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He wanted a ride.

woodsman

woodsman

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I had an odd experience this morning. I live in a condo complex that is heavily wooded and with that we have an abundance of grey squirrels. I’m not a fan of this tree rat, mostly because it keeps me from having a bird feeder. Anyway, I was heading out to the market and got into me jeep, while starting it and with the door still open I noticed a squirrel poised to jump into the vehicle. I needed to kick at it to back off, it was a so very odd, It was like this squirrel followed me to my jeep.

I then sat there watching it forage, wondering what this behavior was all about, is it rabid? Are people feeding squirrels from there cars? Have they learned that food items sometimes fall out of vehicles? After watching it for a time it looked very healthy, fat if anything so I’m not sure what this was all about. I have also never seen any neighbors feeding them and certainly not from there vehicles.

Has anyone else experienced this type of thing with wildlife?
 
squirrel_meme_by_jimenopolix-da4xy8t.png
 
woodsman said:
I had an odd experience this morning. I live in a condo complex that is heavily wooded and with that we have an abundance of grey squirrels. I’m not a fan of this tree rat, mostly because it keeps me from having a bird feeder. Anyway, I was heading out to the market and got into me jeep, while starting it and with the door still open I noticed a squirrel poised to jump into the vehicle. I needed to kick at it to back off, it was a so very odd, It was like this squirrel followed me to my jeep.

I then sat there watching it forage, wondering what this behavior was all about, is it rabid? Are people feeding squirrels from there cars? Have they learned that food items sometimes fall out of vehicles? After watching it for a time it looked very healthy, fat if anything so I’m not sure what this was all about. I have also never seen any neighbors feeding them and certainly not from there vehicles.

Has anyone else experienced this type of thing with wildlife?
Click to expand...

Yes, I had a possum living under my house, I would catch him on my bird feeder grab him by the tail hold him up and take selfies with him ( the only time I have ever taken selfies without being forced by friends or family).

After doing this to him several times he decided to get back at me.
When weather permits I keep my beer on the front porch to keep it cold without taking up refrigerator space.

Well one night I opened the door to grab a beer, reached into my thirty pack and instead of an ice cold beer I grabbed a big handful of possum.

I'm not a squeamish man but I'm not ashamed to say I about jumped out of my pant.

After I composed myself I gave the box a kick and he scurried under the house.

On further inspection he had bitten through and drained three beer cans and drained them dry.

That was the final straw, needless to say his lifespan was very short after that incident...
 
woodsman said:
I had an odd experience this morning. I live in a condo complex that is heavily wooded and with that we have an abundance of grey squirrels. I’m not a fan of this tree rat, mostly because it keeps me from having a bird feeder. Anyway, I was heading out to the market and got into me jeep, while starting it and with the door still open I noticed a squirrel poised to jump into the vehicle. I needed to kick at it to back off, it was a so very odd, It was like this squirrel followed me to my jeep.

I then sat there watching it forage, wondering what this behavior was all about, is it rabid? Are people feeding squirrels from there cars? Have they learned that food items sometimes fall out of vehicles? After watching it for a time it looked very healthy, fat if anything so I’m not sure what this was all about. I have also never seen any neighbors feeding them and certainly not from there vehicles.

Has anyone else experienced this type of thing with wildlife?
Click to expand...

Yes, someone's been feeding it. Happened twice to my mom over the years. 1st time we were camping and she would feed this chipmunk chips. She stopped doing it after it ran up her leg. 2nd time was with a couple of mice at a cement figurine store that her and my dad were running. She'd feed the mice..same thing happened, one of them ran up her leg. She stopped feeding it. It was hilarious both times. :D
 
GDViking said:
Yes, I had a possum living under my house, I would catch him on my bird feeder grab him by the tail hold him up and take selfies with him ( the only time I have ever taken selfies without being forced by friends or family).

After doing this to him several times he decided to get back at me.
When weather permits I keep my beer on the front porch to keep it cold without taking up refrigerator space.

Well one night I opened the door to grab a beer, reached into my thirty pack and instead of an ice cold beer I grabbed a big handful of possum.

I'm not a squeamish man but I'm not ashamed to say I about jumped out of my pant.

After I composed myself I gave the box a kick and he scurried under the house.

On further inspection he had bitten through and drained three beer cans and drained them dry.

That was the final straw, needless to say his lifespan was very short after that incident...
Click to expand...

That’s one heck of an opossum that can drain three beers and still run away!
 
woodsman said:
I had an odd experience this morning. I live in a condo complex that is heavily wooded and with that we have an abundance of grey squirrels. I’m not a fan of this tree rat, mostly because it keeps me from having a bird feeder. Anyway, I was heading out to the market and got into me jeep, while starting it and with the door still open I noticed a squirrel poised to jump into the vehicle. I needed to kick at it to back off, it was a so very odd, It was like this squirrel followed me to my jeep.

I then sat there watching it forage, wondering what this behavior was all about, is it rabid? Are people feeding squirrels from there cars? Have they learned that food items sometimes fall out of vehicles? After watching it for a time it looked very healthy, fat if anything so I’m not sure what this was all about. I have also never seen any neighbors feeding them and certainly not from there vehicles.

Has anyone else experienced this type of thing with wildlife?
Click to expand...

Squirrels are very curious and fascinating critters. We feed dozens of them every day. When a squirrel learns people equal food, they will increasingly become closer and even come to be waiting for you. Sometimes one or another will be impatient and have climbed on the porch screen waiting as if to say "where's the food!"

Squirrels also have a very good sense of smell. So probably that squirrel found some food in a vehicle one time, is hungry even if plump and equates people with food, or it could just be you smell like a nut. :lol:
 
Lutherf said:
That’s one heck of an opossum that can drain three beers and still run away!
Click to expand...

He only had about a foot and a half to get to cover.

I have no way of knowing how much of it he consumed or how much was drained. Either way I was out three beers.

I still have his pelt in the freezer and when I have enough other furs I was to tan to do a batch he is going on the wall.
 
GDViking said:
Yes, I had a possum living under my house, I would catch him on my bird feeder grab him by the tail hold him up and take selfies with him ( the only time I have ever taken selfies without being forced by friends or family).

After doing this to him several times he decided to get back at me.
When weather permits I keep my beer on the front porch to keep it cold without taking up refrigerator space.

Well one night I opened the door to grab a beer, reached into my thirty pack and instead of an ice cold beer I grabbed a big handful of possum.

I'm not a squeamish man but I'm not ashamed to say I about jumped out of my pant.

After I composed myself I gave the box a kick and he scurried under the house.

On further inspection he had bitten through and drained three beer cans and drained them dry.

That was the final straw, needless to say his lifespan was very short after that incident...
Click to expand...

I just had a talk with my oldest daughter and from what she says odd squirrel encounters are up in NH and It’s been all over the local news (not watched by me). The explanation is, the nut bearing trees went into overdrive the past two seasons but this year very little. The squirrels doing what rodents do with lots of food around had more babies and now there isn’t enough food to support the population. This would explain why they are so bold, there starving.
 
Yep, the squirrel was looking for food. Squirrels will get into your garage, attic, anywhere they can. We don't see many at our house, but my daughter (with the farmhouse) has big oak trees, so very large Western Silver-Grays live there. I once enjoyed watching one squabble with a Blue Jay.
 
I have a lot of these stories, a mouse named Gerald (after the Floyd song) who I used to feed pot seeds to, a woodchuck that road into town in the engine compartment of my Jeep and chewed up a bunch of wiring while my girlfriend was at work, we have a grouse up here on the ridge that will come and play with you like a puppy, he is attracted to the sound of a four wheeler and will follow you around. Just to name a few...
 
Kal'Stang said:
Yes, someone's been feeding it. Happened twice to my mom over the years. 1st time we were camping and she would feed this chipmunk chips. She stopped doing it after it ran up her leg. 2nd time was with a couple of mice at a cement figurine store that her and my dad were running. She'd feed the mice..same thing happened, one of them ran up her leg. She stopped feeding it. It was hilarious both times. :D
Click to expand...


I’m no stranger with rodents or animal interaction, I have an off grid fishing cabin tucked back in the mountains and this wasn’t normal even for an Urban Squirrel, It followed me and attempted to get into my vehicle, that’s bold. I feel sort of bad now knowing it was a population spike with the two season increase with the nut bearing trees and that increased offspring is now starving.
 
Rosie1 said:
Yep, the squirrel was looking for food. Squirrels will get into your garage, attic, anywhere they can. We don't see many at our house, but my daughter (with the farmhouse) has big oak trees, so very large Western Silver-Grays live there. I once enjoyed watching one squabble with a Blue Jay.
Click to expand...

Blue Jays are very smart - and devious. More than once I've seen them lure a cat up a tree - and when the cat is high enough to not just jump down - nor dare let go of the tree - the Jay will repeatedly dive bomb his head with its beak mercilessly. They are a beautiful bird, but I HATE how they sound - loud and awful scream.
 
joko104 said:
Squirrels are very curious and fascinating critters. We feed dozens of them every day. When a squirrel learns people equal food, they will increasingly become closer and even come to be waiting for you. Sometimes one or another will be impatient and have climbed on the porch screen waiting as if to say "where's the food!"

Squirrels also have a very good sense of smell. So probably that squirrel found some food in a vehicle one time, is hungry even if plump and equates people with food, or it could just be you smell like a nut. :lol:
Click to expand...

I like squirrels, groundhogs and all the other wildlife nearby. I don't generally have a problem with any of them, and I buy loose bulk, unshelled peanuts from the grocery store for them. When a developer removed all the trees from behind my mother's house, along with a squirrel's home inside one of those trees, I bought lumber and built a nest box and installed it on a tree in the neighbor's property. There's no real reason for people to dislike squirrels.
 
joko104 said:
Squirrels are very curious and fascinating critters. We feed dozens of them every day. When a squirrel learns people equal food, they will increasingly become closer and even come to be waiting for you. Sometimes one or another will be impatient and have climbed on the porch screen waiting as if to say "where's the food!"

Squirrels also have a very good sense of smell. So probably that squirrel found some food in a vehicle one time, is hungry even if plump and equates people with food, or it could just be you smell like a nut. :lol:
Click to expand...

Yeah, they figure out the difference between a threat animal(house cats etc) versus non-threat animals(most humans) VERY quickly. That's why you'll hear them 'barking' at cats anytime they are nearby. Yet they see humans around all the time, but never offer any vocal complaints!
 
joko104 said:
Blue Jays are very smart - and devious. More than once I've seen them lure a cat up a tree - and when the cat is high enough to not just jump down - nor dare let go of the tree - the Jay will repeatedly dive bomb his head with its beak mercilessly. They are a beautiful bird, but I HATE how they sound - loud and awful scream.
Click to expand...

Same with other jay-related birds like crows, magpies and ravens. We only have crows and blue jays, but they are obviously intelligent. So much for all that "bird-brain" nonsense we used to hear as a way to make the point that birds are dumb. I'm tired of hearing people claim that brain size is always the main determining factor in intelligence. I saved a very small jumping spider from the impending frost temperatures last night. There is very little room in that tiny spider for a large brain, yet they are fairly intelligent. People used to say the same about computers, back when a warehouse sized computer had less storage and less processing power than a modern laptop. But we simply miniaturized every aspect of the old computers. Well, obviously many animals and insects have miniturized versions of every anatomical part. So why can't the brain be miniaturized?
 
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