Author Topic: falling squirrels?? (Read 1672 times)

toecutter · « **on:** October 31, 2005, 06:39:36 AM »

Anyone ever see a squirrel fall? As I was getting way too familiar with the local squirrel population this weekend, I got to thinking that with all the chasing, fighting, and leaping from tall branches that we see, I've never seen one fall! I did get to see some deer, a coyote, and a wood turtle, but the sheer volume of squirrels got me wondering. Any personal experience in this area??

Swamp Fox · « **Reply #1 on:** October 31, 2005, 08:43:23 AM »

I've seen it twice.
Well, I guess I saw it once and jumped out of my skin once when it fell and lande about 3 feet behind me.

VTDW · « **Reply #2 on:** October 31, 2005, 11:26:39 AM »

I have a good population of squirrels in my neighboorhood and live on a nicely wooded acre. I have seen a couple of them fall. They seem quite embarrassed as they look around. :oops:

Dave

Brett · « **Reply #3 on:** October 31, 2005, 11:28:35 AM »

Yep, I've seen them fall a few times. Had one fall off a telephone wire right in front of my truck once while I was headed down the road. Talk about hitting the ground running.

Also have seen them fall out of the trees while in the woods on a couple of occasions. I think they were youngsters playing. Doesn't seem to phase then.

CEJ1895 · « **Reply #4 on:** November 01, 2005, 02:06:48 AM »

Me too... I was walking to work one morning and saw two squirrels madly falling/diving out of an oak tree to avoid a hawk that was trying to make them breakfast!! I watched them for 15 minutes hiding from that hawk underneath the cars in the parking lot. He didn't get his breakfast that morning... CEJ...

gino · « **Reply #5 on:** November 01, 2005, 03:32:03 AM »

Back in the 80s my alternate daughter (long story) and I were canoeing on the Spoon river. We were on a stretch of river with trees on both banks reaching to the center of the river. I saw a squirrel running out on a branch overhanging the river so I pointed my index finger at him and said "Bang!". The squirrel came tumbling down off the branch & landed in the river. Alternate daughter was screaming' "Mr. Chip (another long story), YOU KILLED HIM!!!" I had 2 questions answered that day: #1 yes, squirrels DO fall out of trees. #2 yes, squirrels can swim!
gino

Cookiemann · « **Reply #6 on:** November 12, 2005, 02:56:26 AM »

Yes, I too, have seen them fall. Leaping from tree to tree, usually just ahead of my last shot of the air rifle. They destroyed some cushions on my deck chairs for bedding in their nest. You guessed it, THE WAR WAS ON!
I have discoverd that the 5gal. paid tric on the bird feeder pole really works. YIPPEE-YIPPEE The plans are already rollin' in my head for a couple more bird feeders that are SQUIRREL PROOF.

Brett · « **Reply #7 on:** November 12, 2005, 06:26:50 AM »

Speaking of critters falling from trees. Once while on a camping trip we heard something crashing threw the branches of a nearby tree then a load thud as something pretty heavy sounding hit the ground. When my buddy and I went to investigate we found one very large, very dazed opossum on the ground. :shock:

toecutter · « **Reply #8 on:** November 12, 2005, 12:10:45 PM »

I was kinda hoping that after posting this I would miraculously see a squirrel fall, but nearly 2 weeks in, I have yet to see one even slip. Today they were doing even more spectacular things than usual, and despite all my hoping, they seemed only to become more bold. Oh well!

Brett · « **Reply #9 on:** November 12, 2005, 01:03:12 PM »

Sounds like you need to help them out a little in the falling department, if'n you catch my drift. :wink:

toecutter · « **Reply #10 on:** November 13, 2005, 11:15:55 AM »

Amen to that, much more of this all squirrel /deer free hunting and I'm liable to give one of these little buggers a "push".

Brett · « **Reply #11 on:** November 13, 2005, 04:24:48 PM »

Ever get set up on your tree stand and have one of them tree rats park himself on an adjacent tree and bark a danger call, non stop, for an hour or so? :twisted:

Ever blast a tree rat to kingdom-come with a 12 ga slug.? :mrgreen:

toecutter · « **Reply #12 on:** November 14, 2005, 06:22:48 AM »

Squirrels and chipmunks both, never shot one with a slug though (but at $2 a pop for slugs, I might just try the .45LC instead!!)

BeanMan · « **Reply #13 on:** November 14, 2005, 08:32:01 AM »

I once watched a momma black bear go up a Douglas Fir tree and then fall when a limb she was on broke. She was about 50 feet up. She bounced off of a bunch of limbs on the way down . When it hit she made a Ummpph noise and climbed back up with her cubs.

beanman

toecutter · « **Reply #14 on:** November 14, 2005, 08:50:00 AM »

That's pretty cool...those things are built like tanks!!!

Leverdude · « **Reply #15 on:** November 14, 2005, 03:49:19 PM »

Quote from: Brett

Ever get set up on your tree stand and have one of them tree rats park himself on an adjacent tree and bark a danger call, non stop, for an hour or so? :twisted:

Ever blast a tree rat to kingdom-come with a 12 ga slug.? :mrgreen:

Had one cross over to my tree a couple weeks back. He got in the tree way up top. Its a pretty big tulip tree, probly 90 or 100 feet tall & he came barreling down & stopped 5 or 6 feet above me & started into barking & whatnot for a few minutes. I guess he figured I wasn't gonna move so went back the way he came.

AndyHass · « **Reply #16 on:** November 22, 2005, 12:57:12 PM »

Once while out for a run in the suburbs I scared a young squirrel, which ran down the sidewalk in front of me and leapt for a sign pole to try and climb and escape. Obviously a squirrel can not climb a round metal pole, and it slid 4 feet down fireman-style and landed on its butt. Hilarious.

PEPAW · « **Reply #17 on:** November 30, 2005, 05:49:10 AM »

As a matter of fact, just this weekend. He was climbing a dead limb and both came down. Soft sand from 15 feet and he just scampered up the next.
Like the other poster, I was fishing one day on the Trinity River and watched a squirrel fall into the water. Barely hit the water before he swam and scrambled up the bank.
Down where we hunt if the squirrels starts barking, it definitely means something is coming. Could be only a coyote or bobcat, but it might be a buck chasing does. I love the early warnings!
pepaw

Tn Jim · « **Reply #18 on:** December 01, 2005, 03:54:37 PM »

Only once when I was about 16 or 17. Was out in the woods and caught movement and looked up to see a big grey in full freefall about 35 or so feet up. Hit the ground and bounced then took off at full throttle.

Land_Owner · « **Reply #19 on:** December 02, 2005, 12:36:18 PM »

Stand hunting is great isn't it? You are afforded the opportunity to watch wildlife in their natural state. I watched a young squirrel gauge the distance between his limb and some grape vines 15 feet away in another tree. He backed up, took off running, made the leap and missed by 6 inches to fall into the leaf litter 35 feet below. Thinking he had just busted his ass and would then climb the tree into which he intended to go, I was surprised when he reclimbed the original tree, regauged the distance, backed up and tried again. He missed again but by just a whisker. This was repeated a total of 3 times until the distance was correctly judged and the jump made. So much for a 35 foot fall for a squirrel. That would have killed me the first time.

This Sunday evening past, my 10 Y.O. and I heard the little girl squirrel in the tree next to us fall and hit the ground with a hard THUMP from 15 feet up. She apparently was not hurt as she scampered back up into the branches. What she had been doing we do not know. It is certain that she has accepted us, and her new boyfriend too, as they traverse the branch directly behind and above us with regularity.

Fair Chase,

Land Owner

Ranger J · « **Reply #20 on:** January 06, 2006, 10:07:24 AM »

I have had them come running up a tree and stop about six inches from my foot and realize something was just not right. Then when they suddenly realize what you are you can almost see them blush in embarrassment.
When hunting among the rivernut trees down in the bottoms I have come across a tree heavily Â‘infestedÂ’ with grays and at the first shot have the survivors bail out thirty or more feet high and hit the ground running. Can't say I have ever seen one accidently fall though.
RJ

GRIMJIM · « **Reply #21 on:** February 12, 2006, 11:47:21 AM »

I WAS IN A TREE SAND ONCE AND HEARD SOMETHING ABOVE ME. I LOOKED UP AND THERE WAS A HUGE FOX SQUIRREL ABOUT 12 INCHES FROM ME. I DON'T KNOW WHICH OF US JUMPED MORE. BUT I KNOW THAT LITTLER BUGGER WAS PRETTY MAD AS HE SAT IN THE NEXT TREE AND BARKED AT ME FOR HALF AN HOUR!