A Couple Chipmunks Startled The Heck Out Of Me Yesterday!

[HairlessNude]

I was spending the afternoon working on some repairs to an outbuilding on my property. I was naked & barefoot, as usual. Several times I had to go back to my shop for tools or other supplies. On one trip back to my shop, I was almost to the side door & reaching for the door knob when there was a flash of movement near my feet & at the same time I felt my bare foot step on something hard. What had happened was, two chipmunks were chasing each other & came around the corner just as I got there. One of them ran right under my bare foot & I stepped on it's head! Startled, I jumped & let out a yelp..... well, I felt like it was more like a little girl letting out a scream! I'm glad there was no one else around. I was embarrassed enough at myself, without anyone else seeing my reaction! 
 
The chipmunk population around here has gotten way out of control. I can see 4-5 any time I look around outside my house & they have been digging holes everyplace. I've declared war on those little bastards & I'm killing every one I can!   

[nudewalker]

We were plagued in our area for awhile then the black snakes and feral cat population ended that siege. Those little bastards seem to get under foot and pop up at times when they are least expected. There are still a few around as the city has taken steps to control the feral cats and with new construction their food supply is being destroyed.

[jbeegoode]

Stomping their heads with my bare feet would not be my pest control of choice!

Small animals, chipmunks, gofers, lizards, squirrels, quail, cottontails, packrats and turtle doves are not a problem here in pristine desert where there is balance. Two weeks ago a coyote limped past my window with a ball of cholla prickers in its foot. A road runner five days ago, and a bobcat three days ago. We have occasional drought. A good bull snake will do wonders down in the burrows. The large birds patrol overhead often. It is a wonder that they survive.

Cats and small pets don't make it for long, but are extremely destructive, as they don't pass through, but hang out.

I watched two fun little chipmonks that I called Chip and Dale for years, then just Dale, who hangs out in front of my window less and less and is turning a tad grey. They harvest the barrel and cholla buds, hanging out on the rocks. There are many critters making calls and are very fun to watch, during sundown when things cool off.

I have to be continuously on alert for rattlesnakes when out of doors. I must always carry a flashlight (torch) and wear shoes with sides at night, when the scorpions and snakes come out.

My adrenalized spontaneous reaction is usually an aggressive deeper sound. I don't like surprises on the desert. The coming hard winter forecast for your woods should help? I'd probably think in terms of a sporting opportunity, like a competition pellet gun.

I identify with your pest problem. Mine is packrats, who may get into my roof, or car doing expensive damage. I have a cage that I would use, but it was cruel. One had a heart attack and keeled over when I handled the cage, then displaced they are just a meal for the local residents where I take them. The ones in the roof got poisoned finally. They are suckers for peanut butter.
I don't like being naked amongst rat turds. One died in my cooler fan in the truck, smelled horrible. Rewiring a BMW is extremely expensive, as are houses. Insulation in a hood (bonnet) is regularly chewed out. They can destroy amazing things in just a day or two, or minutes.

[HairlessNude]

I didn't stomp it to death. That one got away..... for now.

I still can't get over my response when I stepped on it. I don't usually react that way, but it just caught me off guard at the wrong time I guess.

I'm glad you guys understand the need to get rid of a lot of them. I posted this same story on another forum & some "bunny hugger" tried to go off on me about it. I let him know in no uncertain terms, that I didn't care how he felt about it. I also explained about how destructive those things can be.

[jbeegoode]

Why do you think that they have proliferated recently? An abundance of something, or lack of predators?

I thought that chipmonks were housed in trees. Are they ground squirrels? Can you get a lone snake? Do you think that your disturbance has disrupted their habitat and they are more visible? They aren't a problem here, eating natural. Its the packrats, digging holes, chewing things, stealing things, leaving pellets everywhere, sneaking into the house, attracting rattlers....They move stealth and mostly at night.

Resting in the sunshine, getting tan, sipping juice with an accurate target pellet gun sitting on hand. Click, tick, click tick...Craig's list, or get licensed and buy a silencer.
Jbee

[eyesup]

Hunter cats, not the tame tabbys.

Pets are best because you feed them and they stay around your house and hunt when they need a little fun.

When we moved into our home the land behind us was still original desert. We occasionally saw a desert mouse or other natural resident. We had 3 cats that knew how to hunt. After about 3 months we didn't see any more rodents and the pigeons (flying rats) stopped hanging out at our house because the cats knew how to get on the roof.

We didn't mind the odd lizard. We have 3 or 4 that hang out in our yard now and they eat all sorts of bugs. One is probably 10-12 in. long. They are all well fed.

Down here the hantavirus is carried by some of these desert rats and mice. That is a nasty disease that can lead to pulmonary problems which can be fatal. You get infected touching them, their urine or droppings. We don't get it that much up here in the Mojave but down in the Sonoran it used to be a real problem.

Best to get rid of them. Tell that to the bunny hugger.

Duane

[jbeegoode]

It surprises my that you have any lizards, with three cats. The neighbor's cats kept coming over here and all of my wildlife dissipated noticeably and quickly. I thought of ways to get rid of the cats, then I prayed in desperation.

Then, the cats didn't seem to come around.

One morning, we had been sleeping on the patio watching stars. DF went to work. I rolled over and as I was walking to the front door, I saw a very large bobcat, lounging not 30 feet from my bed, in the shade, maybe a dozen feet from my door. He was very causally looking at me, with what seemed to communicative appreciative smile, "Hey, pal. Got anymore of those domestic cats for me?"

HE was resting under a point in my shed where one of the cats would hangout.

The family still comes by to visit on occasion. In fact one came by just a couple of days ago. They had a couple of cubs for awhile. A road runner takes care of over population occasionally.

There is a large bullsnake that cruises down into where the rats live. It eats the young and old, keeping the numbers down.

I love the desert.
Jbee

[eyesup]

It surprises my that you have any lizards, with three cats.

We moved here over 20 yrs ago. They got old and are long gone. Wherever they are now I'm sure they are feline better than ever.

. . . I saw a very large bobcat, lounging not 30 feet from my bed, in the shade, maybe a dozen feet from my door. He was very causally looking at me, with what seemed to communicative appreciative smile, "Hey, pal. Got anymore of those domestic cats for me?"

We used to frequently camp at Furnace Creek in Death Valley. It is a popular spot for families in the cooler months. Some of them bring along the family pet. National park regulations require that all pets be on a leash and all droppings have to be collected and disposed.

On some hiking trails dogs are prohibited. To make their hiking or trekking easier, some vacationers leave the pet outside at the campground on a tether with food and water. There was a sign at the pay station to the campground that was essentially a score card:

“Coyotes – 13”
“Fido – 0”
“Fluffy – 0”

People forget that wild animals go for the easiest food they can get. If the pet could not escape, it became lunch.

I love the desert.

Ditto squared! I don't much care for the city.
I love the state and the desert, not so much the city.

Duane

[reubenT]

they are all cute little critters,  the cats get the chippys pretty easy, but I'm seeing more of them lately.    the squirrels are larger and faster and race up the trees with such speed.  Not many natural enemies left,  the road kills more than anything else,  feeding the vultures.    They're getting so abundant it looks like they're going to starve themselves out this winter.   They're eating up all the native nuts with great abandon.    We've started shooting at them, especially the family that moved into the walls of the new house that isn't finished yet.    People round here used to eat them,  but the age of home hunted meat has just about faded away.  And since I'm vegetarian I'm not interested. 

[Greenbare Woods]

We tend to see more snakes this time of year.  They are fattening up for winter on the many field mice and other rodents that have multiplied during the summer. 

Yesterday while out walking naked and barefoot as usual I almost stepped on a blue racer snake that was hidden by tall grass on one of my occasional use paths.  He scurried out of my way.  The more snakes the fewer rodents.  They dig up my lawn. 

Bob

[nuduke]

We had 2 juvenile hedgehogs browsing in our garden yesterday.  We discovered and displaced a mother and 4 babies behind a bush that we grubbed out about a week or so ago.  Put them all back and covered the little trench they had dug with new brush and vegetation in the hope that we had not disturbed them too much.  So it was nice to see a couple of the babies snuffling about and they were very cute.  Odd to see them in the afternoon though - I thought they foraged nocturnally.  But..one of them had several very large ticks attached and so presumably they both had many smaller ticks and probably fleas too.  Good thing I gathered your advice about dealing with ticks a couple of weeks ago!
I hope we don't end up picking up ticks or fleas ourselves from the garden because of these little critters.  If so I shall have no hesitation in prioritising self preservation!

John
(Come to think of it...bet they're a protected species!  Need to look that up!)

[jbeegoode]

Are those the critters that tunnel and undermine? The tunnels that one falls into, making lumpy lawns, dangerous ankle twists, lawn-mowing problems, as wheels fall and the blade gouges unevenly? Like the movie Caddyshack with pointy noses?
Jbee

[nuduke]

No jbee, hedgehogs are benign little mammals that keep your garden slugs under control and are generally cute and harmless.  see: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hedgehog

The diggers and tunnellers are moles https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mole_(animal) which, despite causing consternation to those who like their lawns like velvet and flat as a mirror, a mole or two can be a nuisance but again, they are pretty harmless, furry and quite cute. 

Both animals are broadly nocturnal and omnivorous with soil invertebrates being a main item of nutrition (the diet of worms*).

Whilst we are not rushing to make pets of them, nor encourage their unnatural fecundity , live and let live is our policy.

John

* not to be confused with the Diet of Worms https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diet_of_Worms

[eyesup]

As I recall the movie Jbee mentioned, the wascally wodent was a gopher, also a pesky tunneler.

. . . with soil invertebrates being a main item of nutrition (the diet of worms*).

You beat me to it.  When I read the above line the same thing popped into my mind. And there's a scary thought, for you John. We must think alike!

You have to wonder though, that if those learned gentlemen hadn't been on that diet they might not have been so disagreeable.

Duane
(Sorry, being punny again. My wife says it's genetic.)

[nuduke]

It is nice to have a kindred spirit in sense of humour, Duane, although I think the scarier comparison is the other way round!

I had an aunt with whom I shared a sense of humour and when we got together (sadly only a couple of times a year) we were a bit like a double act in that we fed each other lines and finished each other's punchlines and we both had a liking for Peter Cook & Dudley Moore (British comedians - look 'em up!') and would play substantial portions of their sketches together.  Happy days.

John