No, "squashed squirrels" is not a recipe for preparing this common mammal for the dinner table as was once commonly done years ago by our pioneer forefathers. It is, however, something that most of us have seen repeated over and over again on our area's highways numerous times this fall.

Of course squirrels being hit by cars is really not that unusual. It happens year-round. Being the adaptable animals they are, squirrels are very common, even in and around cities and suburban yards, where they make a good living as long as there are a a few nut-bearing trees nearby. With all the highways around, squirrels naturally have to cross them in their day to day travels with the inevitable result that some will be hit. But this year, specifically during the months of September and October, there has definitely been many more squirrels dead on the highway than usual.

There are many reasons why more squirrels are turning up DOR (dead on road) these days. First of all, the population this year is way up. For the past couple of years, there has been a fairly good acorn crop along with walnuts, hickory nuts, and many of the other foods that squirrels depend on. More food translates into survival for more squirrels. Also the gray squirrels normally have up to three litters a year. Whem mama squirrels begins raising a new family all the youngsters have to leave the nest and begin fending for themselves. As they leave home they aften have to travel far enough away to establish their own territory, thereby having to cross those deadly highways. By late summer, as the new babies are being raised, the yearly population is at an all-time high. This year, with a very high population from two years of good survival rates, squirrel movement is particularly high. And then there's another factor. Many areas are experiencing a shortage of acorns and other nuts this fall, food that is crucial not only for squirrels, but other animals as well bears, deer, and wild turkey, to name a few. As squirrels get hungry, they go in search of food, often on the other side of the road. Sometimes when squirrel populations are high in the fall and it coincides with a very low or almost total failure of the mast crop (acorns and nuts), huge migrations of gray squirrels have occurred over broad areas. During a full-blown squirrel migration, thousands of squirrels may move through woodlands, across highways, and even attempt to swim across rivers and other bodies of water in a desperate attempt to find food. In fact, one of our Nature Center staff members observed two squirrels crossing a river recently while whitewater kayaking. He reported that one made it to the other side and the other one disappeared into a rocky rapid from which it evidently did not emerge.

Although many squirrels will fall prey to accidents or starvation this season, enough of them will survive the winter to rebuild the population in the next year or so. Squirrels, like many other animals, have cyclic populations which go from high to low and back again over periods of time. Their population levels are controlled by disease, predation, amount of food available, shelter, and other natural variables. Gray squirrels are resilient and adaptable little rodents which will weather the punches and come back again and again. Maybe this is one reason the gray squirrel was chosen as the official state mammal of North Carolina. So watch out as you drive and try not to run over this special wild woodland resident. Also try not to be so upset at the squirrels as they overwhelm you backyard bird feeder this year. Maybe you could even put out a little extra food just for them because this season, they really might need a little handout.