Squirrels, baiting to shoot them

[bicykillgaz]

Hi gents,

Does anyone bait them to shoot with shotgun and what do you find works best, also intrested in when and where you bait them.

 

I was gonna try smearing some peanut butter on a few branches for couple of days to so they find it then after a few days set up a bit of a hide in a central position to where I'd baited and wait for the little grey s****

 

Does that sound like a sensible plan or a waist of the wife's peanut butter?

 

Ate Gary

[bi9johnny]

it's a plan i have done it in the garden to get rid of the blighters

[bicykillgaz]

Cheers johnny, I figured I wouldn't be far wrong but thought I'd ask you more knowledgable gents.

[Reece]

Hi gents,

Does anyone bait them to shoot with shotgun and what do you find works best, also intrested in when and where you bait them.

 

I was gonna try smearing some peanut butter on a few branches for couple of days to so they find it then after a few days set up a bit of a hide in a central position to where I'd baited and wait for the little grey s****

 

Does that sound like a sensible plan or a waist of the wife's peanut butter?

 

Ate Gary

 

I think I have a lot to offer.

 

Peanut butter will work, but whole maize is the best all round bait. You should find it in your local agricultural supplies store, or an animal feed store. Failing that, garden centres sometimes market it as squirrel feed. Whole maize is yellow, so they can see it much better, and the squirrels love it. It is also fairly cheap and it keeps.

 

Put a pile of it at the base of a mature tree, such as an oak. They should find it quickly, but they might not find it straight away, so if you don't get any on your first trip out, keep returning to try again, and you should get some. Also note that grey squirrels like to feed on the ground.

 

Another pointer about maize, squirrels only eat a certain part of the maize kernel, as shown by this picture from grey squirrel control:

So, if you leave some bait out, and then return, and you see something like this, you know there are squirrels there. I sometimes use this to determine where to put traps, so I don't put them in unproductive areas, but often birds and slugs will eat it as well. This might also be of use to you.

 

Grey squirrels are also most active at dusk and dawn. They are less active at midday.

 

 

Either that or just try your peanut butter solution. Different things work best for different people.

 

And when you're done, be sure to add your kills to the pigeon watch grey squirrel kill count for 2012.

Edited September 9, 2012 by Reece

[Ant8681]

I have been shooting alot of squirrels recently and have found that boxes with monkey nuts put in areas near to dreys or trees with natural food is best. I have found that the monkey nut works well as not mush else will go for them apart from jays, which is a bonus! When I put out a new box I cover it with peanut butter but as I shoot so much it would work out expensive! If you are using a shotgun though you may be better off with your bait on the floor or you would be building alot of boxes!

[HDAV]

My grandad nailed a tin can to plank and lent it against a mature tree so the can faced the house he would drop some nuts in the can then shoot them while they had their head in the can using the trunk as a back stop (none FAC air) accounted for quite a few like this

 

Using a shotgun the plank and can wont last too long.......

Edited September 9, 2012 by HDAV