Many people would be surprised to find out that flying squirrels live in Gasport.
These little animals are nocturnal, so rarely seen. Your best bet for seeing one would be while in your deer stand at dusk (as that's how I saw one last night) or travelling about on nights like these when you have a full moon and no leaves on the trees that would otherwise mask these critters as they move from tree to tree.
Flying squirrels don't actually fly....they glide. They use the flap of skin between their front and back legs as a sail and have been known to glide up to 150 feet, although the typical flight is 20 to 60 feet.
They are small, maybe halfway in size between a chipmunk and a red squirrel.
They are extremely inquisitive (if not tame) and they will spend a lot of time trying to figure you out while in a deer stand. I've had a few encounters with them over the years and every time they've gotten to within inches of me to investigate. Many people have captured their young and made pets out of them.
They are extremely inquisitive (if not tame) and they will spend a lot of time trying to figure you out while in a deer stand. I've had a few encounters with them over the years and every time they've gotten to within inches of me to investigate. Many people have captured their young and made pets out of them.
Keep your eyes open this hunting season and you might get that rare chance to see one.
