I finally caught some video of a squirrel using the Squngee we have in the yard. it holds two ears of field corn and it’s hilarious to watch them eat:
I have a friend who once got a squirrel flinger, and it was hilarious to watch. It was basically a stick of wood mounted on a pivot point. The stick was pointed straight up when at rest, with an ear of corn impaled on top as bait. When the squirrel climbed up on it to eat, he would unbalance the contraption, which would then rotate down, “flinging” the squirrel away a few feet. We used to sit on his porch and watch the little buggers compete to use it. They seemed to enjoy it.
However, when I googled “squirrel flinger” and “squirrel hurler”, I didn’t find a link for it. Instead all I found were videos by assholes who had made catapults and things that sent squirrels flying dozens and dozens of feet at high speeds, with text accompanying as if this was high sport.
Your bungee looks like my friends device: a harmless and perhaps fun thing for the squirrels.
The other videos are, to me, nothing but animal cruelty. Sorry for the downer, but I was kinda bothered by the callousness in the other vids. And a bit perturbed that I couldn’t find my friend’s device to show you, as it would make a fun addition to your budding squirrel playground.
Was his thing custom built or something he bought?
It was something he bought, but this was about 20 years ago. I sent him a note asking if he remembers where he ordered it from.
Well let me know if he answers.
Meantime… anyone else find my video cute?
I liked it.
I think you need to build him some ramps next.
I formed a relationship with a neighborhood squirrel some years back (purely platonic, I assure you). I left food in a bowl outside my apartment window, then left the window open, then put the bowl just inside the window, etc. Eventually it was eating from my hand and walking all over me. I also put food in a shirt pocket and it would half bury itself in the pocket to get the food.
To my amazement, it recognized me on the street and would come racing up, climb right up my leg and start rooting around for food, so I ended up carrying a little trail mix all the time. I guess it trained me.
Ultimately it brought two baby squirrels alonga couple of times, who were too scared to come into the apartment. And then – I never saw any of them again. I guess mommy squirrel got taken by a cat or or met some other dire fate, and her kids went their own ways.
Yes, OpalCat, I love it! That’s certainly not something you see every day. I love the little legs flailing on the last try!
Many creatures seem to have more of a sense of humor than one might think.
Haha I love the legs on the last try, too! I edited the video down to remove the boring parts between jumps where he just eats corn. I wish my camera had a better zoom.
I am so jealous! The closest we ever got was when we lived in Maine - I left peanuts by a cracked open screen door, and I got a squirrel to take peanuts from my hand, but that’s as close as we got. Of course, the two indoor cats might’ve had something to do with that.
Yeah, I know they’re just rats in a cute outfit, but I still love the little critters. I gotta get a squngee for our yard!
I can’t see the YouTube video at work, but coincidentally someone emailed me a squirrel video yesterday.
Set to the Mission Impossible soundtrack, a squirrel is shown running a Rube Goldberg-type obstacle course, complete with a windmill and a mini squirrel car in order to get to the peanuts at the end. Hilarious, it was.
I’ve seen that video (or one like it)–it’s great!