# Do you like Squirrels??



## Huilunsoittaja

I know many people call them pests, and sometimes they have been in my neighborhood, but mostly they're just the cutest creatures in our backyard! I posted a picture of one in the Pet thread, because we now consider them outdoor pets, though we don't touch them or let them inside the house.

What do you think? Friend or foe?


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## Klavierspieler

We have tons of fat squirrels around our house. They live on our compost pile and our ducks' food.


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## Vaneyes

I love squirrels. I feed squirrels. I brake for squirrels.

I'm not a member of, but some might be interested in...

http://www.thesquirrelloversclub.com/

View attachment 23867


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## Ukko

I have killed some squirrels in my time, and eaten some of them.


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## EricABQ

I love squirrels. When I was a kid we didn't have squirrels where we lived. When we would go to visit my grandparents in Seattle they had them in their backyard and I thought they were these cool exotic animals. To this day I love them. 

Still don't have them in my backyard, though. I have to make do with little lizards.


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## ArtMusic

Hilltroll72 said:


> I have killed some squirrels in my time, and eaten some of them.


Gross.

What did the squirrels taste like and how did you cook them? (I am assuming you did not eat them raw).


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## ArtMusic

I like the baby squirrels.


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## Tristan

No, I don't. They can be cute, but I've seen them ruin plants. So I don't really care what happens to them


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## PetrB

As a cute and rather intelligent and clever animal -- or for eating?


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## Ukko

Tristan said:


> No, I don't. They can be cute, but I've seen them ruin plants. So I don't really care what happens to them


They can also ruin song birds' plans for raising a brood.


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## mstar

Aaaaah.... The fat grey ones kind of creep me out. You just never grow out of some things, I guess.


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## brianvds

Where I live there are no squirrels, so it is easy for me to love them. Might be a different story if I were to go live somewhere where they are a pest. 



ArtMusic said:


> Gross.
> What did the squirrels taste like and how did you cook them? (I am assuming you did not eat them raw).


As far as I know, squirrel hunting is pretty common in some parts of America. I would also be curious to know what they taste like.


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## Garlic

The squirrels in St James's Park are audacious. They will climb up your leg to steal food from you. Bloody tourists keep feeding them.

The red ones are very handsome, I've only ever seen them abroad.


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## Ukko

mstar said:


> Aaaaah.... The fat grey ones kind of creep me out. You just never grow out of some things, I guess.


If one of them chases you, don't climb a tree.


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## Ukko

ArtMusic said:


> Gross.
> 
> What did the squirrels taste like and how did you cook them? (I am assuming you did not eat them raw).


I posted the details... the post has mysteriously gone away.


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## Ingélou

I like squirrels, red *or* grey, but I am sad that the grey ones, introduced to Britain in Victorian times, have driven out the red. If a cull of greys would allow the reds to recover in certain areas, I'd be agreeable. Currently reds only survive (reputedly) in Thetford Forest, the Isle of Wight, the North-East of England, & Scotland. I saw a family of reds once, up a pine tree on the banks of Loch Tummel. They were magical.

Squirrels are brainy. Some years ago, a documentary followed someone trying to build a squirrel-proof bird table. In the end, he gave up & devised a 'squirrel assault course', where they had to jump in cable cars, hang upside down, scale netting etc to get the nuts. It only took them about three goes to learn it. 

Here's one such documentary featuring a red squirrel:






and here's a grey who'll even get on a train to get his nuts:


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## TresPicos

I guess I like squirrels more than non-squirrels.


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## Guest

Only when served with penguins and cassowaries!


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## Art Rock

What's not to like?


Nuts 5 by Art Rock (Hennie), on Flickr


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## SiegendesLicht

I like all living things (except for insects), squirrels included.


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## HaydnBearstheClock

SiegendesLicht said:


> I like all living things (except for insects), squirrels included.
> 
> View attachment 23909


Is that you, SiegendesLicht?


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## SiegendesLicht

Yep, that's me, though you cannot see me all that well.


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## HaydnBearstheClock

oh, ok, cool. (25 characters)


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## cwarchc

Keep wanting to say "yes deep fried"
But I'm a vegetarian?


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## Huilunsoittaja

SiegendesLicht said:


> I like all living things (except for insects), squirrels included.
> 
> View attachment 23909


Awwwwww

We're concerned about getting too close to the squirrels that we feed. They're very inquisitive, and the really brave ones will get closer and closer to you if you stand still. But they can easily be startled, so a slight move of a hand or foot could make them get scared and scratch. One time I got scratched, but the main reason was because I was pouring some peanuts on the ground with a bare hand, and the squirrel was so eager to get the peanuts that it went right up to my hand and scratched me (didn't bleed or anything, was shallow). I've touched the tail of one squirrel in the past. I'm sure their bite can hurt.


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## Couchie

When I lived in Ontario the city squirrels would chew through the plastic lids of garbage cans and strew garbage all over your lawn. So they can be pests. The squirrels here are much better behaved.


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## EricABQ

Huilunsoittaja said:


> I'm sure their bite can hurt.


Most likely. Plus, I believe rabies is fairly common with North American squirrels.


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## aleazk

Flying Squirrels are badass:


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## DavidA

I used to think that squirrels were very cute until they started invading the loft of my father-in-law's house. They chewed through the fabric of the loft lining and did around £3000 worth of damage. And that was some years ago so it would be a lot more now. So while they are OK in the woods I want to keep them away from my property!


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## drpraetorus

Squirrel tastes much like rabbit or the ubiquitous Chicken. Everything tastes like chicken, even alligator.


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## brianvds

drpraetorus said:


> Squirrel tastes much like rabbit or the ubiquitous Chicken. Everything tastes like chicken, even alligator.


They actually tested that idea on Myth Busters once, and found it isn't true: people can easily distinguish between chicken and other meats.


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## mstar

Interesting! I think that frog legs are delectable.


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## Pyotr

Squirrels are so cute. I love em.


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## Ukko

Pyotr said:


> Squirrels are so cute. I love em.


Video cameras can be so small and light now. If you set one up just right, you may be lucky enough to watch a squirrel kill and eat baby birds.


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## SixFootScowl

Did you know that squirrels can rotate their back feet 180 degrees which makes it easie for them to dangle face down on the stem of a tree with their back feet pointing up the tree for good grip?


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## shangoyal

As long a squirrel is not nibbling on my fingers or shi****g on my shirt, I like them!


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## Op.123




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## Ukko

brianvds said:


> They actually tested that idea on Myth Busters once, and found it isn't true: people can easily distinguish between chicken and other meats.


Having witnessed the truth of 'that idea' on multiple occasions, I suspect the methodology used by Myth Busters.


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## Vaneyes

Bump. I still like squirrels.


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## Svelte Silhouette

I like mine pickled complemented by a nice chianti :devil:


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## Huilunsoittaja

Vaneyes said:


> Bump. I still like squirrels.


I fed the squirrels in my backyard today. 3 of them came on the deck. As soon as I put some peanuts out, they started chasing each other around the get to the food, but actually they were chasing much slower than they usually do. Perhaps they were groggy because of all the rain we had last night, they were all a little wet. One was especially faithful though, waiting outside the deck's sliding-glass door, and I fed it 3 times. I think it was a female, since it was being pushed around more and not getting to the peanuts as long.


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## Guest

I voted "Yes, I like squirrels", though the poll does not let me specify "red" squirrels. I have never eaten a red or grey squirrel, but will try, if offered and suitably cooked.


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## Huilunsoittaja

TalkingHead said:


> I voted "Yes, I like squirrels", though the poll does not let me specify "red" squirrels. I have never eaten a red or grey squirrel, but will try, if offered and suitably cooked.


If I was meaning to be THAT facetious, I think I would have worded the question "Do you like _Squirrel?_" (singular) the way someone would also say, "Do you like Lamb?" or "Do you like Duck?"


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## Levanda

We can't eat them so not sure about like or not.:lol:


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## ArtMusic

Levanda said:


> We can't eat them so not sure about like or not.:lol:


I doubt you would enjoy the taste of these cute little animals.


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## Svelte Silhouette

You'd be surprised as bunnies are furry and very yummy


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## Guest

My dear PoisonIV, I have this feeling you and I operate on the same (gastronomic) wavelength.


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## Guest

Huilunsoittaja said:


> If I was meaning to be THAT facetious, I think I would have worded the question "Do you like _Squirrel?_" (singular) the way someone would also say, "Do you like Lamb?" or "Do you like Duck?"


I eat anything. So, to respond to your admonishment, I like squirrels to look at (for about 4.33 seconds) and then I quickly pass on to imagining how they might taste. If offered one (grey or red, but more grey and less red because of species depletion) I'll say yes. So, I like squirrels and - if prepared correctly - I'd like squirrel. We are clear now, are we not?
I have also eaten coypu. Not as cute as squirrels, but protein is protein.


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## mirepoix

It depends. It depends on whether you're talking about good squirrels or bad squirrels. If it's good ones then yes, I like them. But it can be difficult to tell if they're good or bad. Years ago it was different because generally the bad ones would wear black hats and the good ones white. However nowadays the line is blurred and we have antiheros/Byronic heros and all that jazz. So, it depends. But I like to see the good everyone, so mostly 'Yes'.


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## Taggart

Good or bad?


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## Ukko

Taggart said:


> Good or bad?


Weak moral fiber. The eyes reveal it.


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## Ingélou

Taggart said:


> Good or bad?


*Clever*, anyway. It's sussed the secret of success - whenever you mess up, stick a leaf on your head and look cute. Gets them every time!


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## mirepoix

Ukko said:


> Weak moral fiber. The eyes reveal it.


Just about to post the same reply until I scrolled down and read this one.
Yes, the lack of eye contact is obvious. It suggests poor character manifest in (but not limited to) displays of attention seeking behaviour via colourful clothing, and declarations of _"I was only borrowing their nuts for a few months, honest Guv"._


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## Novelette

ArtMusic said:


> I doubt you would enjoy the taste of these cute little animals.


They're cute until they annihilate one bird feeder after another, year after year. Then they become a menace. No specialized squirrel-deterrent bird feeders work for more than a month. I've given up on feeding the Northern Cardinals in my backyard.


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## Huilunsoittaja

I've wondered if a little squirrel video that I took in the Winter would go viral if I put it on YouTube. After all, I have Vivaldi in the background too. You guys decide if it's cute enough. 
(it's viewable for non-Facebook users)
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10202076922555929&l=8786138784655423354


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## sabrina

Like many other animals, squirrels are intelligent. I once watched one squirrel crossing the street and looking for incoming cars on the right side, stopped in the middle of the road, again checked from incoming cars from the other side, then continued its run. 
Other time, I was driving when I saw a squirrel crossing a very busy road, who managed to stay alive, but I was coming without any possibility to brake in time, and I saw her stopping as between the wheels...I was shocked, as I understood she finally got away...Amazing quick reaction!


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## mirepoix

sabrina said:


> Like many other animals, squirrels are intelligent. I once watched one squirrel crossing the street and looking for incoming cars on the right side, stopped in the middle of the road, again checked from incoming cars from the other side, then continued its run.
> Other time, I was driving when I saw a squirrel crossing a very busy road, who managed to stay alive, but I was coming without any possibility to brake in time, and I saw her stopping as between the wheels...I was shocked, as I understood she finally got away...Amazing quick reaction!


I'd forgotten all about this until right now -


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## Huilunsoittaja

Does anyone remember this??? Fond childhood memories... <3


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## Ingélou

I still read it; and also the lovely Ladybird book, Bob Bushtail's Adventure.


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## mirepoix

I remember those Ladybird books, but not that one in particular. _Clearly I am a philistine and not well read_
However, I do recall a series(?) of Enid Blyton stories concerned with a squirrel that my grandmother read to me.


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## geralmar

Someone defined a squirrel as "a rat with a press agent."


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## Varick

ArtMusic said:


> Gross.
> 
> What did the squirrels taste like...





brianvds said:


> I would also be curious to know what they taste like.


Taste like chicken.

They can be cute, they are very clever, the acrobatics they will perform in order to get into bird feeders are astounding.

But once they "like" your house, they can be a real nuisance. They chew on the edges of my wooden stairs, and god forbid they get into your attic. Not as bad as a raccoon in your attic, but Squirrels can still do some damage up there.

I'm just warning you Huilunsoittaja, you fed three of them the other day, there will be more to come, and once they realize that a large food source is INSIDE your house, they could us their clever little minds to get in. And if they do, you wont be "liking" Squirrels that much anymore.

V


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## Blake

We used to call a buddy of mine 'squirrel' because when he played football he would run around like a squirrel and his nut. 

I dig squirrels.


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## TurnaboutVox

mirepoix said:


> However, I do recall a series(?) of Enid Blyton stories concerned with a squirrel that my grandmother read to me.


Enid Blyton knew your Granny, and your granny had a squirrel she could read?


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## Ingélou

Another famous squirrel - the one in the Little Grey Rabbit books, though alas, she was selfish & vain. I loved the stories & also the illustrations by Margaret Tempest:


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## mirepoix

TurnaboutVox said:


> Enid Blyton knew your Granny, and your granny had a squirrel she could read?


That's my story and I'm sticking to it.


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## Dustin

I don't particularly care for them one way or the other but I don't like how they always make you have to swerve all over the street not to murder them.


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