Sciurus

Not trying to derail the thread but perhaps lighten the tone. It is interesting to note that as well as paying the unemployed to build fancy tunnels that went nowhere, Williamson also paid the wives to hand make the bricks (& I think dig the clay). No handouts but dignity in labour. I also believe that the very long brick wall that encompasses the Knowsley Estate was built for Lord Derby by unemployed former Napoleonic soldiers. It stretches for miles.

Luxury hide. I am so envious - I am lucky if I find a spot of ground that doesn’t have a 45 degree slope! 2 trapped today and as I was dropping off a new loan trap, there was a grey hanging on the feeder - seemed rude not to shoot it. The owner was delighted, the grey had been bugging her for weeks. If only life was so easy. Total 721

5 trapped today, all different sites, unfortunately all at different times. Hardly got anything done at home!

3 more today trapped at different sites. I totted up the total culled in our village in May by volunteers and householders, which was 68, which was worse than last year but not bad since most of it was done in the last two weeks after lockdown was lifted. This month is looking very good so far. Total 705

WEEHAY - this spot is looking very good. (And an excuse not to go home on time!) 4 trapped today 698

3 more trapped today, photo show the comb used to restrict the grey prior to culling. I have finally made a smaller trap to fit into the Larsen. It is now 12” long compared to the original 22 “. Apparently there is still a grey for them to get, so it will l be interesting to see if this solves their problem. Total 686

Lucky you!

A hide saves time and humping stuff about! I bet you are pleased the new gun is now performing - it’s ideal to use in a hide.

Just a single trapped today Total 680

Great stuff, are you able to build a hide there?

Sorry about above, I don’t know how that happened. Walker, that’s a very kind offer, but I think I have solved the problem. I have been given two small live traps, which I can shorten to fit in the Larsen and when wrapped in black visqueen , I would expect any trapped grey to then hide in small trap and the lady can dispatch it herself using a sack. I like the idea of using the husher, but most of my trapping is in residential areas or posh Country House Hotels and the guests would have a fit if I ruined the Wedding ceremony by using a shotgun! Dispatching a grey in a trap is easy when using a comb. The grey has nowhere to go and you are shooting at point blank range. I have cut down the stock of my childhood Wembley ranger so I can walk about with it in an army kitbag and no one knows what I am up to. The chap who got bitten is the first I have heard of, however I have heard of someone hitting their big toe when cranial dispatching! I don’t put my hand in a trap. I upend the trap and shake it out, if the grey doesn’t fall out, it gets a second pellet. Then to make sure it gets poked in the eye with a twig. Better safe than bitten! Cheers Garnet

It’s alright for you homeloaders- have you seen the price of .410 subs!😂 The lady whose trap it is usually does cranial dispatch with a sack, but her problem is she couldn’t get the squirrel from a Larsen trap into the sack without it escaping or getting bitten- which is why I had drive miles to shoot it four days running. By a strange coincidence one of the householders who does his own culling, has just been bitten on his trigger finger removing a grey from a trap. I don’t think he will make the same mistake again....

It’s alright for you homeloaders- have you seen the price of .410 subs!😂 The lady whose trap it is usually does cranial dispatch with a sack, but her problem is she couldn’t get the squirrel from a Larsen trap into the sack without it escaping or getting bitten- which is why I had drive miles to shoot it four days running. By a strange coincidence one of the householders who does his own culling, has just been bitten on his trigger finger removing a grey from a trap. I don’t think he will make the same mistake again....

I use my old Webly Ranger, the trick is to stick the barrel through the mesh and point it in a corner and wait for the squirrel to come to that corner- it can take time! In squirrel traps, I can use a comb, which makes it easy. The traps belong to another volunteer and is sited by the back door, I only got involved as I had a suitable air rifle. Last year they caught a fox in the Larsen .

It’s more difficult to cull a grey in a Larsen trap, so yesterday we moved the squirrel trap onto the top of the Larsen and this morning -Bingo the 5th grey was in the squirrel trap! Job sorted. 664 (I have added ratchets tally)

3 more today including the 4th this week from the Larsen trap above. The squirrel trap is just out of shot to the left. They are just following the scent of the others and ignoring the nuts in the traps. 661

I shut my traps down to have a weekend off, but still managed to catch 3 more adults in traps sited in other peoples gardens. Some houses won’t let me cull in their gardens, so I exchange the traps and do the deed at home. Unfortunately, my bin is beginning to smell badly and there are 6 more days until it will be emptied. Mrs Sciurus is wondering what the smell could possibly be! 622

Most of the greys I have trapped this week have been adults, however on Tuesday I was putting up a feeder in copse of a few mature beeches and lots of self seeded Beech saplings and was amazed to see 3 or 4 youngsters zooming up and down the saplings, twisting and turning and hanging like snakes. They were not at all bothered by me. Unfortunately I didn’t have a gun with me and suffering from a badly twisted knee, I couldn’t face going home to fetch the air rifle and trudging back up the hill again. I guess they must have been stripping the bark off the young shoots. Anyway, I’ll check the feeder tomorrow and hopefully shoot it a few days later. Hopefully they won’t have moved on. Mice, save the walnuts for lean periods or for for trapping - you don’t want to spoil them! I find the greys here, hang around near the yews all year round, either eating or sheltering in them, so it’s not a bad idea to put your feeder nearby. If they are hungry and used to a feeder, they will quite happily travel overhead if you are sitting quietly. Get stuck into HH as soon as you can, come July/August they will prefer eating the hazel, then the Beech and acorns. Cheers G

Two more trapped today. 618

Mice, great stuff! At least you have been proved right about the benefit of larger feeders. However, whatever you do, I think Greys will always do whatever they can to frustrate you. They are tough critters and often ‘disappear’ into the undergrowth after been head shot, I think it is the adrenaline. The ranger that taught me, sticks his mobile phone camera right down the rabbit hole if he loses one to see which way it’s facing then pulls it out . I think I would rather have a terrier! Have you started shooting/feeding at your new permission? If so, you will notice Stone dead ones still roll down hills and disappear! 😂

2 more trapped today (one was in the Larsen trap) 609

Lucky you shot him first!! 😂 A good day for me, 4 greys from 6 traps, that had only been put out yesterday. Total 607

Shot my first rabbit for 50 years with .177. Did it as a favour to a local who lets me park up when shooting greys in a nearby wood. 283

A youngster today in the Larsen trap, I guess there will be more. the owner also has a squirrel trap out but for some reason they are ignoring the nuts and going for the white bread. Total 590

One large female caught in a local persons Larsen trap using bread as bait. Total 589