Squirrel ????️ Fishing Games

Backyard squirrels are active, fun-loving and entertaining creatures. They can often be seen at play inventing games for themselves as in this trail camera clip.
I've taught squirrels to play games like catch and hopscotch in past years:
Man Teaches Squirrels to Play Games
https://youtu.be/zUNekLDPnSA?si=_cBRc3Hi4uCCLHTi
Squirrel Waits Then Runs to Greet Man Every Morning
https://youtu.be/_lfdjJB1Ebc?si=68H5EksRV4uAMnhe
Teaching Squirrels to Play Catch
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZwDcHDvIxL0&t=2s
Filmed with the OM SYSTEM Olympus OM-1 Mark II on Amazon at: https://amzn.to/3KxFio4
Commission may be Earned through affiliate links.
Each squirrel has a unique personality and Every generation of Backyard squirrels has a few that relate better with humans. Some squirrels are quicker on the uptake than others and catch on to something new right away – some not so fast.
So I happened to be holding a small stick that I picked up out of the yard while feeding the squirrels and started scratching the backs of the squirrels - some enjoyed it immensely - some kept reaching for the stick before I could give them a peanut and thus the idea of Backyard “Squirrel Fishing” was born.
Squirrels are pretty farsighted, but very sensitive to sound, movement and smell to locate peanuts and nuts. Our squirrels are pretty tame and can be hand fed so this wasn't rocket science.
So I tied a piece of soft dental floss to a stick and the other end to the middle of a roasted unsalted peanut in the shell and let the games begin. We soon found out after a few broken sticks that we needed something stronger and used the end of a small fishing rod.
Surprisingly, once our squirrels locked eyes onto a dangling peanut they would not give up till they got it - even if other peanuts were nearby on the ground. They seemed to truly enjoy it! Their focus, determination and athleticism was admirable.
Some quickly learned to cut the line with their razor sharp teeth just like a fish would. But a few hung on long enough to be slowly raised off the ground a few inches.
The squirrels loved it and it was a ton of fun.
When you start playing games with squirrels that involve unsalted roasted peanuts and nuts though - you'll soon find out that you'll tire of the games before they will.
And it all has to be fun for both the squirrels and the humans - no squirrels were harmed or should ever be harmed in any games. They are precious creatures and It is pretty clear they enjoyed it. Life of Riley by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
TipToes by Myuu is public domain from YouTube Audio Library https://studio.youtube.com/channel/UC/creator_music/track/6AO9tyKgcns

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