- Bill Fischer says he came home to find 42 gallons of walnuts crammed inside his truck's hood.
- A red squirrel is the culprit, according to Fischer, who says it returns every walnut season.
- To a squirrel, a truck's hood is the perfect storage spot for nuts, ecologist Jaclyn Aliperti says.
It seems a red squirrel has been causing some trouble for Bill Fischer of Fargo, North Dakota.
The traveling insurance salesman, 56, told Insider that on returning from a four-day trip in early September he opened the hood of his truck to find 42 gallons of walnuts stashed inside.
Fischer says he knows the culprit well, and that, since 2013, the red squirrel has been hiding walnuts in his truck every two years when his neighbor's tree produces the nuts. Fischer said this year's walnut collection is the most the squirrel has ever stuffed into the hood of his Chevrolet Avalanche.
Fischer told Insider that every walnut season, once the tree is bare, he empties the hood of his truck and gives the walnuts away. After sharing photos of this year's batch in a Facebook post Sunday, Fischer said someone picked up the last of the walnuts on Friday morning.
Speaking to The Washington Post, Fischer said the squirrel has ignored his other vehicles.
"I've got other vehicles that sit very close to that tree, and it's always my truck," he told The Washington Post. "I've even parked purposely out on the street — as far away as I can from the walnut tree — and they still go find the Avalanche and hide them in there."
In the lead up to walnut season, Fischer told Insider he sprays a spicy concoction that he makes with cayenne pepper and Tabasco sauce under the hood of the truck. It usually works to some degree, according to Fischer, but this year, it didn't.
When asked by Insider if there could be various culprits at play, Fischer said he firmly believes "this is one squirrel," adding that red squirrels are known for being territorial.
Wildlife ecologist Jaclyn Aliperti would agree.
"It's very possible that this particular squirrel considers Bill Fischer's truck to be part of its territory," Aliperti, who recently led a study that found that ground squirrels' personalities are tied to risk-taking, told Insider.
Aliperti added that the hood of a truck is a desirable hiding spot to a squirrel because it's concealed and dry: "Why not claim it as the perfect place to hoard food resources?"
Since the squirrel taking over Fischer's truck appears to be a repeat offender, Aliperti said this one might be particularly bold.
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