Dougy Posted January 4 Report Share Posted January 4 Well.a disappointed morning, saw 2 shot 1. Empty feeders didn't help. Topped up and 1 new feeder out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mice! Posted January 4 Author Report Share Posted January 4 39 minutes ago, Fisheruk said: some may drop off there having hopped off at the truckstop when a truck from Scotland or Cumbria has a break. And I laugh every time I see that mentioned, red squirrels that are naturally shy getting on a logging wagon 🤣🤣 And unfortunately if 1 red squirrel got off at a service station somewhere it's not going to do well at all. There's no point trying to say grey control is all about helping red squirrels when your clearly miles from any red areas, but it does help the other wildlife. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fisheruk Posted January 4 Report Share Posted January 4 1 hour ago, Mice! said: And I laugh every time I see that mentioned, red squirrels that are naturally shy getting on a logging wagon 🤣🤣 Do you have any better credible explanation? 🤷 And unfortunately if 1 red squirrel got off at a service station somewhere it's not going to do well at all. I agree, but that is a reason for undertaking grey control around truck stops, if you keep poo pooing efforts protect isolated populations you are just succumbing to the same mantra of the grey lovers who feed them in their gardens and parks. Do you believe that you are going to get Reds back into the woods where you are doing grey control? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mice! Posted January 4 Author Report Share Posted January 4 2 hours ago, Fisheruk said: Do you believe that you are going to get Reds back into the woods where you are doing grey control? Near home I doubt it, just too many areas where there is no control done. In South Lakes it's possible in some areas as there are reds nearby, I look at the control being done there as stopping the greys breeding and spreading giving the reds space to breed and hopefully increase in numbers, the big difference being there are reds to begin with. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fisheruk Posted January 13 Report Share Posted January 13 Not a particularly good photo, because of very poor light. I was sat watching this Red enjoying its free meal for at least 20 minutes. Last Friday the woodland owner sent me a message to say she had seen a grey in this wood. After watching the Red for a while it moved off and a few minutes later I was scanning the canopy with the thermal and I spotted a grey squirrel about 35-40 metres away eating larch cones off the canopy behind the Hemlock which has the feeder fixed to it. I watched it for a while until it presented itself with a safe clear shot. I released a single pellet and it dropped into the undergrowth. Moving forward from the hide I found it stone dead having dropped through a rhododendronbush. I don’t think I would have ever located it withoutthe thermal. A 560 grams female won’t be breeding. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mullard83 Posted January 14 Report Share Posted January 14 On 04/01/2025 at 10:18, Mice! said: Most folk aren't near reds unfortunately but you'll be helping the birds 👍 Same here as we have only greys about now. I have fond memories of feeding the reds out on the green, when we used to visit my nan at her flat in Wanstead. At least i`ll be doing my bit for the local birds & help slow the population of the greys spreading. I`ll add the female I just got to the tally. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mice! Posted January 16 Author Report Share Posted January 16 I had a decision to make yesterday, which feeder do I shoot first?? Big woods were out because the stalkers were out, so a small patch of which there haven't been a lot of squirrels lately but I'd topped up the feeders Sunday and actually forgotten that I'd filled up last Wednesday as well 🤦and I was told by a groundsman that he hasn't seen many squirrels around lately 🤔🤔 I expected to have an hour then move on, I'd checked Strip wood Sunday and found it had just chewed up bits left, meaning it had been hammered so by luck that's where I set up last night, brolley nets and chair at the ready with the camera showing squirrels all day, often two, sometimes three so I was hoping for 3 or 4. First squirrel on the camera was at 815 Tuesday and I was in the wood ready for 745 this morning. 805 and in came a grey, thankfully it sat on the log of doom because things were still very dark, nut, sit, Pfft and Whack #1 only just light enough to shoot I'd say. 813 and two came in, both along the floor the same as the first, one in the lead, first was up on the log, nut and Whack with a dramatic backflip sending the other up a tree and far from happy. Maybe ten minutes, the one in the tree has been up and down, tail going and is clearly unhappy, another made its way in running under the other, and straight to the feed, this caused the unhappy squirrel to run in, but it changed its mind and backed off again. I wanted the nervous one to come in, but the other was giving me a nice broadside and sat still so I lined up, waited for it to take a fresh seed and Pfft Whack and all hell broke loose. I'm not sure I've ever had as much noise from squirrels, I'd say there were three in the trees, possibly four and they were all kicking off, it sounded like a pond full of ducks. At some point another came in on the floor, not sure when but it joined the others, causing yet more noise!! It was misty, not really getting any lighter and the squirrels kicking off couldn't be clearly seen, thermal yes, scope no. I was wondering do I clear the area, but those in the trees would probably clear off and it was only 9am?? Watching and waiting things finally quietened down, a Pheasant waltzed in, a Roe somehow ghosted through, I'd caught it in the thermal but not seen or heard it less than 20mtrs away. Another popped up, or down from a tree, started sniffing at the dead, I shot and missed as it moved 😬😬 but it just went up the nearest tree and hit the floor almost as soon as it stopped landing with a thump, starting the noise again. 5 down and still squirrels above! That's the scene, but I took this later on. I had two heat sources up to my right, I could see one, but it was only visible through a small gap, and I could only position the gun left handed, adjusting the sticks to suit. It was sat facing away and swinging around switching positions and calling to another, but then it turned towards me giving a clear shot which I took straight away, PCP and sticks make things possible that I know I couldn't do otherwise. It plummeted down dead in the air. Which sent the one to my immediate right nuts and brought in the magpies, it was hard to locate the squirrel from the noise of the magpies, I always think they sound similar. It was five to ten minutes before I spotted it, it's movement giving it away, I was leaning out from under the brolley now, sticks making the angle possible as I was still left handed here and shooting up into the canopy again, squirrel was side on, nice clean Whack and it launched from the tree. With that I was up and looking for the last, but couldn't see it, I was thinking it had landed in the fallen timbre, nothing showing with the thermal when I caught sight with the naked eye, I must have stepped over it twice! Some very big squirrels, 7 shot in two hours, yet I only took 16 here last year, with 5 in December I couldn't believe it was 10am already that hour had flown in. My original plan was to get into another wood, but I only had time to collect the camera, I did have 15 mins with the rifle just in case but nothing showed, then I was off and into work, mid week OT 😁 Checked the camera before I started typing this and not many showing really, so I got lucky with my decision on which wood to start in, happy days 😀 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fisheruk Posted January 16 Report Share Posted January 16 1 hour ago, Mice! said: I had a decision to make yesterday, which feeder do I shoot first?? Big woods were out because the stalkers were out, so a small patch of which there haven't been a lot of squirrels lately but I'd topped up the feeders Sunday and actually forgotten that I'd filled up last Wednesday as well 🤦and I was told by a groundsman that he hasn't seen many squirrels around lately 🤔🤔 I expected to have an hour then move on, I'd checked Strip wood Sunday and found it had just chewed up bits left, meaning it had been hammered so by luck that's where I set up last night, brolley nets and chair at the ready with the camera showing squirrels all day, often two, sometimes three so I was hoping for 3 or 4. First squirrel on the camera was at 815 Tuesday and I was in the wood ready for 745 this morning. 805 and in came a grey, thankfully it sat on the log of doom because things were still very dark, nut, sit, Pfft and Whack #1 only just light enough to shoot I'd say. 813 and two came in, both along the floor the same as the first, one in the lead, first was up on the log, nut and Whack with a dramatic backflip sending the other up a tree and far from happy. Maybe ten minutes, the one in the tree has been up and down, tail going and is clearly unhappy, another made its way in running under the other, and straight to the feed, this caused the unhappy squirrel to run in, but it changed its mind and backed off again. I wanted the nervous one to come in, but the other was giving me a nice broadside and sat still so I lined up, waited for it to take a fresh seed and Pfft Whack and all hell broke loose. I'm not sure I've ever had as much noise from squirrels, I'd say there were three in the trees, possibly four and they were all kicking off, it sounded like a pond full of ducks. At some point another came in on the floor, not sure when but it joined the others, causing yet more noise!! It was misty, not really getting any lighter and the squirrels kicking off couldn't be clearly seen, thermal yes, scope no. I was wondering do I clear the area, but those in the trees would probably clear off and it was only 9am?? Watching and waiting things finally quietened down, a Pheasant waltzed in, a Roe somehow ghosted through, I'd caught it in the thermal but not seen or heard it less than 20mtrs away. Another popped up, or down from a tree, started sniffing at the dead, I shot and missed as it moved 😬😬 but it just went up the nearest tree and hit the floor almost as soon as it stopped landing with a thump, starting the noise again. 5 down and still squirrels above! That's the scene, but I took this later on. I had two heat sources up to my right, I could see one, but it was only visible through a small gap, and I could only position the gun left handed, adjusting the sticks to suit. It was sat facing away and swinging around switching positions and calling to another, but then it turned towards me giving a clear shot which I took straight away, PCP and sticks make things possible that I know I couldn't do otherwise. It plummeted down dead in the air. Which sent the one to my immediate right nuts and brought in the magpies, it was hard to locate the squirrel from the noise of the magpies, I always think they sound similar. It was five to ten minutes before I spotted it, it's movement giving it away, I was leaning out from under the brolley now, sticks making the angle possible as I was still left handed here and shooting up into the canopy again, squirrel was side on, nice clean Whack and it launched from the tree. With that I was up and looking for the last, but couldn't see it, I was thinking it had landed in the fallen timbre, nothing showing with the thermal when I caught sight with the naked eye, I must have stepped over it twice! Some very big squirrels, 7 shot in two hours, yet I only took 16 here last year, with 5 in December I couldn't believe it was 10am already that hour had flown in. My original plan was to get into another wood, but I only had time to collect the camera, I did have 15 mins with the rifle just in case but nothing showed, then I was off and into work, mid week OT 😁 Checked the camera before I started typing this and not many showing really, so I got lucky with my decision on which wood to start in, happy days 😀 Well done Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fisheruk Posted January 18 Report Share Posted January 18 We had the trapping session over the Christmas and New Year period, removing 43 squirrels. in an adjacent wood there were plenty of others visible with the thermal. So we decided to put a feeder up, nearer the boundary and a new hide, so that we could draw the squirrels out to where our permission exists. Doesn’t look pretty but it gives cover. the feeder is full of nuts, with some Cobnuts off the top. The area is seeded with nuts and corn. Let’s see what appears in a couple of days time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fisheruk Posted January 18 Report Share Posted January 18 Out this morning into a wood which had been grey squirrel free for two months with a feeder untouched. I called in last Monday to check the feed and see if it had any attention. It was empty part from a few kibbled peanuts at the bottom. I topped up the feeder with a mixture of peanuts, black sunflower seeds and kibbled peanuts. On Tuesday morning one of the team went out and took three greys from the feeder and we thought that would be about it. I called in again yesterday to check the feeder and was surprised to find it virtually empty, just husks in the bottom. So there were obviously more than just the three from Tuesday. In this morning, before daybreak, the feeder was down an inch since yesterday morning. Bang on 8.00am I saw a squirrel coming through the canopy from the right hand side. straight down onto the feeder, for its last nut. A 650 grams male. Shot straight through the forehead and it dropped of straight onto its back beneath the feeder. At 8.20am another climbs the tree tree to the right and nibbles a bud from the sycamore tree. Then comes down and appears at the base of the feeder tree. Forages for a moment, looks at its mate lying flat out on his back and pauses long enough for me to thread a 22 pellet through its left ear and out through the right ear. Brings a new meaning to giving it a bit of earache. 9.00am and no more squirrels appear, but a dog walker. That’s the problem with weekends, too many dog walkers. So it’s time to pack up. One of the team will check it again next week. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JKD Posted January 18 Report Share Posted January 18 Well done with all your efforts, and kills of course 👍 BTW,,,, with the amount of 'nuts' they are eating, it's no wonder those squizzers are so heavy 😳 😂 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fisheruk Posted January 18 Report Share Posted January 18 (edited) 44 minutes ago, JKD said: Well done with all your efforts, and kills of course 👍 BTW,,,, with the amount of 'nuts' they are eating, it's no wonder those squizzers are so heavy 😳 😂 Actually we don’t use many nuts at all. Most of our feeders only have a jam jar full of nuts inside. We work in teams, so we can keep on top of the greys. Edited January 18 by Fisheruk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JKD Posted January 18 Report Share Posted January 18 Good on ya 👏 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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