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squirrel control


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1 hour ago, ratchers said:

Out at 6.60 this morning but saw nothing but one feeder empty and the other which hasn't been touched for months was half full, coincidence?

I went to move a feeder this morning and this happened!!

Internet going at snail pace, photos and the tale later.

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Well just sitting worked this morning.

I said that I had been asked to cull a few on a friends garden in our village. I had set a flip top about a week ago and went to check it yesterday evening and it was hit hard/half empty, so this morning I slid in there at 5am and had arranged to sit in the driving seat of a classic jeep with the front screen folded down and a cardboard box to shoot off. This was set back in the shadow of a garage about 10yrds from the flip top. Ten minutes for the first to appear on a branch way above the flip top but within range. Phhht/Flop.  The old AA S200 can still do the job when asked.  Then they came both on foot and down the tree and I drew stumps at 07.55 with eight down and two bonus magpies.  Topped the flip top up and will rest it now for a couple of days and then give it another go because I am sure there are others.  Only six on the Landie with two bouncing into nettles and brambles and the old fox can scramble for them.

016.jpg

Edited by Walker570
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23 hours ago, arjimlad said:

Some great squirrel control going on here. Has anyone had any success with a Primos squirrel call?

 

Only ask because I'm stuck for ideas for a birthday present & the family are asking.. 

I bought one and didn’t have any luck with it, but it kept the wife and kids amused during the last lock down. Spend the money on pellets or cartridges instead. 👍

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I'll try again, 

I went out this morning with the intention of bringing two feeders back down the hill, the bracken is shooting up now making a lot of places off limits really,  I left food at the bottom of the hill and just went up with the rifle, rucksack and thermal,  it would be nice to bag a squirrel before I moved the feeder, moving up the hill has pushed my numbers up, but it's hard work now the temperature is up, I was dripping today which the biting critters just love.

When I arrived there was a squirrel on the feeder! I haven't seen one on it for quite some time, I settled in by the wall and started bird watching. 

20210609_102225.jpg.c45caeee7e436d94a5678d50c3398ff0.jpg

View from the feeder, I'm sat behind the wall in the centre.

It wasn't long before I saw a squirrel behind the feeder,  probably 50mtrs plus, make it's way through the canopy onto the feeder tree and down onto the ground out of site, I could see its tail!! Maybe ten minutes of this, its hidden behind holly and ground cover, a couple of times it jumped up onto the tree but went back down again. 

While this is going on a kit has gone above me, down onto the wall and away, then things got very strange,  squirrels started turning up,  2,3,4,5 maybe more, all chasing each other, up and down the trees, through the bushes, here there everywhere. 

Then they all stopped like someone had hit pause, so high up left of the feeder, crack, click click, right of the feeder on the log, crack,  click click, up above the feeder barking crack, three down in the time it took to load and aim, I've never had that happen before. 

5 minutes and another came through the canopy,  down the feeder tree and onto the feeder, took something and sat up?? pfft whack flop, how are they still coming?

A couple were still moving around the canopy barking,  probably wondering what was happening,  the birds returned along with another squirrel,  down the tree but twitchy,  it showed enough of its head for a shot and number 5 went down. 

20210609_102155.jpg.3c8c1710fea3cbd7d3bd0de0933afe5c.jpg

I gave it twenty minutes as there were a couple further back,  watched the woodpecker then packed up, got my camera 415 pics and 415 videos.

Three had bad ticks so went into the bushes and the feeder stayed there,  it's in need of some TLC but it can wait a few more weeks.

20210609_102208.jpg.d106ee0d120c613c8476be491ad65925.jpg

I collected the other feeder, put this up at the bottom of the hill with the other and headed back for a well earned shower.

That was certainly a different day.

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I went out today to check the golf course feeder,  having shot 5 there last week I expected it to be pretty much untouched,  but there were squirrels on the feeder!!

I went back for the gun( I know but I was just nipping) gun, mag, sticks, walked back and shot the squirrel on the feeder, another then barked for ten minutes but I just couldn't see it. 

An hour later another walked past me,  I just sat still and it went off in front of me down under the feeder  Pfft whack flip about. 

Both mature squirrels male and female. 

No pic, internet's not having it.

I hit both lower than intended,  I was a bit closer than normal and both were quite a mess.

The five yesterday at big wood put me past 50 for 12 months shooting,

Today's 2 put me on 51 for this perm in 6-7 months shooting, there's a lot to be said for easier access.

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As I drove up to my first feeder 6.15am there was a squirrel already feasting. It didn’t seem perturbed about me so I reversed into a convenient shooting position, the driver’s window already down. Taking the .22lr out of its scabbard I slipped a round into the breach and closed it. Positioning myself with elbow braced on the steering wheel and the other on the open window with the muzzle just above the wing mirror I lined up the crosshairs and number one dropped off the feeder. After 30 minutes nothing else showed so I retrieved the young male and put a couple of monkey nuts on the top of the feeder nuts beneath the lid. I use the monkey nuts as a signal to show if the feeder has been used by a squirrel.
I set off around the farm in the pickup to check the other feeders using the full ability of the off road capabilities of the truck. Some repairs required to the pheasant feeders where squirrels had been taking liberties. Measured up for some steel plates, which will be cut with the plasma cutter and welded to reinforce the feeders.
Back to the first feeder and a quick check showed the monkey nuts had been taken since I had moved off. Reversing into the shooting position I only had 2 or 3 minutes to wait for the a squirrel to come down the mature oak onto the feeder. Cross hairs lined up and the second one dropped off the feeder. 
Immediately another squirrel comes down the oak towards the feeder thrashing it’s tail and churring at its mate lying on the ground. 
Opened the breach I removed the spent case and slipped in another round, gentle click as the breach is closed. Line up the crosshairs and cock the trigger. Squirrel number three drops off the feeder. Waited a while but nothing else showed. Topped the feeder up. Unloaded the rifle and time to get back to the road for breakfast.
 

 

629A8891-B248-40CE-BDF0-540B65115C0A.jpeg

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On 09/06/2021 at 17:38, Mice! said:

I'll try again, 

I went out this morning with the intention of bringing two feeders back down the hill, the bracken is shooting up now making a lot of places off limits really,  I left food at the bottom of the hill and just went up with the rifle, rucksack and thermal,  it would be nice to bag a squirrel before I moved the feeder, moving up the hill has pushed my numbers up, but it's hard work now the temperature is up, I was dripping today which the biting critters just love.

When I arrived there was a squirrel on the feeder! I haven't seen one on it for quite some time, I settled in by the wall and started bird watching. 

20210609_102225.jpg.c45caeee7e436d94a5678d50c3398ff0.jpg

View from the feeder, I'm sat behind the wall in the centre.

It wasn't long before I saw a squirrel behind the feeder,  probably 50mtrs plus, make it's way through the canopy onto the feeder tree and down onto the ground out of site, I could see its tail!! Maybe ten minutes of this, its hidden behind holly and ground cover, a couple of times it jumped up onto the tree but went back down again. 

While this is going on a kit has gone above me, down onto the wall and away, then things got very strange,  squirrels started turning up,  2,3,4,5 maybe more, all chasing each other, up and down the trees, through the bushes, here there everywhere. 

Then they all stopped like someone had hit pause, so high up left of the feeder, crack, click click, right of the feeder on the log, crack,  click click, up above the feeder barking crack, three down in the time it took to load and aim, I've never had that happen before. 

5 minutes and another came through the canopy,  down the feeder tree and onto the feeder, took something and sat up?? pfft whack flop, how are they still coming?

A couple were still moving around the canopy barking,  probably wondering what was happening,  the birds returned along with another squirrel,  down the tree but twitchy,  it showed enough of its head for a shot and number 5 went down. 

20210609_102155.jpg.3c8c1710fea3cbd7d3bd0de0933afe5c.jpg

I gave it twenty minutes as there were a couple further back,  watched the woodpecker then packed up, got my camera 415 pics and 415 videos.

Three had bad ticks so went into the bushes and the feeder stayed there,  it's in need of some TLC but it can wait a few more weeks.

20210609_102208.jpg.d106ee0d120c613c8476be491ad65925.jpg

I collected the other feeder, put this up at the bottom of the hill with the other and headed back for a well earned shower.

That was certainly a different day.

I think you need some metal lids 🤔

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16 minutes ago, Mice! said:

I've got some metal waiting,  I'm going to bring them in in August probably for TLC when things go quiet.

I’ve just ordered some sheet steel and going to experiment with the Plasma cutter and see about welding up some steel ones 

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21 hours ago, Fisheruk said:

As I drove up to my first feeder 6.15am there was a squirrel already feasting. It didn’t seem perturbed about me so I reversed into a convenient shooting position, the driver’s window already down. Taking the .22lr out of its scabbard I slipped a round into the breach and closed it. Positioning myself with elbow braced on the steering wheel and the other on the open window with the muzzle just above the wing mirror I lined up the crosshairs and number one dropped off the feeder. After 30 minutes nothing else showed so I retrieved the young male and put a couple of monkey nuts on the top of the feeder nuts beneath the lid. I use the monkey nuts as a signal to show if the feeder has been used by a squirrel.
I set off around the farm in the pickup to check the other feeders using the full ability of the off road capabilities of the truck. Some repairs required to the pheasant feeders where squirrels had been taking liberties. Measured up for some steel plates, which will be cut with the plasma cutter and welded to reinforce the feeders.
Back to the first feeder and a quick check showed the monkey nuts had been taken since I had moved off. Reversing into the shooting position I only had 2 or 3 minutes to wait for the a squirrel to come down the mature oak onto the feeder. Cross hairs lined up and the second one dropped off the feeder. 
Immediately another squirrel comes down the oak towards the feeder thrashing it’s tail and churring at its mate lying on the ground. 
Opened the breach I removed the spent case and slipped in another round, gentle click as the breach is closed. Line up the crosshairs and cock the trigger. Squirrel number three drops off the feeder. Waited a while but nothing else showed. Topped the feeder up. Unloaded the rifle and time to get back to the road for breakfast.
 

 

629A8891-B248-40CE-BDF0-540B65115C0A.jpeg

Another two from the same feeder this morning.

I’m going to make one of my larger feeders today which should keep them busy for a week.

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All of my flip tops are steel sheet and most of it is stuff I have found lying about, even 45 gal drums cut up and flattened out.  No welding just pop rivetted. Have not had a tree rat get into one other than by the lid yet.

I made a folder out of two lengths of heavy angle iron but to be honest I normally bend the corners in the vice with a hammer. 

Its not roket science.

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1 hour ago, mick.c said:

Pity you didn't make bigger feeders for MSW

Wouldn’t have made any difference, they’ve stopped all shooting there.

This is the larger one I now make, but the small ones are still very effective.

8D80D075-91D6-40AA-9C34-F1FA761A708E.jpeg

Edited by Fisheruk
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Another good morning (not as good as @old man tell us about it)

In the wood by 630, set up by 645 and the first squirrel arrived at 700, straight up onto the feeder and fumbled with the lid, trying to open it while still holding it down, sat up nice...

Number 2 came 15 minutes later,  sniffed the first and went up onto the feeder.....

Number 3 came through the trees, very twitchy with two on the ground and wasn't for setting so taken on the ground.

I moved the squirrels then thought another half hour, a couple went through playing chase then a kit was up down and everywhere before leaving,  I'd been watching the kit when I realised there was another squirrel just entering the clearing,  it sniffed around at the blood on the floor very cautiously before going up onto the feeder, Pfft whack flop. 

4 taken, very pregnant female,  immature female and two mature males.

20210615_095354.jpg.ba568998a8423e728aca1c1989e2239f.jpg

Also a lot of tree damage suddenly this week, all on young beech, some of looked fresh this morning and was still wet to the touch.

20210615_095409.jpg.60479dede759c7e30be6172d3b21c820.jpg

Camera going up to see if its squirrels, deer or aliens.

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19 minutes ago, Mice! said:

Also a lot of tree damage suddenly this week, all on young beech, some of looked fresh this morning and was still wet to the touch

Funny that, saw the same thing myself this morning.

saw two squirrels that could have caused it to, but they never gave me a chance to avenge the tree.

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Arrived at 6.55 this morning to see 2 squizzers on the feeder tree, they soon headed for the canopy as I made my way to my shaded tree seating area enhanced with a bit of dead wood from the floor.

5 minutes later a kit decided to come down to be greeted by the AA S200 and an AA field. There was lots of kiss chase activity from pairs who paid the price of needing a snack. A favourite route into the feeder is via a telegraph pole visible through the canopy about 40 yards away to the left. Another is along a fence top coming from the right. Other than 1 which flipped into brambles and nettles the others were all recovered. Tally was 1 sow kitt, 4 old boars and 5 sows one of which was lactating.

Should have been 12 if I hadn't moved a bit quick for the last one.  A 4 and a half hour very productive session. One feeder had the base gnawed out so needs repair, a small price to pay.

Very pleased with my choice of location.

 

 

 

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9 minutes ago, old man said:

Arrived at 6.55 this morning to see 2 squizzers on the feeder tree, they soon headed for the canopy as I made my way to my shaded tree seating area enhanced with a bit of dead wood from the floor.

5 minutes later a kit decided to come down to be greeted by the AA S200 and an AA field. There was lots of kiss chase activity from pairs who paid the price of needing a snack. A favourite route into the feeder is via a telegraph pole visible through the canopy about 40 yards away to the left. Another is along a fence top coming from the right. Other than 1 which flipped into brambles and nettles the others were all recovered. Tally was 1 sow kitt, 4 old boars and 5 sows one of which was lactating.

Should have been 12 if I hadn't moved a bit quick for the last one.  A 4 and a half hour very productive session. One feeder had the base gnawed out so needs repair, a small price to pay.

Very pleased with my choice of location.

 

 

 

Sounds like your on to a winner, keep at them.

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