The Pine Martin

Tales from the Backyard…  One year the Regional Chief Biologist asked me if I would assist him while he did sampling of the lake (Crater Lake).  Why he didn't ask our park biologist I don’t know, of course I accepted.  While we were rowing along the lake shore we spotted a Pine Martin chasing a red squirrel along the rocky shore and up into the trees they would go, down the other side and over the rocks again to another tree and round and round they went until it was as if one said “Time Out” and they both stopped.  The squirrel was facing down the tree and the Pine Martin facing up, their noses almost touching.  Even from where we were we could see their chests heaving in and out trying to catch their breath.  Then it was “Time in” and off they went round and round again.  We just sat and watched as they must have done this for close to 3/4 an hour, repeating the “Time Out/In” process on different trees until the squirrel decided he had enough and ran into a hole.  The Pine Martin, feeling outwitted, hung his head and left.  I often wonder if this is a game they play every day or if it was a onetime thing.  A game of life and death to be sure for the squirrel.