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squirrel control


Mice!
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6 hours ago, Mice! said:

I know we talked about a corridor but things would need doing differently than they have been for it to stand any chance, they would need to do things like the Penrith and Lakes groups do for a start, their advantage is they have reds so the public support the work.

20200726_115143.jpg.2124f108e9576449429670b3fc88bf5b.jpg

The park covers 550 acres, so that must be a massive perimeter to cover.

It would be great if the Park decide to try and educate why grey control is needed, I work with lads in Barrow who have no idea about the difference between reds and greys other than the colour, even around Formby when Pox hits opinion is still divided on grey control despite them having red squirrels but you already know this.

 

Education is going to be a big part of it.

The surrounding Estate has already ramped up their grey control.

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On 23/07/2020 at 14:16, mick.c said:

What Kev you never let your feeders run out of feed...you know if you did let them run out and re-filled them when you get there with-in 15mins they will be down and hopefully shoot at least 1 every time and the bonus is you can freeze it for next time....😁

Mick

Well large feeders have their place in woods that you can’t shoot regularly. If you only go out once every six months and have someone else who can top up a feeder every week or so, you will achieve double figure bags so you can fill your freezer to keep your ferrets fed and what you have is a grey squirrel breeding program, but if you genuinely want to clear the area of Greys you’ve got to keep at them, reduce their numbers to stop them breeding or catch their offspring before they breed. It may mean sitting in the wood from time to time without seeing a single squirrel, that just means that you are being effective, unless of course you just want a grey squirrel breeding program!

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12 hours ago, Fisheruk said:

 

UULancs WT, didn’t get their application into HLF soon enough and it wasn’t processed before lockdown. 
 

The Knowsley scheme covers a much wider area, which is what you and I have talked about in the past.

David, thanks for posting this, very interesting. I had wondered why Formby has lost its funding, what a xxxx up!

Do you know when reds were last seen at Knowsley? I have never heard of them there. I like to think I remember them in the woods behind Edgehill University in Ormskirk in the 50s, but I am not too sure whether I have imagined it. I lived in Rainford until 5 years ago and have never known reds or greys although there were plenty of greys in St Helens. The only other reds I remember were in south Warrington.

Talking of Knowsley Hall, I used to pigeon shoot there every February until the Safari Park was opened and kicked us off! . I went to the Safari Park the day it was opened, we queued from the East Lancs road, through Knowsley Village, part of Hayton and then down the new Prescot bypass, a distance of about 5 miles. It was the most exciting thing that happened for years.

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1 hour ago, Fisheruk said:

Well large feeders have their place in woods that you can’t shoot regularly. If you only go out once every six months and have someone else who can top up a feeder every week or so, you will achieve double figure bags so you can fill your freezer to keep your ferrets fed and what you have is a grey squirrel breeding program, but if you genuinely want to clear the area of Greys you’ve got to keep at them, reduce their numbers to stop them breeding or catch their offspring before they breed. It may mean sitting in the wood from time to time without seeing a single squirrel, that just means that you are being effective, unless of course you just want a grey squirrel breeding program!

100% agree.  We do not have reds here in West Leicestershire but I spend on average 40hrs a week killing tree rats. Some of my areas are now so low in numbers I am lucky to shoot one on a visit and my feeders are hardly being used.  OK I am retired and have all the time in the world but I am sure if more field sports men and women dedicated just a small proportion of their free time to killing tree rats in their area, then at least in the countryside we would see a reduction in numbers.  Very little we can do about towns and cities. 

I have a 10 acre wood here at home which I consider tree rat free and any immigrants survive less than 48hrs.    It takes dedication and building a trust with landowners/game keepers that your not marching about the place disturbing the area. All my tree rat culling is done over flip top feeders from a static location be it sitting in my Landie passenger seat or from a purpose built hide.  I'm 16 short of my promise to average one a day this year and that is due to this corvid deal. It can be done.   Keep whacking and stacking.

 

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24 minutes ago, Sciurus said:

David, thanks for posting this, very interesting. I had wondered why Formby has lost its funding, what a xxxx up!

Do you know when reds were last seen at Knowsley? I have never heard of them there. I like to think I remember them in the woods behind Edgehill University in Ormskirk in the 50s, but I am not too sure whether I have imagined it. I lived in Rainford until 5 years ago and have never known reds or greys although there were plenty of greys in St Helens. The only other reds I remember were in south Warrington.

Talking of Knowsley Hall, I used to pigeon shoot there every February until the Safari Park was opened and kicked us off! . I went to the Safari Park the day it was opened, we queued from the East Lancs road, through Knowsley Village, part of Hayton and then down the new Prescot bypass, a distance of about 5 miles. It was the most exciting thing that happened for years.

They have been seen in the Estate of Lord Derby, from time to time, I had a creditable report of a Red in a private garden in Prescott two years ago. There are reports of Reds from time to time in Haydock and Winstanley areas. There are Reports of Reds in Maghull, Lydiate and Halsall quite frequently. The last report I had of a Red in Ruff wood Ormskirk, near to Edge Hill was probably 10 years ago.
I was in a private wood near Burscough, with a friend yesterday and he saw a Red there last year. They are about and the more the Greys are thinned out the more chance there is for Reds to expand their territory at the time of natural dispersal.

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8 minutes ago, Walker570 said:

100% agree.  We do not have reds here in West Leicestershire but I spend on average 40hrs a week killing tree rats. Some of my areas are now so low in numbers I am lucky to shoot one on a visit and my feeders are hardly being used.  OK I am retired and have all the time in the world but I am sure if more field sports men and women dedicated just a small proportion of their free time to killing tree rats in their area, then at least in the countryside we would see a reduction in numbers.  Very little we can do about towns and cities. 

I have a 10 acre wood here at home which I consider tree rat free and any immigrants survive less than 48hrs.    It takes dedication and building a trust with landowners/game keepers that your not marching about the place disturbing the area. All my tree rat culling is done over flip top feeders from a static location be it sitting in my Landie passenger seat or from a purpose built hide.  I'm 16 short of my promise to average one a day this year and that is due to this corvid deal. It can be done.   Keep whacking and stacking.

 

We're not talking about huge feeders here Nev, just adequate,  I don't consider a feeder that holds 7 or 8 kilograms as big, i just know it will last more than a week and so keep the squirrels coming.

Would you travel to a feeder that holds a kilo and you know is likely to have been empty for two or three days and getting shot every week?

35 minutes ago, Sciurus said:

Do you know when reds were last seen at Knowsley

I was talking to a horse trainer probably 2 years ago, at Euxton near junc 28 M6 so further north from Knowsley and he said he remembered there being reds on the estate probably 30 years ago.

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I travelled 140 mile round trip this week to five woods where I had topped up only two weeks ago ...think garden paint plastic tub full in each feeder. One was down to half and inch and I shot three off that, another was only about an inch down and I shot one there ....7 off it two weeks ago ..... the third I visited was also down to half inch and I shot one off that.  All topped up again for this coming week. A fourth flip top in a new wood was empty in two weeks, so topped it up again. I will not be shooting this for another two weeks but this week will see a dedicated IBC hide in place, in readiness. I would expect possibly double figures of the first visit there.   This is a 1800 acre estate on which I have free run to kill tre rats hroughout the year and also occasionally top up my freezer with muntie meat in exchange.   The keeper has noticed far less pheasant feeder damage in the last three years as a result.

I have six locations within 15 minutes drive of home and then another six locations with flip tops and numerous shooting spots on pheasant feeders on the estate.  I alternate between them.  Usually the feeder will tell me what is about along with the trail cams and as soon as evidence is show of new visitors I hit that feeder the next morning crack of dawn. My day to Lincolnshire starts at 4am and usually on a feeder at 5..30.   I have a couple of new sites lined up within 15 mins of home which should produce double figures on the first couple of visits.

I'm retired and can do it but fully appreciate some of you folk have to go to work as well.

 

8 minutes ago, Mice! said:

We're not talking about huge feeders here Nev, just adequate,  I don't consider a feeder that holds 7 or 8 kilograms as big, i just know it will last more than a week and so keep the squirrels coming.

Would you travel to a feeder that holds a kilo and you know is likely to have been empty for two or three days and getting shot every week?

I was talking to a horse trainer probably 2 years ago, at Euxton near junc 28 M6 so further north from Knowsley and he said he remembered there being reds on the estate probably 30 years ago.

 

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1 hour ago, Walker570 said:

I travelled 140 mile round trip this week to five woods where I had topped up only two weeks ago ...think garden paint plastic tub full in each feeder.

Outstanding, great commitment,  good sized feeders to last a week or so, just what's needed.

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9 hours ago, Walker570 said:

100% agree.  We do not have reds here in West Leicestershire but I spend on average 40hrs a week killing tree rats. Some of my areas are now so low in numbers I am lucky to shoot one on a visit and my feeders are hardly being used.  OK I am retired and have all the time in the world but I am sure if more field sports men and women dedicated just a small proportion of their free time to killing tree rats in their area, then at least in the countryside we would see a reduction in numbers.  Very little we can do about towns and cities. 

I have a 10 acre wood here at home which I consider tree rat free and any immigrants survive less than 48hrs. It takes dedication and building a trust with landowners/game keepers that your not marching about the place disturbing the area. All my tree rat culling is done over flip top feeders from a static location be it sitting in my Landie passenger seat or from a purpose built hide.  I'm 16 short of my promise to average one a day this year and that is due to this corvid deal. It can be done.   Keep whacking and stacking.

 

Your commitment to Tree Rat removal Nev is unquestionably outstanding. 
The spread of your influence on the grey population is amazing.

Wise words too, about building trust with landowners/gamekeepers and not marching about disturbing the area, you lead by example.

Unless you own the land where you shoot, we all need to remember that we are there at the invitation of those who control the land who are entitled to set out conditions which are to be respected and not balked at or ignored. Conditions might cover anything, like timings, methodology and quarry species to be dealt with and those which are off limits.

Yes, we can have dialogue and discuss alternatives, but the bottom line is it is your choice to either accept the conditions given for your use of the permission or gracefully move on, possibly keeping the door open for yourself in the future or others. Getting “pushy” or even abusive will only have a negative effect on your ability to gain permissions, because it is a small world out there.

If you constantly bang on about your dislike of the conditions which are set on a permission, or the people who set the conditions, don’t be surprised if you are asked to take your coat and close the door after you.

Each to their own, whatever works for you, works for you.
 

 

 

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Feeders come in all shapes and sizes and we see many examples of various feeders, hoppers etc., for Grey control.

My own preference is that it should be effective for bringing Squirrels down to a safe shooting position. Equally important in my opinion, particularly in areas where there are or there is a prospect of Red Squirrels being present is cleanliness and hygiene. We all know about or have heard about Squirrel Pox which Greys often carry and which is nearly always lethal to the Reds. Few have seen the effects of the pox on the Reds I have. That is why I am so passionate about removing the Greys and protecting the Reds.

Having heard Mice! and others talking about larger feeders and the need to keep them stocked for a week or so this lockdown period has given me the chance to build a larger feeder based upon my ordinary lift top feeder which has evolved over more than a decade of trial and sometimes error!

My normal feeder is based upon a 2lb jam jar set within a feeder with a metal lid and metal mesh bottom which is easily cleaned and stops crud collecting in the bottom.

I agree with Mice! that when there are multiple squirrels about these can be emptied in a couple of days but my experience is that if they are topped up regularly then the Squirrels will still come to check. Sometimes it can be a long wait.

This new model has a larger capacity and will take 3 litres of feed, peanuts or maize.

It is based upon the same feeder system of a lift lid, but the container for the feed is a 500mm length of 100mm UPVC with a 90 degree knuckle bend at the bottom. One of my grandsons has 3D printed a cap for the bottom end which retains the feed. I have cut the top off the knuckle bend which is accessed by the squirrel to gain the feed after lifting the Aluminium lift lid.

I have a new place to put it where the owner has reported seeing a couple of grey squirrels and also has Red Squirrels I will probably only be able to get there every 10 days so the bigger feeder may be more effective. 
 

Time will tell, but there is so much natural feed about and being used they have less interest in feeders at the present time.

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I've never targeted greys as such, just if I'm out on a wonder, if I see one, I'll do my best to drop it. But recently with work, seeing the damage they do to trees is probably the cause of about 25% of my work. At one of my farms, I've noticed a lot of damage to a row of oaks, im going to chuck the harness on and have a look up there. So my question is, ideally where is the best place to put a feeder, 4ft,6ft,8ft, at the top where ever? And how long should I leave it in situ before i case it out? 

2 minutes ago, Fisheruk said:

Some photos of the new feeder.

DF067-F18-6069-42-C0-BD82-F54-D4-F32-E3-
D04729-BA-A59-D-45-AD-8-BD9-9233-B6-FBE2
AB5-AD62-A-01-CB-496-E-9-B75-19-F7-A3-D6
11-E74-D95-9228-4432-B740-CA5-A6052-FDC4
58196-EA8-D0-F7-4391-AB1-C-56-A6-DFEC726
8-C53492-D-6-DC5-46-BA-A97-E-95-DB2-D14-
AF21-A4-B5-BC0-A-4-D4-B-89-EE-482090-E70
0-F44-B001-8325-48-A7-8-F8-B-04534-CB000
01-D64-B12-6303-4136-99-C9-FC774-F32-AC6
B32019-DD-9-E6-F-488-A-938-E-65436-A26-C
free image hosting

Thats ideal, if you don't mind I'll copy that? 

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11 hours ago, Mice! said:

We're not talking about huge feeders here Nev, just adequate,  I don't consider a feeder that holds 7 or 8 kilograms as big, i just know it will last more than a week and so keep the squirrels coming.

Would you travel to a feeder that holds a kilo and you know is likely to have been empty for two or three days and getting shot every week?

I was talking to a horse trainer probably 2 years ago, at Euxton near junc 28 M6 so further north from Knowsley and he said he remembered there being reds on the estate probably 30 years ago.

I remember reds in Duxbury woods, Chorley, about 30 years ago. That was before the golf course and the public access was much less than now. I do my bit with the s410 and would love to see reds back.

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2 hours ago, strimmer_13 said:

I've never targeted greys as such, just if I'm out on a wonder, if I see one, I'll do my best to drop it. But recently with work, seeing the damage they do to trees is probably the cause of about 25% of my work. At one of my farms, I've noticed a lot of damage to a row of oaks, im going to chuck the harness on and have a look up there. So my question is, ideally where is the best place to put a feeder, 4ft,6ft,8ft, at the top where ever? And how long should I leave it in situ before i case it out? 

Thats ideal, if you don't mind I'll copy that? 

If you can site it so that the platform upon which they sit is 5-6 feet off the ground on a tree trunk, it seems to work. Sometimes they find it and start using it within a day or so. You can start shooting it as soon as you see the feed going down. They very quickly learn to lift the lid to access the feed. The crown cap which I’ve inserted into the platform is for filling with a scrape of peanut butter, as an attractant. Using the lift lid stops you simply feeding the entire woodland bird population. No that I am against feeding birds, but I can’t afford to feed a woodland full, when my aim is grey control. The steel plate on the front is armouring to stop the high power air rifle or rimfire passing through and destroying the feeder.

You are welcome to copy or modify to suit your requirements

Edited by Fisheruk
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2 hours ago, Fisheruk said:

Some photos of the new feeder.

DF067-F18-6069-42-C0-BD82-F54-D4-F32-E3-
D04729-BA-A59-D-45-AD-8-BD9-9233-B6-FBE2
AB5-AD62-A-01-CB-496-E-9-B75-19-F7-A3-D6
11-E74-D95-9228-4432-B740-CA5-A6052-FDC4
58196-EA8-D0-F7-4391-AB1-C-56-A6-DFEC726
8-C53492-D-6-DC5-46-BA-A97-E-95-DB2-D14-
AF21-A4-B5-BC0-A-4-D4-B-89-EE-482090-E70
0-F44-B001-8325-48-A7-8-F8-B-04534-CB000
01-D64-B12-6303-4136-99-C9-FC774-F32-AC6
B32019-DD-9-E6-F-488-A-938-E-65436-A26-C
free image hosting

That bigger feeder looks very similar 😅😅 much like the one I was told I couldn't put up 😉

Having watched several hours of them lifting the lid I'd have made the bottom lid a touch longer, hopefully you won't have blank mornings turning up to empty feeders with that in place, if the feed is being eaten there should be squirrels near the feeder.

I went through my camera footage again last night again it was solid squirrels between 6am and 930, but still squirrels up till around 11:30 then around an hour squirrel free!! 12:40 they came again, a little quiet between 1700 & 1800 with the last squirrel at 19:52.

I had the picture setting on 8 megapixels for some reason so this used up the storage.

The camera is going out again this week, see what's visiting at what times.

2 hours ago, HIDENSEEK said:

I remember reds in Duxbury woods, Chorley, about 30 years ago. That was before the golf course and the public access was much less than now. I do my bit with the s410 and would love to see reds back.

Certainly a good few areas around Chorley that need some grey control,  such a shame that the reds were here and been forced out.

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34 minutes ago, Mice! said:

That bigger feeder looks very similar 😅😅 much like the one I was told I couldn't put up 😉.

It’s not going where you use to shoot, it is now even more restrictive there than when you and Mick C threw the towel in. 😳

The difference with this new one of mine is that you can take the pipe out and give it a good clean, to stop the spread of disease.
I talked to you about my thoughts before you moved on.

The sides are made from 18mm shuttering ply and the rest is off cuts from decking boards, of which I can get a good supply.

I can get eight feeders out of an 8x4 sheet of ply. B&Q will very obligingly,  cut it into 4 equal pieces foc which makes it quite manageable to get into my pickup. At £25 per sheet it doesn’t work out too expensive.

Edited by Fisheruk
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5 hours ago, Mice! said:

That bigger feeder looks very similar 😅😅 much like the one I was told I couldn't put up 😉

Having watched several hours of them lifting the lid I'd have made the bottom lid a touch longer, hopefully you won't have blank mornings turning up to empty feeders with that in place, if the feed is being eaten there should be squirrels near the feeder.

I went through my camera footage again last night again it was solid squirrels between 6am and 930, but still squirrels up till around 11:30 then around an hour squirrel free!! 12:40 they came again, a little quiet between 1700 & 1800 with the last squirrel at 19:52.

I had the picture setting on 8 megapixels for some reason so this used up the storage.

The camera is going out again this week, see what's visiting at what times.

Certainly a good few areas around Chorley that need some grey control,  such a shame that the reds were here and been forced out.

 

Interesting about the early morning feeding times. I usually see greys on my feeder from 06:00 onwards but that’s only because I get there at 05:45, they might be there earlier.

I am out tomorrow morning so I’ll let you know how I get on. 

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First one on the feeder at 05:55 which was a result as I only get set up at 5:45. Had another two between 07:10 and 08:45, I packed up and went home about 10:00. Finished the session with a coffee and a very nice Aldi 85% chocolate bar. 

My Bergara shooting chair bit me today and took a piece of flesh out of my thumb. Am I the only person to find these chairs comfortable to sit on but a complete nightmare to put up and pack away? 

87978CFF-EF86-43F8-B2F3-86131464BD2C.jpeg

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1 hour ago, hatter said:

First one on the feeder at 05:55 which was a result as I only get set up at 5:45. Had another two between 07:10 and 08:45, I packed up and went home about 10:00. Finished the session with a coffee and a very nice Aldi 85% chocolate bar. 

My Bergara shooting chair bit me today and took a piece of flesh out of my thumb. Am I the only person to find these chairs comfortable to sit on but a complete nightmare to put up and pack away? 

87978CFF-EF86-43F8-B2F3-86131464BD2C.jpeg

Nice session there, I'm sitting on rolled up foam, I haven't added a chair to the various things I'm carrying yet, I've tried a small stool before but wind up numb after a while😄

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32 minutes ago, Mice! said:

Nice session there, I'm sitting on rolled up foam, I haven't added a chair to the various things I'm carrying yet, I've tried a small stool before but wind up numb after a while😄

I normally sit on one of those bean bag seats not too bad but can get abit numb after a few hours 😂

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My long distance feeders are very similar but made in metal as the initial wooden ones soon got chewed to pieces. Nice to see some decking offcuts being used up.

This one just needed it's landing stage fitted.  I try to mount mine sideways to the shooting position as long as there is a safe back stop

003.jpg

Edited by Walker570
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1 hour ago, Walker570 said:

My long distance feeders are very similar but made in metal as the initial wooden ones soon got chewed to pieces. Nice to see some decking offcuts being used up.

This one just needed it's landing stage fitted.  I try to mount mine sideways to the shooting position as long as there is a safe back stop

003.jpg

Excellent, I see you are using what looks like piano hinge on the flap.

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