This weekend, something chewed up the handle on one of my son's trekking poles and ruined it. It also chewed on the handle of one of my poles. I suspect chipmunks because they were the only animal that was different than other areas I usually go to.

I guess I'll have to hang my poles with the food from now on.

Salt! They must of smelt your salty sweat and chewed on the grips to extract the salt.

You can't trust chipmunks. They look all cute and stuff but they're really just gangs of little thugs waiting for you to leave something out that they can eat.

They probably don't even like trekking pole handles much. They were probably just letting you know who's turf you were on.

There was a raccoon last weekend that wouldn't leave us alone (car camping). We thought we'd put everything away, but then we realized it was chewing the leftover marshmallow off the sticks we'd used for roasting them. Raccoons are relentless, but chipmunks sound evil.

I would suspect the salt as well. Just like when the critters chew on the outhouse seat at my friends cabin.


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Cork or rubber handles?
I've had mice eat my cork fly rod handles for years if they weren't in a case. Mice and rats will also eat black rubber for whatever reason. A rat once worked it's way into my car through the air conditioning filter and chewed completely through several black wires. Only black wires, metal and all. Guess he liked licorice. Maybe had a copper deficiency too.
Sweat, salt, and whatever food you touched with your hands before hiking with your poles attracted your critter.