Should I release in winter?

[bamababies]

My two babies will be 12 weeks old right about Christmas, I plan to release them but I am worried about releasing them with the freezing temps. Should I wait til March when there will be more food because we have alot of squirrels around my house and if I put food out for them, I do not know if they will get to eat it.

[kastillo]

You should do a soft release in March. I didn't let mine free till they were 16 or 17 weeks old after they spent 5 weeks in the release cage. If you have a lot of wilds outside, they will need time in the release cage to get used to the wilds and the wilds to get used to them, so the wilds don't run them off when they are free. I live in south Alabama, and I did put mine in the release cage on Oct. 1st. I didn't let them out till election day. So they had time to get acclimated and they still come home and hang out around their r.c. because I still provide them food. If they turned 12 weeks any later, I probably wouldn't have put them out.
Yours will be 12 weeks around Christmas?? I'd keep them just a litter longer. The older they are when you release, the more mature they are, and the better they will do. Just my opinion. :)

[bamababies]

I live in North Alabama, I want these babies to have the best chance to survive so I will wait til March. I see the squirrels around my house chase each other around and tackle not sure if they are fighting or mating, (looks like fighting).

[Saverywood]

You should do a soft release in March. I didn't let mine free till they were 16 or 17 weeks old after they spent 5 weeks in the release cage. If you have a lot of wilds outside, they will need time in the release cage to get used to the wilds and the wilds to get used to them, so the wilds don't run them off when they are free. I live in south Alabama, and I did put mine in the release cage on Oct. 1st. I didn't let them out till election day. So they had time to get acclimated and they still come home and hang out around their r.c. because I still provide them food. If they turned 12 weeks any later, I probably wouldn't have put them out.
Yours will be 12 weeks around Christmas?? I'd keep them just a litter longer. The older they are when you release, the more mature they are, and the better they will do. Just my opinion. :)

:goodpost