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squirrel control


Mice!
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On 26/03/2024 at 18:49, old man said:

Another disappointing outing here, saw 1 fleetingly on way into location which just disappeared.

Then saw 1 about 2 hours later acting like a lib dim MP on steroids casing a lone voter finally ending up after 10 minutes hidden in a Laurel bush? 

 

On 25/03/2024 at 21:24, ratchers said:

As I was out last time in the morning and saw nothing even though the feed level had gone down I decided to give the afternoon a go although its not my favourite time of the day for shooting, I find it very quiet. So yesterday afternoon I was waiting patiently in ambush and did have some success with two shot in two hours so a change is as good as a rest!

I was out yesterday from 7 till 5 and only took 2 squirrels,  I was in and out of three woods, the weather was dreadful and there just wasn't anything about, even when the sun came out it was a trap and rained shortly afterwards. Watching the birds raid my feeder was entertaining though!

I shot one at 8am and the next at 4pm from the same feeder!

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Amazing how many birds went in and out.

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And people say feed wheat 😅😅

Better day today,  I had two on camera but only 1 showed up, windy but dry, till I packed up 🙈

Then I checked the new feeder on my way home knowing I was going to have an hour, there was a squirrel on the feeder, I got to the woods edge and didn't push my luck any more,  30mtrs Pfft Whack drop. 

I had a scan and spotted another that may have been there all along,  I waited it out and despite it not being happy it joined the other on the floor.

2 males. Big and small

And the Sun was out 😯😯

That's 27 from here now.

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I had a msg off my mate mud morning saying his feeders are getting hammered,  he's shot 10 in two sessions. 

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Back out to the sydicates wood to ambush the flip top, quite a wait when out of the corner of my eye I saw a grey coming up close on the right, I stayed rock still and it passed just a couple of yards away and veered off towards the feeder then I lost sight of it, was waiting for it to hop on the feeder but nothing happened. Back waiting again when I heard the lid bang, ah ha squirrel on, shifted position to line up and squirrel gone, blast!  Waited for a long time again and nothing appeared on the box even though it was empty the day before, maybe they were that fat they couldn't move now. Was scanning all around when I saw a grey perched on a branch looking right at me, wasn't going to wait for it to go on the box, was gonna take my chance and this time it never moved until the pellet hit and down it went.

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1 hour ago, ratchers said:

wasn't going to wait for it to go on the box, was gonna take my chance and this time it never moved until the pellet hit and down it went

I wouldn't have waited either, it had obviously clocked were you where and was deciding what to do.

Well done.

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A much better morning today, despite it being a miserable wet one again I was under the brolley in one spot, the feed was well hit last week and this week so it looked good.

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They came in 2, then 4, then 1 despite the rain getting heavier, over roughly 3hrs, the 4 arrived in ten minutes while I was messaging my mate. 

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Been a while since they've piled into a feeder like this 😁

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3 hours ago, Mice! said:

A much better morning today, despite it being a miserable wet one again I was under the brolley in one spot, the feed was well hit last week and this week so it looked good.

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They came in 2, then 4, then 1 despite the rain getting heavier, over roughly 3hrs, the 4 arrived in ten minutes while I was messaging my mate. 

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Been a while since they've piled into a feeder like this 😁

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Nicely done Sir.

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Stood amongst some laurel waiting for magpies with my shotgun when a large female squirrel appeared on an ivy-covered oak about ten yards in front of me.

 

As it paid the price of its indiscretions another scuttled around the tree. I waited for about twenty minutes and the second one, a male, emerged from the ivy to look at me, which was its last glance. 

I set them out in the field hoping to lure a magpie.

Two came into the adjoining trees but only one came down to the bait. I waited for the second to join it, but the first one spooked so I got neither. 

Sorry not airgun but next time....

 

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  • 2 weeks later...

Brief recap of last week.

Busy busy busy, I was out last Sunday after dark filling a feeder, and fixing the gap where the birds have been plundering the feed.

Monday it tipped it down so out Tuesday night again, checked two feeders and put two cameras up to see what's what for Thursday, it was gone 11pm when I left the woods but what a beautiful clear night with the stars shining and Owls calling.

In the wood this morning for 630am Wednesday and wow was it cold, no signs of any squirrels till 8am, then they weren't interested in the feeder, just each other or mooching about.

One appeared about 3 metres above me and started making a proper racket but finally ran off when I slowly looked around.

I had a few show up and look like they were going to the feeder to just vanish on me, then spotted one on a branch in almost plain view munching on something!! It looked huge in the thermal. 

The rain started at 930, I'd already gone for a walk about but wasn't seeing anything so left this wood meeting a nice couple on the way out, despite me having the gun out there was no issue, quick chat about what I was doing and I was on my way.

I'd seen the forecast and thought I'll go and sit it out, check a camera and might get another couple, the camera showed a squirrel all morning, but the rain and cold just kept getting worse, despite there being a Buck and doe mooching around no squirrels showed up, and after 3hrs I was cold and wet enough to admit defeat, this was the first blank off of here this year, and it was still raining hrs later, will it ever stop!!

Thursday ☆☆☆☆☆

What a difference today was, no rain and the sun shone 😁😁

I had 2 squirrels go past my feeder early on, both sniffed about and just moved on, my guess is they've were looking for a female, because I had three males after that, plus another that just went through the canopy. 

The third that showed up wasn't showing any interest in the feeder, normally I wait expecting them to hop up, but after the first two leaving I shot as soon as it stopped at about 30mtrs. 

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Perfect shot placement side on, and even at 30mtrs the JSB heavy went through. 

The next two did what's expected going straight up onto the feeder, both were leaning forwards,  the changes to the platform working a treat, both top of the head shots, both fell off leaving no mess.

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It looked a perfect morning for a walk, but I'd left my spare thermal battery in work 😱🙈 I've no doubt I may have gotten lucky just going for a walk, but it's hard terrain and without the thermal your almost walking around blind.

So after yesterday's wash out I'd checked the camera and had a squirrel all morning so I went back for that one.

It was on the feeder when I arrived and moved off, but came back after 15 mins, and all my wet gear I'd left out from the day before had dried 😁

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Another male.

I'd packed up after an hour, brolley, nets, chair, sticks and gun, stretched my back on a fallen tree when I saw another squirrel behind the feeder,, and we try to be so discreet. 

Gun back out, loaded and waited and got a bonus female a few minutes later, straight up on the feeder, flippedthe lid and lookedcmy way, very happy with that.

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Also saw a squirrel in the canopy on the Oak buds, it may have been the first I've seen because it wasn't raining sideways for a nice change. 

Not the best picture but always nice to see the blue bells coming out.

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Well brief ish 😅

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Yes the weather has been a bit damp but managed to get out twice last week and scored three and had to do a temporary fix on a flip top lid which was empty and chewed. Well back today and nothing doing on the first feeder, level hardly gone down, so on to the temp mended one and no peanuts and no lid!, I did have the foresight to take another flip top with me so swapped them over and waited in a very cold breeze for something to happen, three hours later all I had seen was a randy hare chasing his mate.

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49 minutes ago, ratchers said:

Yes the weather has been a bit damp but managed to get out twice last week and scored three and had to do a temporary fix on a flip top lid which was empty and chewed. Well back today and nothing doing on the first feeder, level hardly gone down, so on to the temp mended one and no peanuts and no lid!, I did have the foresight to take another flip top with me so swapped them over and waited in a very cold breeze for something to happen, three hours later all I had seen was a randy hare chasing his mate.

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Think you've got a beaver!!

I've just finished repairing a chewed uo feeder, it's easier to start again,  combination of ply coming apart and the chewing meant I had to cut right back, but the beast holds 6kg now, going back up this week. 

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I went out last night and grabbed the camera from the beast, I took some feed but still expected the feeder to be half full, wrong!

Some feed on the floor as per normal, which means they can still pull the feed out, 1300+ hits on the camera set for 2 photos and 20 second video with a 5 minute lag, I quickly skipped through yesterday's 300 plus hits and had up to 5 squirrels at one point, I can't tell if there kits or adults on the videos but it'll be much easier once they're nicely lined up, if not Monday then next Saturday or Wednesday.

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Off out again tonight,  check another camera and top that feeder up, shift change is coming 😁

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3 hours ago, sam triple said:

Had these 2 Saturday morning is the sow pregnant or already given birth was heavy ? 

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Doesn't look red or sore so probably pregnant. 

I'm not saying I'm keen but my car is packed ready and I'm not shooting till Saturday 😄😄

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Was back out on ambush after topping the feeder up last friday when it was empty, had to go in the afternoon, not my favourite time to shoot as I always find it quiet and so it proved as it took three hours for a customer to turn up, heard the lid bang down and when I looked there was a grey munching a peanut, waited for it to take another and it didn't, it got twitchy looking around and then it started raining, come on you squirrel take a nut and settle and as though it could read my thoughts did exactly that, a quick head shot later it was down and dead, then the heavens really opened up and I was quite wet in no time so packed up and headed home.

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Had a bit of surprise txt yesterday, traditionally my 5k squirrel control perm has been only available from Oct till the end of March (ish), shooting has also been restricted to designated firing points (H&S approved) over each Hopper, now we can not only shoot all year round but we can wander all over the woodlands!!! The land is very popular with families and their kids who play in and out of the rides - might get interesting.

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2 hours ago, bruno22rf said:

Had a bit of surprise txt yesterday, traditionally my 5k squirrel control perm has been only available from Oct till the end of March (ish), shooting has also been restricted to designated firing points (H&S approved) over each Hopper, now we can not only shoot all year round but we can wander all over the woodlands!!! The land is very popular with families and their kids who play in and out of the rides - might get interesting.

That sounds great, enjoy.

9 hours ago, Mice! said:

My brolley would have saved you 🤭

Don't think I've ever seen a picture of your brolly in action?!

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14 hours ago, ratchers said:

Don't think I've ever seen a picture of your brolly in action?!

You must have seen the brolley of death? Although you shouldn't 😉

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https://www.nitehawkproducts.co.uk/99400-michigan-fishing-umbrella-with-sides-and-windows.html?utm_source=google_shopping&174=492&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjw6PGxBhCVARIsAIumnWY__t-fucQSlY7CdtBJkKCuxeENvfaAJfIx-RmwSsMTHyRyS2FZuPAaAm1OEALw_wcB

First link I came to, mine is the 45' but I'd go bigger next time, they are only light weight but I've had this one a good few years now, I'll pop it up the night before if possible,  throw two camo nets over and leave a seat, I use it wet or dry as a hide, but I'll take a better picture Friday when I set up.

I'd been telling my mate to get one for two years,  then a couple of weeks back he sat out in a down pour, didn't get soaked and shot 5 squirrels when he would normally have done a runner.

One spot I shoot is very rocky so I've got a pallet I sit on, with a drilled hole for where the brolley goes.

16 hours ago, bruno22rf said:

Had a bit of surprise txt yesterday, traditionally my 5k squirrel control perm has been only available from Oct till the end of March (ish), shooting has also been restricted to designated firing points (H&S approved) over each Hopper, now we can not only shoot all year round but we can wander all over the woodlands!!! The land is very popular with families and their kids who play in and out of the rides - might get interesting.

Weekends are best avoided mate, the public spots I shoot are like totally different places on a Wednesday or a Sunday,  I might well risk one this Saturday,  but there can be anyone about, during the week tends to just be regular dog walkers who don't look left or right 😄

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@ratchers here you go fella, brolley pics from yesterday,  it's a mobile hide and yesterday a sun shade.

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It may not look much up close, but when you stand back at the feeder it makes a difference, as I'm out on public land it's best to not leave anything and this is light and quick.

I only ended up shooting 2 feeders yesterday,  it was a slower morning than I'd expected and a hot afternoon which meant I wasn't going yomping through the woods.

took a 5 & 2 though so I was happy even though I expected double figures from the feed that's gone and the camera footage. 

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A nice sunrise to start the day after the Northern lights show from the night before 

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And the blue bells are in full force at the moment,  it was far cooler under the canopy,  although this picture was taken at 9pm

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Keep at them fellas 👍

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1 hour ago, ratchers said:

Thanks for that Mice, looks good although it might be a bit interesting in a strong wind!

I've only had it blow over once, and it was bad that day, I'd set up the night before otherwise I wouldn't have gone out, you can peg the skirt out and and I tie onto a tree usually from the top, does the job for what I need.

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Another 7 today, 6 from one spot including the first kit, then 1 from another wood.

I was chassed out of one wood my the midges, and what sounded like a shotgun going off where it certainly shouldn't be 😳

Squirrels were slow coming to the feeder again. 

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