1st soft release -- questions

[pepina]

Hello, I know it's been quite a while since I've posted, but finally doing my first release of two rehabbed sisters after getting lots of great tips from TSB! Apologies if this has been covered but I couldn't find anything answering my specific questions and I'm sure some of you have some insight.

1. For the first 3 days, they returned to their release cage (around 8:00 or 8:30), then I locked them up for the night and opened up the door in the morning. On the 4th night, no squirrels returned! So I figured they had found themselves a new nest. But then on the 5th night, they came back to the cage. Next night, they didn't come back. Then they did come back the night after that. Is this normal??

2. I noticed they've been coming back fairly often during the day and tapping on the windows begging for food. I've been obliging but should I stop at a certain point to encourage them to find their own food? Not that I mind seeing them and giving them some snacks! Still hard to imagine how they would figure out how to find water but I guess they must have some instincts for that...

Thanks!

[Mel1959]

Hi there and congratulations on your first release!

How old were they when you released them? How long did you have them in the release cage before you opened the portal?

Yes, it’s normal for them to come some nights and maybe not other nights. It could be that it got dark and they were too far away to get home safely. I actually provide 2 nest boxes in the release cage and then move one out and up in a close by tree when I release. That way they have somewhere safe to go whether out or in the RC.

Most folks continue to provide food and water in the release cage for a couple of weeks (some may do longer or shorter time) after release. This way they have access to healthy food as they are learning how to forage. I still offer food to the wilds and my releases and we have a water bottle and bowl of water at the feeding station on an oak tree. I have two boys that have been released for almost 2 years.

[pepina]

Thanks Mel, that is a big help! I didn't think of putting up a secondary nest box so I guess they must have just improvised something. Maybe I'll transfer their current nest box to someplace in the trees so they can have a little taste of home away from home. I guess they'll be able to find it by smell??

[Mel1959]

Yes, they could find it by smell. Do you have a tree near the release cage? You could put it there if you do, or if there’s an area of the yard you see them more frequently. Don’t forget to put a cube or another nest box inside the release cage so they have somewhere comfy to sleep in there.

How old are they? How old when they were released?

[pepina]

Yes, they could find it by smell. Do you have a tree near the release cage? You could put it there if you do, or if there’s an area of the yard you see them more frequently. Don’t forget to put a cube or another nest box inside the release cage so they have somewhere comfy to sleep in there.

How old are they? How old when they were released?

Update--turns out they've built their own nest in a tree nearby and seem to be sharing it! They are about 8 months old. Seems like they are pretty set on their new nest situation now so I might pack up the release cage pretty soon. Though I will put the nest box up in a different tree to give them another option if they want. Thanks again for the tips!

[SammysMom]

Awesome job guys! Dont put the stuff away or another will be on your lap before you can say boo...

[cava]

Regarding your beggars...

I released four and three of them figured out that they can come to the windows and back door and bother us until they get my attention. My brother (I got his half of "loves animals"..he has none) who didn't ever have anything to do with them is now being dive bombed and they are jumping on him in search of treats.

I stopped giving them treats on demand, they get them once a day in the morning, and they get them down at their release cage, not on the back deck or out the door. It has helped. They still wait for me there, in the morning, but then they follow me down to the RC and take their goodies there.

Hope that helps. Their jumping on people that aren't me really worried me, so I am dosing tough love now.

[pepina]

Aah, that sounds quite familiar, cava! Pretty much the same situation here. Some neighbors are reporting squirrels coming right up to them begging. However, luckily our neighbors seem to enjoy this up-close-and-personal squirrel attention. Still, we're trying our best to feed them as impersonally as possible!

Regarding your beggars...

I released four and three of them figured out that they can come to the windows and back door and bother us until they get my attention. My brother (I got his half of "loves animals"..he has none) who didn't ever have anything to do with them is now being dive bombed and they are jumping on him in search of treats.

I stopped giving them treats on demand, they get them once a day in the morning, and they get them down at their release cage, not on the back deck or out the door. It has helped. They still wait for me there, in the morning, but then they follow me down to the RC and take their goodies there.

Hope that helps. Their jumping on people that aren't me really worried me, so I am dosing tough love now.

[cava]

Yeah, I have a neighbor who is an animal lover but she's old school and doesn't follow mine or anyone's rules and just lets them do what they want. They climb on her windows and she answers by putting out a treat in the back yard.

I go out in the morning and find dried corn cobs, half of a potato, peanuts in the shell at the bottom of my deck stairs (the ones they take up to wait for their tiny breakfast.)

My other neighbor has LITTLE kids and I am terrified one of the squirrels will jump on one of them. Part of me was hoping they'd disperse and find homes around the neighborhood but last night I looked out at dusk and saw my four squirrels wrestling and jumping around in the center of the back yard in the cool grass. They're not going anywhere.