Help with Buddy's RE-release?

[Buddy'sMom]

For those following "Free At Last" (Gen. Sq. Discussion), you know that Buddy's release is going somewhat in fits-and-starts. THE SHORT VERSION: In release cage 2 weeks. Let out - explored locally a few days, made friends, slept in release cage nestbox; napped in tree nestbox. Disappeared 2 days in bad weather. Reappeared (at the door!) and just wants to eat and play and hang out with B'sDad (who is delighted to comply). Happily ran into release cage to sleep last night. Rain/wind today. So we will try again tomorrow.

I suspect some of the rehabbers have been silently reading and holding their breaths thru all this. If so, please jump right in and offer any suggestions you may have. He NEEDS to be a wild squirrel, not a pet. For him and for us. He seemed to like running around and hanging out in trees and with squirrels. I believe he has the skills to be OK out there (But see note below re predator birds).

We were so worried about him when he left in bad weather and so delighted when he remembered where home and Dad were. Also, wanted to make him feel like he had a nice, safe place to return from his wanderings. But I suspect the welcome was a bit too warm. I will have trouble convincing B'sDad that playtime should stop, but I think that's the right thing to do --???

If he's in the release cage for 36 hrs or so, then let go, might that be enough time for a "fresh start"? I've read more about the ones who leave and don't look back or come back after while but just for casual visits. Are there also squirrels that take release in a few stages? Come back a few times to be babies again before they are ready to grow up?

Any suggestions on how to prevent him from running to and following BD every time he leaves the house? I'm now recalling reading a suggestion to clap, yell or make noises to scare them away. I guess that's the answer but don't know how I can convince BD to do that. It will be cruelly hard for him to scare Buddy off. Very "tough love" for both of them.

I am hoping he will be eager to get out and explore by tomorrow, but any suggestions on how to encourage that would be appreciated.

Note: We have eagles around and some kind of hawks. The eagles recently had seemed to disappear but at least one is back and we've seen it swooping surprisingly near the maple tree. This am, BD let Buddy out and sat and read the paper w/him near the tree. Buddy suddenly looked toward the front yard and darted to the base of the tree, but no other alarm behavior that BD noted (but his hearing is bad, so there may have been squirrel alarm noise that he just didn't hear). Then the eagle swooped through the gap between tree and house. So, one more thing to worry about -- does it seem Buddy had enough awareness?

Buddy is back in the release cage and we've agreed it is best for him to hang out there until tomorrow and make a fresh start. Talked about going out BEFORE dawn while he's asleep and opening the door, so BD is not right there when Buddy comes out for breakfast. Sorry this is so loooong. Any advice or suggestions will be welcome. :thankyou

[rippie-n-lilgirlsmom]

Buddysmom, I know you are looking for other responces here so I will keep short. It takes longer to release an "only squirrel", more patience.
You arent doing anything wrong, and be prepared..the day is going to come where he just isnt going to come back to want to have human contact.
Give it more time, squirrels go on their own watch & calendar when they decide they are going..they are gone. Try limiting human contact, holding ect..that may help? Honestly it didnt matter what we did my squirrels decided when they were going & thats when they left. (hubby babied Preston every night I thought I could have a possible problem, but I didnt) I think you will see another week will make a difference. :thumbsup
You are worried when they are gone and concerned when they dont leave..it will come together. Just watch out for the birds in the process.

[Buddy'sMom]

Thanks -- that's my hope, r-n-l. Glad to hear that about Preston; seems he has turned out to be a great wild squirrel. It may well be that none of what we do will actually change how things turn out (I'd LOVE to know that, much less guilt and anguish!! :) ) Also, every squirrel seems to do it differently. But any words-of-wisdom are helpful -- as they have been through all the other stages of this.

[rippie-n-lilgirlsmom]

I complained to Island several times how hubby was handling him to much, babying him, when he took off he never looked back, hubby is still hurt over this:dono :peace
You could let him out today, if you think it will make a difference if it were my option I wouldnt, we are forecasted high wind & heavy rain.. You have everyday after today. Thats up to you he's your boy, & your on the right track.

[Buddy'sMom]

I complained to Island several times how hubby was handling him to much, babying him, when he took off he never looked back, hubby is still hurt over this:dono :peace....

!!!

Strong thunderstorms, damaging winds, 1-2 inches of rain expected. He'll stay put today. Plus, I think being in the release cage a little while would be more of a fresh start, than just let him come out and maybe head right for the workshop door. Weekend won't be quite so warm, but still pretty good weather (50s/30s).

[Somebody's Mother]

if your husband is the one that closes the cage door then someday buddy is going to not want to be around him. anyway i am sure nature will take it's course. who knows by next week there might be that special someone with the beautiful tail and big brown eyes just enticing your boy away from home.
you are doing a great job. i was too nervous to release karen by herself. i was happy to find the rehabber with a litter similiar in age to karen so she could be released together with them.

[Buddy'sMom]

... i was too nervous to release karen by herself. i was happy to find the rehabber with a litter similiar in age to karen so she could be released together with them.
I cried for you when you took karen to the rehabber and wondered how you could do it, but see things in a different light at this point and am thinking that may be the best way after all. (we tried to find a rehabber at the beginning but it got difficult ...AND we got attached...and so we gave up)

[elizalalala]

One thing you can try is keeping him in the release cage for a longer period, maybe 2 weeks, and going out to feed at night when he is asleep so he doesn't see you. The longer period of not seeing a human at all might make him less needy for your attention. It may seem hard, but it could be easier for your husband than the clapping and yelling technique.

[rygel1hardt]

I release all my squirrels right here at home for a reason. I want them to be able to come home at any time if they need a warm nest or food. Mine have never let anyone but me feed them or anything else and dont go up to people so it has never been a concern. Mine are welcome to come home any time they feel the need! When they do come home I will hand them food but usually after a while of being free they prefer that I not pet them so I dont. Stacey

[Gabe]

Buddy's mom, you are doing all the right things. If Buddy wants to come home let him. You have to remember that he was not raised as a rehabbed squirrel (with other squirrels), but more or less as a pet. When this happens we say that you have not raised a squirrel but a dog. That is how Buddy is acting. He loves his Dad, that is who he knows and trusts, he wants to socialize with humans, that is how he was raised. If you scare him off, he may approach another human for food or companionship. People in NY are crazy and would think that he was "not acting normally", and club him, thinking he had rabies. I don't know how they act in your area, but it is a concern here when we release highly human socialized animals.
Now, with that background, you can better understand his behavior. Buddy will come back less and less, let him make the calls. If you think of it as throwing the dog out of the house, and closing the door on him, it will make you see it in a different light. When the hormones kick in, hopefully he will be too busy to think of you, but then, you will be the sad one.

[Somebody's Mother]

I release all my squirrels right here at home for a reason. I want them to be able to come home at any time if they need a warm nest or food. Mine have never let anyone but me feed them or anything else and dont go up to people so it has never been a concern. Mine are welcome to come home any time they feel the need! When they do come home I will hand them food but usually after a while of being free they prefer that I not pet them so I dont. Stacey

well stacey that is grand for you. but i thought that with a single squirrel and so many cats and hawks and cars right here in this area that she would be better off on 96 private acres with 4 other squirrels her own age. safety in numbers as they say. and if you go down to keeper of the wild then you are probably going to see some of the former residents hanging around the grounds. they aren't tossed out and told to never come back. they know that they are safe there. and all the bs about alienating them from humans is just that. janet would never hold back affection for her charges. hers is a work filled with love.
we do the best we can with the information we have to work with. and what i did for karen i did because i loved her. i cared more about her needs than about my own wants. i still cry thinking about and missing her. but i don't cry out of regret.

[Squirlgirl]

Welll...since Buddy's Mom is in Maryland and Keeper of the Wild is in SC, I'm thinking that that is not an option. Stacey is a Rehabber, just like Janet. I also release all my squirrels at home. As rehabbers, we tend to have the environments for proper release. I keep 2 large cages, with nestboxes inside, for those that have an issue. I heavily back up feed and have several water sources available.
Buddy's Mom....single squirrels are more people friendly, obviously. How is Buddy toward strangers??? How large is his release cage? I would keep him in the cage and just go to it to replenish food and water. He will wild up. When you open the door, let him do his "squirrel exploring". Keep his cage available...he may come back for awhile. Eventually, he will hook-up with other squirrels and get the hang of things. He just needs more time than a squirrel that is raised with others...he needs to learn to be a squirrel...AND..trust me...he will learn!!!:thumbsup

[rippie-n-lilgirlsmom]

http://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=3126&stc=1&d=1162659453SG
How large is his release cage? He has all but the kitchen sink & tv in his release cage. Has had the best care imaginable.
Stacey, I love your tactics & concern for your little releases.
Is this little boy spitefull or what!!

[Squirlgirl]

Thanks rnlm!!! Buddy will be fine...he just needs time!! I am so thrilled that people exist out there, that really want to do what's best for our fuzzy friends!! :jump

[Somebody's Mother]

sheesh!! you "rehabbers" make it sound like i was a criminal because i gave a damn about my squirrel. so you guys think it is better to euthanise one than keep it as a pet???
i know that keeper of the wild is in south carolina and is not a viable option for buddy's mom. but i am saying that her concerns are valid. i could never make myself yell or chase my pets away. that would effingly break my heart.

sometimes you find a rehabber or two that are worth their salt. i haven't met many but janet @ kow and gabe on here and the three or five in nc i contacted over the weekend regarding health problems of a squirrel up there and my friends in florida they are worth their salt.

sorry i am not as knowledgeable as the rest of you lovely peeps.
and btw if you look at my original post it mentioned the idea that when the hormones kicked in that buddy would be gone. i just said it in mom terms. see somebody's mother and buddy's mom have something in common. we are moms.


now if my kid was growing up in a gang infested ghetto and i had the opportunity to put him in a better environment i would do so. but that is just me and i don't know anything. *sorry that isn't a smiley to flip you off

[Squerly]

Calm down SM, you’re interpreting some of these posts out of context and consequently reacting too strongly in the process. Let’s all give this thread a rest and take it up again tomorrow.

[Gabe]

I don't think anyone is talking about euthanasia, or did I miss it?
Buddy's Mom, I have received squirrels like buddy many times. Let me tell you, that is not the answer, and I strongly discourage it when people call wanting to bring him to me. I put their poor baby in with other squirrels and he is absolutely terrified! And they hate me, like this is all my fault. It breaks my heart everytime I have to do it. I know you are all not rehabbers, when you ask our advice we try to help. Sometimes the situations that have been created are not the best, but we know that you are all doing everything with the bestest of intentions. No one judges you. There are many threads on the board that I don't read because they make me cringe. :soapbox
Okay, done with that. Please leave buddy where he is, consider quality of life as oppossed to quantity. I'm not saying that the hawk will get him, it may, or it may get a wild. But his happiness must count. If you take him somewhere, it will be like taking a beloved family dog, I know, here I go with the dog again, to another home, just because you live where he may get hit by a car.

[Somebody's Mother]

wow i am bad at this stuff. sorry i didn't realize. well like i said i am stupid. so i think i will sign off of this board before i get some poor innocent squirrel killed. nice talking with you all. (that is sort of a lie, nice talking to most of you)

[Buddy'sMom]

:thankyou Thanks to all of you who have takent the time for observations and suggestions. It's really helpful to get different thoughts and perspectives. Hard to figure out what is "right" and do what's best for the particular squirrel involved (and what the humans can live with, too!). So we appreciate your ideas and experience so we at least are not flying blind through this.

For Squirlgirl's questions:
How is Buddy toward strangers??? Except at the very beginning, we have mostly kept others away from him because we didn't want him to think all humans were his friends. But the few times someone has been nearby he acted frightened and hid (or scurried to Dad's head), for which we were grateful. But we haven't really tested that too much recently.

How large is his release cage? 2x4x6.5 It has a nestbox inside that he is very comfortable with (and a duplicate of that nestbox is in the nearby maple tree -- he has napped up there but chosen to sleep in the one in the release cage at night). As rippie indicated, his release cage is "well appointed" (LOL) -I put my foot down on electricity so, alas, no TV. But it has food tray, eating tray, branches, dirtbox, dangly sock -- and nutbox. :D No kitchen sink as he didn't drink water (tho he recently discovered the fountain in the garden -- not sure if he was drinking, but I saw him wipe his face off so he at least discovered the water!) He spent 2 weeks in it before release -- first week was just nights since it was still in the garage and we wanted him outside during the day (in smaller cage).

Our plan was to keep the release cage in the yard til spring, so he could use it if he wants to. It's a bit more sheltered than the nestbox in the tree and we have wind all winter here.

FYI - he did already sort-of hook up with 2 other squirrels, at least on some of the days he was out. Took them a little while to sort things out, but they did.

Reading and re-reading all the comments, I am getting more comfortable with what we are doing. Just keep getting scared that we should do something else and need a reality check from time to time. TSB guidance and handholding has been wonderful. :) :thankyou

[Mrs. Jack]

Buddy'smom.. it's funny, i worry about taming up my wilds too much and you're worrying about wilding up buddy. but I think they're smarter than both of us.. it's not a bad thing for them to know a place where they can find shelter and food and help should they need it, but their instincts are very very strong I think, in their hearts and mind they are wild squirrels and they'll be true to that pull. I think you're doing great.

[muffinsquirrel]

I have a 2 1/2 year old foxer that we released in spring of 2005. He and his two sisters had been wintered over by another rehabber, and were brought up here for release. The other rehabber is very good, and had kept them pretty wild - the females were sort of friendly (they wouldn't take your arm off if you handed them a pecan) but the male would charge the side of the cage when you walked up to it. He was really wicked! Release day came, and they all hit the trees at a dead run. The females were never seen again - probably still running through the treetops! The male came back to the yard a few times in the next couple of weeks, but we only caught a glimpse of him from a distance. Then one day while DH was out feeding all the outside animals, he felt something tug at his pant leg. Looked down, and there was the foxer now known as Joe Cool. For a moment, DH froze - didn't know whether he was going to be attacked or what. But all Joe wanted was a pecan. Joe is still a regular visitor (all day long) to our home, and prefers his pecans hand fed - he has been known to come inside to get them if we weren't fast enough. Even our 4 year old grandaughter hand feeds him.

BUT - we never try to pet him or pick him up. If he wants to sit on our shoulder, that's fine, and is his idea. And the minute a stranger comes around, Joe is out of there! And doesn't come back until whoever it was is gone.

OK - all this long-winded rambling is just to say, how they are raised is not everything. When they are released, they are going to do whatever they want to. Some stay, some go, but most hang around to eat from the squirrel feeders, at least for a while. The ones you raised from babies, and loved and scratched and petted may leave without a backwards look, and you'll never see them again, much less touch them. And the ones that were raised in all the right ways for rehabbing, and that you dreaded even having to open the cage to put food in for them......well, they can turn out just like Joe Cool! So I don't think there is a 'right way' and a 'wrong way' to treat them - there is just the 'best way' for that particular squirrel. If you've been on TSB for any time at all, you have a good idea of what is needed for them. So if you, and the squirrel, think it is right, then it probably is.

muffinsquirrel

[GhosTS]

Buddy's mom, I don't think you have anything to worry about at this moment.Let him make the choices.They can change alot..overnight.And they can always choose to be around you.If he can defend himself in the wild,and don't run to strangers you dont have to worry.You're his family.Perhaps he likes to vesit home to see mom and dad every once in a while.When he feel like he should go to the wild, he will.What you have to do is to keep his belly full while he is with you.Dont pet him though.He might think he is still a baby..:D

[island rehabber]

Buddy'sMom, I think you've gotten a lot of great advice here and reassuring stories, too. I am just getting on line now after a long day at the hospital with my mother, and to be honest I couldn't quite follow the twists, turns and downright bizzare moments on this thread...forgive me, I'm bleary-eyed. But I sure don't believe I saw anyone saying anything about euthanasia.....????
Anyway, the suggestion that you feed Buddy in the release cage at night so that he no longer responds to either you or your hubby as the Food People is a very good one. I do the same thing once my squirrels go out on the terrace to get their outside fur. The only thing I can add besides this is that it is GOOD for Buddy to be out in bad weather, so long as that weather is not truly dangerous, i.e. ice or a tornado. But pouring rain and wind -- he needs to get used to it. He WILL get used to it, and it is never as terrifying and unpleasant to squirrels as it is for us. We all need to try not to project our own human, furless, house-protected fears onto our squirrels who were created to live in the elements. You're doing the right thing, and I would ease up a little bit on torturing yourself with "what-ifs". :):peace

[Buddy'sMom]

We've read and re-read all your suggestions and really appreciate them. Buddy's now had his breakfast and is out and about (disappeared around the garage so we don't know exactly where he is exploring). I'll continue his release saga on the "Free at last" thread. Thanks again!

BTW - Squirlgirl, you mentioned "I heavily back up feed and have several water sources available." --- for how long after release do you do this? After the first week or two, how often do you put fresh food out? What do squirrels do about water in the winter?

[elizalalala]

I just wanted to say thanks for starting this thread and thanks to everyone who replied! It was helpful and interesting to hear varying methods of raising and releasing squirrels. I think as long as you end up with a healthy happy squirrel in the end, you've done a good job!

On supplemental food after the release... most of us want to do it year round so we keep getting to see our "babies". :) But as far as what they need, if you do a late season release it is a good idea to leave food out for them until the weather warms up again, since they won't have had time to stock up their buried stores for the winter.

[rippie-n-lilgirlsmom]

if you do a late season release it is a good idea to leave food out for them until the weather warms up again, since they won't have had time to stock up their buried stores for the winter.
very good idea!