Northern flying squirrel

[kaybob]

What's the deal with this critter. Looking for information on them in alberta but can only see stuff for red squirrel.

[Strix]

What do you want to know? I have them in the back yard and nesting in some bird houses and feeding at the bird feeders at night. They are actually quite common but completely nocturnal so seldom seen or encountered.

[kaybob]

I am going to be trapping squirrels and just wondering about if one of these gets trapped. Are they boarded the same way. Can they be send to auction? Does it get reported to F&G as non target trapped. Are they worth same as squirrel. To be honest I didn't even know about them until recently.

I looked all over the internet and asked another trapper and couldnt find any information.

[Strix]

I am sure some trappers will chime in but I do not believe they have any value in the fur market.

[Redcoat27]

Auction Houses do not accept them.

[Bushmaster]

I had a few back in the late '90's or early 2000's. I never actually saw one but I had a couple of cats at the time and found the remains on my lawn. I found a whole tail once which was the only way I could identify them. And about the same time a friend told me he would see them occasionally on his bird feeders at night at Suffern Lake.

I went looking and found the tail. Here's a pic...

[35 whelen]

Used to be quite a few of them up at moose Camp down the chinchaga road

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[MugEye]

I get them on trail cams every year

[slough shark]

Originally Posted by kaybob

I am going to be trapping squirrels and just wondering about if one of these gets trapped. Are they boarded the same way. Can they be send to auction? Does it get reported to F&G as non target trapped. Are they worth same as squirrel. To be honest I didn't even know about them until recently.

I looked all over the internet and asked another trapper and couldnt find any information.

I’ve caught them in marten sets for what it’s worth

[Battle Rat]

Usually only see them well after dark or find the odd dead one.
I'd bet they are more common and wide spread than most people realize because they are so nocturnal.
And ya, no value on the market.

[209x50]

I catch lots every year on the trap line. They have zero value and are a terrible pest. They pluck fur from dead animals to line their nest. Extremely destructive.

[Big Grey Wolf]

Lots on the trapline, they spring the marten traps quite often. Just as 209 mentioned even chew marten fur costing major degrade in fur quality and loss of money.

[Davey Boy]

Here's one that I caught a few years back. Wasn't sure what it was, as I'd never seen one before. When I turned it loose it ran very clumsily across the year, then up about 60 feet in a fir tree. Then glided about 75 feet across to another large fir. Fantastic little furry guys.

[KegRiver]

Fascinating creatures. And they stink like a gallon of mouse urine.

I have caught lots in Squirrel snares and Weasel traps. Plus the occasional Marten set.

They and Shrews are the #1 cause of animal damage to caught critters. Shrew damage can be almost eliminated but I don't know anything that will deter Flying Squirrel damage.

When I was living at home, left at 17, I tried pelting a few. The hide is paper thin and very easy to tear. I had to design a custom stretcher for them, the hide is shorter then a Red Squirrel and half again as wide.
The fur is incredibly soft and dense, but the hide does not survive the tanning process so nothing you can do with it once you have it stretched and dried.

I have seen no more then half a dozen alive in the wild. One lived in my big brothers shop on his homestead. I saw it maybe two times in the years he lived there.

Interesting trivia about them. When they glide from tree to tree, upon landing they will immediately dart around to the far side of the tree they land on, in case an owl is closing in on them.

I suspect they are as plentiful as Red Squirrel, possibly even more abundant.
I see sign of them where Red Squirrel will no live and sign of decent numbers where Reds do live.

[Flight01]

Originally Posted by slough shark

I’ve caught them in marten sets for what it’s worth

Me too. Also a small one stuck his head in a weasel box and the rat trap did him in.

[Abe89]

Was working on an elk with my hunting partner in the thick bush at 2am this last fall. Our senses were on high alert and bear spray was handy due to the thick bush. All of a sudden a rustling and thrashing gave us a heart attack and this critter comes flashing out of the trees in our headlamps, just about beens my buddy in the head, lands on the ground not 2ft from his foot. Sits there stunned a minute then runs up to eye level on a tree, stares another minute then takes off. We were very awake after that. First Flying squirrel we’d ever seen.
Also had a little barn owl just about take my head off...came straight at me, flaired at 5ft and landed in a branch by my stand at 8ft.
Then my buddy had a weasel climb the ladder on his stand. He watched him roll around and play for 20min. Cool video.
If only the other bigger critters we were after wanted to be in our laps like the little ones...it was a very cool hunt!

[tomcat]

The only usefull purpose I have found for flying squirrels is as an attraction and lure holder in lynx snare pens. (click pic to enlarge)