I’ve read speculations that, when a catastrophic event exterminates most life forms on earth, coyotes and cockroaches will be the final two species to survive. Coyotes and cockroaches are certainly numerous and difficult to eliminate. So is the red squirrel. Common throughout America from Alaska to Georgia, red squirrels thrive in New England. Featuring a bushy, dark red tail and a white circle around each shiny black eye, red squirrels are rodents. Approximately a foot long, red squirrels have white bellies with backs and heads ranging from rust to grayish red. If you’ve never seen one, you must be living in a bubble.

During decades of harvesting wild game meat, I’ve spent countless hours alone in the forest, quietly waiting for food to appear. The occasions when I see an intended quarry amount to only a small percentage of my time in the woods. Usually my wildlife sightings consist of either non-game species, or game animals which aren’t legal to hunt at that time (such as flocks of geese or turkeys while I’m hunting deer). Some of my most common encounters involve chickadees, crows or blue jays. These three bird species seem to be present everywhere I go in the Twin States, but even their widespread presence can’t compare with the omnipresent red squirrel.

Squirrels often provide a bit of entertainment while I wait for more exciting wildlife. When the quiet of a tranquil forest is broken by the sound of footsteps in dead leaves, my heart beats a little harder, until I identify the noisemaker as a squirrel. They can raise quite a racket for such diminutive creatures, especially when one squirrel is chasing another. Red squirrels constantly gather pine cones, seeds and nuts during autumn. They hide their harvests in numerous stashes, which they feed on throughout winter. Red squirrels always live in close proximity to other squirrels, and they wage never-ending squabbles, raiding each others’ stashes and chasing away interlopers during territory disputes. Although I’ve never raided a squirrel’s stash, the cantankerous rodents sometimes scold me as an interloper. When I’m trying to be inconspicuous, loud chattering isn’t desirable. If the squawking persists, sometimes bleating on a deer call will silence the pest.

In my opinion, neither red squirrels, coyotes nor cockroaches would be the final survivors of an apocalypse. Probably some type of amoeba could persist for millenniums until habitat shifts allowed it to evolve.



Michael Hahn Band varies in size from a duo to a six-piece band, depending upon the size and budget of the venue. They love to make music for any occasion. For bookings call 802-754-8889.

Upcoming Gigs:

First Night in St. Johnsbury on New Year’s Eve, time TBD

Bull Wheel at Jay Peak on Saturday, January 31 from 4 to 7



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