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ratchers

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  5. squirrel control

    in Airgunners

    Posted

    Out before it got light today to get in position for ambush.....but let me rewind a little. I was out at this permission on saturday just to top the flip tops up in readiness, well I got there about nine yesterday morning and when I drove in there were three squirrels playing tig on the lawn, damn, never mind, got geared up and in position hoping they would come back.Waited an hour at one flip top and decided to move to the other at the back of this large garden on the other side of the house, nothing doing there either so went for a stroll and parked myself in between a large beech tree and a wall where I could watch the first feeder although at 50 yards away and the second box. Another wait but finally movement at the first feeder where a grey would take a peanut then disappear only to come back a few minutes later, obviously stocking the larder up. After a while I tried to time it so I could get closer in without the squirrel seeing me but don't think it worked as I sat in the new postion for half an hour and he never came back. Which brings me back to this morning, got in postion before dawn and waited, thankfully quite mild, after a while saw some movement across the lawn, two rabbits which are also on the householders hit list, but I was after greys todays, saw a squirrel at the base of the tree where the flip top is and watched it finally take a peanut, right just sit still.......what its off.......did it see me.....is it the same one from yesterday, but its gone in a different direction.......back to waiting and hoping.....and here it comes for another peanut, I'm not going to wait for it to jump down this time and as soon as it turns round from getting a peanut I shoot and drat and double drat I miss, after all that bloody waiting, snatched the shot. Decide to move to the other feeder so walk cautiously around the house and see two greys on the tree, ones in the box taking a nut and then both run towards me,one sees me and veers off whilst the other sits on top of a bush where I take the shot, missed again,noooo but wait he staggers away and I find him jammed under a log quite dead, a big male. Still two more to get so I will be back.

  6. squirrel control

    in Airgunners

    Posted

    Out just before lunch today and the forecast was for rain so I decided to ambush the pheasant feeder from the comfort and dryness of my car. Was there for three and a half hours and my was it quiet even though it didn't rain that much but nothing much stirred except I saw some yellow sparrows which I have never seen before, something to look up when I get home. Saw a grey way in the distance and not long after heard one barking from a different direction but none close and no pigeons or crows or pheasants, mind you the sydicate shot yesterday so maybe everything is still hiding, another grey makes an appearance on a pheasant feeder but not the one I'm covering, I watch it for a while and wonder if I could sneak up but remember Iv'e tried that before and failed miserably so I just wait it out and finally shoot two within five minutes of each other raiding the grain.

    The yellow sparrows I saw could possibly have been siskins, sadly couldn't get a pic as the camera battery was flat.

  13. squirrel control

    in Airgunners

    Posted

    Out twice yesterday, first time in the morning just to check two flip tops, both empty of peanuts, so topped up ready for a ambush next time.

    Secondly was out just after lunchtime and instead of sitting in my hide sat in the car as I can cover the flip top and pheasant feeders, and its warmer! frost was still on the ground and very cold but the sun was out. Very quiet and took an hour before even pigeons started to come in to the pheasant feeders, finally saw a squirrel in the trees, it actually went up the trunk where the feeder was......and kept going, never even sniffed it, followed it through the trees but never got a chance of a shot. There are a lot of feeders at this location next to the pheasant compound and the one 50 yards away was getting plenty of attention from all sorts of wildlife including a grey, I watched it for half a hour coming and going. A movement in the compound caught my eye and there 20 yards in front of me sat a grey on a feeder......only trouble was there was a chainlink fence and my windscreen in the way, anyway it started off up a tree and over the fence, down a tree and was sat infront of the car five yards away, it came even closer and I thought it was gonna cock his leg over the tyre for a pee! he just had a sniff then ambled off, the windscreen in the way all the time, oh why wasn't I in the hide, I know because I wouldn't be able to feel the gun by now🥶.

    No happy ending for one squirrel though as just before dark a grey jumped up on to the box for a peanut and ate a jsb.

  16. F1 Pre - Race Waffle.

    in Off Topic

    Posted

    No way will the FIA change the result.

    Lewis and Mecedes was cheated.

    Michael Massi will be made the scapegoat.

    Safety car proceedure needs to be changed, simples, how can you bulid up a lead for it to be taken away by another drivers fault..........As an ex racer, I would be very very pi**ed off with that.

  23. squirrel control

    in Airgunners

    Posted

    22 hours ago, Fisheruk said:

    Well, the word is getting around. I was out in a wood that I’ve been controlling for six months and I heard someone crunching on the leaves and heading my way. 8.00am and just getting light. I put my gun down and there were a couple of squirrels lying on the ground beneath the feeder. A lady came into view and stopped and looked at said squirrels then turned towards me and said in a loud voice hello are you there. I’m sitting under a bush behind a piece of camouflage netting. I said yes! 
    She promptly stomps over to me through a bramble thicket and says I’ve come looking for you! I’ve got a wood with a squirrel problem but I’ve also seen Red Squirrels there too. 
    Someone had told her I could help.

    Well,  I went to see the land today and another 20 acres has been added to my permissions, new feeder making session this week. Looking forward to removing those greys and giving the Reds more space.

    The access is a bit rough, but the knobbly tyres on the pick up and 4wd got me onto the site.. Fabulous bit of mixed woodland 

    Hey thats great, well done, bet you didn't know what she was gonna say.🤬

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