squirrel control

[ratchers]

21 hours ago, Sciurus said:

Will the Brampton Group give you some bait (& lend you a thermal?) even just for a weekend to help you?

Brampton Group lent me a Scout Flir ages ago but never had much luck with it. Just recently bought my own Thermal, a Hikmicro, and yesterday was the first time out with it and its a improvement on the Scout Flir and it claimed its first victim.

[Mice!]

4 hours ago, ratchers said:

Scout Flir

There not very good, might be OK for bigger stuff but not squirrels. 

[Mice!]

Well last week was fun, freezing cold with snow on the ground up till Tuesday in most places but I got out shooting Wednesday and managed 4, I'd not checked any feeders last week because it just wasn't worth getting stuck, but when I saw this I decided a morning session was needed.

There was lots of traffic around the feeder, probably deer, squirrels and birds given the amount of snow that came down,  surprisingly only two showed up, but that's 8 in a week from here, and the 4 the day before were off this ground.

It's very funny watching the birds squeeze through this gap, and while it's winter I really don't mind.

I then popped to another feeder and got another single,  it was later than planned so I settled for that.

Adding up I realised that I'd gone over the 100 mark for the two areas which are close by, after only getting 49 last year.

Off home that afternoon in what turned out to be torrential rain, its shifted the snow, but flooded fields and caused damage again, not a good 7 days in the Lakes 

[sam triple]

Feeder been up less than 2 weeks at new perm less than 2 hours before rain set in , hide poles and a net , going to order a pop up hide 

[ratchers]

Was out to the sydicates wood yesterday afternoon and took my latest toy, a hikmicro thermal so instead of ambushing a pheasant feeder for hours I can now go out and about on the hunt. Still staked out a feeder as the keeper said there was always a grey at this particular one but no luck. Scanned about and saw a squirrel, I tracked it moving away for about a hundred yards until it stopped high up in the canopy thinking it was hidden, not any more, a jsb brought it down. Off again and was I pleased I had my wellies on after all the rain, an hour later I got another sighting on the ground but the squirrel disapeared over a ridge,I walked up but could see nothing but some movement in the pine trees above caught my eye, no need for the thermal, it was sat up chittering,took the shot and down it came stone dead. I then went and checked on my peanut feeder which hadn't been touched for months and the peanuts were going mouldy in the bottom, cleaned it out ready for a refill next time I go.

[Mice!]

48 minutes ago, ratchers said:

Was out to the sydicates wood yesterday afternoon and took my latest toy, a hikmicro thermal so instead of ambushing a pheasant feeder for hours I can now go out and about on the hunt. Still staked out a feeder as the keeper said there was always a grey at this particular one but no luck. Scanned about and saw a squirrel, I tracked it moving away for about a hundred yards until it stopped high up in the canopy thinking it was hidden, not any more, a jsb brought it down. Off again and was I pleased I had my wellies on after all the rain, an hour later I got another sighting on the ground but the squirrel disapeared over a ridge,I walked up but could see nothing but some movement in the pine trees above caught my eye, no need for the thermal, it was sat up chittering,took the shot and down it came stone dead. I then went and checked on my peanut feeder which hadn't been touched for months and the peanuts were going mouldy in the bottom, cleaned it out ready for a refill next time I go.

Nicely done, your numbers will increase now you have a thermal because you'll go out more, it's that simple 👍

[arjimlad]

@ratchers good work. Which hikmicro did you go for? 

[ratchers]

2 hours ago, arjimlad said:

@ratchers good work. Which hikmicro did you go for? 

Bought the Hikmicro Lynx LH19, it was a lot of money but I think it will make a lot of hunting trips worthwhile now whereas before I saw nothing.

[arjimlad]

Thanks @ratchers in a red squirrel zone I am sure the investment is very worthwhile!  Keep up the good work. 

[Mice!]

2 hours ago, ratchers said:

Bought the Hikmicro Lynx LH19, it was a lot of money but I think it will make a lot of hunting trips worthwhile now whereas before I saw nothing.

It certainly will, the first year I got mine I shot a lot more squirrels because I knew I'd see more 👍

[oldypigeonpopper]

hello, just put up my first feeder and added some peanuts and a bit of pig food yesterday, another feeder just been weather proofed and hoping to put this up friday, i bought 2 metal  containers with a window, £2, tied 1 on the back board with a plastic strap, some camo netting around 25 yards from feeder, this will be my first foray after grey squirrels in all my years of shooting 🤔, not forgetting the 6 rats i shot last night👍, 

[Mice!]

How nuts is our weather,  it was a lovely sunny day yesterday,  yet last week there was snow and a hurricane,  sort of and hasn't dropped below 9°C in the caravan 😳

 

I was planning on going to Micks wood yesterday,  swapping feeders, mooch about then off to another wood to see what's going on, then add another feeder to the new wood on the way back, only the stalkers were out, which saw me checking feeders late on Tuesday night, one is still quiet and the other looked busier,  so that one it is, brolley and nets up, and I've added another half pallet to where I sit lifting me up, what a difference. 

I was in the wood for 8am and maybe ten minutes later I've spotted my first squirrel,  but as soon as it touched the floor the barking started meaning it shot back up the tree.

The barking told me there was another squirrel and didn't last long,  so 5 minutes that felt like 20 and the squirrel comes back down the same tree,  this is maybe 10 metres away at a push, I would definitely have tried moving a few years ago and possibly spooked it, but I just sat still until it went over the lip.

 

It went straight to the feed on the floor, wheat and started taking bits, 1,2,3 4 and 1,2,3 4 it was 1, head down, 2, sit up, 3, eat, 4 head back down. 

I watched for 3 or 4 cycles then in my head counted 1,2,Pfft Whack bounce,  I saw the pellet hit and strike the ground behind.

Not long after and #2 is making its way through the canopy, but it was very unhappy, up and down, jumping around from tree to tree, it ended up coming right over me, I could probably have moved and got a shot, but I just sat and waited, only it never came back, even when I waited a good hour plus 
I wasn't planning on shooting here this week so I'd only topped up with mixed bird seed which clearly wasn't drawing them in today.

That'll do nicely. 

 

So I went walk about and saw nothing for most of the wood, but this is what thermal shows you, what can you see?

 

I was almost walking along with a set of golfers despite them not knowing I was there in the wood when their talking sent a squirrel up over me in the canopy,  and it turned and stopped looking down, the problem being I was pretty close to the golfers who were just about to Tee off and having a grand morning in the sun, so I waited,  leaning on a tree with the squirrel in the crosshair. 

I'd say I was shooting up at 60° ish and the squirrels head was covered by twigs, the last golfer hit his shot and as they moved off laughing I hit the squirrel with a very deliberate body shot, and it dropped like a brick and sounded like one when it landed, but the golfers didn't react at all 😁

 

I went over to take a photo and pick up when a second came crashing down the tree then back up, hidden in the Ivy, followed by another chasing it, I followed them and managed to shoot one kneeling off my sticks but the third vanished, little and large.

 

I carried on to get my gear and there's another in an oak, now brace yourselves,, I went to put up my sticks only they weren't in my hand  I really did look at my hand wondering why they weren't there  the squirrel was on the move and I was heading back to get my sticks 

Back to the brolley and up the bank I can see another up in the pines, like I said earlier the cheap feed obviously isn't making them commit in the warm weather.
I was looking at the range and angle and thought it's not steep so no hold under, and got it wrong, I could see the pellet strike the branch above it, and it just sauntered off without a care, along with another the shot disturbed, both within sight of the feeder!!

I went up into the pines and watched and waited, 5 or 6 sets of golfers went by, Nuthatch's, tits, Tree Creepers, a Woodcock crash landed and the Tawnys were calling, I looked for ages hoping to spot one before it flew off, it had been sat watching me all along 
I was in no rush waiting for a msg that never came and it was 20 minutes before I saw movement in the tree tops high up, with the sun and the angle the thermal was showing me nothing, this squirrel would flash a bit of fur then vanish on me again and after 10 minutes it moved away, I followed but couldn't see it, but I could see the other behind me now I'd reduced the angle.
This one was probably sat watching me as well, but the thermal showed it up, and I could see it now, another steep angle, I was on my knees again on the sticks, waited for a pair of golfers to go by then took the shot, probably another 60°+ shot, it looked like a neck shot but it went in above the shoulder almost straight up and again fell like a brick.

 

I thought I was just getting one but I managed 4 so very happy with that.

 

After that I went and took a feeder down that goes quiet every winter and added it to the new wood doubling the amount of feed, this is what i found.

Carnage. 

And there were squirrels running around in the wood at the new place but it was a little late on, so they can come and enjoy the feed 😉

[Ratlegs]

I know its not control    The chap on the garden phone in on radio Lincolnshire

this morning suggested hot chilli seeds mixed with bird feed will keep greys off the bird table

birds love the chillis greys don't

[amateur]

If they didn’t come to the bird table, I wouldn't have a target 🤣

[ratchers]

Took the opportunity of todays better weather to go down to the farm in search of pests. First went in to the yard looking for corvids but the famer was out and about making a racket so nothing doing so went to the wood. Using my new magic toy(thermal)it wasn't long before I spotted a squirrel, it had seen me and moeved away through the pines,whereas before I would have soon lost it, I tracked it slowly sometimes losing it before picking it up again,I was about 50 yards away now and there was a lot of magpie chatter so sneaked up to all the noise and there was about three flitting about, now I'm not so sure which is higher on my hit list,greys or magpies(this is a sheep farm after all),I nearly kept getting one in the crosshairs only for it to move,this went on for a few minutes before they flew off, oh well back to the squirrel, scanned around and found it above my head at about 60 degrees up flat along a branch,had to move to one side of the tree I was at and he moved upwards and I lost it. Stayed still hoping to find it again when a grey appeared from my left,no need to scan this one,it jumped across a few trees then started decending down a trunk,a good squeak made it stop for a shot,aimed for a head shot and missed,it ran 10 yards then fell over dead,I had killed it with a heart and lung shot by missing its head,just the angle the shot was taken at. I thought I would use the grey to decoy them magpies in, so set it out in the field, I had no hide or material to build a hide,just thought I would hide behind a large tree with a view of the decoy and a likely tree a bird may land in, I had no great hopes but the sun was shining. Ten minutes in a crow landed in the tree and went down right away next to the grey,I never had chance to move as it must have seen my eyelash twitch and was off, next up 20 minutes later was a magpie,saw it coming across the field and veer towards the bait so it had seen it, I think it landed in a tree just out of sight but I never saw it again. And the reason was a buzzard was getting  mobbed by some crows, it landed in a tree some way off then I saw it flap its way over to the tree near me,it eyed the bait up for a few minutes then landed next to it, it danced around and was very wary but eventually started tucking in. I watched it eat for about 20 minutes then snuck away. I might try  a bait decoy set up properly some time as I never expected any results.

[jall25]

On 19/12/2023 at 16:03, ratchers said:

Took the opportunity of todays better weather to go down to the farm in search of pests. First went in to the yard looking for corvids but the famer was out and about making a racket so nothing doing so went to the wood. Using my new magic toy(thermal)it wasn't long before I spotted a squirrel, it had seen me and moeved away through the pines,whereas before I would have soon lost it, I tracked it slowly sometimes losing it before picking it up again,I was about 50 yards away now and there was a lot of magpie chatter so sneaked up to all the noise and there was about three flitting about, now I'm not so sure which is higher on my hit list,greys or magpies(this is a sheep farm after all),I nearly kept getting one in the crosshairs only for it to move,this went on for a few minutes before they flew off, oh well back to the squirrel, scanned around and found it above my head at about 60 degrees up flat along a branch,had to move to one side of the tree I was at and he moved upwards and I lost it. Stayed still hoping to find it again when a grey appeared from my left,no need to scan this one,it jumped across a few trees then started decending down a trunk,a good squeak made it stop for a shot,aimed for a head shot and missed,it ran 10 yards then fell over dead,I had killed it with a heart and lung shot by missing its head,just the angle the shot was taken at. I thought I would use the grey to decoy them magpies in, so set it out in the field, I had no hide or material to build a hide,just thought I would hide behind a large tree with a view of the decoy and a likely tree a bird may land in, I had no great hopes but the sun was shining. Ten minutes in a crow landed in the tree and went down right away next to the grey,I never had chance to move as it must have seen my eyelash twitch and was off, next up 20 minutes later was a magpie,saw it coming across the field and veer towards the bait so it had seen it, I think it landed in a tree just out of sight but I never saw it again. And the reason was a buzzard was getting  mobbed by some crows, it landed in a tree some way off then I saw it flap its way over to the tree near me,it eyed the bait up for a few minutes then landed next to it, it danced around and was very wary but eventually started tucking in. I watched it eat for about 20 minutes then snuck away. I might try  a bait decoy set up properly some time as I never expected any results.

 

Been out today too using my thermal and the shotgun 

I was amazed how many i saw -as im always at them 

Anyway as i walked and shot - they hid in the trees - on the trunk - in the branches - in the forks 

I managed 19 in 2 hours 

Be back out again after our next driven day 

[Mice!]

On 20/12/2023 at 22:59, jall25 said:

managed 19 in 2 hours 

That was a productive 2hrs 👍

I've not been out as much because of the terrible weather we've had, I was out on the 20th and 29th and took 4 each trip, mixture of feeder and stalking despite the winds, I've put repaired feeders back out and changed a few things around at different sights.

This is a new feeder I was sent, going out next week.

Couple of nice features that I'll be using on future builds, the floor inside is raised up and sloped above the back box meaning the feed will flow nicely,  this is going at the new wood I'm in.

out today while we're on holiday,  how's that for lucky 😅

we're on a short break and I went and shot on @Sciurus patch, I tried to pimp myself to other groups, but things aren't always that simple, so a quick Google and msg to my mate, I'm only 20 odd miles away after all.

I crept out the apartment like a burglar this morning and was on sight for 745, it was wet dark and miserable so it was 815 before I walked off towards the wood, with there being reds and greys here you need to be able to see, even when there in the shadows. 

The funny thing was I'd been given info on where the squirrels have been lately and they were in totally different places 😅😅

That's probably down to the weather I'd guess, within an hour and a half I'd shot 4 squirrels,  1 standard shot, I got within 20mtrs and needed to to get a line and make it out.

The next three were all tree top shots, the only thing missing was my mate cheering behind me 😅😅 two really steep angled shots and one slightly less, but there's nothing better than seeing squirrels fall out the sky.

This one fell from so high it was  partly submerged. 

Point of impact might look low on the right hand side squirrel but that's just because it was such a steep angle so the pellet has gone up through the brain.

It was a tough morning with the damp conditions,  the thermal was struggling early on just showing the hot squirrels and no other details. 

I saw a good few other squirrels but they weren't for hanging around,  a couple of hot dreys about and lots of bird life, it's great being able to see the squirrels with the leaves off, but they spot you as well.

Fantastic piece of woodland,  hard going in places but a great morning out shooting. 

And to finish things I got back and spent an hour in the Steam Sauna and jacuzzi 😅😅

How's that for a day out 👍

 

[jall25]

17 minutes ago, Mice! said:

That was a productive 2hrs 👍

I've not been out as much because of the terrible weather we've had, I was out on the 20th and 29th and took 4 each trip, mixture of feeder and stalking despite the winds, I've put repaired feeders back out and changed a few things around at different sights.

This is a new feeder I was sent, going out next week.

Couple of nice features that I'll be using on future builds, the floor inside is raised up and sloped above the back box meaning the feed will flow nicely,  this is going at the new wood I'm in.

out today while we're on holiday,  how's that for lucky 😅

we're on a short break and I went and shot on @Sciurus patch, I tried to pimp myself to other groups, but things aren't always that simple, so a quick Google and msg to my mate, I'm only 20 odd miles away after all.

I crept out the apartment like a burglar this morning and was on sight for 745, it was wet dark and miserable so it was 815 before I walked off towards the wood, with there being reds and greys here you need to be able to see, even when there in the shadows. 

The funny thing was I'd been given info on where the squirrels have been lately and they were in totally different places 😅😅

That's probably down to the weather I'd guess, within an hour and a half I'd shot 4 squirrels,  1 standard shot, I got within 20mtrs and needed to to get a line and make it out.

The next three were all tree top shots, the only thing missing was my mate cheering behind me 😅😅 two really steep angled shots and one slightly less, but there's nothing better than seeing squirrels fall out the sky.

This one fell from so high it was  partly submerged. 

Point of impact might look low on the right hand side squirrel but that's just because it was such a steep angle so the pellet has gone up through the brain.

It was a tough morning with the damp conditions,  the thermal was struggling early on just showing the hot squirrels and no other details. 

I saw a good few other squirrels but they weren't for hanging around,  a couple of hot dreys about and lots of bird life, it's great being able to see the squirrels with the leaves off, but they spot you as well.

Fantastic piece of woodland,  hard going in places but a great morning out shooting. 

And to finish things I got back and spent an hour in the Steam Sauna and jacuzzi 😅😅

How's that for a day out 👍

 

That is my type of day !

Just got in from shooting another 2 foxes so im buzzing too !

 

I love the vermin control side of the way of life really

We have beaters day on Saturday and then dont shoot again for 2 weeks so i will be out in the woods next week after the squirrels by day and rats by night without worrying about pushing the birds from the drives too much 

Cant wait !

[Mice!]

10 minutes ago, jall25 said:

That is my type of day !

Just got in from shooting another 2 foxes so im buzzing too !

 

I love the vermin control side of the way of life really

We have beaters day on Saturday and then dont shoot again for 2 weeks so i will be out in the woods next week after the squirrels by day and rats by night without worrying about pushing the birds from the drives too much 

Cant wait !

Done nice and early 👌 

Beaters day is always good fun, but I'd rather be on the squirrels 😅😅 enjoy yourself 👍

[jall25]

3 minutes ago, Mice! said:

Done nice and early 👌 

Beaters day is always good fun, but I'd rather be on the squirrels 😅😅 enjoy yourself 👍

Had a fox last night at circa 5 pm

To be honest i think they move early - feed - then rest up - then feed again later

A bit like us

Its all good fun !

Thanks Mice - you too !

[Mice!]

Out again this week, lots...

I was out Sunday evening into the dark, taking down damaged feeders, putting up a new one I've been sent,  adding another then topping up 6 or 7, the weather has been so bad over Xmas that I'd just not been up so everything was empty, and I'd ran out of feed.

I've used chopped nuts before,  but they are very expensive,  but I've been on the look out for something and spotted this in Aldi.

Mini chopper, think it was twelve quid, and it looked like Breaking bad at our house, me, my lad and the Boss chopping and measuring out 500g bags 😅😅

Everything topped up I'm the dark meant I was free to wander Monday,  I wasn't sitting at a feeder, just a stalk across a few woods with the gun, thermal and sticks.

It was a great day, some more great shots, these little .177 Jsb heavies never fail to impress, high angles, long shots, and twigs again 🙈

A couple of the shots were really good, but two real highlights of day, 1 I found my missing scope cover, or somebody did, it was hanging in a Holly Bush.

And 2, I spotted my first Stoat in its white winter coat, it looked stunning, not a chance of a picture it was way too fast.

6 squirrels for the day, some big critters removed 👍

[Mike170874]

I've not really thought about shooting squirrels! yet there are lots around my perm I'm too buissy dealing with woodpigeon from December till April then on the crows till June and dealing with barn pigeons in-between. think this year I'll have to make an effort to thin em out but I don't think there's any reds up here in Ripon to my knowledge but I have thousands of acres with some big woods and lots of smaller spineys with pheasant feeders .

[Mice!]

2 hours ago, Mike170874 said:

I've not really thought about shooting squirrels! yet there are lots around my perm I'm too buissy dealing with woodpigeon from December till April then on the crows till June and dealing with barn pigeons in-between. think this year I'll have to make an effort to thin em out but I don't think there's any reds up here in Ripon to my knowledge but I have thousands of acres with some big woods and lots of smaller spineys with pheasant feeders .

There never will be mate while the area is over run with greys, and there are always more about than you think.

And it's not just about red squirrels,  the greys do a lot of tree damage and take a lot of eggs.

I'd say put a feeder up in an area you can get to regularly and monitor it, you'll be surprised just how many you'll take from an area, especially one that's not been shot before,  and you'll see an increase in the songbirds especially if you do it before they start nesting 👍

[Mike170874]

46 minutes ago, Mice! said:

There never will be mate while the area is over run with greys, and there are always more about than you think.

And it's not just about red squirrels,  the greys do a lot of tree damage and take a lot of eggs.

I'd say put a feeder up in an area you can get to regularly and monitor it, you'll be surprised just how many you'll take from an area, especially one that's not been shot before,  and you'll see an increase in the songbirds especially if you do it before they start nesting 👍

Yeah thanks I'll definitely get some shot this year plus I fancy cooking some to try 😋 

[amateur]

I only started shooting squirrels because I was fed up with their raiding our suburban garden bird table.

Over the years I have shot the low hundreds, but the satisfaction is in seeing the increase in songbirds in the garden and the now infrequency of squrrels