soft release..

[Zoes Mama]

my little Zoe Bug is turning 8 months. I wanted to know when the right time is to start a soft release? I would love more then ever to keep her forever, but lately all she wants to do is try and find ways outside. I dont know what to do in this situation. I lover her to pieces and I dont want to do anything to hurt her. Im worried if i do the release that she will not make it, and that would break my heart! But on the other hand I dont want to keep her from being free. Im confused on what I should do at this point..any input would be great

[SammysMom]

Has spring arrived where you are? Now is probably the right time to begin the process. Do you have a large, safe, release cage?

[Zoes Mama]

yes spring is starting to come around. I plan to build a big one in a couple weeks. Just want to make sure im doing whats right for my little gal :)

[Zoes Mama]

I just want to know if I will be able to keep an eye on her to make sure she is doing ok, or if she will leave and I wont see her again. This little girl stole my heart and I need to know she will be fine, because if she doesnt do well I would want to bring her back in with me

[Annabelle's papa]

I just want to know if I will be able to keep an eye on her to make sure she is doing ok, or if she will leave and I wont see her again. This little girl stole my heart and I need to know she will be fine, because if she doesnt do well I would want to bring her back in with me

:) Amen Zoes Mama Bless Your Heart, will you be able to release on your own property or in your neighborhood. Most likely your Lil' Girl will always be around after you release Her, there are several active threads on the Board right now which validate this fact. Of course they can and occasionally will disappear for uncertain periods of time, sometimes for a few days or weeks, however some members have had their releases return after being absent for six months and longer.:great Many never venture very far from their hoomins' at all, and some come right to the door when they need medical attention, it's uncanny to say the least considering they are Wild Animals.:tilt

[Mommaluvy]

I see 4 of my 8 on a DAILY basis. One has a funny shaped nose ( Pepita) the ohter has an odd tail tip ( Pruney ) and Hickory has white rings around her eyes and muzzle. Sunshine has a funny body shape.

Mostly they remind me that I have not filled the out door feeder. They climb up on my deck and hang from the window screens and pee on my door/kitchen window. It is sorta historically funny.

I like to think I see the others.. but the males are more standoffish here at my place. And they start looking alike to me. Pip ( the sliver guy in my avatar ) lost his silver fur and turned brown like the others. I could only id him till about November.. But I do have two males that will come up on my back deck.. they just don't come up on the widow and pee..

One thing you will want to do is acclimate to the temps once spring has sprung....before the soft release cage. I did this by putting the cage out in a shaded protected area from dawn to midnight.. for about 2 weeks.. Then another 2-4 weeks of 24-7 time in the outdoor release cage.

[pjjere]

Hey Zoe's Mom, yes now comes the hard part but as far as i am concerned if Zoe is a healthy, normal squirrel then she should have the life she was meant to live. The hard thing is that life is often rough and full of peril. We have only released one squirrel (named Nutkin) although we are preparing to release 2 more after about a month in the release cage. We are pretty certain the wilds near Nutkin's release cage pushed her about 100 yards down the treeline as we see her over there from time to time. It is hard on the heart to let one of these sweet little fuzzbutts that you have raised out into the wild but I must say when Nutkin hit the trees for the first time she was obviously overjoyed! She had so much fun and as far as we know she is still good (we don't see her very often).

A couple of tips that may help:

1.Make SURE that your release cage area is safe from predators. The one thing that would be really hard to deal with would be if Zoe was injured or killed by a coon, cat, etc. while trapped in a cage that you put her in! Not trying to scare you but we actually put a wire perimeter (2X3 welded wire) around her release cage area so we knew nothing could get in there and grab her through the cage bars.

2. Put a nestbox (one that can be fastened to a nearby tree) in her RC with her. Then on release day screw it up on a nearby tree and help Zoe find it (she probably will on her own) after she is released.

3. When we released Nutkin I literally stayed with her all day armed with water, treats and a pair of binoculars. i was determined to do everything in my power to help her have one safe day in the trees!

4. Make sure Zoe has a way to get back in her RC (but not big enough for a predator) as she may return for a while. Our squirrel Nutkin never came back to her RC as far as I know.

5. Try to prepare yourself for the possibility that she may travel far enough away from her RC that you may never see her again and that this is not necessarily a bad thing (although hard on the heart)

Here is a link to Nutkin's release thread. You can do this and you are doing the right thing!

http://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/showthread.php?46479-Nutkin-is-in-the-trees!&highlight=nutkin+is+in+the+trees

[Zoes Mama]

I know the joy it will bring to see her in the trees for the first time. And I know shes waiting for the day to take that run and have fun. But i tear up just thinking about letting her go. I have grown sooo attached to my silly little Zoe bug. I have studied up good on the release part. But alot of them say I shouldnt have contact with her when I first put her outside in the cage for a week or 2, only when I feed and water her. Is this correct?? I dont know if I would handle that well if she reaches for me and I have to ignore her..it would kill me to do that.

[Zoes Mama]

My other worry is when winter comes back around. I will worry she is cold or hungry..I getting anxiety thinking about all these things. I love her to pieces and couldnt stand to think she was out there cold and hungry. Am I being silly??

[HRT4SQRLS]

Zoes Mama
I think the particulars regarding release vary from location to location. If you live in a densely populated area like a subdivision it is in Zoe's best interest to NOT be people friendly. If you have close neighbors you do NOT want her to climb on the neighbors. This would be very dangerous for her as she would likely be injured or even killed by people that deem her a nuisance or a threat. Actually I don't think releasing in a subdivision is a good idea, period.

If you live in a rural area or area without close neighbors and plenty of trees you can release without those fears. I release in my yard. I only have two neighbors and one of those is family. I did not ignore, shun, isolate or push away their affections. For my releases the only thing that changed was that they were outside, in a release cage and I didn't handle them anymore. I really couldn't without risking a premature escape.

Only one of my releases has chosen to stay friendly with me. The rest went to the trees. I'm sure they are still there ... free and happy. :tilt Susie was a singleton that was overwintered so she was with me the longest. I learned a lot from her. I hope to never overwinter a singleton again. They really do need a friend, especially when staying for the winter. She is more attached. She visits me almost daily. If I call her she will come. Zoe will probably do the same.

I'm not a rehabber ... just a person who has raised and released a few so I'm sure my methods are not 'by the book' but it works for me AND my location. If Susie was in a populated area, I'm sure WE would have problems. :shakehead

As far as worrying about her, I think that's pretty normal. You won't be able to protect her but she will be living the life that God and nature intended for her. Will she get cold ... maybe, but squirrels live outside in trees. That's their life. :tilt Will she be hungry ... maybe, but I doubt it as long as you are around. :tilt Susie comes for treats daily. She will even follow me into the kitchen or ride in on my shoulder. Is she a 'by the book' release ... NO, but it works for us. Just sayin'! :tilt

[Zoes Mama]

HRTS4SQRLS..Thank you for the input :) I live in a neighborhood, but behind my place is woods. I think she will do great in them. Lots of space to run and I can keep an eye on her. And yes i think your right. What ever works for you and your little fur babies then its just fine :) So I can still have contact with her when I put her in the outside cage, just not cuddles and kisses??:glomp

[Zoes Mama]

When I build her nest box, is it ok to put her fuzzy blanket and her little stuffy in it for her? I figure it will be ok because it has her scent on it? Then she will know for sure it is her home? Yes my little fur Baby has her own blanky and stuffy :)

[HRT4SQRLS]

I would probably hold off on the kisses and cuddles. :grin2 I would let her set the limits for your relationship BUT I do want you to know that it WILL change when she lives free in the trees. Having woods behind your house is great. Just make sure she doesn't visit the neighbors.

You can put her blanky and stuff in her nest box but I would be prepared to remove it at some point. Cloth can and will hold moisture and moisture sets up mold. You don't want her living in a nest box of mold. When I first started, I didn't know better so I did put some fleece in the boxes. BIG MISTAKE! The boxes were taken over by carpenter ants and the squirrels moved out. So, as a general rule material in outside boxes is a bad idea but for a short time, I'm sure it's OK. :thumbsup

[Spanky]

When I build her nest box, is it ok to put her fuzzy blanket and her little stuffy in it for her? I figure it will be ok because it has her scent on it? Then she will know for sure it is her home? Yes my little fur Baby has her own blanky and stuffy :)

Maybe you could leave the fuzzy blanket and stuffy in her release cage and let Zoe decide if she wants to take to the nest box? I would worry about the stuffy retaining water and getting moldy in the box. If the box is empty, she'll have to put something in there to make it comfy?! My releases, especially the girls, are always in a hurry to start building, rehabbing a nest or outfitting their box with nesting material. I have had them spend days building a nest... coming back to the release cage each night and only after they finish their new home stop coming back to the release cage!

I used to place fleece in the outdoor boxes but I stopped doing that; the fuzz-butts eventually threw it out onto the ground.

We are rural and have released a few squirrels. I have only 1 neighbor and we have had conversations about my squirrelly friends. Their grandkids come over on occasion when they visit to see and feed the squirrels.

We see the very first one we released (Sandy) literally every day and we actually got to share in her raising a family of 3 babies last summer!!! The released boys come and go.. and are gone for months at a time! Our most recent release from last spring (Sadie) was missing for almost 5 months then came back most every day for over a month.. and now its been 2 weeks since I have seen her. The boys are much less reliable... can see them every day for a week and then not for months!

If you release her and still see her regularly you will be very blessed and have the best of both worlds!!! :thumbsup

[pjjere]

When we moved Nutkin to her RC we started to introduce more wild foods that we found near the RC area and there was naturally less interaction with her because she was outside. We made the mistake of putting fleece in her nestbox but she (or another squirrel) pulled it out in short order and we did not have any ant issues. We live in an area with lots of trees and not many close neighbors.

[kcassidy]

I release a couple of different ways, groups of babies I put out in the release cage for minimum 2 weeks, sometimes up to 4. Once I open the door I keep it stocked with food and water for at least another month and then the rest of the year I keep at least seeds and nuts.

If I have Singletons or over winters, I start letting them out the back door in the AM and bring them back in the afternoon. The singletons, I usually take him/her out to a tree while they are on my shoulder and let them climb all over while I wait at the base. They ALWAYS come back to me and in the house we go. In the beginning, they stay out for about 20 - 30 minutes with each day going longer and longer. About 5 - 7 days into this process, they spend their first night outside, while I have a heart failure :) They always come back exhausted and spend the next 1 - 2 nights in the house. Within a week of that first sleep over they move outside permanently of their own volition. They continue thru the summer to come into the house for handouts but by Fall they will not come in the house anymore, but of course are still here asking for handouts at the feeding stations. So far the singletons I released still come back every day and their release dates range from 3 years ago to 2 months ago.

You are doing the right thing letting her go. They are all little ingrates, but she will still remember you as long as you keep food out :D Also, they almost always come back in if they are hurt or sick.

Good luck.

[Zoes Mama]

You all have been awesome! I appreciate all the stories and insight. I know she will be happy outdoors and thats were she belongs. I just have grown so attached to my lil gal I want to know she will be happy and safe outside..I will worry myself sick! I tell ya, us mama squirrels are so protective :grin3

[Zoes Mama]

I wanted to let everyone know that today My Zoe Bug went outside to our single tree in the yard for the first time. I wanted to see how she would react to the outdoors. At first she pancaked on my shoulder, but as we walked to the tree she looks at everyday from her window she got super curious. I let her crawl from my shoulder onto the tree. She sniffed and nibbled, then all of a sudden she was running and climbing. I was almost in tears to see her so happy and free :) HOWEVER I thought I was going to have a coronary..lol She would walk to close to the end of the limbs for my comfort..I was nervous the whole time. She ran and played and chewed for about 40 minutes then when she was tired she climbed back down to me and we came back inside to rest. I needed to relax after this myself! lol:grin2

[HRT4SQRLS]

I wanted to let everyone know that today My Zoe Bug went outside to our single tree in the yard for the first time. I wanted to see how she would react to the outdoors. At first she pancaked on my shoulder, but as we walked to the tree she looks at everyday from her window she got super curious. I let her crawl from my shoulder onto the tree. She sniffed and nibbled, then all of a sudden she was running and climbing. I was almost in tears to see her so happy and free :) HOWEVER I thought I was going to have a coronary..lol She would walk to close to the end of the limbs for my comfort..I was nervous the whole time. She ran and played and chewed for about 40 minutes then when she was tired she climbed back down to me and we came back inside to rest. I needed to relax after this myself! lol:grin2
:grin2 Isn't it the most amazing thing to see them so happy and free!
I have to admit it is stressful but I wouldn't deny them their birthright for anything. Their life is in the trees and that's where they belong. I'm glad it went well today.:)

[Zoes Mama]

me too! yes its was quite amazing to see her be a "squirrel". Excited to let her play again another day. Shes ready to be out there, but I still have to take the steps to do it properly so she will be ok. I just hope when its all done she will come see me :) I know it will be in a different way once she is outdoors, but as long as I get to see her sweet face I'll be a happy mama.