Chipmunk Family

[Ray MacDonald]

We seem to have gotten overrun by chipmunks lately in my neighborhood. Tonight I was driving back in from my daughter's house when I spotted 4 of them running across the road and up onto my driveway. Looked like a mother and 3 youngsters.
I opened up the garage door and stopped the car because I was afraid the little guys were going to freeze under it and get run over. I stepped out only to watch two of them head directly into the garage.
I had to switch on the lights, and chase them around the garage for a while before they decided to leave. The mother and the third youngster waited outside then they all ran off. They seemed to have no fear whatsoever.
All this time Sammy the watch cat was howling on the opposite side of the entrance door into the garage. I was thinking the reception these little rodents would have received would be slightly different had Sammy been chasing them out the door and not me.

[novedl]

Lol! You need to upgrade from a Sammie to a Cleo Ray. We keep finding dead birds in my back yard.....fear the standard poodle!

[Watchbreath]

My cats would love to meet them.

[GinGinD]

Chipmunks are absolutely darling! We don't have any right around here, though I've seen them in the North Carolina mountains. Yesterday my husband saw a river otter cross the road in front of our house and head into the cornfield straight across from us. A couple of weeks ago I saw a coyote drinking from our pond. I understand we have bobcats here as well though I've never seen one.

Jeannie

[gnuyork]

yup we have a few chipmunks that live on out property. Greta (along with Oreo) used to chase them. In fact that was her main mission along with chasing squirrels. Now Oreo chases them by himself. He actually caught up to a young chippy (they are pretty slow) and then it was funny, he really didn't know what to do.

It does seem like we are overrun by them lately. I think they are tunneling in my yard. We live in a wooded area and I might have 800 sq ft. of grass. GO tunnel somewhere else chippies! They are cute though.

[gnuyork]

Oh... and we had a fox coming around for a while. But I haven't seen it in almost 2 months. I hope nothing happened to it.

[CADstraps]

Chipmunks are absolutely darling!

I recently opened the cottage, and while there last weekend (still May, but it was 35+ degrees in the city... crazy) I could not believe the hoards of chippies and red squirrels that were about. Jeannie's response is a popular one when they are spotted, and while I can admit thier striping patterns (or interesting ginger appearence for the red squirrels), playful movements and curious activities are 'cute', deep down I see them as little more than abhorrent, destructive rodents. Pretty much nothing can stand in thier way; moulding, wiring, bedding, flooring, cupboards... whatever.

My cottage is a delicate balance between rustic and accomodating, and that's just how I like it. Hot and cold running water, flushing toilet, electricity are the 3 luxuries I have afforded it: it has no heat, i.e. unless you use the fireplace. It is a 2 1/2 or 3 season place at best, and I have no interest in fortifying it any further, so every spring I brace myself for what this type of vermin have done 'this year'. I'm torn between dealing with this every year, or modernizing it and losing a lot of the charm I enjoy. I'm sure if I ever get around to marrying, 'the wife' will make that decision for me pretty quickly should I wish to keep going up there.

I wish I could enjoy them from afar, and that there was even just a 1 foot radius around the structure that they didn't come within. I also wish that a tornado over Glashutte would die out over Southern Ontario and rain watches. Neither are likely to happen in my lifetime.

[Statius]

Not a chipmunk, but a relative here in the Rockies. You may have seen this before.

[GinGinD]

I recently opened the cottage, and while there last weekend (still May, but it was 35+ degrees in the city... crazy) I could not believe the hoards of chippies and red squirrels that were about. Jeannie's response is a popular one when they are spotted, and while I can admit thier striping patterns (or interesting ginger appearence for the red squirrels), playful movements and curious activities are 'cute', deep down I see them as little more than abhorrent, destructive rodents. Pretty much nothing can stand in thier way; moulding, wiring, bedding, flooring, cupboards... whatever.

The chipmunks and squirrels are simply attempting to follow instinctive behavior patterns to the best of their ability in an environment that man has fashioned to suit himself with little regard for their needs.

Jeannie

[CADstraps]

The chipmunks and squirrels are simply attempting to follow instinctive behavior patterns to the best of their ability in an environment that man has fashioned to suit himself with little regard for their needs.

Jeannie

Of course.

Doesn't stop that behaviour from costing annoying money and accumulating lots of ire.