Sciurus

3 trapped in the last week, one was a juvenile- the first I have seen this year. Total 1081

Five greys trapped last week in loan traps. Total 1009

Still not seeing any greys in the woods but in the last ten days I got 2 reports of greys in gardens. The first was from a chap that has a trap every year. A simple job, just plonk the trap on a drystone wall, weigh it down with stone , scatter some bait and wait for the call... (Drystone walls are like motorways to reds and greys to get from A to B). A large female was caught within 24 hrs and the male 2 days later. The same week a lady complained that a grey with no tail was eating the buds on her japonica and came @ 7.30 am every day. She didn’t like traps and insisted that I come and shoot it. I don’t normally like shooting in gardens ( too many variables), anyway the next two mornings I sat in her back bedroom for a couple of hours drinking tea and didn’t see a thing. Of course the grey was seen as soon as I left. Anyway, I persuaded her to look after two traps and next day, thankfully we caught Mrs No Tail. I then left the traps for a few more days, just in case there was another grey even though she had only seen No Tail. 7am, next day I got a text “I can’t believe it it, we have caught another grey!” Followed 5 minutes later by” OMG, there is a third!”. By the time, I got to the house, we had trapped the third and the owner was highly delighted and wanted to know what the special ingredient was in the bait. “It’s a secret, I said but I call it Walkers revenge!”

Adult male trapped today at caravan site. Total 851

Another trapped at the hotel today. Total 811

Another male trapped at the Hotel. Total 788

Might I also suggest he joins Woodturning Uk and Woodturning Uk Sales, swaps and Wanted on Facebook. It’s a very good forum for advice and inspiration for projects as well as sales etc

I am on a bit of a roll this week, 2 more trapped at the same hotel, (5 in 4 days). This hotel is just outside our groups usual area of control otherwise there are so few greys about, particularly since storm Arwen. Total 781

A single female trapped today at the same hotel as yesterday. Total 764

2 trapped today at a local hotel. 2 males. Total 763

Unfortunately, just a single male for me yesterday. Total 759

Just one yesterday visiting a redundant chapel. Now lying in a Merc Sprinter Chapel of Rest. A large male.

@Walker570 It’s happened to me once before in similar circumstances. Houseowner rings up to say he has 2 greys raiding the bird feeder, I put out a trap and 3 or 4 days later, catch two together. I assume they must be siblings. A pal once caught a young badger - it must be the peanuts, it was after.

Two in one loan trap on Friday, both monster females. Total 494

Two trapped for the price of one on Friday.

Well, I am just waiting for Megan to go on Oprah and tell her “truth” about Randy Andy.......😇

Two for me, one trapped and one shot with .410. Should have had another, but it did a Houdini and disappeared in a small yew. Total 434

@old man An even better day for you! I use pheasant attractor but a lot of bait gets thrown out, so I must now try Mr Walkers recipe using some cheap cooking oil- if nothing else, it will stop my cement mixer going rusty!

@Mice! An excellent morning out, glad you are finally making yourself comfortable with a chair- but where is the cup holders and arm rests?!! By the way, I notice the new improved long lasting feeder has been improved with a loft conversion!😂

@Morkin- Welcome back! A good start- how about some photos of your set up?👍

Two for me with the .410 Total 405

A few miles upstream from mice, I was also out with the thermal. At the first wood, there are a couple of Leylandii, where we have shot them before. I had received a report one had been seen in them over the weekend, but unfortunately there wasn’t a grey to be seen. Over the stream and up and over a couple of tall dry stone walls and into the next wood, I slogged up the steep slope to a clump of yews, where one or two greys can often be seen, but again nothing. Scanning some spindly oaks, I saw one in the crook of a tree about 50 yards away, the leaves on the ground were soft and damp and I was able to get within range, the grey was still sitting pretty, up with the Hushpower 410 and down it came. A medium sized female. I returned to the yews and had a sit down for 15 mins just in case anything appeared, again nothing doing . Scanning the spindly oaks again, I spotted another about 20 yds from the 1st tree, a quiet creep till I was within 30 yds, bang, down it came but unfortunately I couldn’t find it in the tangle of undergrowth and rotting woodpile. It was now 9.30 and the public were starting to appear, so time to go. I was also lucky to have several jets fly by below me following the contour of the lake and hills. A good day to be out.

Two for me last week, both big females in loan traps. Total 176

Four today- .410 and whippet power! Total 41

That joke is truly dreadful!! 😂