DaytonDailyNews.com

Anyone who has spent much time in the woods this time of year probably has heard the incessant call of a small animal.

"Chip, chip, chip!" The animal never seems to take a breath. "Chip, chip, chip, chip!"

When I first started squirrel hunting, I wondered what was making that noise. I would rather have heard the barking of a squirrel, or some bird. "Chip, chip, chip" was boring. Sometimes it sounds more like a hollow "cluck, cluck, cluck."

Over the years, I've taken more of a liking to this animal that was identified as the chipmunk. It's a cute little critter and a busy one as well. It's forever searching for food and filling the pouches in its cheeks with what it finds.

Unfortunately for the chipmunk, it's a prime target for predators. Hawks, foxes, coyotes, weasels, snakes and feral dogs and cats eat chipmunks.

Yet the little animal is prolific enough to expand its range and numbers. Chances are good chipmunks are living in your yard, if you have some trees and a rock wall.

The animal seeks openings in the rocks where it can find cover. Once there, it may erect an extensive tunnel that runs below the frost line.

Here, the striped-face animal spends the winter, along with other chipmunks. They emerge in the spring, about the time the groundhog awakens from its slumber.

Many people aren't happy to see chipmunks in their yard and for a good reason. The tunnels they build can break down a beautiful rock wall. Some of these stone walls are costly to build and repair.

Still, no one can argue that chipmunks are amusing. They eat and eat. Despite their tiny legs, they can scurry away in a flash when frightened.

Chipmunks generally have three to five young in April. Like most other animals, if something happens and nesting fails, a second brood may be forthcoming.

Recently, I have been seeing tiny chipmunks that could not be more than a few weeks old. They look similar to adults and, like little kids, move a lot faster than the adult chipmunks.

Now that I know what's making the "chip, chip, chip" or the hollow "cluck, cluck, cluck" in the woods, I don't mind it. In fact, it can be helpful to the hunter.

There is nothing chipmunks like more than nuts. And if these little animals are feeding under a nut tree, there is a possibility a squirrel or a wild turkey may be in the same area.

The chip or the hollow cluck won't be heard much longer. Leaves are falling, temperatures are dropping and the days are growing shorter.

Soon the chipmunk will disappear into its long underground chamber and probably won't be seen again until warm weather returns.

Contact Jim Robey at Dayton Daily News, 1611 S. Main St., Dayton, OH 45409.