Where did all the Tree Rats go?

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  • Atrox88

    Gold Member
    Jan 7, 2016
    1,245
    Carroll County
    They've moved to my neighborhood. With my next door neighbor famer wannabe leaving plenty of food laying around they are living the good life.
     

    antco

    Ultimate Member
    Apr 28, 2010
    7,045
    Calvert, MD
    I’m hearing them in the trees here making their chuck chuck chuck noises, but I haven’t seen them on the ground collecting the bushels of acorns that are on the ground.
     

    johnkn

    Ultimate Member
    Feb 27, 2012
    2,113
    In Laplata I see perhaps 1-2 squirrels a day where I generally see dozens. There also have been more acorns on my property than I’ve seen in my 31 years here.....


    .
     

    jamesp15

    Active Member
    Jul 16, 2018
    420
    Southern PG
    Have 2 maybe 3 on my property here in Brandywine. Usually see 10 or more every year. There were a bunch early summer but only 2 or 3 left now.
    I even took the squirrel diverters/annoyers down off my bird feeders to try to lure more out, but still the same 2 or 3.

    I wonder if it has anything to do with the bird death thing earlier this summer? I haven't seen a robin in my yard in 3 months now, usually have dozens of robins. Only a few bluejays as well when we usually have a bunch.

    Plenty of deer though, though sadly the last 4 nights there has been a fresh roadkill each morning. Even one that had the backstraps cut out presumably by whomever hit it or someone that came by soon after and a different one (a buck) missing the top of it head. Is that "legal"? I dont care either way really just wondering.
     

    Rab1515

    Ultimate Member
    Patriot Picket
    Apr 29, 2014
    2,081
    Calvert
    I have seen a several with mange, both at my house in Lusby, and on my property in St Mary's. Unfortunately i am prohibited from putting them out of there misery in Lusby, and did not have a rifle with me on the property. I wont be making that mistake again.
     

    GBMaryland

    Active Member
    Feb 23, 2008
    954
    MoCo
    We had what appeared to be a rabid squirrel on our back deck… That was actually foaming at the mouth, had patches of hair loss, and was trying to naw its own leg off.

    But yeah, to the OP, we’ve noticed a lot fewer of squirrels.
     

    STeveZ

    Thank you, Abelard
    Sep 22, 2011
    779
    Aberdeen, MD
    I've also noticed a drop this year, and a year or two ago was a boom year, also a big acorn year. Here on the Bush River they say the Bald Eagles get some though I'm skeptical. Skeptical of cats getting them too. I'd put it down to a natural cycle.
     

    judgejohnmd

    Member
    May 15, 2016
    16
    Aberdeen MD
    Someone in our abode puts out peanuts for those critter: with the plethora of acorns this year we’re not seeing any tree rats: we also have several hawks nesting in the woods around us, so that could be a factor.
    John in Aberdeen
     

    Samlab

    Active Member
    Feb 14, 2018
    192
    Down by the riverside
    Its Raptor migration season whereby they are obliterated. Plus we have a resident female fox, and she is expert at catching and eating Squirrels.....just got her on video a week ago. I've gave her Ivermectin for worms and a bout with mange that has cleared up....surprising she's really very friendly. I've never seen this before....its almost as if she has been exposed to someone before. Sorry to get off topic....oh I forgot.....she has a tag too.
     

    TruthAloft

    God, Family, Country -- In that order, always.
    MDS Supporter
    Apr 8, 2021
    30
    Annapolis
    Same for West Annapolis. Dozens of squirrels last summer into early spring-- now, just desolation. No new nests, no squirrels gathering up and burying acorns. The "only" thing that I can guess may be a reason is that in early summer the DNR and local counties were dropping rabies "vaccine" pellets throughout the area. It's possible that the squirrels ate these pellets and subsequently died from it.
     

    bradh422

    Member
    May 30, 2018
    1
    Tree Rats

    From theMillstores.com:

    What are some other problems or benefits of cicadas?

    Moles may be more abundant the year prior to emerging as they feed on migrating nymphs. But moles suffer the following year as their food supply is reduced. The egg laying activity of female cicadas may also affect mast crops (nuts, acorns) which reduces food for squirrels. It is noted that Eastern gray squirrel populations often decline after a cicada cycle.
     

    gcwood

    Continental Soldier
    Jun 26, 2013
    20
    Tree Rats

    Hawks. Same thing that killed all the rabbits folks. Cats too but mainly hawks.
     

    ZATO1414

    Member
    Jun 15, 2012
    39
    Hmmm… been seeing the same thing. When the squirrels were abundant, so were the raccoons, now all but a few are gone. Did not know about the pellets. Have a good Fall Season.
     

    ithacaartist

    Member
    Jun 15, 2020
    7
    Mecklenburg, NY
    I think like any other game they seem scarce when you're looking for them. Seriously, though, rodent populations fluctuate with the cycles of nut production of whatever tree in question. We had a decent season of nut production here in NY's Southern Tier. I went to a friend's place to gather up hickory nuts, of which there should have been plenty. But the squirrels beat me to it, and I came away with exactly three nuts. There was also a filbert tree littered around its bottom with empty nut shells. As we see, messing up the climate affects the weather--which affects the trees--which affects the squirrel population--which affects their predators' populations. Right on down the line, each species of plant or animal responds in turn to available nutrients and weather and pressure from its predators.

    There was a hickory grove about 3/4 mi. from where I once lived, and it was crawling with tree rats every fall. Not much stealth was necessary because they were distracted by pigging out on the nuts. I won a bet my wife that I could be back in ten minutes with a squirrel from those woods.

    In Britain, where the gray squirrel is considered a pest, they're unprotected and you can shoot them any time. There, they use suppressed airguns. They have good luck attracting them by using a bait box with corn or wheat, but I don't know if MD allows that.
     

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