squirrel control

[Mice!]

So out this morning in the dark setting traps, just the two.  I'd drilled a walnut and wired it to the back of the cage so they'll have to really get in there and bounce around to get it, then added half a fat ball.

First squirrel arrived at 9am, which is why I've put traps out, and was in the  trap by ten.

Now another squirrel didn't show up for three hours and doesn't appear to go in the trap but something has been at the nut, I'm not fond of these traps, the mechanism is a little crude and it may have jammed ( it's not a Trap Man trap)

This squirrel hung around for a good while, with possibly another in the background so traps reset and we'll see what tomorrow brings.

Big female.

4 minutes ago, ratchers said:

Well was out this morning and it turned out be be a bit of squirrel surprise.

Was out at the sydicates wood and positioned myself behind a oak waiting for said greys as I had seen them in this vicinity before. About an hour had gone by with no squirrels but had I had got a pigeon when I heard claws on bark going very fast,looked around to see a squirrel running towards me and stopping in a holly bush four feet away! at the same time there was a whoosh and a buzzard landed on a branch ten feet away, scared the squirrel silly, it sat there barking quietly at the buzzard, now I think the buzzard had spotted the dead pigeon and was coming in for it when the squirrel bolted. I sat watching both for a good few minutes until the buzzard flapped off,minus any prey(think it must have seen me),the big brave squirrel then and came and sat on a branch at eye level still only four feet away, cos I hadn't moved, it hadn't seen me, when I did move, boy did that squirrel shift, might have got it with a 410 but only had my hw100.

That wasn't the end of the fun, I decided to go for a mooch round, there's a compound with mesh link fencing and as I was going up along one edge a grey popped up in front of me and went through the fence, it ran twenty yards across the corner to the other fence and tried to wriggle through, I thought my luck was in as it got stuck and as I was just about to get the gun up when it got through.

So although I never got any greys it was an eventful day which was great, topped off by seeing deer.

Sometimes it's just good to get out, I was hoping you were going to say the buzzard nailed the squirrel though 👍

[Sciurus]

An hour to catch a grey is pretty good going, particularly at this time of the year! Walnuts are great. 

Your trap looks identical to the ones I have, the quality is definitely getting worse. The door is now very thin metal and I can see the hinges are opening up on your photo, I have had to rivet them shut otherwise the door tends to fall off when triggered. - I have lost a few greys that way.

I also found the hanging bracket has to be vertical or pushed forward otherwise the trigger plate sticks, perhaps that’s what has happened to your 2nd squirrel?

Never mind, there is always tomorrow to get him because he will wonder where his missus has gone !

[Mice!]

23 minutes ago, Sciurus said:

also found the hanging bracket has to be vertical or pushed forward otherwise the trigger plate sticks, perhaps that’s what has happened to your 2nd squirrel?

I think that's what happened,  I was playing with it wondering why it hadn't closed, there certainly not the best quality wise that's for sure.

Watching the ten second videos you can see the squirrel go around the traps having a look, but I think it's set for every 5 or 10 minutes so possible it was in and out the first trap, interestingly the squirrel that comes later doesn't go into the other trap, I expected it to go in and come out.

But I expected two, see what tomorrow brings. 

[Martlandhw100]

I went and retrieved the memory card from the big wood camera and there has been grays using it finally so I will be going there at some point they have also eaten half a feeder in just under a week. Nice work Mice 

[Mice!]

8 minutes ago, Martlandhw100 said:

I went and retrieved the memory card from the big wood camera and there has been grays using it finally so I will be going there at some point they have also eaten half a feeder in just under a week. Nice work Mice 

Cheers.

Half the food or the feeder itself? My feeders are becoming more armoured as they get damaged. 

[Martlandhw100]

1 hour ago, Mice! said:

Cheers.

Half the food or the feeder itself? My feeders are becoming more armoured as they get damaged. 

They have had a little nibble at it but not much, the food it's self has gone down alot I got a shock when I opened the lid 

[Walker570]

Well, managed to get up and pick up a camera but the intervening fields where so wet I decided not to drive across to a second one becaue I would have made a mess.  Let it dry out a bit.  The one camera showed four tree rats and right at day break, so Friday morning I will be there. Rain tomorrow and shooting Thursday. Both flip tops at that farm had been used but not a lot. The flip tops at the other farm had not been touched by tree rats but the small birds had enjoyed a feast from the holes in the front.  Still tons of acorns about along with other seeds and berries and the trail cam shows them scavenging.

[Morkin]

Hello all got permission in another small wood last week ,farmer said 2 run past his office from this wood so made myself another feeder.this week mainly tin off cuts so we will see how that goes ,putting up this morning leave for few days ,I will report progress.

[Mice!]

Another day another squirrel @Sciurus it's a doddle this trapping 😆😆 I expected a Male but it was another female,  she must have gone straight into the trap between trigger times because the trap was open then shut.

Quite funny watching the mice going up the tree and through the traps during the night, I'm doubtful the mice can get in the feeder but I'm going to add some weight to the lid just in case.

No other squirrels showed on the camera today.

[Sciurus]

@Mice!, can I have first dibs on your BSA, Now that you have become a trapper!!! 😂

That male has got to be somewhere (unless you have already shot him!)

Mice are a darned nuisance in the traps, I once lined my bait containers with fine stainless steel mesh to stop them taking the bait, so they chewed the mesh to bits instead! Grrrrr

[Mice!]

29 minutes ago, Sciurus said:

Mice are a darned nuisance in the traps, I once lined my bait containers with fine stainless steel mesh to stop them taking the bait, so they chewed the mesh to bits instead! Grrrrr

That was why I drilled the walnuts and wired them to the cage, gave the nut a gentle tap to crack the shell hoping the squirrels would come in, but the mice couldn't take them.

I'm going to have a play with the mechanism on these traps,  they are crude but should work better.

[Sciurus]

As well as riveting the door hinges, I found  the setting rod is often roughly galvanised causing friction with the hanger, a gentle rub down easily sorts this. A bit of oil on the treadle hinge helps as well.

[Walker570]

1 hour ago, Mice! said:

Another day another squirrel @Sciurus it's a doddle this trapping 😆😆 I expected a Male but it was another female,  she must have gone straight into the trap between trigger times because the trap was open then shut.

Quite funny watching the mice going up the tree and through the traps during the night, I'm doubtful the mice can get in the feeder but I'm going to add some weight to the lid just in case.

No other squirrels showed on the camera today.

I have a picture somewhere of woodmice climbing into one of my flip tops and helping themselves. One picture showed a tail hanging out and another sitting below waiting it's turn. I don't worry as they eat very little and on one of the photos is a satisfgied looking brown owl sitting on the feeding tray.

[Mice!]

2 hours ago, Sciurus said:

As well as riveting the door hinges, I found  the setting rod is often roughly galvanised causing friction with the hanger, a gentle rub down easily sorts this. A bit of oil on the treadle hinge helps as well.

I think the fact the figure of 8 moves before the rod does means there is a chance it can jam up, I'll have a look over xmas.

1 hour ago, Walker570 said:

I have a picture somewhere of woodmice climbing into one of my flip tops and helping themselves. One picture showed a tail hanging out and another sitting below waiting it's turn. I don't worry as they eat very little and on one of the photos is a satisfgied looking brown owl sitting on the feeding tray.

I don't mind them helping themselves,  there is plenty scattered about, but I don't want the grain inside the feeder chewed up, I'm thinking it's the mice that are doing it?

[Mice!]

Two hours this morning,  I saw plenty of small birds,  the robins as usual were in the holly tree with me, Nuthatch's out number everything else but today met there match,  they normally attack anything else on the feeder but waited patiently while the woodpecker enjoyed his breakfast. 

Plucky the pheasant decoy came and went, wood pigeon did the same, there was some sort of dawn chorus around 9am when the sun came out, I think they were cheering,  followed by what seemed like alarm calls at 920, but other than a quick glimpse of a grey far off to my left nothing, this feeder on the edge of a BIG wood remains quiet, not much feed taken either.

[Walker570]

Stunning morning in South Lincolnshire though.  In fact a great day.

[Sciurus]

4 hours ago, Mice! said:

I think they were cheering,  followed by what seemed like alarm calls at 920, but other than a quick glimpse of a grey far off to my left nothing,

Ha!  Unknown to yourself, that was the precise time I was passing your wood this morning- The squirrels must have sensed it!

The low sun was very low, we were going for a walk from Ulverston, where there was a double rainbow over the Hoad, then it rained and the walk was a mud Fest!

Tomorrow, I must get back to some squirrelling, the forecast is poor, but I think I can manage an early morning ambush with the Daystate and a very gun shy grey in the local park.

 

Edited December 17, 2020 by Sciurus

[Mice!]

43 minutes ago, Sciurus said:

Ha!  Unknown to yourself, that was the precise time I was passing your wood this morning- The squirrels must have sensed it!

The low sun was very low, we were going for a walk from Ulverston, where there was a double rainbow over the Hoad, then it rained and the walk was a mud Fest!

Tomorrow, I must get back to some squirrelling, the forecast is poor, but I think I can manage an early morning ambush with the Daystate and a very gun shy grey in the local park.

 

Your right about the sun, it was terrible bouncing off the wet road going back, how nice a week without rain would be.

[Sciurus]

Well I got to the park by 8.10 am. It was miserable and still not properly light. More dog walkers than usual, mostly shouting at disobedient dogs. Not a good start.

I slipped into the copse and donned my camo veil and unslipped the air rifle. I soon spotted my nemesis in the fork of a tree with the pulsar, mounted the gun to look through the sights and it wandered off into the next tree. Up with thermal, spot it, up with the air rifle and it wanders off again. This game of hide and seek went on for a few minutes, then it obviously got bored and just disappeared. It’s done this to me before, it’s not frightened but it’s not stupid.

I think I will have to put up a feeder and hope it doesn’t get vandalised. Unfortunately a trap with a grey would soon be discovered. Grrrrr

 

[Mice!]

On 18/12/2020 at 09:40, Sciurus said:

Well I got to the park by 8.10 am. It was miserable and still not properly light. More dog walkers than usual, mostly shouting at disobedient dogs. Not a good start.

Woke up to a nice day here!! It must be out in the sun, You must have got it today? 

[Sciurus]

Overcast, Perfect day for a thermal here!! & no drizzle for a change.

[Mice!]

On 16/12/2020 at 18:27, Sciurus said:

As well as riveting the door hinges, I found  the setting rod is often roughly galvanised causing friction with the hanger, a gentle rub down easily sorts this. A bit of oil on the treadle hinge helps as well.

Sorted mate.

This is the Trap man cage, there is no figure 8, the rod for the treadle just has a neat bend and slides back and forwards. 

This is how the other trap was, the figure 8 twists slightly as you move the treadle possibly trapping the rod, especially if not exactly in the right place vertically. 

I've moved the figure of 8 so now it's not twisting,  gave the rods a rub down as well like you said. The rod just moves in the direction you want now, took longer to type this than sort them 

Edited December 19, 2020 by Mice!

[Walker570]

A VERY VERY VERY frustrating morning.  I had a couple on camera and therefor got into the hide just as the light was coming up. Loads of food, pheasant feeder and tipped corn and my flip top. Ten minutes later one comes along the fence at a pace and carries on out of sight. 20 mins later another comes in from my right and makes no attempt to feed just passes straight through without stopping.  30 mins later another comes back along the fence at speed and vanishes into the bushes.  Another comes down the ash tree by my flip top and runs straight at me, thought it was coming in the hide and vanished somewhere behind.   This went on for over two hours and I then threw in the towel and cleared off home for a hot coffee and bacon muffin.   They are showing no sign of feeding and don't appear to be scenting.  As said very frustrating.   I am going to deploy my decoy to see if they just stop enough for a shot. Have not got the tail wagging yet but just static it is worth a try.  Heavy rain tomorrow but a nice sunny day to follow.

[Mice!]

5 hours ago, Walker570 said:

Have not got the tail wagging yet but just static it is worth a try. 

Length of fishing line and elastic?

Your not alone mate, I was happy seeing frost this morning,  my first thought was that should get them on the feeders.

[Walker570]

10 hours ago, Mice! said:

Length of fishing line and elastic?

Your not alone mate, I was happy seeing frost this morning,  my first thought was that should get them on the feeders.

It's that darn tick tock thing on the wall. I just have not had time to get it sorted.  Got a remote and it didn't work so now looking to have a direct line from my hide but have to get to my electrical supplier for some uitable cable. Needs to be thin because I intend running it on an old salmon reel for convenience.  I will take it out this week sometime anyway and see if there is any reacion.  They are just zooming through and not pausing even.  Chesh who logs his kills on here is having the same situation.They are just not hungry...for food anyway....may be sex.