squirrel control

[old man]

A strange day today, out early for me at 7 am. 6 down by 8.40 then lots of kits and adults skitting around for hours so impossible to get on? More for another day?

[Mice!]

3 hours ago, old man said:

A strange day today, out early for me at 7 am. 6 down by 8.40 then lots of kits and adults skitting around for hours so impossible to get on? More for another day?

Always next time, they have to get lucky every time 👍

[Walker570]

4 hours ago, old man said:

A strange day today, out early for me at 7 am. 6 down by 8.40 then lots of kits and adults skitting around for hours so impossible to get on? More for another day?

Good going all the same.

[Mice!]

Monday was Car loaded, 18kg of feed mixed, zero checked.

Wasn't feeling it today for some reason, probably a bit rushed, I prefer shooting at red targets so you can see the impact point, on 9/10 mag your almost shooting blind ish, but it'll do for me.

Six feeders to check, reposition the camera, hope the weather plays nice, oh and do some work 

Let's see how it goes😁

So out I went this morning, first feeder is nice and easy to get to, spent at least ten minutes stalking what I was sure was a deer, but the heat source was strange, it had rained on and off through the night so the ground was quiet and soft instead of dry and crunchy.
It turned out to be a fawn lay between thin trees behind a boulder, I think I was picking up heat from its head and body with the trees breaking things up, the doe and buck were not happy, he barked and barked at me looking magnificent about 60 yards away up the hill, good job for him I'm stalking squirrels with an air rifle.
The mice and voles are busy under the feeder clearing away any scraps with two clear paths through the ground cover so something is certainly coming and going regularly.

On then to the camera, in a week it had only been triggered 5 times, two greys at one point, a great tit literally at the camera lenses and possibly a couple of branches blowing, unfortunately no red squirrel, so it may well have just been passing by as I think the greys were.

On then up the hill scanning as I go, the interesting thing is the doormouse boxes, they more or less all have birds in them, and any being used glow up so it shows how much warmer a snug bird box is compared to a nest in a tree or bush.

Arrived at the top and I've still not seen a squirrel? Gave it twenty minutes, no birds at the feeder, no fat balls or suet, so I think it must be empty again, break cover to top it up and take a look, but it's not empty just a couple of inches left, topped upto the brim then settled back down again.

Had a crow swoop in for the spillage, I'm always surprised the pigeons don't bother with it, the crow strutted around looking huge with the cross hairs on his head, but like the roe buck he's quite safe from me up here.

It was a cool morning raining a bit so I'd decided to give it till 9am at least when finally a squirrel appeared, it never looked at the feeder but was just a youngster, it scampered about disappeared then appeared again on the log, never kept still, I tried a little whistle and squeak but it just kept moving, it paused briefly about 2mtrs away from me  turned away and went back up a yew and away, no hurry no panic, no shot.

Gave it another 15 mins but nothing, so enough is enough, camera up to see when the squirrels are actually turning up, the birds had started showing up so its possible the wood was having a lazy morning, the plan is look at the camera tomorrow afternoon hoping to shoot Thursday morning but that feeder might still get moved if the camera doesn't show much, I'm just expecting two massively fat squirrels to be lay in the feeder loving the fine dinning.

Great to be out, but it was a blank.

[old man]

On 19/05/2021 at 22:18, Walker570 said:

Good going all the same.

👍 cheers.

Another strange one today, a nice 7 am start, bright and warm then a wind change. It went round to the north, the temperature dropped, cloud came and my view of the feeder dimmed with the much increased leaf cover and cloud. Haven't found another viable location so tough.

I wonder if they get lamp shy?

None of this affected the tree rats behaviour thankfully so 5 fell to the S200 and AA fields within 4 hours. Still more about including a few very lively kitts. 

[Walker570]

Been tied up with work here at home as every spring time with 12 1/2 acres to maintain but now on top of it and hopefully back at 'em tomorrow morning.  Word has it that they are showing again so might sort a few in the morning and hopefully this weekend will open up a new area where I know they are almost shoulder to shoulder.

[Mice!]

So normal service today,  decided to pop the strip wood again, nothing set ready but I was there by half 6, pretty quiet in the wood and the feed was half way down so settled in and waited.

View of the feeder with Mr P strutting his stuff, the hen didn't show today.

A squirrel appeared above me after a while and started barking like mad, do both males and females do this? It finally moved along off to my front right then came in along the ground,  messed with bits on the ground before settling,  Pfft whack flop. 

Good sized mature female taken slightly off square,  in between the eyes and out under the ear.

Shortly afterwards I had another youngster come right up to me again from a blind spot in front, looked at me then wandered away??

All quiet after that so I had a quick look around and disturbed this fella, he wasn't happy,  just glad it wasn't early with the noise he made 

Off then to check the golf course feeder,  wasn't hopeful and I didn't plan on hanging around. 

Something has made a mess, but at least they are on it at long last.

I don't mind the spillage when it feeds the birds, plus I know its getting used, camera might be a bit iffy here.

There weren't any leaves on this beech last week but the branch has bowed completely blocking my view which is not good.

I didn't make it out this afternoon so I'll just have to chance a walk up the hill tomorrow,  see what's happened on the camera. 

@bruno22rf hope your well as can be fella and like the pictures. 

[7daysinaweek]

Very enjoyable read K. One thing is for certain, no one can question your unwavering approach when grey squizzers are concerned. 👍

[Mice!]

14 minutes ago, 7daysinaweek said:

Very enjoyable read K. One thing is for certain, no one can question your unwavering approach when grey squizzers are concerned. 👍

Cheers mate, shooting them seems to make them harder to come by 😁 30 now off the GC this year, but I know there are still others around,  I have some cunning plans to make the feeders bigger though, think that's what's needed up on the hill.

[7daysinaweek]

👍

[bruno22rf]

Always great to see your pics Mice!, waiting on heart scan results (5 hours and given a drug that makes you feel like you are walking up a steep hill 🤕), our perm has now finished feeding the hoppers so that's it till September time. After all the hassle and uncertainty of the police informing us that we no longer need to inform them when we are shooting, the new FEO has decided that we must now get an incident report number so that's going to be fun.....not.

[old man]

8 hours ago, bruno22rf said:

Always great to see your pics Mice!, waiting on heart scan results (5 hours and given a drug that makes you feel like you are walking up a steep hill 🤕), our perm has now finished feeding the hoppers so that's it till September time. After all the hassle and uncertainty of the police informing us that we no longer need to inform them when we are shooting, the new FEO has decided that we must now get an incident report number so that's going to be fun.....not.

Is it worth an email to the licensing manager specifically. He may not know of the change of direction?

[Mice!]

9 hours ago, bruno22rf said:

Always great to see your pics Mice!, waiting on heart scan results (5 hours and given a drug that makes you feel like you are walking up a steep hill 🤕), our perm has now finished feeding the hoppers so that's it till September time. After all the hassle and uncertainty of the police informing us that we no longer need to inform them when we are shooting, the new FEO has decided that we must now get an incident report number so that's going to be fun.....not.

Hope it's good news, as for the incident number,  I'd ring the night before at a quiet time, I used to ring about 4am if I was on nights and that was fine, otherwise it's just pot luck

[Walker570]

10 hours ago, bruno22rf said:

Always great to see your pics Mice!, waiting on heart scan results (5 hours and given a drug that makes you feel like you are walking up a steep hill 🤕), our perm has now finished feeding the hoppers so that's it till September time. After all the hassle and uncertainty of the police informing us that we no longer need to inform them when we are shooting, the new FEO has decided that we must now get an incident report number so that's going to be fun.....not.

Do you also call them to tell them you area bout to drive your car?  More people die from car accidents every year than from firearms incidents in this country.  There is no way I about to call the police control room every time I decide to go shooting. They should have more important thigs to deal with.

[Mice!]

17 minutes ago, Walker570 said:

Do you also call them to tell them you area bout to drive your car?  More people die from car accidents every year than from firearms incidents in this country.  There is no way I about to call the police control room every time I decide to go shooting. They should have more important thigs to deal with.

It was a condition of the permission where we were, so it was call or don't go, simple.  Nothing to do with the police,  down to the management. 

17 minutes ago, Walker570 said:

Do you also call them to tell them you area bout to drive your car?  More people die from car accidents every year than from firearms incidents in this country.  There is no way I about to call the police control room every time I decide to go shooting. They should have more important thigs to deal with.

It was a condition of the permission where we were, so it was call or don't go, simple.  Nothing to do with the police,  down to the management. 

[bruno22rf]

1 hour ago, Walker570 said:

Do you also call them to tell them you area bout to drive your car?  More people die from car accidents every year than from firearms incidents in this country.  There is no way I about to call the police control room every time I decide to go shooting. They should have more important thigs to deal with.

I'm in the same boat as you Sir, but we have to sign an agreement to inform the police because we shoot in very public areas i.e. public parks, it's also kinda worth it for 5k acres of shooting and all the hard work being done for you ( i.e. filling the hoppers and being told by txt which ones are busiest), the police informed us last year that we no longer needed to call them, now they have changed their minds, if it were down to me I would gladly tell them where to shove it, but the decision is out of my hands. 

[Walker570]

In those circumstances then I agree it has to be done. I once was asked to cull some foxes in a VERY interesting place in a City Centre. It would have been stupid not to notify the Control Room, but to have to notify just if I go to any of the areas I shoot now is stupid, time wasting rubbish. 

[Sciurus]

I agree with Walker. In normal circumstances I think ringing the police before hand is setting a dangerous precedent that could then be considered the norm in the future. 

Nearly all my permissions are owned by public bodies and open to the public, so I carry laminated copies of the agreements in the car and have the contact number on speed dial - just in case....

I do get challenged by the odd early morning dog walker, but I just give them one of our Red Squirrel Leaflets and that seems to surprise them and stops any aggro. (I think they are frightened I might ask for a donation!)😂

[Mice!]

I've typed most of this and had it vanish, not for the first time due my great tin ter net.

Out again this morning and in the woods by 645 to be greeted by two squirrels on the feeder at the bottom,  so make my way in and settle to wait for them to return.

Whilst waiting this was my view.

I sat and watched the mice at my feet, the voles under the feeder and the birds flitting a out, might not seem important but a thrush hopped past me, I haven't seen any in the wood before I don't think so that's a good result. 

After an hour I see movement about 50mtrs away in the big oak, they often appear from here, I watched it zig zag it's way towards the feeder,  it's great seeing them come in like this, your totally ready and waiting. 

It messed around stopping a few times then under the feeder before climbing up and sitting nicely,  Pfft whack flop. Pregnant female full of ticks.

I waited about 20 minutes but saw nothing else,  I went over to the big oak to look into the wood through the deer fence, there are often squirrels there but I can't get to them, and there are two playing,  no make it 4, and there coming my way!!

I ducked back, the bracken means anything on the deck is obscured,  two went past along the floor and two were above me,  but one stopped,  Pfft crack and down he fell, big buck. No ticks.

Off then up the hill, birds galore,  including what I still hope are Willow tits trying to get there young out of the nest, I'll know for sure later.

Sat at the feeder up the hill, watching the birds, no squirrels,  I was thinking well at least I'll have good shots of the woodpecker on camera?

Then the buzzard landed above me,  not for the first time which isn't going to help, I gave it up after 30 minutes,  went to check the feeder and camera,  feed not down much, just one squirrel on camera but it had stopped recording,  think the sim is full because I hadn't cleared it or the batteries are low DOH!

So back down the hill and had a sneaky peek from a different point and there is another squirrel at the feeder, gun out, line up Pfft and caught a twig!!

Squirrel moved away but came back, go again,  Pfft missed!! I didn't hold under for shooting down!!!

Very lucky squirrel,  I'll get it next time.

13 minutes ago, Sciurus said:

think they are frightened I might ask for a donation!)😂

Love it, check your WhatsApp 😉

[old man]

Just 1 old boar today. The feeders were nearly emptied in 2 days. Was teased for 2 1/2. hours by the antics of a kitt on steroids. Impossible to get on but will meet another day.

[Fisheruk]

Well the squirrels keep coming to the feeders in this wood. Another young one this morning. I have put a larger feeder up and will move the smaller one around to see where else is favoured.

 

[Sciurus]

I haven’t been able to get out much last month (too many other hobbies).

I went out yesterday to top up a feeder and found some ******* had pinched it. Grrrr....! The odd thing is it is in a quiet wood that the public don’t enter.

Up at six today, to go to a nearby Estate. Although the Property is still not open to visitors, the public are still allowed to enter the grounds so we had to have an early start.

As soon as we entered the Arboretum, a grey ran up a yew and disappeared into a larch birch tree, I had to detour round a fallen tree and lost sight of it. Scouting around looking for it, I spotted a young grey run along a branch in a different tree, Pop went the Hushpower and down it came. Immediately its sibling appeared from nowhere and ran along the same branch, Pop again and down it came. Two in two minutes!

We continued to look for the ordinal squirrel but it was long gone and the thermals were not much use.

50 yards further on, there was a branch bouncing suspiciously and another grey came into view. Every time it stopped and I raised my gun, it would disappear and appear somewhere else. Eventually it ran along an upper branch, Pop and an adult male now  came down. Blimey, in 10 minutes and 3 shots I had 3 greys on the deck. Happy Days. My pal hadn’t even lifted his 20 bore.

As usual, the day went downhill from then on. We did two more woods along the shore, the Lake was like a mirror, the sun was out and unfortunately so were the public.

We were able to hide from most of them, but were surprised by a few startled joggers. Finally, We ended up in a small wood on a peninsula but unfortunately the peace and quiet was suddenly spoilt by loud Rap music, there was a couple of pretend gangsters doing ‘donuts’ in a speedboat 30 yds off shore and it wasn’t even 8.30 am. Time to go....

I am still shooting with a comb raiser made of a piece of foam held on with duct tape and I am so impressed with the difference it has made to my shooting. So this afternoon, I spent a pleasant hour with a hacksaw and Stanley knife altering the cast and angle of butt and comb of the Mossberg. Looking forward to trying it out.

"

 

 

 

 

 

[Mice!]

5 hours ago, Sciurus said:

went out yesterday to top up a feeder and found some ******* had pinched it. Grrrr....! The odd thing is it is in a quiet wood that the public don’t enter.

Sounds very strange mate, wonder if it had been pulled down and dumped somewhere?

Nice going with the three quick shots though.

[Sciurus]

It was only a small flip top, made with plastic soil pipe. I suspect it might be an employee or volunteer. Not all them like the idea of grey control. 

Its only happened to me once before and that was by an owner of a holiday cottage. They  only visited their cottage once or twice a year and regarded the Council owned wood as their own private nature reserve. We were shooting the weekend he was staying and the  Bar steward had the cheek to order us out of the wood.  A red squirrel leaflet soon got rid of him, but the feeder was trashed the next day.

I now take the precaution of checking the heat from his chimney with the thermal before shooting near the house. Thermals are very versatile!

Yesterdays shooting pal told me he had caught two different polecats the week before. One stunk the trap out but the next day he still caught a grey. You would have thought the smell of a predator would have frightened the grey off.

[Mice!]

My morning went like this..

The first took 35 minutes to arrive once I was set up, then took an age to settle,  it was feeding head down but just eating bits, it finally sat up nice.

Number two, ten minutes later went straight up onto the feeder, lifted the lid a sat up nice.

Number three, 30 ish minutes later came the same way as 1&2 along the ground but was cautious, messed with bits of food on the ground then hopped up to the feeder and sat up nice.

Number four came down a tree maybe ten metres in front of me, I was about to pack up, didn't move a muscle,  it had a good sniff of #3 before mooching around,  I took the shot on the ground but it moved and I missed!! But it wasn't alarmed,  just turned in a circle and hopped up onto the feeder before,  you guessed it sitting up nice. That tells me the gun is quiet.

I was about to pack up again but had a look about first and coming through the trees high up behind my left shoulder was number five, not sure if it clocked me, it messed around some through the trees before disappearing. 

I was still looking around high up when I look down and there is a squirrel on the deck, I'm guessing it was the same squirrel and had come in on the ground from the right.

It was back and forth scratching about in the leaves and I didn't expect it to go to the feeder but it did, Pfft whack crack, all five squirrels were in exactly the same place sat on the feeder, all five nose dived off the feeder, flipped about before stopping after maybe 3 seconds,  nothing for a few weeks then five show up, I'm wondering if it being cooler where I am helped this week?

2 mature males 3 females no kits.

With the exception of a magpie which tempted me the only birds at the feeder this morning were Nuthatch's,  two hours straight Nuthatch after Nuthatch, pigeons above me and a Tawny owl calling all morning. 

It's a good job I moved that branch 😄