The Year of the Chipmunk

10 years ago

Looking skyward, shaking fist: "Why all the chipmunks! What did I do to deserve all these rabbits?"

Discounting the possibility of divine retribution, any speculation about why this is a banner year for these....rodents? mammals?

(let's don't even get into the drought)

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barrett001

10 years ago

last modified: 10 years ago

The circle of life. We moved to this property three years ago, and that first summer there were so many rabbits and voles that I put underground and overground cages around all my new plantings to protect them. Then a fox family moved into the nearby woods and we never saw one rabbit or vole the following summer.

This summer the local foxes seem to be in very poor health--I think mange has been mentioned--the rabbits do seem to be trickling back and the chipmunk population is exploding. Now a large noisy hawk family has moved in nearby, and we hear their cries often. I watched one catch a chipmunk-like creature on a neighbor's lawn, so I'm expecting chipmunk numbers to decline precipitously soon ....

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Comments (6)

NHBabs z4b-5a NH
10 years ago
No idea why, but I have quite a number, too, Marie. Perhaps the mild winter and dry weather means better survival for little ones? Or perhaps there are few preditors for some reason?
Lalala (zone 6b)
10 years ago
There's been an explosion of both chipmunks and rabbits near me too. (I had almost never seen a chipmunk until a few years ago!) I have seen many rabbits in very urbanized areas of Cambridge and Boston too. I don't know why. I suspect there will be an uptick in coyotes soon! I've already seen more hawks in the last few years.
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suzabanana (6b Boston/N. Shore)
10 years ago
We have a surplus of both chipmunks and rabbits as well. Although our groundhog issues seems to have disappeared. I'm guessing that the warm winter and spring meant more food, more opportunities for offspring survival and perhaps even multiple litters. Oddly, I have seen fewer hawks in the past couple months. We've heard, but not seen the coyotes this year. We have LOTS of turkeys, though. A mom with 15 poults came by about a month ago.
Bob Lem
10 years ago

Chipmunks

Lots of chunky looking indoor-outdoor and stray cats as well. Honestly I haven't really noticed an increase in my yard, it seems like I have the same amount of chipmunks, rabbits and squirrels as every other year.
Thyme2dig NH Zone 5
10 years ago
Chipmunks and voles are out of control this year for me too. I was just out before and there were multiple chipmunks everywhere I turned! We catch chipmunks and usually get about eighty to one hundred per season, which is a crazy bunch of them, but this year we are on pace for many, many more than that. I would try to live side by side with chipmunks if they weren't such a harbor for Lyme disease.