JKD Posted June 7 Report Share Posted June 7 @Mice! Superb recent results fella 👍 I do miss shooting quizzers, so not jealous at all 🤫😄 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mice! Posted June 7 Author Report Share Posted June 7 4 minutes ago, JKD said: @Mice! Superb recent results fella 👍 I do miss shooting quizzers, so not jealous at all 🤫😄 Thanks mate, I took 4 the day before as well, the woods I went to were oddly quiet, but I like to get around as many as I can 👍 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JKD Posted June 7 Report Share Posted June 7 1 hour ago, Mice! said: Thanks mate, I took 4 the day before as well, the woods I went to were oddly quiet, but I like to get around as many as I can 👍 True dedication 👏 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ratchers Posted June 8 Report Share Posted June 8 Out this morning and the feeder had once again been emptied in a week since my last visit, after an hour number one turned up for his last breakfast and followed up an hour later by the next grey to eat his last peanut, I did see three others away in the trees but three hours in the freezing cold wind saw me off, next week! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mice! Posted June 10 Author Report Share Posted June 10 Another busy morning, I shouldn't have been out today, but this feeder over was almost empty when I popped in Thursday, so it was worth the drive up last night I hoped! And it certainly was, a slow start but it was cold and wet and didn't seem to warm up till after ten. But if your feeders work, there big enough so they don't keep running out then you will pull squirrels in from the surrounding area. Another 14 this morning a mix of mature females and kits. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sam triple Posted June 11 Report Share Posted June 11 14 hours ago, Mice! said: Another busy morning, I shouldn't have been out today, but this feeder over was almost empty when I popped in Thursday, so it was worth the drive up last night I hoped! And it certainly was, a slow start but it was cold and wet and didn't seem to warm up till after ten. But if your feeders work, there big enough so they don't keep running out then you will pull squirrels in from the surrounding area. Another 14 this morning a mix of mature females and kits. Well done , I’ve got 2 perms one the feeders are being emptied almost daily and they’re not small feeders hold a good 5 gallons of feed I’ve had 16 in the last few 3 hour visits , the other the feeders aren’t being touched at the moment Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mice! Posted June 11 Author Report Share Posted June 11 4 hours ago, sam triple said: Well done , I’ve got 2 perms one the feeders are being emptied almost daily and they’re not small feeders hold a good 5 gallons of feed I’ve had 16 in the last few 3 hour visits , the other the feeders aren’t being touched at the moment I've another feeder near these, as the crow flies and it's just been ticking over so I've been concentrating on the busier ones, but 5 gallons in a day is a lot of feed, have they got lids? That's why I shot this yesterday, I know it's only squirrels can take feed from the right hand feeder so I knew there were a few about. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sam triple Posted June 11 Report Share Posted June 11 1 hour ago, Mice! said: I've another feeder near these, as the crow flies and it's just been ticking over so I've been concentrating on the busier ones, but 5 gallons in a day is a lot of feed, have they got lids? That's why I shot this yesterday, I know it's only squirrels can take feed from the right hand feeder so I knew there were a few about. Yes all got weighted lids that can’t stay open Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mice! Posted June 11 Author Report Share Posted June 11 2 hours ago, sam triple said: Yes all got weighted lids that can’t stay open You've got some shooting to do then 👍 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sam triple Posted June 11 Report Share Posted June 11 1 hour ago, Mice! said: You've got some shooting to do then 👍 Just been up to country house perm one feeder half empty other looks like it’s be hoovered out , both full Saturday Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sam triple Posted June 12 Report Share Posted June 12 13 hours ago, sam triple said: Just been up to country house perm one feeder half empty other looks like it’s be hoovered out , both full Saturday Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mice! Posted June 15 Author Report Share Posted June 15 A very wet morning today, I put out a camera on Wednesday and topped up a feeder, I new I could get out for a few hours today but the question was where? Weekends can be strange so I was looking at the quieter places. I checked another feeder last night and decided to do the close one first, pack up the caravan then the other on the way home, even though I've taken a lot off it recently. Never underestimate the benefits of a camera, I was expecting at least a single and a pair from what I could see, but just 50 images in two days. I was under the brolley and glad of it by 06:30, and by 06:35 there was a squirrel down, it came flying in, took something of the floor and Pfft Whack. That was it for an hour, not a sign of a squirrel just the birds back and forth, then out of nowhere the pair came in, same as on the videos, up and down the trees, corkscrewing around, till one paused facing my way, bad move, Pfft Whack wallop, not a twitch, the other looked very confused and followed it down to sniff at it, Pfft Whack roll over, both down just like that. I was already thinking that'll be it, but at 07:40 another made its way in, sniffed at the one that fell from height, then hopped up onto the feeder, took something, sat up nicely side on and joined the others on the floor, four down, job done. As they fell, three males and a female Changed location Things were a bit wet Why have I never done this before? Pheasant chicks And the one squirrel that showed up at half ten, I thought it was a kit because it couldcouldn't work out the feeder lid, fell off then moved to the second feeder, Pfft Whack game over, mature male, but pretty skinny, my guess is it was its first time here? 70 now off these feeders. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ratchers Posted June 16 Report Share Posted June 16 I managed to get out between the showers do some grey squirrel control. At the syndicates wood where I have been shooting recently, got there not not quite as early as I would have liked at 8, the box had been emptied again so topped it up and waited, noticed the ground had been dug up in lots of places from squirrels, 45 minutes later the first customer rolled up and as Mice would say psst whack number one down, another hour passed by with only a jay on the box before number two got a jsb in the head and that was it in three hours before the rain came back. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mice! Posted June 16 Author Report Share Posted June 16 9 hours ago, ratchers said: I managed to get out between the showers do some grey squirrel control. At the syndicates wood where I have been shooting recently, got there not not quite as early as I would have liked at 8, the box had been emptied again so topped it up and waited, noticed the ground had been dug up in lots of places from squirrels, 45 minutes later the first customer rolled up and as Mice would say psst whack number one down, another hour passed by with only a jay on the box before number two got a jsb in the head and that was it in three hours before the rain came back. Well done fella, I do find they'll feed early then tuck away if it's damp 👍 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sam triple Posted June 18 Report Share Posted June 18 Is it me or doesn’t there seem to be as much natural food about this year , I know local growers are struggling due to late planting and drilling and low temperatures both day and night , last year the oaks were laiden with acorns but hardly any this year ! My feeders are getting hammered daily to the point that I’m nearly out of food This time last year they were not being touched , since the end of the game season I’ve removed 60 greys from a wood I shoot and that’s only shooting it for 2-3 hours at a time maybe once a week , the keeper has said he won’t stop me shooting them thru the game season this year , can’t think why ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mice! Posted June 18 Author Report Share Posted June 18 5 hours ago, sam triple said: This time last year they were not being touched , since the end of the game season I’ve removed 60 greys from a wood I shoot and that’s only shooting it for 2-3 hours at a time maybe once a week , the keeper has said he won’t stop me shooting them thru the game season this year , can’t think why ! I've just had a quick look at my figures for the last few years, some areas were quiet, then in others really busy, June and July are always busy, but this year is certainly busy across most areas. Good that your not being stopped, never makes sense to me, not when your using a silenced air rifle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sam triple Posted June 18 Report Share Posted June 18 12 minutes ago, Mice! said: I've just had a quick look at my figures for the last few years, some areas were quiet, then in others really busy, June and July are always busy, but this year is certainly busy across most areas. Good that your not being stopped, never makes sense to me, not when your using a silenced air rifle. Yes both areas I shoot are running virtually neck and neck with 54 & 60 shot ,once bitten twice shy , created a void and they are now filling it with a vengeance Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
London Best Posted June 18 Report Share Posted June 18 1 hour ago, Mice! said: Good that your not being stopped, never makes sense to me, not when your using a silenced air rifle. I used to shoot the deer on a (very) large shoot, (100,000 birds). The head keeper never stopped me shooting, either through the season or in the rearing season. He himself said it wouldn’t make any difference. He was right. I could sit up a high seat overlooking a feed ride containing 1-5,000 pheasants and shoot muntjac from amongst them with a .308 and they never even fluttered up, except maybe the odd one feeding next to the muntjac. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ratchers Posted June 18 Report Share Posted June 18 Out again this morning and shot three in the first hour, had to wait another two hours for the next one which was very fidgety and took ages to settle before he had his last peanut. It was very nosiy with crows first thing, maybe they were interested in the dead greys but none were brave enough to come down from the tree tops although a jay came down and found a stray nut. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mice! Posted June 18 Author Report Share Posted June 18 3 hours ago, sam triple said: Yes both areas I shoot are running virtually neck and neck with 54 & 60 shot ,once bitten twice shy , created a void and they are now filling it with a vengeance Probably being pulled in by the pheasant feeders? The one area I'm shooting most must have a 100 acres or so of woodland above it, I've no doubt the squirrels are coming from up there 👍 2 hours ago, London Best said: I used to shoot the deer on a (very) large shoot, (100,000 birds). The head keeper never stopped me shooting, either through the season or in the rearing season. He himself said it wouldn’t make any difference. He was right. I could sit up a high seat overlooking a feed ride containing 1-5,000 pheasants and shoot muntjac from amongst them with a .308 and they never even fluttered up, except maybe the odd one feeding next to the muntjac. I could understand a .308 disturbing them, but an odd shot obviously doesn't, I've dropped squirrels off a feeder almost onto a Pheasant and they just flutter and move a yard. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sam triple Posted June 18 Report Share Posted June 18 1 hour ago, Mice! said: Probably being pulled in by the pheasant feeders? The one area I'm shooting most must have a 100 acres or so of woodland above it, I've no doubt the squirrels are coming from up there 👍 I could understand a .308 disturbing them, but an odd shot obviously doesn't, I've dropped squirrels off a feeder almost onto a Pheasant and they just flutter and move a yard. Only the wood has pheasant feeders and only one is in use and that’s at the other end of the wood , other perm is a country house sat in 130 acres 3/4 woodland Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ratchers Posted June 23 Report Share Posted June 23 I got a call the other day from an old permission where I had cleared the greys out, the gentleman said a family of greys was back in his garden and raiding the bird feeder, I had a free couple of hours yesterday so went and sat in his garden waiting, even though the bird feeder was an anti squirrel one I could see why they visited, gosh the birds were messy eaters, bits of fat ball and peanuts flying everywhere, the ground was littered with debris and it hasn't taken long for the wildlife to notice as there was a big fat jay helping itsself, I struck lucky and one of the greys turned up, it took a few moments to get the right angle for a clean head shot and the jsb did its job, only one down out of four so will keep returning. As a note he said its been six years since he last saw a red in his garden. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mice! Posted June 24 Author Report Share Posted June 24 On 23/06/2024 at 09:19, ratchers said: gosh the birds were messy eaters Guessing he has a lot of finches then, I asked the question on FB the other day, the finches sit and just chomp at the feeder while tits etc grab and go, even though I'm feeding sunflower hearts the finches still take off the husk apparently, and spit them everywhere!! Looking like just 4 today, I topped up a feeder on Thursday and thought I'd chance it blind, three came in. Then off elsewhere to top up, took a very young kit off the feeder and topped up, well used but not empty so the good numbers from both woods has slowed them down. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ratchers Posted June 27 Report Share Posted June 27 On 24/06/2024 at 11:45, Mice! said: Guessing he has a lot of finches then Yes I saw some bullfinches amongst all the tits and sparrows. Was back to this garden early hoping to catch another one of the greys and after an hour shot a kit but nothing else turned up in the next two hours so will have to return again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mice! Posted July 10 Author Report Share Posted July 10 I managed a good session this morning despite the weather. I checked the feeder Friday and was shocked to find it just about empty! It's just been ticking over since I shot the 14 last month. Topped up and put the camera out, then I was back on Monday night to check and set up, 600 images over 3 days, set to take 2 pics and a video, brolley and nets up then back this morning. What a horrid day, its raining almost none stop, warmest February I can remember 😅 But despite the weather the squirrels turned up, slow and steady, nicely spaced out, two pairs 5 mins apart, then singles up till half ten, I just kept poking the gun out from under the brolley as they sat at the feeders. 6 males, 4 females with two pregnant and some big critters. Nothing else showed up by 1130 so that was that. Then I went and topped up another feeder, and I'm about to go check and set up for morning again 👍 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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