How To Feed Chipmunks Out Of The Palm Of Your Hand

I'll always have fond childhood memories of going grocery shopping with our Mom to prepare for our next family camping adventure. Summertime was always so exciting; Tiny boxes of sugar cereals that were never on the menu at home found their way into our shopping cart and the family wasn’t officially ready to go anywhere until we had a good supply of in-shell peanuts for our chipmunk friends.

Algonquin Provincial Park was where my siblings and I would have had the most success building trust with our little woodland friends. We always loved our campsites at Pog Lake (often returning to the same lot or near by) where we were able to spend full afternoons at a picnic table, peanuts in hand and making what we thought were chipmunk noises. We waited.

With a little patience, a round of euchre or two and perhaps some lunch, they always came. I still can't believe how comfortable our little "Chippy's" were with us campers. Sitting on our shoulders and laps, they would stuff their cheeks full of snacks. Scampering off to hide their loot, they would return for more treats countless times.

Most of our chipmunk feeding adventures happened in the late 80's early 90's, although from what I've read, in-shell peanuts are still a healthy snack for our friends. Indeed, I thought I would share more about what other snacks a chipmunk might like if you're planning on making some new friends this summer.

Living off the land, the chipmunk’s diet varies based on what's available to them. When feeding any wild animal (birds, squirrels, no bears please!) it's always important to understand what their natural feeding habits might be to keep their diet close to normal.

Nuts and seeds are usually the best choices when feeding chipmunks. After doing some research, I've recently learned that chipmunks living in year-round warmer climates further south are more likely to feed on pecans and peanuts; whereas our northern friends here in Canada may only have acorns, oak nuts and hickories available. Now if you don't have access to any of these options, unsalted sunflower seeds or strawberries would be another healthy option!

So there you have it! Some tips on feeding Chipmunks. Happy camping this summer everyone and remember to always respect our woodland friends!