-
Posts
612 -
Joined
-
Last visited
Profile Information
-
Gender
Male
-
From
North Cumbria
Recent Profile Visitors
2,318 profile views
-
How many Grey Squirrels killed in 2024 (3136 in 2023)
ratchers replied to Mice!'s topic in Other Pest Control
3 this morning 754 -
After a hard frost went out to the syndicates wood where I put a flip top feeder up after the pheasant feeders were taken in, the feeders been up about a month and its taken the greys this long to find it but after checking it yesterday and finding it was empty, I topped it up and was back this morning. Got there about nine and followed a grey on the way to the feeder, snuck up and there was one on the box, a head shot and the first one down. 15 minutes later another was on the feeder which went the same way as the first, next one came from my right and was five yards away but it saw me and I must have looked scary cos he legged it, then one came from behind me and he followed his mate and legged it as well, I haven't seen this many squirrels in ages, another one was on the box but he saw me move the gun and disapeared, it wasn't long before the same on or another found the lure of peanuts too much and paid the price, in one hour shot three and saw another four and then nothing. Some left for next time though.
-
Wheat has worked for me too but only when there is no other food available whereas peanuts always work, wheat is a lot cheaper especially if the shooting sydicates gives it to you!
-
How many Grey Squirrels killed in 2024 (3136 in 2023)
ratchers replied to Mice!'s topic in Other Pest Control
A mating pair. 736 -
Well out at last after a long spell of very wet and windy weather and what a glorious day with warming sun, the farmer wasn't too happy about the state of his land or sheep and was hoping this was the start of better weather in the run up to his lambing time. Had a natter for a while and then went in to the wood, upset the screeching jays and nearly got a shot at a magpie but the pine branches were in the way, a perennial problem in this wood, its quite a small wood and I arrived at the place where I normally see greys, there was some fresh holes in the ground where they had been looking for buried stuff so I got next to a big tree to wait, after about an hour I spotted movement in the treetops and tracked one and then a second, they were right at the top in the sunshine in cover and I had to wait another twenty minutes before they moved, after several trees one stopped in the open and as the grey looked small so I opted for a body shot, it crashed down through the branches and lay stone dead at the tree base, I quickly got the thermal out to find the second and could just see it a V near the top, took the shot but hit a twig hiding it, had a look through the thermal again and it was still there but more in the open this time and another body shot sent it crashing to the ground, a mating pair so a good result.
-
I have one for sale, bsa ultra se in .177, beech ambidextrous stock, £400.
-
How many Grey Squirrels killed in 2023 (3555 in 2022)
ratchers replied to Fisheruk's topic in Other Pest Control
One female yesterday 2859 -
Took the opportunity of todays better weather to go down to the farm in search of pests. First went in to the yard looking for corvids but the famer was out and about making a racket so nothing doing so went to the wood. Using my new magic toy(thermal)it wasn't long before I spotted a squirrel, it had seen me and moeved away through the pines,whereas before I would have soon lost it, I tracked it slowly sometimes losing it before picking it up again,I was about 50 yards away now and there was a lot of magpie chatter so sneaked up to all the noise and there was about three flitting about, now I'm not so sure which is higher on my hit list,greys or magpies(this is a sheep farm after all),I nearly kept getting one in the crosshairs only for it to move,this went on for a few minutes before they flew off, oh well back to the squirrel, scanned around and found it above my head at about 60 degrees up flat along a branch,had to move to one side of the tree I was at and he moved upwards and I lost it. Stayed still hoping to find it again when a grey appeared from my left,no need to scan this one,it jumped across a few trees then started decending down a trunk,a good squeak made it stop for a shot,aimed for a head shot and missed,it ran 10 yards then fell over dead,I had killed it with a heart and lung shot by missing its head,just the angle the shot was taken at. I thought I would use the grey to decoy them magpies in, so set it out in the field, I had no hide or material to build a hide,just thought I would hide behind a large tree with a view of the decoy and a likely tree a bird may land in, I had no great hopes but the sun was shining. Ten minutes in a crow landed in the tree and went down right away next to the grey,I never had chance to move as it must have seen my eyelash twitch and was off, next up 20 minutes later was a magpie,saw it coming across the field and veer towards the bait so it had seen it, I think it landed in a tree just out of sight but I never saw it again. And the reason was a buzzard was getting mobbed by some crows, it landed in a tree some way off then I saw it flap its way over to the tree near me,it eyed the bait up for a few minutes then landed next to it, it danced around and was very wary but eventually started tucking in. I watched it eat for about 20 minutes then snuck away. I might try a bait decoy set up properly some time as I never expected any results.
-
Bought the Hikmicro Lynx LH19, it was a lot of money but I think it will make a lot of hunting trips worthwhile now whereas before I saw nothing.
-
How many Grey Squirrels killed in 2023 (3555 in 2022)
ratchers replied to Fisheruk's topic in Other Pest Control
2 yesterday 2833 -
Was out to the sydicates wood yesterday afternoon and took my latest toy, a hikmicro thermal so instead of ambushing a pheasant feeder for hours I can now go out and about on the hunt. Still staked out a feeder as the keeper said there was always a grey at this particular one but no luck. Scanned about and saw a squirrel, I tracked it moving away for about a hundred yards until it stopped high up in the canopy thinking it was hidden, not any more, a jsb brought it down. Off again and was I pleased I had my wellies on after all the rain, an hour later I got another sighting on the ground but the squirrel disapeared over a ridge,I walked up but could see nothing but some movement in the pine trees above caught my eye, no need for the thermal, it was sat up chittering,took the shot and down it came stone dead. I then went and checked on my peanut feeder which hadn't been touched for months and the peanuts were going mouldy in the bottom, cleaned it out ready for a refill next time I go.
-
How many Grey Squirrels killed in 2023 (3555 in 2022)
ratchers replied to Fisheruk's topic in Other Pest Control
One yesterday. 2629 -
Brampton Group lent me a Scout Flir ages ago but never had much luck with it. Just recently bought my own Thermal, a Hikmicro, and yesterday was the first time out with it and its a improvement on the Scout Flir and it claimed its first victim.
-
I used to get mine from Wilkos £20 for a 12.5 kilo bag, shop now sadly closed but have found Home Bargains do a similar bag.