This isn't really taxidermy related but I figured if anyone would know someone here would. The other day while sitting on my deer stand a large male fox squirrel tried to attack me. I was in a box stand and he repeatedly throughout the day tried climbing up the walls, chewing on the sides, and scratching at the bottom trying to get in. I was wondering if anyone had seen anything like this before. I know a gray squirrel wouldn't do this, but I don't know anything about fox squirrels. I was really worried because I am not sure if squirrels can catch rabies or not.
Lisa
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I've had gray squirrels come up on to the platform of a ladder stand with me. All squirrels like abandoned building (and box stands that are only used sparingly). If you stand is constructed of plywood, they also seem to enjoy something in the glue.
I really wouldn't be concerned too much with rabies during the colder winter. For some reason, it is a hot weather disease. And secondly, for some reason, rodents are seldom a problem with rabies. It is thought that their frenetic activity and high enery use make rabies a very quick killer if they are actually contracted, which seems to be seldom.
I remember as a six-year-old playing hide and seek with a Fox Squirrel.
He ran around the backside of the tree. I saw his tail and I grabbed it. When I pulled him off the tree, he turned around and bit the hell out of me. That wasn't the bad part. The ten days of shots (rabies) was something My mind has tried to surpress until now. That episode at six years old started me on a quest of killing and mayhem unequalled in the annals of modern man. The mistrust I now have for wild animals is not healthy. I can remember as recently as a week ago being attack by a flock of wild ducks. They circled like Vultures and came right to me. If I hadn't had the blind to partially hide me they could have done some real damage. I shot a couple of them, but the rest got away. A weak before that, I was standing on the edge of a grain field minding my own business, and a group of mourning doves attacked. It was horrible, like a scene from the birds. They kept coming and coming. It was all I could do to keep my shotgun loaded. I won't even get into my encounters with the infamous Mule deer. Some of them have been known to have fangs you know! I have pledged to do my part to help keep the numbers of these dangerous creatures down.
It's not often easy with all the walking in rain, snow, mud, and even hail. This doesn't even consider the expenses accrued. But someone has to do it. So that's why I hunt.
Tony
Once cold January day we were on patrol in a rice field in northeast Arkansas, when suddenly out of nowhere came a komicazi pair of wood ducks, it utter self defense I shot one and Buddy shot the other, well Buddy glanced over at my duck falling, I screamed "Duck!" he said "No shiiiiiithump" as he crawled back to his feet, his nose was bleeding pretty dog gone bad, I said "I told you to duck." he said "Yea, I know but thats not what I thought you meant." after retreiving our prize we headed home to fix up his nose, man did it bleed that day.
and every now and then my shotgun. i don't try to fire when i'm doing some serious deer hunting but when they come near me they get shot. i have figured them out too. they bark at you and tell the deer where i am.Now i have to shoot the durn things. lol.
-Brandon
I too have been harassed by a giant fox squirrel. During a muzzel loader hunt I was sitting in the snow feezing my butt off. He was pretty brave before daylight making several false charges . So when the cold got to unbearable he ended up 15 yards behind me and only about 20feet up in a dead tree. Needless to say I made one of my finer kills that day with fozen fingers a muzzel loader and a bad attitude. P.S. I only lost one shoulder so he still made a pretty good meal!