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squirrel control


Mice!
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How unlucky can a squirrel get. Just sitting in the armchair in our back room with the French doors open, Checked the Zero on my air rifle. Thunderstorm starts. Squirrel appears on the bird feeder above my target. There was a flash of lightening and the squirrel drops to the ground. I think it might have been the JSB Hades, rather than the lightening.

 

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Just in case you’re wondering about the knees, the cast comes off tomorrow after 8 weeks, can’t wait to get out and about again 

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The Combat Zone last two days.  Photo from my IBC hide under my main walnut tree.  Flip top plus two tunnel traps. However sixe sorted in the last two days, on in a live catch. Sat for two hours this afternoon and nothing appeared, so think that influx has been dealt with.   Three IBCs make two very handy hides. I cut one in half and put the half on top of the others which gives the height. Then add a roof, sometimes the liner is handy otherwise as in this case a sheet of ply. Bit of camo round the sides and good to go.  Old plastic garden chair sorts the sitting arrangements.

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1 hour ago, Walker570 said:

The Combat Zone last two days.  Photo from my IBC hide under my main walnut tree.  Flip top plus two tunnel traps. However sixe sorted in the last two days, on in a live catch. Sat for two hours this afternoon and nothing appeared, so think that influx has been dealt with.   Three IBCs make two very handy hides. I cut one in half and put the half on top of the others which gives the height. Then add a roof, sometimes the liner is handy otherwise as in this case a sheet of ply. Bit of camo round the sides and good to go.  Old plastic garden chair sorts the sitting arrangements.

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Very practical 

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Back out to the farm this morning,I shot three greys here before going on holiday which this year was amazing as to even see that many was a rarity, after my return the flip top was empty so a week ago I topped it up, back to today and the weather was a bit overcast but after a day of rain sort of expected some sort of action, well I did see a squirrel but away the other side in the tree tops, no chance of a shot, but what a  lot going on when waiting, first off what a lot of swallows flying close to the ground,scores and scores of them, and something that I saw but thought was a coincidence until I saw happen a second time, a crow chasing a swallow, saw it happen twice, why? A few jays screeching about and it rained acorns, was that connected? or was that where the squirrel went, hiding in the canopy above me, a buzzard and crows fratching, a sparrow hawk zooming through the branches and the best bit of the day, two very pretty lady joggers going through the farmyard, where the hell did they come from, its a no through road!!

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5 hours ago, ratchers said:

and the best bit of the day, two very pretty lady joggers going through the farmyard, where the hell did they come from, its a no through road!!

Very funny, but no such thing where Joe public are concerned. 

The third squirrel made an appearance this morning,  seemed to be gathering dry grass then did a runner?

It'll be back.

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Having shot half a dozen last week in our wood/orchard I did not expect to see but one or two stragglers. This morning they where coming at me from all directions. Managed to whack two but that was lucky because they never sat still but for a second, even when climbing on a feed table they didn't stop for a peanut. Two lucky shots as those two paused for second.   

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Well I ended up going out today because I couldn't get in work. 

I went and checked the golf course feeder, and it looked largely untouched,  waited for half an hour and hardly saw a thing, just a few birds.

Back to work, then back again 🙄🙄 so up to big wood by about 10ish, feeder 1 was almost empty,  which tells me there hasn't been much squirrel activity on it, I topped up then sat back and the birds poured in non stop, I stayed there for 1.5hrs in that time one squirrel went left-right then back again 15mins later off in the tree tops, it was raining acorns from above me but I never saw a squirrel up there.

The tits and finches never stopped,  voles, Robin's and Nuthatch's,  highlight being a weasel popped up by the feeder.

So I went for a walk, had one squirrel run across the path in two hours! Saw some chewed hazel nuts, but nuts and acorns scattered everywhere,  never seen that before. 

The sweet chestnuts aren't ready yet, only some Tew trees had berries and the squirrels were nowhere to be seen?

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Two mins off the floor by one Bush. And it was still very very warm.

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Shot 4 this last week on our log cabin roof, we have a Hazel tree next to it and the little blighters grab a cluster of Nuts then sit on the felt roof to eat them, if I miss it's going to cost me dear with roof repairs but it's not happened so far. Only downside is that the Dog, sent to retrieve the dead refused to give up the last one - never seen him like it before, shivering with Adrenaline and covered in blood I could not prise his jaw apart. 

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1 hour ago, old man said:

A frustrating morning, took a while to set up feeders etc. 

Good to see few within 60yds up in the trees. One then tormented me for over an hour bobbing about not stopping within 40yds, maybe a kit?

It will be back and so will I.

I never try to set up and shoot the same day, it just never works out, especially carrying all my gear.

But I'm set ready for morning 😁

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Well they keep coming into our orchard and wood trying to get at the walnuts but all have died in the effort.

I think probaby more than last year and the year before si the hot weather was obviously a good breeding year.

I am cutting back the overhanging branches of adjacent trees to prevent them using the aerial route in and have to come on the ground where just a few seconds pause proves fatal.

No mature animals, all young immature males mainly.

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13 hours ago, Mice! said:

I never try to set up and shoot the same day, it just never works out, especially carrying all my gear.

But I'm set ready for morning 😁

Yep but it had to be worth a try for the effort involved?

Going to try my second S200 with a Hawke scope  with a x50 that I have as a test bed and some differing lead free because I can. Struggled a bit with my normal set up due to looking into dense  shade with a x32.

12 hours ago, Walker570 said:

Well they keep coming into our orchard and wood trying to get at the walnuts but all have died in the effort.

I think probaby more than last year and the year before si the hot weather was obviously a good breeding year.

I am cutting back the overhanging branches of adjacent trees to prevent them using the aerial route in and have to come on the ground where just a few seconds pause proves fatal.

No mature animals, all young immature males mainly.

☝️ good tactics sir.

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Well I did 4hrs this morning,  had a squirrel barking at 7:10 but it never came to the feeder.

Then saw one after 9 with an acorn sprinting through the tree tops.

Went to another wood but thick cover still and acorns everywhere so I decided to head home, they'll just be fatter when I catch up with them.

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Morning All

Anyone ever looked online about grey squirrels They have a big following

There's food from Amazon, feeders, and from the RSPCA how to build nest boxes for them

Chap near us has a fantastic Walnut tree its loaded this year   Greys sat chomping the nuts

I asked if I could have a go at them NO I like to see them came the reply

Lost for words

 

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On 14/09/2022 at 11:17, Mice! said:

Well I did 4hrs this morning,  had a squirrel barking at 7:10 but it never came to the feeder.

Then saw one after 9 with an acorn sprinting through the tree tops.

Went to another wood but thick cover still and acorns everywhere so I decided to head home, they'll just be fatter when I catch up with them.

They are just not interested in food at the moment.  Makes getting a shot difficult with them buzzing about burying nuts etc.  Literally have to follow them in the scope and take a body shot when they pause for a second.  They are still dying to see me in our orchard and wood

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1 hour ago, Ratlegs said:

Morning All

Anyone ever looked online about grey squirrels They have a big following

There's food from Amazon, feeders, and from the RSPCA how to build nest boxes for them

Chap near us has a fantastic Walnut tree its loaded this year   Greys sat chomping the nuts

I asked if I could have a go at them NO I like to see them came the reply

Lost for words

 

I've said it many times, they are great to watch, intelligent and funny, and often the only wild mammals people will see, the problem is people don't realise or care about the damage they do.

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Well, looks like I have sorted the invaders for a day or two anyway.  Sat yesterda late afternoon when they normally show but not a sign, so went down this morning and sat in a cabin overlooking the walnut tree area but also with av view down two rides between the hazel coppice and not any sign, so looks like  the 20 plis sorted in the last four weeks has depleted stocks somewhat.  They will be back as we have a 6 acre wood and scrub area right in the midle of the village and the owner thinks they are lovely fluffy creatures. Fortunately a neighbour on the opposite side to me has also taken up the challenge of killing every one he sees and between us we have sorted close to a hundred this year so far.

As said above our enemy is not the squirrel intself but the fluffy lovers who do not realise the damamge they do to not only trees but also to songbirds.

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1 minute ago, Mice! said:

I had a walk and top up yesterday evening 6pm-7pm I only saw one with the thermal,  feed was down so they are visiting, just not often. 

And the one I saw was where I can't shoot, they're getting wise 😅

Very flighty here,young and full of natural food?

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