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Post by foragingmouse on Sept 14, 2014 10:54:15 GMT
Just wondered if anyone has witnessed any natural foraging , whilst out yesterday I watched some squirrels that were collecting Russulas and in all honesty it was probably my favourite thing I've seen out this year they were really carefull and seemed well accustomed to collecting them I've never seen any sign of this before and was quite fassinated I have seen them collecting nuts but not shrooms .
Other than this And the odd bird of prey the only other natural foraging I've seen was badgers eating apples and bulbs has anyone seen any others ?
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cab
Junior Member
Posts: 80 
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Post by cab on Sept 14, 2014 14:53:20 GMT
Squiggles are great shroomers, and it does seem that its the russulas they go for. Sometimes there'll be a particularly favoured tree stump they'll use and you'll find a load of chewed up russula on and around it.
But if you're in just the right kind of woods (for me it was a beech wood with glorious old beech trees and some saplings of different species), at the right time of year (summer) and watch the squiggles long enough you might just find them digging on slight slopes... 99 times out of 100 they're digging for old acorns or just poking around, but once in a while they'll have found a summer truffle.
But surely we've all watched birds stripping berries off trees, or hedgehogs hoovering up fruit on the ground?
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Post by edenwildfood on Sept 20, 2014 9:33:20 GMT
this is what my dog thinks about squirrels.  |
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Post by lucyblack on Sept 29, 2014 20:02:40 GMT
BTW, just on the subject of squirrels, I swear I saw a white squirrel at the weekend. It was in a red squirrel area but this thing was white with a light grey tail - you couldn't miss it. What do you reckon that was? Albino red squirrel?
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Post by foragingmouse on Sept 29, 2014 21:58:17 GMT
Albino squirrels are about it's the black ones that freak me out they are huge ! And they kill the greys natures spanner in the works there is always a bigger badder boy in the playground
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Post by lucyblack on Sept 29, 2014 22:36:50 GMT
Ooft, never seen a black one. Wowee, nature's cool.
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cab
Junior Member
Posts: 80
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Post by cab on Sept 30, 2014 14:05:23 GMT
Black squirrels are a form of the grey squirrel, quite common in some parts. I think Hitchin running club call themselves the Black Squirrels because there are a lot fo such beasties down there. Have a reputation for being a bit more aggressive than other greys. But I've no doubt they're equally as delicious  |
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Post by Brewforagegrow on Sept 30, 2014 15:02:27 GMT
I really want to try squirrel, but short of learning to shoot there's nowhere local I've found I can get them from.
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Post by foragingmouse on Sept 30, 2014 16:14:19 GMT
Have you tried asking your local forestry warden they manage populations and are normally willing to throw them your way for a pint or so the meat is very good a flavour of there own very good
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Post by edenwildfood on Sept 30, 2014 19:36:55 GMT
just get an air rifle/slingshot and take them from your garden.
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cab
Junior Member
Posts: 80
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Post by cab on Oct 1, 2014 9:16:58 GMT
Don't get 'em in my garden, but had a couple given to me as gifts in the past. Tasty but a sod to skin them.
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Post by herbwise on Oct 27, 2014 15:35:27 GMT
I really dislike squirrels. We have the motherload of them in our neighborhood and we're not allowed to shoot anything in our town... .................::shifty eyes::.......... The elderly man next door feeds them bucket loads of peanuts EVERY DAY (and then throws peanuts at them and hits them WHILE they eat peanuts...and says "Eat it!! Eat it baby! Eat the peanuts! Ha ha hahhhhah ::tosses another one: and they spend all day getting fat, reproducing and burying the extra peanuts everywhere in my yard/gardens. For every 10 plants I plant 1 will make it by the end of the spring thanks to these fat little bastards and their busy paws. I keep threatening to eat them. I probably should. They don't flinch when you toss things at them, thanks to the conditioning next door they think you are throwing peanuts at them so they take the abuse. Would probably be easy to off 'em with a good aim... The peanuts probably lend them a favorable flavor... Heh heh heh |
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cab
Junior Member
Posts: 80
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Post by cab on Oct 28, 2014 15:34:52 GMT
If you're going to deal with the squirrels, a stout pair of gloves and a quick action is the way forward - quick, clean neck dislocation. Sadly I've frequently had to do this to wild animals, including squirrels, that I've found injured by the road side (if most of your travelling is done by bicycle you're closer to the destruction wrought to wildlife by cars than motorists are). One swift, clean break and its done.
Its not inappropriate to give wild animals a helping hand to live in urban areas - but you do get the odd crazy person who'll layer so much food on the ground that they'll attract no end of vermin. I sympathise with your plight, herbwise!
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