point. The sheps, like Foxy, liked the game and the chase. It was play and no one was serious. They would go at it for hours and even in the middle of it, I could walk over to her, sit her in my hand and the sheps would sit beside me. Then I would put her back on the tree and it was game on again. heh

[BurntKittyForge]

Thought it was a post about your "old lady" based on title , figured "don't wanna know/read" LOL...

My best friend (passed away couple years back, had a pet grey squirrel. He got it as a baby and kept it mostly in his pocket (fed with dropper)...it got bigger and would climb into his pocket.
He'd let it out and it's come back. Right into his pocket/ shoulder from outside.

Problem was like other rodents, their teeth never quit growing so they have to bite/nibble ...that point it would just visit.
I was trying to think of some stunt for a vid he could make but never did.
Any chance you'll get another "friend squirrel"...

They'd probably like beer from like a bottle cap would be like a mug to them.
I can imagine a squirrel liking beer for some reason...rascals!

[earlfor]

Any chance you'll get another "friend squirrel"...

It isn't looking likely. I haven't seen any fox squirrels in the area I live in now about 250 miles north of where I used to be.
I have grays, but they are way too skittish to have much chance of doing with them what I accomplished with Foxy.
Besides that, it takes a lot of time, at least five years to build a relationship. If I had a young fox squirrel here, I would probably do it again though. They are incredible once they trust you and you're able to work with them. They're a lot smarter than one would think. LOL Skunks are great little guys too. They like to dig though, so if you don't want holes in your lawn, they're probably not for you. heh eh

I've done the same with opossums also. Once they are used to you, they're quite calm and friendly. Raccoons on the other hand are too destructive and unpredictable for me.

[BurntKittyForge]

It isn't looking likely. I haven't seen any fox squirrels in the area I live in now about 250 miles north of where I used to be.
I have grays, but they are way too skittish to have much chance of doing with them what I accomplished with Foxy.
Besides that, it takes a lot of time, at least five years to build a relationship. If I had a young fox squirrel here, I would probably do it again though. They are incredible once they trust you and you're able to work with them. They're a lot smarter than one would think. LOL Skunks are great little guys too. They like to dig though, so if you don't want holes in your lawn, they're probably not for you. heh eh

I've done the same with opossums also. Once they are used to you, they're quite calm and friendly. Raccoons on the other hand are too destructive and unpredictable for me.

I used to run into this one crazy homeless guy in town and he was telling me about living by the river and in a cave and his pet racoon named "Rocky" (of course) . I thought it was a made up story (schizo, sad/bad case) He was saying rocky was OK except he'd always be up all night and sleep all day and it takes getting used to...

I have a funny raccoon story explaining the economy myself.
I was waiting to see if I'd get back together with wife , but wanted to move to another place IF not, so I was camping by myself (Had money, just no current job) ...I got used to raccoons coming around.
There were hundreds, I got a quick dislike for them.
During day I'd drop in the county employment center and they had ZERO jobs. It was so bad they had classes, resume help and mock interviews (Play interviews for practice incase) .
There really was nothing .
So I had noticed these traps at Tractor supply one day, and picked up a hunting season book thing at walmart.
Next day I went to employment center (from my secret camp alone) , got on computer and pulled up VA raccoon trapping laws (was planning on trapping and skinning a few per day, because no work) and the lady says, "Is that job related? because these computers are for work search only!!!"
so I answer "yes it IS job related ma'am" and she's all "Yeah right c'mon job related only".
I tell her look you're doing fake interviews and don't even have work, I'm looking at laws for self-employment..."well must be actual employment" (had no concept) I left.
No work, couldn't even look up trapping raccoon laws. (I've actually done office work and worked many trades , just no work then) ...
so I found a job stocking a retail store from 10pm to 6 am and went by the employment place to look for better work...Same lady was asking me "where?" etc. (So she could check it off and get credit, probably send others there to get my job too).
I told her "No thanks and definately no thanks to you but I stopped by to look for better work, but this place is still useless."
(I told a shorter version to a guy at current job who always complains, been there 14 years, doesn't understand a lot of stuff. raccoon economy story anyway.

[earlfor]

I used to run into this one crazy homeless guy in town and he was telling me about living by the river and in a cave and his pet racoon named "Rocky" (of course) . I thought it was a made up story (schizo, sad/bad case) He was saying rocky was OK except he'd always be up all night and sleep all day and it takes getting used to...

If you come across a momma racoon with little ones following, stay clear. They are quite protective and are a whole lot more of a handful than you ever want to deal with. heh eh

[Gorminrider]

17 years! who knew! great story! but why I'm posting...I'm suprised your grey squirrels are so shy?. They are not so hereabouts, if they are the same Eastern Grey squirrel that are common invasives here on west coast...(The species comes in two colours, grey and black.Females tend to be black,IME...) here's MsNipples who, among others, came in every day for brunch. The indegenous red squirrels are pretty accomodating to "peanut-dispensing apes" too...I had one living in a bag of insulation in the shop for quite awhile.

[earlfor]

17 years! who knew! great story! but why I'm posting...I'm suprised your grey squirrels are so shy?. They are not so hereabouts, if they are the same Eastern Grey squirrel that are common invasives here on west coast...(The species comes in two colours, grey and black.Females tend to be black,IME...) here's MsNipples who, among others, came in every day for brunch. The indegenous red squirrels are pretty accomodating to "peanut-dispensing apes" too...I had one living in a bag of insulation in the shop for quite awhile.
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I don't remember seeing a red squirrel here. Lots of grays though. Fox squirrels, even in their home habitats are scarce compared to the grays. The ratio is usually about 1 in 100. I've given up with they grays. I can put peanuts down and leave and they will come get them, but that's is all the farther I've come with them in ten years. LOL

[bonanzadave]

The ratio is usually about 1 in 100.

We have a couple of these. I call em white rats.

[bonanzadave]

I built a corn feeder for them and my wife snapped a photo and sent it to her German co-workers.....in Germany co-workers !! Oops !

[earlfor]

I've seen an occasional black squirrel, but never a white one.

[Gorminrider]

never a white one.

me neither! ...Hard to see if these are true "Albinos" (which have red eyes I think) certainly a pretty good adaptation for snow.

I like that pinwheel feeder! and of course, they do too! I figured out I might as well feed them because NO bird feeder defeats them....though the entertainment value for the $ spent on "squirrel proof " feeders certainly gives dividends in entertainment...

[Charlie G]

When I was in Port Elgin , Ontario, Canada this last summer, all the squirrels I saw were black. Never seen a white one or a Fox squirrel before. We had flying squirrels in our back yard in Mobile, Alabama. They were fun to watch.