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squirrel control


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Right - away we go again - been out of action for last 9 -10 days due to more medical issues but sort of OK now - just been and filled one of the Hoppers with Peanuts so fingers crossed for tomorrow. Thanks to fair weather and our travelling friends I reckon I'm about 20 kills behind last years tally so far :sad1:

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Yes, I promised myself I would go for 5 a week and this week I have slipped behind but to be honest on all of my spots they are in short supply, even on the four trail cams I have out.

It's going to get nasty later in the week so I'm out in the morning as well but on the magpies which are returning to the silage clamps and slurry pits.

Hope your troubles are behind you bruno. Get whacking and stacking.

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1 hour ago, Walker570 said:

Yes, I promised myself I would go for 5 a week and this week I have slipped behind but to be honest on all of my spots they are in short supply, even on the four trail cams I have out.

It's going to get nasty later in the week so I'm out in the morning as well but on the magpies which are returning to the silage clamps and slurry pits.

Hope your troubles are behind you bruno. Get whacking and stacking.

five a week is a lot Nev if there not there to be shot, I'd be happy with one a week, doesn't sound much but then I'd be looking at 50 for the year, still thin on the ground near me although I heard one today while I was up a tree pretending to be a squirrel.

what was the make of the trail cameras you bought a bit back? Can't remember where you posted about them, ta

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Well, I managed 220 last year and thought 5 a week would put me on 250 plus ....one has to have an aim you know:shoot:

The cameras I purchased firstly were CamPark Model T40  I purchased two for just over £100. I was so pleased with them and still am that I ordered a second but didn't designate the model and a different model arrived..T70 I think it is.  Now the T40s use those insy winsy tiny chips which you can easily drop into long grass and lose....ben very close a couple of times. The T70 uses the full size chips but I still purchased the small ones because they come supplied with an adapter so I can cover all my cameras with the same set up. I have a fourth one which now only takes daytime pics but is still in use on the tree rats.   I have had far more expensive cameras two..three hundred pounds each and they did not perform any differently.  ooops don't know how that happened.

 

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Edited by Walker570
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I think they can see the IR. I have one of a cock pheasant staring into the camera from about a foot away obviously intent on working out what that light is blinking away.

These have proved invaluable in keeping me informed as to when a new pack of tree rats arrive and also as in my fox shot last night giving the time the target will be there.

Have two or three tree rats showing at 08.05 each morning, so I will be on duty in the morning before day break on that feeder...the one in the photo as it happens.

Just noticed the IR does not pick the lettering out on the feeder at night....weird.

Edited by Walker570
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Boy was it cold this morning, headed off at 07:10 and car said it was -4/5 and I'm not sure my toes have warmed up yet.

On the drive there, being a bit more careful because of the risk of ice i get stuck behind some idiot peaking out of barely cleared windows, then as i approach a give way, round the bend and there are seven or eight geese in the road!! Then there was a barn owl flying along side me.

Unfortunately that's about it, not a breath of wind but the squirrels had more sense than me, probably tucked up somewhere warm, plenty of birds about in the canopy but otherwise not a thing was moving.

I did see a squirrel along my river later about midday in some conifers, but nothing I can do about that one for now.

 

 

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Similar here. I was committed this morning but managed to get into a hide this afternoon at 2.30p in the hope one or two would come down to the pheasant feeder before going to bed. I had a couple showing on the trail cam at 4pm ish in previous days. Lots of little birds including a pair of tree creepers on the big oak right next to my hide. Facinating watching them check every crevise for food, amazing little bird.   BUT no tree rats showed.  Out in the morning on another set, hoping for better luck.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Pulled the chip off the camera on one of my flip top feeders this morning. I had noticed that there was a fair amount of kibbled peanut remains in the feeder when I checked and today I found out why. Not only has the squirrel population discovered how to get in the flip top but the mice have also worked it out.  See photos

Look closely and you can see the mouse's tail hanging out and the other about to join him.

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  • 4 weeks later...

Strange morning today, it seemed to be light very early but then the sun never came through, car was frozen and the woods were cold.

I topped up the feeders Tuesday and put my trail cam back up, so three days later one feeder was almost empty and two others were down by two thirds!! So where are the squirrels? I did see two today but couldn't get a shot at either, they were on their toes and gone sharpish.

The magpies were making a proper racket today, maybe a dozen going round the pines making some very strange noises, add to this loads of pigeons jackdaws a raven and buzzard all screaming and a sparrowhawk zipping about  screeching . A nice roe buck ran through the wood behind me, how they can make no noise at the speed it was moving through woodland is beyond me.

I'll check the camera next week, its high up.

And just to be really annoying the red squirrel officer was there today with a young red that's being looked after, and i didn't see it, D'oh!

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On 14/02/2019 at 04:16, Mice! said:

I'm surprised the mice triggered the camera, cheeky blighters those Mice!

One appeared to be too fat to get in.  These are wood mice so I enjoy having them share the peanuts, hopefully the brown owls in the area will catch on that there is a owl McDonalds there.

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3 hours ago, ratchers said:

Yes where are all the squirrels?

 

Same here, I have been out to my usual woods a couple of times this week with the thermal. Not seen a thing - just got wet and cold. No call out to the traps either.

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1 hour ago, Mark360 said:

Where do people buy there peanuts from in bulk gets a bit expensive getting them from the local pet shop

 

1 hour ago, Mark360 said:

Where do people buy there peanuts from in bulk gets a bit expensive getting them from the local pet shop

It depends where you are.

In Wales Charlie’s stores have them reasonably priced. Range stores are also quite reasonable. Don’t know of any really cheap places 

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2 hours ago, Mark360 said:

Where do people buy there peanuts from in bulk gets a bit expensive getting them from the local pet shop

https://twootz.com/product/Peanuts?fbclid=IwAR2512zvNkNLdi1ZpE23UKxJ9BKlPrG3jT1DJ2a_WHqCvuSrWyIZK6tz0qU

my phones messing about so i cant put a pic of the link but with free delivery seems reasonable 

 

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B&M stores also selling 12.6 kilo for 14.99 though have seen them sell them for 12.99 recently. 

A cheap way of setting up a feeder that benefits birds and wildlife, as well as encouraging squirrels is quite simple..

Get a length of (I think?) 4" diameter drain pipe. As long as you want. The longer, the more capacity it has obviously. 

Get a fat ball feeder. The ones that are cylindrical shaped. The fat balls sit inside it, usually get 4 or 5 on top of each other? They only cost a couple of pound and are usually the exact same diameter as your drain pipe. 

Drill 2 holes in end of pipe. Use wire to attach feeder to end of pipe. Obviously doing it in such a way that the fat balls can roll down the feeder.

Drill holes in other end of pipe so you can put a length of fencing wire through to hang up the feeder. Bastardise a top from an old paint lid etc.

Fill up with fat balls (approx £4 for 50).

Hang from a tree, allowing squirrels to be able to reach the feeder end of the pipe.

Sit back and watch the birds enjoying your fat balls 😉

It's cheap and effective and no matter how many times I buy fat balls I still giggle when asking shopkeepers if they have them.

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