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  • From: Hank Burchard <hank@burchard.org>
  • To: nafex@lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [NAFEX] squirrel fever
  • Date: Mon, 06 Oct 2008 16:00:06 -0400

Alan, don't waste those tree rats. They're excellent eating, especially with chestnut puree and applesauce.

Hank Burchard
Pecker Wood Farm
7b Amherst VA
Date: Sat, 4 Oct 2008 18:14:27 -0400
From: "Alan Haigh" <alandhaigh@gmail.com>
Subject: [NAFEX] squirrel fever
To: nafex@lists.ibiblio.org
Message-ID:
<1f544d60810041514u6d677747j767c1ba16978cf2b@mail.gmail.com>
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There are no acorns or hickory nuts, these species have become biennial
around my place since a very hard late freeze we had several years ago that
wiped out the apple crop in the Hudson valley for the first time in half a
century. We had no acorns that year either, of course. It took only 3
years for me to get the apples back to normal annual production but it seems
the mast crop hasn't steadied yet.

This has meant that the squirrel population has had a kind of biennial
pattern as well with populations peaking just as food disappears. This is
just anecdotal observation but at any rate we have all these crazy grey
squirrels with no nuts to squirrel away and they are frantic.

I have kept them from most of my fruit crop with a combination of shot gun
shells and alternative food sources. First it was the blueberries and
mulberries then autumn olives and dogwood berries. Now they have removed
most of the chestnuts well before being ripe. I may have killed the last
one actively foraging so there could still be enough for Thanksgiving
stuffing which is all I really need. Meanwhile I still have my late apples
on the trees.

The problem is they keep coming from further back in the woods as they
search far and wide for anything to eat. At least I can draw two positives
from the situation. Every kill is merciful because it's quicker than the
starvation the animals will otherwise experience this winter and even
better- most of the ones I don't kill will starve before next spring.

Still fighting nature for my crop in southeastern NY




  • [NAFEX] squirrel fever, Alan Haigh, 10/04/2008
    • <Possible follow-up(s)>
    • Re: [NAFEX] squirrel fever, Hank Burchard, 10/06/2008

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