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Re: Tree rats



Hi Donna,

during the winter when I do most of my feeding, we have a problem not with
flying squirrels but Red  Squirrels (Tamiascurius hudsonicus).  The old
solution was getting my cat to go and do a squirrel run.  9 times out of ten
the cat missed the squirrel but every now and the she would get one.  Now my
soultion is a series of squirrel snares all around the tree but that hasn't
really
worked.  Now on the other hand My dog is great for getting rid of those
unwanted rock doves.  My dog is a fairly energetic Border Collie and just
loves to run.  All I do is just open the door and say " go get 'em Bud" and
the birds just disappear.  It's almost (but not quite) magic

Tony Bezanson
Halifax, NS
Canada


-----Original Message-----
From: Donna S. Bailey <dsbailey@conterra.com>
To: carolinabirds@duke.edu <carolinabirds@duke.edu>
Date: August 7, 1999 12:39 PM
Subject: RE: Tree rats


>
>My solution to seed-stealing "tree rats" has been a pair of Retrievers.  I
>trained them to chase squirrels off the feeders by making a game of chasing
>squirrels.  Starting from my porch, I would run out to the platform feeder
>saying "squirrel squirrel squirrel"  while the squirrel would obligingly
run
>away.  Of course two dogs with no other outlet for their hunting instinct
>and energy would give chase.  I only had to do that twice. They caught on
to
>the game of "squirrel" very quickly and will now find and chase squirrels
on
>their own without me telling them "squirrel!"  Since the squirrels never
get
>caught, nobody gets hurt.  And now the dogs leave the birds at the feeders
>alone since they understand that chasing squirrels gets them Milk Bones, as
>well as the thrill of thinking they just might catch that tree rat for
once.
>
>While this solution isn't perfect, it has reduced the number of squirrels
on
>the feeders and the amount of time the fewer squirrels spend at my feeders.
>
>I plan to continue this "Reign of Terror for Squirrels" as long as the dogs
>have the energy and the eyesight to chase squirrels!
>
>
>Donna Bailey
>Winnsboro, SC
>e-mail: dsbailey@conterra.com
>URL: http://www.conterra.com/dsbailey
>     "Where are the Birds?  Migration across South Carolina"
>URL: http://www.conterra.com/dsbailey/audubon
>    "Columbia Audubon Society"
>