Henry Raymond

Fairfax News => Current News & Events => Topic started by: Henry on January 26, 2009, 10:03:30 AM

Title: Just Curious About These Tracks This Morning
Post by: Henry on January 26, 2009, 10:03:30 AM

Well, it got down to 16 below zero here at the house and when I went out to get the Free Press saw these tracks in my walkway.  Can't figure out where it came from, but looks like it headed towards my storage shed:

(http://www.vtgrandpa.com/photos/albums/forum_photos/dcp_7828.sized.jpg)

(http://www.vtgrandpa.com/photos/albums/forum_photos/dcp_7829.sized.jpg)

(http://www.vtgrandpa.com/photos/albums/forum_photos/dcp_7830.sized.jpg)

(http://www.vtgrandpa.com/photos/albums/forum_photos/dcp_7831.sized.jpg)

Title: Re: Just Curious About These Tracks This Morning
Post by: special ED on January 26, 2009, 10:38:21 AM

I would say a red squirrel ,long back feet small front with a tail drag?

Title: Re: Just Curious About These Tracks This Morning
Post by: Loctavious on January 26, 2009, 10:40:11 AM

last 2 tracks look like a Field mouse or Rabbit - thought the track pattern is off a bit - they shouldn't be as parallel.  The rabit could've been tentatively approaching the house - thus it would've hopped then waited hopped than waited perhaps that's why the pattern is off.

First set of tracks look like squirrel

Title: Re: Just Curious About These Tracks This Morning
Post by: Chris Santee on January 26, 2009, 11:03:12 AM

Rabid Rabbit ?

Title: Re: Just Curious About These Tracks This Morning
Post by: Henry on January 26, 2009, 11:07:13 AM

Sure hope it isn't the Red Squirrel - I trapped for a couple of months and only annoyed him.

Title: Re: Just Curious About These Tracks This Morning
Post by: Loctavious on January 26, 2009, 11:14:57 AM

Those red squirrels be some tricky vermin to get rid of.  i remember abotu 4 years ago we suddenly had a resident red squirrel somewhere on the property.  He/She'd raid the bird feeder, but other than that was harmless to us.  A funny thing is we used vaseline on the feeder pole, and watched him/her repeatedly attempt to get up it. He/she'd get half way - stop and slidw down.  The thing was either really smart or just dumb and stubborn as it kept doing it and doing it until it had gotten sand embedded in the vaseline and it wasn't slippery anymore and it just continued to raid the bird seed.
Eventually, the neighborhood dogs ( the infamous Porkchop & Sebastian ) harrassed it and either got it or the cat next door did - 'cause suddenly 1 day the squirrel was no more - and not by anything we'd attempted to get him out of there!

Title: Re: Just Curious About These Tracks This Morning
Post by: Dick Brown on January 26, 2009, 12:58:56 PM

Henry....Perhaps you've moved on from your question, but if not, you might want consider these thoughts ; first the last picture suggests a non-bushy tail, which might suggest a weasel, and second, since the pad of the track doesn't show a cross (which eliminates a member of the dog, coyote or fox family ) and its claws are clearly shown ( eliminating the cat family ), most likely the rodent family is involved. However, if you want to clear up the question, those pictures are clear enough for Sue Morse, Executive Director of KEEPING TRACK and an expert in tracking and identification, to clarify them for you.  Of course it could just be a grey squirrel who has forgotten where he ( or she ) stored it's food from last summer or fall. Down here our early morning visitors, when they leave tracks which can be identified , turn out to be possums ( have to sure use my southern dialect on this word ) looking for food...( i.e., trash ).  Great pictures !!!

Title: Re: Just Curious About These Tracks This Morning
Post by: Henry on January 26, 2009, 07:29:50 PM

Henry, this is a pic of a weasel I killed last year that killed my
chickens maybe this is what tracks you took pics of. its about a foot long - Ed Roupe

(http://www.vtgrandpa.com/photos/albums/forum_photos/chicken_killer_001.jpg)

Hard to say, although as much as I hate to think that Red Squirrel is back, I think it might be him.  He knows he is smarter than I am and knows he can steal all the nuts I want to put in that trap without getting caught.

Title: Re: Just Curious About These Tracks This Morning
Post by: Henry on January 27, 2009, 10:31:10 AM

The tracks in your yard are definitely not cat tracks, at least not my cat.  She knows where she needs to be during this cold winter
 Skip

(http://www.vtgrandpa.com/photos/albums/forum_photos/Skip_s_cat_1_26_09.sized.jpg)

Title: Re: Just Curious About These Tracks This Morning
Post by: mkr on January 27, 2009, 07:18:51 PM

I bet it is the Red Squirrel!  That little sucker just loves your house.  I think he stays away from my house because of the dog

Title: Re: Just Curious About These Tracks This Morning
Post by: ohhman on January 28, 2009, 07:58:43 PM

If it's a red squirrel, J&L sells rat traps for under $3.00.  Put a little peanut butter on the bait pad & hopefully it works for you as fast as it did here!  We got 2 of the little pests within a week that had taken up residence in our garage, eating everything they could including a tray of cookies & our snow blower gas cap! I don't mind sharing but when they cause damage, SNAP they're gone!