Coues 'n' Sheep Report post Posted March 30, 2007 I found these pics the other day digging for old hunting pics..... and thought I would post them......and they would not make much sense with out a little story with them......... Some years ago, our son, Colton was riding one of the quads down an old 2 track near our house... He came across a new born grey squirrel, with no hair and his eyes still shut. He must have just fallen out of the nest. Being the conservationist that he is.... he brought the lil' rat home. My wife fed this baby squirrel every 2 hours, around the clock for weeks with a syringe and cat formula....... and it lived. It grew very quickly and although it was very tame to us it was also very wild. I have never seen anything with sooo much natural instinct of its wild identity.... We could not "train' it like you would a cat or a dog..... it was just too wild. It knew nothing of how to be a squirrel, yet is was a wild squirrel living in my house!! You would walk in the front door and he would run across the room at you and climb you like a tree, coming to pirch upon your shoulder..... We would walk the dogs around the neighborhood and he would tag along running up and down and around my body to get a good veiw of everything or just ride along on my shoulder. He would bark at strangers when they entered our house and once they were seated he would pirch himself on the closest piece of furniture to watch them. Scaring the "soft serve" out of more than one unwary visitor. Hands down the coolest pet that I have ever had!! However, the older he got the wilder he became..... and I told my wife that if he started to abuse the mounts in our house that we would have to release him back into the woods.... .... Well, one day I walked in the front door and he climbed about half way up the pedistal of my sheep mount! .......and that was when we made plans to reintroduce him to the wild where he belonged, far from humans. We released him and went back to the spot several times and I believe the lil' guy made it! And that is how squirrel hunting became forever banned in our household...... my Wife's rule. I am okay with though... never like squirrel meat that much anyhow. So here is my wife's pet squirrel, Nelson. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
KGAINES Report post Posted March 30, 2007 We have had raccons for pets, my uncle had a fox that lived with them for years, acted just like a cat, I will see if I can find any pictures, but I think most of them were destroyed when my grandmothers house burnt down years ago. We could not wear any red around the raccoons or they would tear you up, the fox was as tame as could be and was raised with a cat maybe thats why it acted as it did, but slowly it wandered from the house, until you would only see him about once a week. The fox lived and was raised just behind where the peoria sports complex is now. The squirrel is great, the pictures are very cool. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
IHunt2live Report post Posted March 31, 2007 I have a cousin who as an oposum for a pet. He found it when it was about a week old. That has to be one of the ugliest things I've seen. Sorry, don't have any pics. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Arizona Griz Report post Posted March 31, 2007 My favorites have been a Kestrel, Striped Skunk, Wolf (British Columbian - Elsmere Arctic cross), and wolf-hybrid. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TwoGuns Report post Posted March 31, 2007 Been tryin to raise these two wild animals for a couple years now..... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
daryl_s Report post Posted March 31, 2007 That is way cool, a squirrel for a pet. I have a friend who grew up in Duncan and claims he had a pet Bobcat from the time it was a little Kitty. He said it would catch birds and bring them in the house and eat them in front of the TV. Cool stories. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
COOSEFAN Report post Posted March 31, 2007 That is awesome! I have cats, but would trade em' for a squirrel anyday! I am also suddenly hungry for burritos..... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CouesWhitetail Report post Posted March 31, 2007 Great story Gino and nice pic TwoGuns! Good luck with those two wild ones! Amanda Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Coues 'n' Sheep Report post Posted March 31, 2007 My wife is loving this thread so I am post a couple more for her..... Nelson was here pet so she took most of the pics that we have..... This one was when he was still really young. And here he is closer to full grown and checking out the smells of the forest after Colton came home from hunting one day. Yeah, Jim..... he ate with us all the time. I have a pic of him on the kitchen table eating bread with my wife as she was eating soup and butter bread.... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TREESTANDMAN Report post Posted March 31, 2007 I used to trap squirrels in our backyard w/ live traps and feed them to my 6ft gopher snake. They weren't tame like yours, Gino. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Coues 'n' Sheep Report post Posted March 31, 2007 Hey, TwoGuns....... Looks like you got Double Trouble on your hands. Your gunna need all the help you can get!!!! Better learn how too hobble those wild critters you got there..... er' else they will be runnin' crazy all over before ya know it!!! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Coues 'n' Sheep Report post Posted March 31, 2007 I used to trap squirrels in our backyard w/ live traps and feed them to my 6ft gopher snake. They weren't tame like yours, Gino. Don't tell my wife!! We use to shoot ground squirrels off the wood pile all the time..... but they are more rat than squirrel IMO.... .... And we use to eat fried squirrel, too..... but those days are long over. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
shortpants Report post Posted March 31, 2007 Are you sure you aint the daddy to that squirl? You two look a lot alike in that pocket picture. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TwoGuns Report post Posted March 31, 2007 Hey, TwoGuns....... Looks like you got Double Trouble on your hands. Your gunna need all the help you can get!!!! Better learn how too hobble those wild critters you got there..... er' else they will be runnin' crazy all over before ya know it!!! That squirrel is somethin else, what a cool experience for your kids. Yeah Gino, my kids are a kick in the pants for sure.....do you think you could help me find a squirrel family that would take one in for a few years??? Darren Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
