Things You'll Need
- A Quiet Location
- Nuts
- Patience
Instructions
How to Talk to Squirrels
Find a quiet location where there are plenty of squirrels in the vicinity. A city park may work for those who live in urban areas, but a more secluded location should be used if one is available. Ideally, you will want to find a wooded location that is free of other people, automobiles or anything that generates a loud noise. You want to be in a spot that contains nothing but you, trees and squirrels. Once you have found a suitable location, you are ready to begin teaching the squirrels that you are not a threat.
Return to the same location often. You should go at least 2-3 times a week, but the more often you go, the faster the transition will be. You do not need to do anything but to sit quietly, allowing the animals to get use to your presence, and to even recognize who you are. This is a good time to read a book, meditate, listen to your ipod, or whatever else you may choose to do when you need some quiet time to yourself. The squirrels will quickly come to recognize who you are so that they do not feel so disturbed by your presence.
Observe the behavior of the squirrels. When you are spending time sitting quietly among the squirrels, take time to observe their behavior. Pay particular attention to how the squirrels communicate with each other. Squirrels usually have three basic forms of communications: tail waving, chirping and barking. Tail waving is usually done to communicate with squirrels across a distance, like waving a flag, and is normally done as a warning to be on guard. Barking is typically only done when hostility is required, such as when an animal is too close to the babies. Chirping seems to be the more playful form of squirrel communication. Learn to recognize these sounds, and practice them whenever you can.
Feed the squirrels. After about a week, depending on how often you visit, the squirrels should begin to recognize your presence and will not be as fearful of you. At the point, start bringing nuts with you. Peanuts are a favorite of squirrels. When you first arrive, pour some nuts at the base of a tree some distance from you, then sit quietly away and watch to see if the squirrels take the bait. Continue leaving nuts at the tree each time you visit, but once a week, move your sitting position to be a little closer to the tree with the nuts. Eventually the squirrels will be so use to you that they will come eat even with you sitting near by, and may even approach you out of curiosity.
Begin talking to the squirrels. Once the squirrels are comfortable enough to eat in your presence, begin talking to them. Use a combination of words and chirps. If you can do a good job of imitating squirrel chirps, then you will certainly get their attention. Otherwise, talking in a calm, passive voice also works well. While they may not understand the specific words you are saying, they can understand the tone of your voice, so as long as you are passive with them, the squirrels will respond to what you say. The squirrels may move away from you at first. If this happens, just sit still and wait for them to return so that you may try again. Squirrels are naturally curious animals, and if they hear you making sounds similar to theirs, you can expect to see them approach you to investigate. With time, patience and repeated sessions, they will eventually walk right up to you, and even become excited to see you when you approach.