squirrel control

[TIGHTCHOKE]

Yes, good article isn't it, here is a link;

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/2018/05/09/bird-tables-open-feeders-help-invasive-grey-squirrels-thrive/

[Mice!]

very good article, thanks for the heads up and the link.

It's also bang on for what I've found in my own garden, now there are very few if any squirrels about, the birds that come to feed are much more relaxed on the feeders and spend longer on them.

I said around February last year i was going to start shooting squirrels in my garden as i knew they were having an affect on the song birds in my area.

The river bank and surrounding area was squirrel heaven you were guaranteed to see three or four without really looking. Now you may find one but you will really have to look for it.

we've now got loads of song birds about all sorts of tits wrens, robins, nuthatch, finches, pigeons everywhere, at least three nesting in my garden that i know of.

so its working, lots more chance for the birds to successfully breed, just have to start on the magpies now.

Mice!

[Fisheruk]

Well you’ve heard of the running fox and running boar targets.

This is the prototype for the flying squirrel!

https://www.facebook.com/leighmartin1/posts/10216487414683914

A new type of feeder, should be fun

[ClemFandango]

On 10/05/2018 at 07:23, bruno22rf said:

Nice looking gun there HS - but did you know that Squirrels cannot tell the difference between Red and Green so most camouflage patterns are wasted on them .

but most people can so camouflage your feeders might avoid vandalism.  

[bruno22rf]

The feeders I shoot are in VERY public places and none more than about 25 metres from busy footpaths - the route to them is indicated by red dots painted onto trees so you would not need the skills of a top geocacher to find them - yet none of them have ever been touched - strange.

[Fisheruk]

15 minutes ago, bruno22rf said:

The feeders I shoot are in VERY public places and none more than about 25 metres from busy footpaths - the route to them is indicated by red dots painted onto trees so you would not need the skills of a top geocacher to find them - yet none of them have ever been touched - strange.

We haven't had a real problem with our feeders, public don't seem to bother them. They are fixed with stainless steel cable ties which are very robust.

[ClemFandango]

45 minutes ago, bruno22rf said:

The feeders I shoot are in VERY public places and none more than about 25 metres from busy footpaths - the route to them is indicated by red dots painted onto trees so you would not need the skills of a top geocacher to find them - yet none of them have ever been touched - strange.

I have had places in the past where anything you put out gets destroyed, pinched or interfered with eventually, and there again, like you some places that are just "safe." I guess it depends on the type of people that use the woodland and the level of public access. 

[Mice!]

someone mentioned a long while back that his feeders were never bothered with, but as soon as he put out a trap it has stamped all over. 

[Walker570]

I think most people just see them as bird feeders along with nest boxes. I suppose the best cammo would be to put an imitation access hole in the front or side to add to the guidance and try not to get pellet marks all over it.   

[Mice!]

Had a good day today, woke up to rain?? I hadn't even checked the weather but it was only fine.

Saw a fox on the way out of town then the police answered within ten seconds!! While i was watching a pair of partridge.

park up boots coat and off i go, no one about this week 6am game on.

walk round the corner and a squirrel on the bird table, twitch twitch and gone! Two minutes and back he comes pretty much the same shot as a couple of weeks ago, down he goes and up pops another one I couldn't see on the ground. Straight up an oak, but she stops to have a look at what's going on, mistake pop, two down in a minute, my first double since November / December. I could have been back in the car by ten past six.

lots of broken eggs through the woods, found a nest ripped open,

would have been a perfect ball of moss lined with pigeon feathers.

Didn't see another squirrel at all but enjoyed watching the wood come alive.

[Guest]

So the squizzers have been damaging my sister's place: digging holes etc. As we had a cuppa in the sun, I pointed out that they had no song birds in their (huge) garden at all, thanks to the squizzers. "Kill 'em" was the reply.

"Don't you need to be in lots of camo?", I was asked. I was wearing some bright colours after playing golf. "No" I said. "These squirrels are used to people wandering around the garden."

Night night, squizzer. Tough sob: took 2 JSB Heavy 10Gn 0.177s to the head.

 

[Mice!]

27 minutes ago, DC177 said:

So the squizzers have been damaging my sister's place: digging holes etc. As we had a cuppa in the sun, I pointed out that they had no song birds in their (huge) garden at all, thanks to the squizzers. "Kill 'em" was the reply.

"Don't you need to be in lots of camo?", I was asked. I was wearing some bright colours after playing golf. "No" I said. "These squirrels are used to people wandering around the garden."

Night night, squizzer. Tough sob: took 2 JSB Heavy 10Gn 0.177s to the head.

 

Her lawn could do with a good feed and weed as well, good news on the squirrels though, get her feeding them up for when your next round ? 

[Guest]

Actually I laid out the Squizzer in a field (the lawn is immaculate) for the corvids but no takers. Funny, the corvids in the area have also vanished....

[Walker570]

Flip Top cassett feeder.    I have to put my flip top squirrel feeders pretty high up to stop them getting bashed by fallow and this makes checking and topping up difficult. I have therefore devised a 'cassett' system where the unit can be lifted free, topped up and replaced, leaving the support frame on the tree.  In fact the idea will be to have a number of feeders the same size spares of which can be filled ahead of time and then a quick change over.  At the moment I have six locations for these flip tops and that may increase with a new bit of woodland coming on line.  The holes are so the squirrel can smell the goodies inside and whilst sniffing around will push the lid up and find the feed.  The unit is secure by a longish bolt which has had the threed ground off all but for about 1/4 inch and a washer let into the end which will just tighten the last but of thread into the hole. Makes it very solid.  Two lengths of welding wire through the frame to hitch straps on to.

[Mice!]

At the moment I have six locations for these flip tops and that may increase with a new bit of woodland coming on line,

more woodland! No rest for the wicked ? 

[Guest]

Heart shot @ 50 yards with Scorpion SE .177 (8gn AADF).

 

[Mice!]

3 hours ago, DC177 said:

Heart shot @ 50 yards with Scorpion SE .177 (8gn AADF).

 

Now be honest, was you aiming for the head and the shot dropped, fac or sub 12? Have to say i wouldn't take on a shot at that distance just haven't practised enough.

But i won the shooting comp on holiday this week and got the misses a cocktail, 41 out of 50, first time I've shot a springer with open sights since i was at school ? bring on tomorrow when I see if it was a fluke.

[Guest]

Bang on the cross hairs. I have been practicing with the Scorpion this week and pushing out to 70 yards (Sub-12 but Ratworks tuned). My usual  10gn heavies are zerod at 40 but with 8gn the zero moves to 50! This squizzer appeared at 50 yards so I took it prone off the bipod. This time going for the heart as the last one needed 2 to the head. 

[Mice!]

14 hours ago, DC177 said:

Bang on the cross hairs. I have been practicing with the Scorpion this week and pushing out to 70 yards (Sub-12 but Ratworks tuned). My usual  10gn heavies are zerod at 40 but with 8gn the zero moves to 50! This squizzer appeared at 50 yards so I took it prone off the bipod. This time going for the heart as the last one needed 2 to the head. 

We'll at least it wasn't a fluke then, might have to have a proper look at .177 one day, but there so small and fiddly.

[Longbower]

They also don't carry as much energy down range .  Lighter pellets in any flavour ,maybe faster as they leave the barrel , but appear to lose that speed /energy at a 

faster rate than heavier pellets . Go too heavy and the same applies .(Take a chrono reading at the barrel exit , and then at the target end whatever the distance ). 

I find squirrels are tough little ruggers, and , I try to get as close as possible to be humane when dispatching them .

I use both calibers , and .22 rimfire  , where its safe to do so,

 

[Fisheruk]

3 minutes ago, Longbower said:

They also don't carry as much energy down range .  Lighter pellets in any flavour ,maybe faster as they leave the barrel , but appear to lose that speed /energy at a 

faster rate than heavier pellets . Go too heavy and the same applies .(Take a chrono reading at the barrel exit , and then at the target end whatever the distance ). 

I find squirrels are tough little ruggers, and , I try to get as close as possible to be humane when dispatching them .

I use both calibers , and .22 rimfire  , where its safe to do so,

 

I agree, it is important to be humane, if you can't be sure of a single shot humane dispatch because of distance, don't take it. That is why my preferred choice at distance is either 22rf or 17hmr. They are really tough and some seem to have tin hats under their fur caps!

[Dekers]

Some interesting comments, I use whatever is required on Squirrels and totally agree they tend to be really tough, and can take a lot of injury.

Historical experience has also taught me NEVER to pick one up until you are absolutely sure its dead.

[Fisheruk]

1 minute ago, Dekers said:

Some interesting comments, I use whatever is required on Squirrels and totally agree they tend to be really tough, and can take a lot of injury.

Historical experience has also taught me NEVER to pick one up until you are absolutely sure its dead.

I agree ?.

[Longbower]

I got four on the bird feeder/Nut station today  with the .22lr @28yards . Three dropped straight to the floor,stone dead.

One  sprang off the feeder , and proceeded to bounce around for 30 seconds or so .  That much that it wasn't possible to get off a second shot.

When I got to it, most of the top of its head was missing , it was dead upon impact of the 40g Eley subsonic , but didnt know it.

 

Edited June 16, 2018 by Longbower
grammar

[Mice!]

On ‎15‎/‎06‎/‎2018 at 10:36, Dekers said:

Some interesting comments, I use whatever is required on Squirrels and totally agree they tend to be really tough, and can take a lot of injury.

Historical experience has also taught me NEVER to pick one up until you are absolutely sure its dead.

like when i got complacent a while ago, I had shot a squirrel out of a tree and put another pellet into its chest at point blank, moved on to try and get another, couple of minutes later i came back, squirrel in same place, bent down to pick him up and nearly soiled my pants when it moved as my hand touched it, tough critters indeed.