suicidal squirrels

[wd0ct]

Last summer these stupid squirrels managed to short themselves across my pole pig three times. Of course each time it was 95 degrees or more.

The summer before the old pole pig finally had to be replaced after one last short circuit minded squirrel attack.

So how smart are the squirrels in your neighborhood?

[KG4ZQZ]

- they're down here, too... riding bike mobile on the back trails here on the peninsula, the little suckers hear and see you coming, wait until you're almost abreast on the trail, and then dash straight across your path...

[KC0KBH]

That is why you need an enduro. You wont even feel them. http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

[W2ILP]

ct,

What is a pole pig?
As basically a city boy, I'm not familiar with pole pigs.

I have to understand what things are all about before I can use them in jokes or any in serious discourses.

I'm subburban so at least I know what squirrels are.

w2ilp (I'll Learn Polepiggery?)

[KG4CGC]

http://www.hometownannapolis.com/art/storypics/nat_whitesquirrel_lawnL.jpg

[wd0ct]

Quote[/b] (W2ILP @ May 05 2005,14:02)]ct,

What is a pole pig?
As basically a city boy, I'm not familiar with pole pigs.

I have to understand what things are all about before I can use them in jokes or any in serious discourses.

I'm subburban so at least I know what squirrels are.

w2ilp #(I'll Learn Polepiggery?)
ilp,

I thought all hams knew what a pole pig is. just kidding..

It is ham [or maybe cb] slang for the mains transformer to your house.

[W5MEJ]

A couple of summers ago, two squirrels committed suicide in that manner in my back yard within a few weeks of each other. The local power company installed a "squirrel guard" on my transformer after the second one. It is just a little cage-looking affair, and it looks to me like the bars are too far apart to keep squirrels out, but so far, so good. No fried squirrel for two years now!

Chuck

[W2ILP]

Thanks for the "pole pig' definition.
I took a course that included learing about all types of mains transformers. We learned Y to Y, Delta to Y, Y to Delta, and Delta to Delta.
Never did I hear the prof define them as pole pigs.

This chat group is great. I learn something new every day.

w2ilp (Inside Lines Polepiglets?)

[w5klb]

Quote[/b] (KG4CGC @ May 05 2005,14:10)]http://www.hometownannapolis.com/art/storypics/nat_whitesquirrel_lawnL.jpg
I have seen these white squirrels in Hattiesburg, MS.

I have also seen them "coal black" in color. The Eastern Oklahoma woods are full of them.

I have, also, seen these critters short themselves on a "pole pig" or transformer.

[KG4CGC]

http://www.scarysquirrel.org/vacation/canada/shadowland/images/shadow7.jpg

[K7JBQ]

CGC,

What's a Grosse Pointe Black Squirrel doing in 4-land?
Do they have Snowbird Squirrels now?

73,
Bill

[KG4CGC]

That's not my squirrel! I Googled some squirrels and learned how to use the post image via url feature. I wish I could upload images on the ragchew part of the forum. I do prefer to use my own images since I don't have to wonder about any copywrite issues.

[K7JBQ]

Whew, thanks for clearing that up.

Those Grosse Pointe squirrels are smart. They'll eat Belden coax all day but they won't touch Tandy.

73,
Bill

[KG4CGC]

Around here, to see a black or white squirrel is unheard of. Simply amazing to look at for the average 4 lander. We have the gray with amber furred variety only. Oh, we do have flying squirrels.

[WA5KRP]

I put sunflower seeds out for a bunch of squirrels. They are SKITTISH but they have become a little more trusting. They'll let me get within a couple feet when I'm carrying my seed bag - but that's it.

Funny thing is, they'll never feed two or more at the same time. One guy starts and gets run off before the next guy starts. Independent little cusses.



WA5KRP
Texas

[K9STH]

Actually the term "pole pig" for a distribution transformer has been around the power companies from at least the late nineteenth century (1800s). I knew the term "pole pig" before I even got interested in amateur radio.

Back when I was in elementary school (early to mid 1950s) my father had a friend, or two, that worked for NIPSCO (Northern Indiana Public Service Company) and they sometimes talked about "pole pigs".

Pole pigs and "crossover bells" are primary sources for "line noise" type of interference.

By the way, too many squirrels have seen the Geico commercial where a squirrel runs in front of a car and the car swerves to miss it. Unfortunately, I usually see the remains of several squirrels every time I drive along the street that goes along the park at the bottom of the hill from my house. I guess people around here are more likely to hit the squirrel than to damage their expensive automobiles.

Glen, K9STH

[w5klb]

When I was stationed in the Chicago land area, I would tell people that I use hunt and eat squirrel as a lad. The typical "city slicker" response was "ewwwwww... you #would actually eat a rodent?" Yep, they are quite tastey. There has been many a day when times were leaner that I have eaten squirrel, rabbit (in season), snake (vipers are the best), vinison, wild turkey, etc, etc. Never killed ANYTHING I couldn't eat.

Times have changed and I haven't eaten squirrel in years, but I still like wild game.

[KF0RT]

Quote[/b] (K9STH @ May 05 2005,17:14)]Actually the term "pole pig" for a distribution transformer has been around the power companies from at least the late nineteenth century (1800s). I knew the term "pole pig" before I even got interested in amateur radio.
Thanks for clearing that up, Glen. All this time, I thought it was "pole peg." D-oh!

73, Rob

[KG4CGC]

Quote[/b] (KF0RT @ May 05 2005,18:24)]Quote[/b] (K9STH @ May 05 2005,17:14)]Actually the term "pole pig" for a distribution transformer has been around the power companies from at least the late nineteenth century (1800s). #I knew the term "pole pig" before I even got interested in amateur radio.
Thanks for clearing that up, Glen. #All this time, I thought it was "pole peg." #D-oh!

73, Rob
I thought maybe it was a skunkpig. We call skunks polecats.

[KC0KBH]

We have a lot of gray squirrels, a bunch of those destructive red squirrels, a couple white squirrels, and every once in a while you will see a black squirrel. There is a few by the road in Avon; about every time I go past there I see a black squirrel. But, have not seen a white one for years.

[N0KLT]

We are getting more and more black squirrels here in eastern Nebraska, esp in Lincoln and Omaha. But then all the different types of tree rats are getting thick as can be. Same with the rabbits. Little *&^%$#@s are brave as h*** also since they have long ago figured out that nobody will shoot them. And since most dogs and cats are confined, they have very few natural enemies here in town. Rabbits are getting really brave, most of the time they will not hop more then twice to get out of your road if you approach them.

So many targets so few chances to shoot them. http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/sad.gif http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/sad.gif http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/sad.gif

[WA5KRP]

Quote[/b] (N0KLT @ May 05 2005,22:26)]We are getting more and more black squirrels here in eastern Nebraska, esp in Lincoln and Omaha.
Have you guys had any decent rains this spring. Last I heard Nebraska was in a drought. Waddup?



WA5KRP
Texas

[K8ERV]

Quote[/b] (KC0KBH @ May 05 2005,13:59)]That is why you need an enduro. #You wont even feel them. http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif
Yeah, but that makes em harder to skin and eat.

TOM K8ERV Montrose Colo

[K8ERV]

Quote[/b] (K7JBQ @ May 05 2005,15:33)]They'll eat Belden coax all day but they won't touch Tandy.

73,
Bill
They just have good taste (pun intended).

TOM K8ERV Montrose Colo

[K8ERV]

Quote[/b] (KG4CGC @ May 05 2005,16:33)]We call skunks polecats.
I call skunks skunks, but only from at least 11' away---

TOM K8ERV Montrose Colo

[ai4ep]

Surely the ACLU, NAACP , and NCI find this revolting !!

This is terrible, just terrible !! http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

[KG4CGC]

We could always send all the squirrels and rabbits to Wisconsin where they would be welcomed by the cat haters.

[w3sy]

I have a major beef with any dimwit driver that stands on their brakes to avoid hitting a squirrel. I had some goofball lady do this once in front of me.

A deer, a big dog, a COW... yeah, don't hit 'em. A SQUIRREL?? Smoke their furry behinds! If it's too small to hurt your car, just ride over it and drive away whistling, ferchrissake. To cause a pileup on a winding country road because YOU locked up your brakes to avoid harming a squirrel is wee-taw-did.

Seen that TV commercial where a squirrell runs out into the street and a driver swerves to avoid it and runs the car off the road? Then a couple squirrels exchange high fives? That really pissed me off. Yeah, I know it's not "real," but it made me really have it in for squirrels that like to run out in front of cars. Grrrrrrrrrr!!

[K7JBQ]

Which brings up another useful acronym (wrong thread, I know, but who's counting?), this for a grease spot in the middle of the road:

PSD

(Poor Squirrel Decision)

73,
Bill

[w3sy]

The squirrel becomes "thickness challenged."

[K9STH]

SY:

Several things:

Most people react to the fact that it was something running in-front-of the vehicle. The conditioned response of the average driver is to "hit the brakes" and attempt to "miss" whenever something runs in-front-of the vehicle. It is only after the conditioned response that the "object" is recognized as a squirrel (tree rat, or whatever). What if the "object" was a small child? Frankly, I am glad that the vast majority of people do their best not to hit things that run across the street (and I am not that "fond of" squirrels).

Secondly, if you have a "rear ender" with the car in-front-of you then you were following too close. No exceptions unless they were backing up! You should always leave enough room to allow for safe braking. Now, I know that during rush hour it is virtually impossible to allow sufficient distance (driving instructors used to say 1 car length for each 10 miles per hour of speed, or 3 seconds of time for braking). If you leave more than a car length then someone is going to cut in ahead of you. However, you should always attempt to allow yourself enough time to safely stop your vehicle without hitting someone else.

In a residential area there is no reason not to allow a safe distance between your vehicle and the one ahead. Even on major streets you really have no excuse to "tail gate". Especially in residential areas there is a very good chance of something running across your path be-it a child, animal, toy, or whatever.

Play it safe! It will only take you a few seconds (if that) longer to get where you are going if you leave a safe distance between your vehicle and the one ahead of you. The only time that you "make up" is the time it takes to go a few car lengths.

Glen, K9STH

[w3sy]

Thanks, mom. WHOOPS, I mean GLEN. Actually, there was never any danger of rear ending the old broad. I happen to know the rule about at-fault when hitting someone from behind. I get cheesed ANYTIME someone makes me brake hard for no good reason. Same idea when someone zips out in front of me on a 50 mph road when nobody is behind me for miles -- then goes real slow.

I dig what you are saying about reacting to movement in front of the car... but c'mon! A kid the size of a squirrel? How about a floating leaf? Do we brake for them too?

It's my naive, and totally unrealistic, hope that licensed drivers have the vision and reflexes to recognize, and react appropriately to, squirrels vs children. But that might be asking too much.

Good day to YOU, sir. I *said* GOOD DAY.

[K7JBQ]

Steve,

Some places I've lived, folks brake for humidity.

73,
Bill

[K9STH]

SY:

If one can avoid unnecessary taking the life of any animal except insects (of course there are exceptions to this), and if there is no danger to the driver, then why should the animal be killed? Now if there is danger to the driver (like swerving off the road like in the Geico commercial) then that is a completely different matter.

I am not against hunting, I am not against firearms, and so on. But, if I can avoid killing an animal when I am driving and can keep from damaging myself, any of my passengers, or my vehicle, then I will do so. I have "hit" several squirrels over the years. So far they have actually come in from the side of my vehicle and not in front. Those that have come across the front I have been able to miss, usually by just hitting the brakes.

Squirrels are all over my neighborhood (I live 1.5 blocks from a major park) and one rapidly becomes very aware of them. There is hardly a day that I cannot drive down one of the neighborhood streets and not see at least one "departed" squirrel. I definitely do not "mourn" for them (besides there needs to be something for the various birds to eat). However, I still try to avoid hitting them if at all possible.

Turtles are another problem. However, if you run over one of them you can damage your "front end" as well as lose control of your vehicle. They are often hard to see, especially after it starts getting dark. Also, "wildcats" (large cats, not "feral cats", that weigh up to about 60 pounds) are also common to every park in this area that has a stream. They are most prevalent just after dawn and just before sunset. You definitely do not want to "tangle" with one of them. Those cats prefer their domestic cousins (house cats) but usually dine on squirrels.

There are also Puma ("mountain lions") that live within a very few miles of my house (suburban Dallas area). They have been around for at least 20 years and their existence has been verified numerous times by animal control, Texas State Fish and Wildlife, etc. They are usually seen running across a particular golf course that is about 5 miles east of me.

Then there are alligators in all of the lakes and most of the streams. Although alligators were common in the Dallas area until the early 1900s, they basically disappeared. But, by the early 1980s they had returned to the upper Trinity River and are now in most of the area. An amateur radio operator came by my house a while back with his young son. He had taken the boy up to one of the major parks to "feed the ducks". Unfortunately, there were no ducks to be seen. He told me that they fed the "baby alligators" instead. I said "baby alligators? Mommy and daddy alligator are around real close." That is why there weren't any ducks! You don't want to run over an alligator if you can avoid it!

Anyway, if I can avoid killing something for no good reason I will attempt just that. If I cannot avoid killing then so be it.

Glen, K9STH

[ai4ep]

sth...your " wildcats " are also feeding on the dead squirrels in the road or in the grass on the side.

[K9STH]

EP:

They usually stay in the "creek bottoms" most of the day and generally do not stray very far from the creek. The times that I have seen them they have been crossing over the only road bridge that goes across the creek for the entire length of the park. There are 2 foot bridges but I have never seen one of the cats on either of them. When I have noticed the cats is usually when the creek is running very high (like after heavy rains in the area) and there is no bank under the bridge that is not covered with water.

Another name for what are called wildcats in this area is the bobcat or Lynx Rufus. Here is a photo of the animal that I am talking about:

http://www.thejump.net/alligators-etc/1-alligator-pic-3/etc-11.htm

There was a "tame" wildcat that was at the Plano Independent School District Living Materials Center (basically a "zoo") that had been raised from a cub and that had her claws removed. Her name was "Kitty" and she was around for quite a number of years. Basically she acted like an overgrown house cat. My eldest daughter used to carry her around when she (my daughter) was in high school and the center was located in the senior high school building.

The original director of the Living Materials Center, Jim Dunlap, says that he can show evidence of wildcats or bobcats in any of the creek "bottoms" in the northern suburbs of Dallas. However, they definitely are "wild" animals and people need to leave them alone. Fortunately, they are more afraid of people and normally keep to themselves.

Glen, K9STH

[N6WK]

Glen,
I agree. I don't kill anything if I can help it. When I find a Spider in the house, I catch it in a paper towel and take it outside and release it. Just last week, I was driving through my neighborhood at about 10 in the morning and I saw what I thought was a rat in the street. On closer observation, I saw that it was a baby opossum. I stopped, picked it up from out of the street and placed it in the shrubs along side the street to protect it from some jerk trying to run it over. I am one of the guys that will apply the brakes to avoid killing an animal of any sort. I haved lived across the street from a park for the last 23 years. My wife and I have rescued more animals then I could even imagine. One summer evening a few years back, a red Firebird drove by and threw something out the window into the park. I couldn't see what it was at first, but then realized that it was a baby rabbit. I caught it and gave it to a friend that was an elementary teacher. Her class raised it through out the year.
we have also taken in over 10 abandoned dogs (breaks my heart to see them dumped). In my opinion, anyone that would run over an animal just to run it over, should be run over themselves!

Gordon
N6WK

[k9kxq]

I don't know about the suicidal squirrels, but my neighbor had a suicidal Pekinese dog.

Everyday it would come over and tease my 130 lbs of female German Sheperd, this dog would run back and forth just close enough that my female sheperd could not get to it from where she was chained.

So one day I went to the local ace hardware and purchased 5 foot of chain and added it to the chain on my dog.

You can guess what happened, the Pekinese did infact committ suicide...The End

kxq

[kf4eyr]

Glen, what about the feral pigs? there is a few of them that gets hit in the hill country. I seen on national geographic channel where there is 4 feral pigs for every person living in Texas. and a lot of ranchers would like them gone.

[KG4ZQZ]

Quote[/b] (kf4eyr @ May 10 2005,07:11)]Glen, what about the feral pigs? there is a few of them that gets hit in the hill country. I seen on national geographic channel where there is 4 feral pigs for every person living in Texas. and a lot of ranchers would like them gone.
- those would be the legislators in the state capitol, btw... i don't think they're good 'eatin anyhow?

:-)

[N8CPA]

I first saw black squirrles in Niagara Falls, Ont. about 12 years ago. Within 2 years, I started seeing them in North Central Ohio. Now they're in my neighborhood. I think they're just a variety of grey squirrels, along with albinos.

[K9STH]

EYR:

As I said in a previous post, I am not opposed to hunting. There are a number of reasons for hunting including population control of an animal species, for food for the hunter, to eliminate a documented problem, etc.

Coyotes are "open" season in Texas. In various areas they definitely present a danger to livestock. In suburban areas they are thriving and do present a threat to pets and VERY rarely small children. A bigger problem is the "coydogs", hybrids between coyotes and feral dogs. They can grow to be much larger than coyotes and tend to be much more agressive.

Alligators in this area tend to shy away from people. However, there have been a very few that people tended to feed and they have lost fear of humans. There is one in a nearby lake that is about 9 feet long and has taken a liking to small dogs. It has been recently seen in areas of the lake that are far removed from the normal habitat. The Fish and Wildlife people have been trying to catch it and remove it probably to a zoo.

Feral hogs are a problem in some areas. But, if you want to have your "hands full" try taking on a javelina ("real" wild hog). Those animals are not that large but are definitely very fierce.

Again, I an not opposed to killing an animal for a good reason. But, just to kill them to kill them goes against the grain.

By the way, I doubt very much that there are more than 88 million feral pigs in the State of Texas. The 2003 population estimate is over 22 million people in the state. Now, in certain rural counties I can definitely believe it.

For example, the population of Terrell County is listed at 1034 persons and the county is 2358 square miles. Hudspeth County has a population of 3193 and a land area of 4571 square miles. There are several counties in west Texas that have populations of under 5000 people and are larger than a number of states east of the Mississippi River. Of course that doesn't include Rhode Island, there are quite a few counties in Texas that are larger than that state.

In west Texas the feral hog population could definitely be greater than a 4 to 1 ratio. However, for the entire state I seriously doubt it.

Glen, K9STH

[w3sy]

From K9KXQ:

Quote[/b] ]I don't know about the suicidal squirrels, but my neighbor had a suicidal Pekinese dog.

Everyday it would come over and tease my 130 lbs of female German Sheperd, this dog would run back and forth just close enough that my female sheperd could not get to it from where she was chained.

So one day I went to the local ace hardware and purchased 5 foot of chain and added it to the chain on my dog.

You can guess what happened, the Pekinese did infact committ suicide...The End

Now stop it! People are walking by my desk wondering why I'm laughing like a mental patient.

[K9STH]

A number of years ago my children acquired a Cairn Terrior ("Toto dog") that was about 2 years old. She had been raised with Doberman Pinschers by a breeder. They had to get rid of this particular dog because the Dobermans were basically afraid of the Cairn Terrior.

She might have been little in size, but she would "take on" a full grown Doberman and win. Since this wasn't "good" for the morale of what were going to be "guard dogs", etc., the breeder decided to give her to my children. The dog was not vicious, but she would definitely "hold her own" against any other dog no matter how big or how small.

Glen, K9STH

[kb2vxa]

Hi squirrels,

"The summer before the old pole pig finally had to be replaced after one last short circuit minded squirrel attack."

There's something wrong here and it's not fried squirrels. A zap from the secondary carries the possibility of the full (typically) 500A output and it takes much more than that to fry a pole pig. No comments from those who apply Ohm's Law to squirrels. The primary leaves the transformer out of the circuit so the worst that could happen is the 600A fuse blows open on that phase of the primary trio somewhere upstream. In both cases an equipment failure is unlikely unless it's The Squirrel Of Steel.

"It is ham [or maybe cb] slang for the mains transformer to your house."

Uh uh, it's linemen's slang for "pole peg", more slang for pole mounted transformer.

"I took a course that included learing about all types of mains transformers. We learned Y to Y, Delta to Y, Y to Delta, and Delta to Delta.
Never did I hear the prof define them as pole pigs."

Of course not, those are pedistal mounted industrial 3 phase transformers used for changing the mains voltage and configuration into something the machine it feeds requires. The mains transformers are individual single phase units wired together for 3 phase. All primaries are configured 3 phase Y or star as it's sometimes called and a load may require grounded delta when the power company >secondary< is also Y as is the new standard. Some factories are supplied with the old standard 3 phase grounded delta secondary that my need to be changed to Y for modern equipment. I have seen that one too because the power company never replaces anything until it blows up or the customer pays to change the service equipment.

"I have seen these white squirrels in Hattiesburg, MS."

Look at the red eyes, that's a rare albino that hardly occurs in nature under normal breeding conditions. Sit him on top of a pole pig and zap him with 2400 volts and watch him turn black. Now how come that black one is still moving? (;->)

"Now Ronny and Kenny had a game out in the back,
lets make the squirrels turn black."
My apology to Frank Zappa.