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Emssiee
11-24-2017, 06:10 PM
Hi everyone,

I’ve recently released my Adam, who lived in her RC on my backyard for about 2 months. I built her a nestbox which I put high up in my tree. The thing is, I don’t think she knows where is home.. The times that I got to see her and interact with her and feed her is because I walk to the little path behind my house and neighbours houses, and call her name for about 5 mins and she then eventually shows up. Since I’ve released her, she never actually came to my home, where the RC is, nestbox etc. I’m sure she would love to know that she has an insulated nestbox waiting for her in my tree, which she never actually got to see.. The day of the release, I thought she’d go up on my tree and find it, but the second she got out she actually chose to go on the fence and explored the neighbours yard and then found the path and adventured herself in the trees there. I’m just thinking since she didn’t get to venture on my yard, maybe she didn’t register the location in the moment of processing being free?

I tried to attract her by leaving food in her RC, but other squirels would come and take it all. So I stopped leaving food. I also put some of her bedding with her scent in the nestbox and attached a few fleece pieces on the branches of the tree to hopefully attract her from the smell. Every time we meet I try to stand closer and closer to my home to attract her that way but the fence on which she comes from ends half way so she doesn’t really come further than that. I also tried to have her stay on me to hopefully walk with her to there but unless I’m sitting on the ground she won’t stay on me. I really don’t know what to do anymore, this is so frustrating because I’m convinced she doesn’t know and I would love for her to move into the nestbox and be around for me to feed her.. How far can they actually trace smell? Where we meet is actually just a few houses from my house, can she smell her scent this far? I was thinking maybe I do some sort of Hansel & Gretel path with her fleece from the fence she comes from to my yard/her RC but that’s a bit intense lol.. All the neighbours are already worried to why there’s a random girl coming everyday behind their houses and talking to herself out loud.. Ugh.. Any ideas?

HRT4SQRLS
11-24-2017, 07:57 PM
I'm sorry this is frustrating you. To be honest with you, it's a situation you might have to live with. I feel confident that she knows where her 'home' is. She just chooses to not go there. It's not personal. It's just a 'squirrel thing'. The problem is that you and Adam have a difference of opinion as to where 'home' is. You think it's in your yard in a carefully planned release cage and/or nest box. Her opinion is quite different. To Adam her home is the trees. She has made a choice and unfortunately it's not what you had planned.

I have 2 very dear releases. Neither one of them lives in my yard. There are nest boxes and food in abundance but they have both decided they would rather live in a drey in the trees on my nieces property. They will visit me occasionally but neither one will come at my beckoning. It can literally be weeks between visits. Dixie just returned after being gone for 7 weeks. I had to come to peace with this. I cherish our visits but I have had to accept that she has chosen a different path than what I would have planned. Although my love is still strong and I do worry about them, my consolation is that they are free and they are living life on their terms. It's the reason I gave them their freedom so I'm at peace. I hope you can find that peace also.

My only suggestion would be to stand in your own yard and bang hard shell nuts together. Sometimes they recognize this and will respond but no promises....

Emssiee
11-24-2017, 08:21 PM
Thank you for your reply. I do want her to have the freedom of choosing where is ‘home’, I just thought it was strange that she never came here. I do feel responsible to feed her throughout this winter as the release was made very late in the fall, but I unfortunately won’t be able to go call her name behind my neighbours homes any much longer.. It would also make me feel better that she actually see the nestbox at least once, if she decides after that to stay where she is and not move in the box then I’ll accept that. Id like for her to make that choice, but she doesn’t even know about it.

That’s very interesting because I’ve done this two times (banging the nuts together) without knowing it was a ’thing’. Those two times I was called her name for a few minutes without any signs of her, so out of boredom I believe (or instinct haha) I banged the nuts that I had in my hands while calling her name again and she showed up. Thank you, I will try doing this from my yard. I’m just not sure if my yard is too far for her to hear or smell ? That’s why I was wondering what distance they are actually able to retrace smell?

HRT4SQRLS
11-24-2017, 08:28 PM
Thank you for your reply. I do want her to have the freedom of choosing where is ‘home’, I just thought it was strange that she never came here. I do feel responsible to feed her throughout this winter as the release was made very late in the fall, but I unfortunately won’t be able to go call her name behind my neighbours homes any much longer.. It would also make me feel better that she actually see the nestbox at least once, if she decides after that to stay where she is and not move in the box then I’ll accept that. Id like for her to make that choice, but she doesn’t even know about it.

That’s very interesting because I’ve done this two times (banging the nuts together) without knowing it was a ’thing’. Those two times I was called her name for a few minutes without any signs of her, so out of boredom I believe (or instinct haha) I banged the nuts that I had in my hands while calling her name again and she showed up. Thank you, I will try doing this from my yard. I’m just not sure if my yard is too far for her to hear or smell ? That’s why I was wondering what distance they are actually able to retrace smell?


I can't give you exact distance on this but I did read that a squirrel can locate a nut under a foot of snow so that makes be know that their sense of smell is very keen. Another reason is that you NEVER walk into a room with a 'forgotten' nut in your pocket. You might not remember it being there but they sure know and they will bite the crap outta you as they go for it. :)

Mel1959
11-24-2017, 10:32 PM
I have heard that a study was done once to determine the distance necessary to move a squirrel from its location to another location. The answer was 12 miles. Squirrels that were relocated less than 12 miles from home found their way back home.

Snicker Bar
11-25-2017, 11:18 AM
Been following this story, and I applaud your dedication to your friend, and strength to let her be free. I'm not a "real" rehabber, just a person who ended up with three variously disabled greys lol. But now, I do find myself with two "normal" flyer babies that should be released this Spring (too late, cold here now .) Your story is tough to read for me, but a good reminder that if others can do it, so should I when the time comes! Hang in there, so glad that you have had some sightings ��!

Btw those studies are amazing!! 12 miles, wow! Animals never cease to amaze me

Diggie's Friend
11-25-2017, 11:48 AM
I have heard that a study was done once to determine the distance necessary to move a squirrel from its location to another location. The answer was 12 miles. Squirrels that were relocated less than 12 miles from home found their way back home.

Hard to say how far. Males tend to have a territory of about 4 mile diameter, 2 miles distance in any direction. A habitat that provides both a ready water source and seasonally available food sources is what they need and where they likely will set up their digs.

I know of a red squirrel that was moved at least ten miles, that returned; yet a couple of male fox squirrels were moved no more than 2 miles that didn't return. I believe it was the habitat that they were moved to that have allot of of cover from mature bushes and fruit trees, with low and slow traffic from the narrow winding streets. There, along with others of their kind, they had had more enough food and water sources, and territory to thrive.