Ground squirrel intelligence.........

[RECHRGD]

I live in the country.  This year the ground squirrels are more plentiful than normal and are destroying some expensive landscaping.  I have declared war and have been picking them off as they show themselves.  This morning I got one that appeared next to a hole.  The instant that it dropped another one came out of the same hole and dragged it back in.  I'm at a loss as to what instinct it was acting on to do that.  Was a mother trying to save it's child?  Are they cannibalistic like mice?  I've never witnessed anything like that before.  Should I go on trial for murder?

[Lennard]

Yes

[RECHRGD]

Yes

Thank you.......

[XH29N0G]

I live in the country.  This year the ground squirrels are more plentiful than normal and are destroying some expensive landscaping.  I have declared war and have been picking them off as they show themselves.  This morning I got one that appeared next to a hole.  The instant that it dropped another one came out of the same hole and dragged it back in.  I'm at a loss as to what instinct it was acting on to do that.  Was a mother trying to save it's child?  Are they cannibalistic like mice?  I've never witnessed anything like that before.  Should I go on trial for murder?

When I first read the title, I immediately thought of the NSA, but when I read the post, I started to think that I remember something like that on caddyshack.  You are in for it, but not with the law....  

[Alaskan_TA]

I saw one gnawing a chicken bone last week.


Just to be safe, douse yourself in hot sauce before going to bed just in case they break in for revenge while you are asleep.

[Chad L. Magee]

This is what you need:

http://gizmodo.com/this-giant-vacuum-sucks-prairie-dogs-right-out-of-their-1668265973

[XH29N0G]

This is what you need:

http://gizmodo.com/this-giant-vacuum-sucks-prairie-dogs-right-out-of-their-1668265973

  I liked the write up. 

"Simply insert the tube into a prairie dog burrow, turn on the suction, and wait for the 2 pound critters to get hoovered up into the waiting holding tank. They system produces a high amount of suction and is able to whisk the rodents up the pipe at speeds topping 60 mph, though baffles at the containment truck slow do them down to 15 mph before exiting the pipe and softly tossing them against the padded walls of the holding tank...."

[XH29N0G]

I learned about these guys when I lived in Alberta about 25 years ago.  They had been at it for a while, and looks like they are:

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/albertas-rat-patrol-stands-on-guard-for-thee/article4215109/

[J.Bond]

It must be a cycle, farm property as well.  Last fall, it started with some red squirrels making their way in to the attic. Solved that problem. However, this spring, black squirrels everywhere. I have been here for twenty years and very rarely do I see any stray critters due to the farm cat count here on the farm. I do not know what to make out of it, this year the cats won't even chase them.

[RallyeMike]

Was a mother trying to save it's child?  Are they cannibalistic like mice?  I've never witnessed anything like that before.

I think it went something like this:

Squirrel #2 to Squirrel #1: "Hey Bob, look and see if that a-hole with the air rifle is up there".

[polywideblock]

could it simply be that they "never leave a fallen buddy on the battle field "     

[John_Kunkel]

The system produces a high amount of suction and is able to whisk the rodents up the pipe at speeds topping 60 mph, though baffles at the containment truck slow do them down to 15 mph before exiting the pipe and softly tossing them against the padded walls of the holding tank...."

Then what? Off to a Chinese restaurant?

[Chad L. Magee]

They get relocated to somewhere else.  A prairie dog vacuum company was once busted dumping them right across the state line into Kansas by a local farmer years ago.  He literally came upon them placing the prairie dogs out into his field, which is not a good thing to do.  Needless to say, the law got involved rather quick like to put a stop to it.  I do not know if it was the company that I posted the link to or not, as there are more than one of them in business in Colorado...

[RECHRGD]

This morning, I went back to the affected area. There was no chirping noise that they do when approaching their area as usual.  One of their holes was now three times as large as before.  There was a coyote scat close by, so I guess by dragging in their deceased comrade, they attracted a predator more dangerous than I.......

[XH29N0G]

I  forwarded the article to a few friends and the first one might have identified a way to solve the problem and make some money in the process.  

"I watched the video and i want one prairie dog at home now! Im not far from the alps, let me see what i can do"  

My former boss wrote "... so maybe I can rent a jumbo shop vacuum and in the off sessions have a contest I will practice on way out though to have an edge and we can wager"  

And a former student from Alberta wrote back: "Sacrifice them to the ferrets!"

This morning, I went back to the affected area. There was no chirping noise that they do when approaching their area as usual.  One of their holes was now three times as large as before.  There was a coyote scat close by, so I guess by dragging in their deceased comrade, they attracted a predator more dangerous than I.......

Or they are planning an attack of their own.....

[polywideblock]

so do the giant vacs have a reverse switch ? would be fun to watch a bunch of prairie dogs popping out of their holes unintended 

[Chad L. Magee]

I think that they do have a reverse switch on there.  However, the process might not be so "friendly" in reverse since there would be little to cushion their landing.  Most would wind up dead...

[John_Kunkel]

There was a coyote scat close by, so I guess by dragging in their deceased comrade, they attracted a predator more dangerous than I.......

There is NO predator more dangerous than man.

[polywideblock]

There was a coyote scat close by, so I guess by dragging in their deceased comrade, they attracted a predator more dangerous than I.......

There is NO predator more dangerous than man.

come over to here  and take a swim       

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-06-03/'target-animal'-caught-and-killed-after-fnq-crocodile-attack/7476572

http://www.news24.com/World/News/mans-leg-ripped-off-in-australia-shark-attack-20160601

[Chargerguy74]

A buddy and I shot just over 200 of the little guys on Friday. They're pretty quick to pull their dead down the holes. Cannibals.

[68pplcharger]

I just let the cat outside, she kills a couple every week and the yard stays nice. Just have to throw them in the woods when she leaves her present on the porch.

[XH29N0G]

I'm visiting Telluride and I saw one of those trucks in action.  Strangely enough it was getting the prairie dogs from a port-a-potty.  It didn't smell too good so I just moved on.

[bull]

I live in the country.  This year the ground squirrels are more plentiful than normal and are destroying some expensive landscaping.  I have declared war and have been picking them off as they show themselves.  This morning I got one that appeared next to a hole.  The instant that it dropped another one came out of the same hole and dragged it back in.  I'm at a loss as to what instinct it was acting on to do that.  Was a mother trying to save it's child?  Are they cannibalistic like mice?  I've never witnessed anything like that before.  Should I go on trial for murder?

Yes, they are cannibals. When I was about 10, living in Eastern Oregon, I would roam the pastures with my dad's Ruger .22 popping ground squirrels. One day I entered a 5-acre piece and started shooting and by the time I had worked my way around to where I had started Chip was enjoying an all-you-can-eat buffet of Dale. At that point I figured the best thing for Chip was the same thing I had given Dale, so I shot him too.