The squirrel appears to know where home is, just cannot manage to climb the tree to get there. I was planning on sitting out, observing, while i left a nesting box near or on (if i can find it) the tree to see if the mother comes within the next few days. I will take the baby in my home overnight and will continue to bottle feed as needed. I was looking to release her here soon as shes able bodied to do so.

The rehaber jumped down my throat about it. It's either 10 weeks or zero days. Don't release it back home, that environment isn't good enough.

The rehaber's plan is for me to keep it for ~10 weeks and then bring it to her for release.

I know myself and if I keep it for 10 weeks and things are going well I may not want to hand it over. Obviously I am not going to want to keep it at the end of the 10 weeks if it's become a hassle and a problem and more than I anticipated or can handle. I realize that the animal is young and needy and docile right now but that is likely to change as it ages.

Right now, the plan is 10 weeks then release. I am trying to pre-emptively plan for what to do should I decide to keep it. I also am going to try to find the mother some more over the next few days because, despite what the rehaber says I still feel, and the internet research I've done, still say the mother that gave birth to it is the best option.

Anyway, none of that is any of your business and I do not need to justify myself or my choices to you or the other guy. Living in the woods and finding squirrels as a kid doesn't make you an authority on them as a species, or on the ones local to my area, or on this squirrel in particular.

So thank you too, for doubling down on exactly what I didn't ask for, and makign a completely useless, redundant post.