Soft release

[Rodney Ro-Dent]

I have 3 squirrels that I got about 6 weeks ago from a wildlife rehab. They are probably about 16 weeks old or so. All are eating well, big and fat etc.
They have been outside in a 7x7x4 cage for the last few weeks. They settled in well, no squealing no drama etc. Wild squirrels have been coming to visit, and the cage is behind my barn at the edge of some woods that are part of a state park.

It's been very warm here, so today after I fed them all, I left the little trap door at the top open for them to start exploring if they wanted. (It's just only a squirrel size door and up very high so other things can't get in there)
I went out to check on them, and they ate all their fruits and veggies that I left them and most of their rodent chow and they are GONE. Yes GONE.
All three of them are gone, even the little chicken one.
I kind of thought that they would be more timid or whatever and hang out close by for a couple days, but I guess not. Is that normal? Will they come back, at least for awhile? I'm ok if they leave and go be big boys, but I want them to be ok.

[psychobird]

they will probably be back at nightfall, go up after dark and close everything up, i betcha in the morning they will be in there.
do you have any squirrel nesting boxes hung up on nearby trees??

[Jackie in Tampa]

boy sqs mess around and play too late sometimes, getting caught out after dark, and sleep on a branch within sight of release cage:shakehead ...
most girls start a nest that first day, or come home on time, curfew!:thumbsup
both will stay around and mooch for awhile.:D
good luck little sqs!:Love_Icon :Love_Icon :Love_Icon
Good job RRD :bowdown



:jump :jump

[Rodney Ro-Dent]

Unfortunately I don't have nest boxes up, too long to go into here but I can't climb a ladder that high and hubby is deployed. However, he is on his way home now for the weekend so I plan to send him up the ladder.

Jackie they are all boy squirrels :) I can't help but worry, since we are on the woods I do have a big barn owl, some hawks etc. but the woods that they have gone into are pretty thick as far as flying things. Now snakes is something else...........
I do plan to go out around darkish and feed the horses, close up shop etc.

I guess I just didn't expect them to be quite this brave about it LOL
I thought I might find one of them maybe climbing around outside and the others thinking about it, but they just hauled a#$. Although I did take advantage of the opportunity to clean their nest box and do some tidying in the cage.

I just want them to be ok and grow up to be big healthy squirrels.

[Rodney Ro-Dent]

Hey Jackie, one of this group is the little one that had the pneumonia that I had to get the meds for. Boy that was scary,I was so worried about him

I am so proud of him, that he has survived and gone on to be so healthy. He is also the sweetest, even though I made a point of only going to the cage to feed them etc, if he heard my voice he would stick his head out of the box, and would still take walnuts and watermelon from me.

[Jackie in Tampa]

:rotfl
I told you a month ago:D ...you open that door...and they are released!:D
:poke seeeee! they are...
I will say a quick prayer that the hawks are busy and the owls should be sleeping now! so these crazy kids will be fine...they are happy and free momma sq!:grouphug
Leave them some treats...and if the hole is big enogh for a sq ONLY, I would leave the door open...
The HWH is like Motel 6 and leaves the light on too!:D

[Rodney Ro-Dent]

I guess they are ready. I was a little worried, with winter and all coming and it gets cold here. but I guess they will have time to get set up before it gets cold.

All their food and all is in there, the little door is all the way up in one of the top corners and it's only about 4" sq so I don't think anything else can fit in there. I mean, a snake maybe but I don't think one could get up there over the hardware cloth and all.

I guess I will have to get another squirrel before I go into withdrawl. They are very addicting, and very cool.

I still miss Rodney though

[Rodney Ro-Dent]

Here it is now, it's dark out and squirrel babies still MIA. They are probably fine but I wish they would come home to bed so I don't have to worry about them.

It's 8 pm even though the post says its 559.

[psychobird]

try not to worry to much, they will be around as soon as they are hungry, i don't think i have ever had one beat feet right away.

[Rodney Ro-Dent]

Psychobird, I hope so. I know if they were "wild" they would have a mama to watch over them while they are playing and doing squirrel things and holler if there is trouble.

I know they are squirrels and it is what it is but I can't help but worry about them out there in the open all alone at night. I just checked again and they are not back, but I did hear the owl and some other weird screaming noise. Not like a squirrel noise but like a bigger animal. I am near several large forests, a national forest and a state forest, near the Ga state line so there are all sorts of critters around.

It's great for trailriding and messing with my horses, but not so much with MIA squirrel babies.

[Rodney Ro-Dent]

I just went out to feed the horses (at 6 am) and still no sign of baby squirrels. Fingers crossed that they are ok and will show up later.

[Jackie in Tampa]

I'm waiting with you....

[psychobird]

i said tryyyyy not to worry, i know you will, it's impossible not to, its a dangerous world out there, i worry about every release i do, i still think about ones from years ago and wonder if they are out there and okay.
i still think they will be back and they will hang out for a while till they find thier way in the world.
i'm crossing my fingers you see your boys today

[Rodney Ro-Dent]

Don't worry, I'm not frantic with worry or anything but it would be nice if they would show up. I'm feeling now like I opened the door too soon.

I had to leave early today with the horses, so I fed them at 5 while it was still dark. I checked the cage, and no one was in there or in the nest box.

I checked back later this afternoon and the biggest of the three, Rhett, was in there. I did my usual house keeping and such in there and left. A little while later he was gone and I have not seen the others at all today.

So still crossing fingers that they are ok and finding their way, and not eaten by something.

[psychobird]

they are old enough, i release mine between 12-14 weeks depending on their behavior.
don't forget you gave them their lives and they are out having a flippen blast doing the things squirrels love to do.
keep going with the support feeding move it a little at time closer to your house and you will be able to watch out for them more and see who is coming and going

[Rodney Ro-Dent]

No sign of anyone today, and the fruits, veggies etc that I left this morning are untouched. Also the bedding in the nest box is untouched as well.
I hope they are ok and not someone's dinner, but I guess that's a squirrel's life.

I really can't move it closer to the house, I have 10 dogs that have the run of the place. We have the invisible fence all around the property, and I have the range set so that they can't get within 15' of the squirrel cages. But if I start moving food and stuff closer they will be able to get to the squirrels, plus I will get other critters coming too. Ick.

I just have to hope that they are ok.
Could they get lost and not be able to find their way back? I'm just surprised they were so independent right off the bat, I guess.

[psychobird]

i'm sorry they havn't come back, can you put their food on top on the cage out there, or open the cage more.
they may not want to go back in, keep going with the support feeding

[Rodney Ro-Dent]

Good news!
This morning the biggest oldest one was back again (Rhett) and then this evening the two little ones (Rico and Renny) finally came back. They went into the cage and ate their rat chow, and then grabbed their broccoli and ran off with it. They didn't mind a bit that I was there in the barn watching them.
They hung out and played in the big tree over their cage for a while, I had lots of fun watching them. Rico came the closest to visit me and took a piece of walnut from me. There was another squirrel about the same age as Rico and Renny with them so I guess it's good that they have friends.

I was very glad to see everyone and see that they are ok.

[psychobird]

yipee!!! so happy your boys made an appearance at the very least to ease your mind!

[Jackie in Tampa]

:D sounds like a success!!
:wave123 hello sweet boys!!!

[Rodney Ro-Dent]

yipee!!! so happy your boys made an appearance at the very least to ease your mind!


Yeah me too :) way up in the tree they were playing in there is some kind of nest that they appeared to run up to, so maybe they are staying there.
the big cage is still open and I'm still feeding them, at least until other things start showing up. But I am very relieved they are ok. I've seen some BIG snakes back there.

[Rodney Ro-Dent]

I saw one of my squirrels today :) actually I have seen one visiting every day for the last few days that it has been so cold and storming, but they don't seem to be sleeping in the release cage nest box.
I was beginning to wonder if I had rats going in there since the food was disappearing but lately I have seen a squirrel. I think it's Rico Suave Ro-Dent, the one that was so sick in the beginning with pneumonia that I got the baytril for. He seems to be doing very well, I don't think that I have seen Rhett, the oldest one, or Renny the smaller one. Rico has some pretty distinctive black markings on his face.
But Rico was in and out of there this morning munching the whole time I was in the barn and let me walk up to the cage and talk to him, so I'm pretty sure it was he.
I think next time I go to the grocery store I will get some of those whole walnuts in the shells that I was eyeing the other day, now that I am sure they are visiting again.

[psychobird]

you can pull the food at night, and replace in the morning if you want to avoid feeding the nighttime critters.

[Rodney Ro-Dent]

They seem to be eating almost all the food during the day, he came back again this evening for his dinner while we were in the barn bathing horses etc.
I don't think anything is getting in there now that I am seeing the squirrels regularly, and the door for them is only about 4" square so nothing can really get in there.

[psychobird]

you squirrely's still around?

[Rodney Ro-Dent]

I think so. The food and water are disappearing. No one has been sleeping there.
They seem to visit in the afternoons, and the last few days I have been working then so not sure. But I did see one a few days ago. The biggest one (Rhett) I have only seen once or twice, the one that was so sick (Rico) I see the most, and the smallest one (Renny) I have only seen a couple of times.

I did notice yesterday a couple of rather large size poops (about 2" long and maybe the size of my pinky finger) in there so I might have to start closing the cage since it looks like something is visiting.

that said, I am in squirrel withdrawl and need a baby to take care of if anyone has one. There is definitely a void here without them. Who knew?

thanks for asking about them pb :)

[psychobird]

aww, you can come and pick up all you want from me starting in march,lol
glad your guys make an appearance, always makes me feel better, i wish the 2 i released this fall were a little more independent, the boy hangs on my screen door until i throw out treats, they trained in the tufted titmice cause they now do it also, lol.
i'm trying to work in there and have all these critters staring at me, and the blue jays screaming for peanuts