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squirrel control


Mice!
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28 minutes ago, ditchman said:

cant remember the last time i saw a red squirrel.....in my part of norfolk

But you'll have song birds, red listed and amber and trees no doubt.

There is a big difference between shooting the odd grey because it's there and targeting them though, that's when you realise just how many are in an area.

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4 hours ago, Mice! said:

A lot depends on where you are and what goes on around you.

Where I'm shooting is mostly greys with a couple of small patches of reds, move north a touch to where @Sciurusis and he has more reds with greys again. 

If we and many many others weren't keeping the pressure on, then these greys would be free to breed and move, this would then put pressure on the reds.

The area in Westmoreland with the most reds probably kill less greys because the areas around them stop the greys getting there.

This screenshot is from a fella who does full time squirrel control for the purpose of stopping tree damage down south, shoots off feeders, lots of them.

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815 squirrels,  so how many squirrels would there be damaging trees if they were left to breed?

 

Yes, although we go on about Red Squirrel conservation by removing Greys, nationally the main concern is damage to forestry woodland by bark stripping. 
I second the comment of Walker 570 regarding song birds. In the wood this morning Nuthatch, Tree Creeper, wrens and Robins. Song Thrush, Blackbirds Long tailed Tits, Blue tits, Great tits, coal tits. All making it a pleasurable time to get out and chill out. Oh, and four Kingfishers as I walked in along the brook.

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1 hour ago, ditchman said:

cant remember the last time i saw a red squirrel.....in my part of norfolk

Nearest small population of Red Squirrels to you is Canvey Island, Essex. We need the lads and lasses in that area to really hammer the greys so that there is space for the Reds to naturally disperse into the wider area around there and less greys to come into the Red territory where they might bring Squirrel Pox, which is lethal to Reds

9 minutes ago, Fisheruk said:

Yes, although we go on about Red Squirrel conservation by removing Greys, nationally the main concern is damage to forestry woodland by bark stripping. 
I second the comment of Walker 570 regarding song birds. In the wood this morning Nuthatch, Tree Creeper, wrens and Robins. Song Thrush, Blackbirds Long tailed Tits, Blue tits, Great tits, coal tits. All making it a pleasurable time to get out and chill out. Oh, and four Kingfishers as I walked in along the brook.

 

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Not been up woods since last week due to rain etc mate filled feeder Thursday, it takes a full 5 gallon bucket full to fill it I popped by this morning on the way to shoot some pigeons , and it was empty the little darlings had been knowing their way in , I filled it up and returned about 5; 30 this afternoon they’d been back on it so I covered the hole with a bit of plate I blagged earlier this should stop them for a while I’ll be out first thing tomorrow morning 

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Went up this morning before light just as the heavens opened , only saw two , which I duly shot I left them laying where they had fallen not 20 minutes later a fox came in did a circle around the tree and stole them both , I couldn’t believe what I had just seen probably the same fox I saw up there last week, I’ve got some chicken thighs in the fridge which will be used as bait on Friday morning, along with some 36 gram no 3’s

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2 hours ago, sam triple said:

Went up this morning before light just as the heavens opened , only saw two , which I duly shot I left them laying where they had fallen not 20 minutes later a fox came in did a circle around the tree and stole them both , I couldn’t believe what I had just seen probably the same fox I saw up there last week, I’ve got some chicken thighs in the fridge which will be used as bait on Friday morning, along with some 36 gram no 3’s

I looked round last year to see a fox holding a squirrel I'd shot, but I was happy to see it and couldn't believe it had appeared right in front of me, fumbled for my phone and it was gone.

But no pheasant going in pens here.

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12 minutes ago, Mice! said:

I looked round last year to see a fox holding a squirrel I'd shot, but I was happy to see it and couldn't believe it had appeared right in front of me, fumbled for my phone and it was gone.

But no pheasant going in pens here.

I fumbled for my phone too but way to slow , we will have pheasants going in soon so unfortunately he has to go , now the question is was he aware of me being there shooting or was it opertunist action ? 

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25 minutes ago, sam triple said:

I fumbled for my phone too but way to slow , we will have pheasants going in soon so unfortunately he has to go , now the question is was he aware of me being there shooting or was it opertunist action ? 

He's been before,  the smell of blood, small mammals and spilt feed, my guess is if you leave the squirrels nearby with the trail camera up he'll pop by to say hello. 

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2 hours ago, Mice! said:

He's been before,  the smell of blood, small mammals and spilt feed, my guess is if you leave the squirrels nearby with the trail camera up he'll pop by to say hello. 

Yup , you’re probably right , I’m also guessing he’s / she will have den near by as it didn’t appear to be wet from the pouring rain this morning 

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I leave all my squirrels in our wood for the buzzard who normally beats the fox or badger to it.  Squirrels where always noted as the favorite food of foxes.  Remember being out one night late 70s on a farm which is now a huge housing estate in Solihull. I had the 22RF and shot a squirrel which bounced around a bit and within seconds a fox was on it. I shot the fox and it still had squigy in it's mouth.

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Interesting morning out grey squirrel shooting, was at my wheat feeder which gets emptied really fast, but wow are they messy eaters, a load of overspill on the floor which is where I spotted the first grey after about five minutes. I just couldn't quite get a clear shot with various twigs, bracken and grass in the way, finally get a gap through and.....missed, it was off up the nearest tree like a shot. Five minutes later I sensed movement and a fully grown red deer starts helping herself to the overspill, now Iv's seen quite a few deer in this wood but always young ones, quite captivating. Was not prepared for what happened next as a great bellow came from the brash and the deer gave a start and moved off only to come back again quickly, there was a few more very loud barks and although I couldn't see it there must have been another red present, out of the corner of my eye I spotted a tail twitching half way up a tree, could a grey frighten a red deer? After a few minutes they moved off but I never saw the second deer and the squirrel disapeared as well. An hour passed watching all the song birds helping themselves with a particular bossy nuthatch fending off other birds only to be moved along by a greedy grey. He succumbed to a pellet and the birds where back, after a while I saw a tail twitching on the ground and thought I hadn't had a clean kill with the headshot but it was another grey helping himself to feed with his dead mate next to him, another shot and that made two. And I made it a hatrick when the squirrel that I had seen in the tree twitching his tail at the deer made the mistake of stopping half way down. A great day watching the birds and the deer and reducing the grey hoard.

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1 hour ago, ratchers said:

great day watching the birds and the deer and reducing the grey hoard.

Sounds like a brilliant morning,  if a roe can make me shiver I'm sure a red deer can make me jump!

Your right about them making a mess, and they are vandals,  I went out this morning to check two feeders and put camera's up.

The strip wood feeder was down to dust, and the squirrels were up on the green pine cones, nothing like ripe but they like them,  hopefully they'll be back on the feeder Thursday. 

Golf course feeder!! Mess on the floor and made a right mess of the lid, I only had one squirrel showing on camera so I'm surprised by the feed gone and damage,  but it could be birds as well now.

Camera will tell the tale,  picture later.

 

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An hour in the workshop this morning produced another squirrel proof flip top feeder.  The scrap heap at a farm produced a sheet of galvanised sheet which had slots where there had obviously been a fan.  Probably this came off a freezer or similar, anyway the disc cutter and a few self drilling/taping screws soon had it made up.  A few lengths of pallet wood and the corner off and IBC and it is ready to go.  I also discovered a metre square sheet of aluminium which will also be converted.  The sides and backs off old washing machines, freezers etc are also a good source of material for tree rat proof feeders.   Either pop rivets or the self drilling self tapping screws put it all together. I will put up some photos tomorrow but I'm afraid wood does not cut it for me. 

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20210803_094608.jpg.a6113c35ae7cf4abb726cc3bdf09a56e.jpg

The side has been attacked again,  but that's superficial,  plastering bead stops that.

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The lids are, or were thinner ply, nothing like as good quality,  its weathered and been attacked so this will be addressed. 

Vandalism carries heavy penalties. 

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16 hours ago, sam triple said:


One of two before mr fox gate crashed the party and nicked them 

I was waiting for you to settle,  but you'd already taken the shot 😆😆

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Popped out this morning,  not expecting much but thought I'd have an hour at each of the feeders at big wood.

Surprisingly I didn't see a bird at the feeders, only saw two wrens flitting around. 

This squirrel just sort of appeared,  charged onto the feeder,  then fell off, layed still then flipped around. 

Wound up about 7mtrs from the feeder, its skull was smashed and its head swollen but the nerves had obviously kicked in.

Couple of deer spotted,  some digging and wasps but strangely quiet.

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As well as the first blackberries of the year.

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Brolley is up set for morning,  squirrels showing at the two feeders I put camera's on, hopefully they show up about 6:30.

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51 minutes ago, Mice! said:

I was waiting for you to settle,  but you'd already taken the shot 😆😆

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Popped out this morning,  not expecting much but thought I'd have an hour at each of the feeders at big wood.

Surprisingly I didn't see a bird at the feeders, only saw two wrens flitting around. 

This squirrel just sort of appeared,  charged onto the feeder,  then fell off, layed still then flipped around. 

Wound up about 7mtrs from the feeder, its skull was smashed and its head swollen but the nerves had obviously kicked in.

Couple of deer spotted,  some digging and wasps but strangely quiet.

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As well as the first blackberries of the year.

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Brolley is up set for morning,  squirrels showing at the two feeders I put camera's on, hopefully they show up about 6:30.

Good luck,I’ll be out early doors Friday hoping foxy drops by again 

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9 hours ago, sam triple said:

Just got a couple of chicken thighs to entice it even further, I’ll put these in the fork of the tree 

Well I went through my camera footage last night and foxy made an appearance at my feeder.

I was out this morning and in position by 6:15, I had one female show up at 7:05 but by 8am nothing else had shown up so I packed up and moved on. I'd expected a couple from here today but there was a bit of wind blowing which possibly made them go elsewhere. 

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A mature female,  possibly getting ready to breed again?

So in the car and off to the next spot, looking through the camera footage I may have a squirrel nibbling one of the beech trees,  I won't know for sure till I look on the laptop. 

From about 8:30-10:10 it was just a bit of bird watching,  the squirrels had been there early or late but nothing showed, then while giving it the regulation ten more minutes and looking at my phone( strange because I don't normally have a signal here) up popped a squirrel,  phone down, slowly pick up the gun, I'm pretty sure it new I was there, but it didn't listen to the voice saying danger. 

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Practically the same spot, but a different squirrel honest.

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This one wasn't showing her nipples but another large female. 

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This is the beech the squirrel goes upto on the camera, it was already damaged but did it do more?

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And finally,  a few trees like this where the moss has gone from around the base??

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finally spotted target #9 at dawn today, it had a poke about the area where my trap is set, but didnt seem fazed by it or interested in the bait. Seen 'it' twice over the past week or so, only in the middle of the day, taking spillage from one of the bird feeders and always close to cover. It doesnt come into the garden by the usual route so is a sod to see until its out and feeding.

Hopefully, the sighting this morning (and its exit by the 'normal' route means it is getting braver and I can take it this week. 

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