Trap and Release

Last Saturday I sent out an e-mail about a bothersome squirrel, here is that story...

Today we caught the squirrel.  We have been having a squirrel that lives in our neighbors back yard under their shed.  It has been eating our garden and our chickens food.  So, today the chicken kept coming to our back door.  I think they were asking for water.  But, when Pa and I went out to find out what the chicks were asking for, we found the squirrel filling her cheeks with the chickens food.  So I told Pa that is was in the coop. Pa walked up and closed the door to the coop... then the question... Now what???  We unstapled a portion of the chicken wire and put a box with a small opening up to the side of the coop and with a lot of coaxing the squirrel finally got into the box.  We taped it up and took it to the park which is about a mile to a mile in a half away.  There are a lot of squirrels that live in that area.  We hope it doesn't come back!

So, that was Saturday.  Monday I noticed a squirrel tail in the chicken coop.  Ahhh, the squirrel we released was a mom!  Now we have 3 babies to catch.  

Here we are on Wednesday.  Pa made a trap, pictured below.  One of those babies just couldn't resist the cheerios.  So, we packed it up, ran over to the park.  

Unfortunately, that one must have gotten too scared, it gave up the ghost.  Will make a good lunch for a snake. - Ma

I procrastinated catching those squirrels for so long. Finally I decided to make my own trap after catching the first squirrel. The trap was modeled after a small bird trap in my copy of SAS Survival Handbook by John "Lofty" Wiseman. A very good survival book. Next time I will poke holes in the top of the cardboard. Perhaps then the squirrel will not be as frightened. We were very gentle with it.  - Pa