squirrel control

[sam triple]

2 hours ago, Walker570 said:

They are on the buzz at the moment and the last half dozen I have had I had to take body shots but fortunately at 10-15yrds so job done.  They just wouldnot pause forlong enough to be certain of a head shot.  A couple of weeks and they will be back to looking for food and any of you who have access to game shoots then they will be hitting the pheasant feeders.  How close can we get to 4000 before Jan 1st ???????????????

The wood where I shoot them is also home to our release pen there’s feeders all over tbh they’ve never been off of them it slowed for a while but judging by the other evening it’s hotting up again new feeder will go up next weekend 

[old man]

On 08/09/2021 at 18:08, Walker570 said:

Forest Ranger just returned to base with report that two more seen in our wood. Our neighbours must have had one hell of a breeding year so far and I have killed over a dozen on the other side of the village. I hate to think just how many are on the top of this hill.  They do not live long if they venture on to this patch.  That is 16 in 8 days in 10 acres.

👍

Sorry Sir but you are not getting my tree rats.

om

Edited September 9, 2021 by old man

[Walker570]

Keep Whacking and Stacking OM.   I am making enquiries about the wood overhanging the Austrey side. The owner is now in New Zealand. Must be a bunch in there.

[Fisheruk]

10 hours ago, Mice! said:

Normal service has resumed. 

Ok it's a different area but two shot with a third in a tree somewhere barking. 

It had forecast rain and was really muggy so I wanted a short walk, so strip wood it was. It was nearly 7am before it was light enough to see what was what.

The funny thing is this feeder only has cheap B&M bird seed in it, but I'd added some good stuff to the log of doom.

That only makes 13 from here but its gently ticking over.

Well done!

[sam triple]

After some advice from Mice , the new improved version 

[Mice!]

1 hour ago, sam triple said:

After some advice from Mice , the new improved version 

Looks good, I might have gone a bit wider, but it just needs to keep the rain off, and maybe the pheasants in your case 👍

[sam triple]

1 hour ago, Mice! said:

Looks good, I might have gone a bit wider, but it just needs to keep the rain off, and maybe the pheasants in your case 👍

Cheers tbh never seen a pheasant or partridge feeding off of it seen them mopping up spilt food often enough plus a fox 

[Walker570]

Up at 5am and in the golf club all set up at 6am.  I love this time of day when some residents are going to bed and others waking up.  A few woodmice scurrying home but brown owl was too busy whooing and haaaing to spot them.   A wood pigeon wich seemed almost touchable above me flapped and re positioned itself ready for day break.  The first tree rat jumped across to the feed table at 07.15 and a few seconds later fell off not feeling too well.  These new pack of FX 177s seem to do the job and don't stick in the magazine. The 5th came just as I was going to pull the plug at 07.50.

I packed everyhting in the Landy and checked the feeder. It had not been hit hard. Scraped a handful out for the little birds and some on the deck for the woodmice which would no doubt finish as breakfast for the brown owl ....do they have breakfast at dusk when they get on the move?

Went across to the second feeder which had not been used much last visit. A tree rat ran for cover off the 17th green as I approached and on entering the tunnel of trees which the access runs through they burst in all directions from on and around the flip top and then as I went to top that up another leapt out of the feeder wanging the lid back with a clang.

Topped that up and sprinkled a bit below and on the feed tray.  I will be there crack of dawn Monday morning.

It seems that all of those I saw before along the 18th fairway and house fronts had found my flip top as there wasn't a sign where a few days ago it was heaving with them.

Tidy little spot and I can just sit comfy in the passenger seat of the Landie which now has it's new Terrafirma shockers on the back and is back in full health.    Wellllllll   as healthy as any 32 year old  300,000 Landie can be. Got that in before a Landy hater helped themselves.

[TIGHTCHOKE]

My you're waxing lyrical today Nev!  

[Fisheruk]

Exciting times, when you get a new patc full of the greys, you’ll be breaking records!

[old man]

21 hours ago, Walker570 said:

Keep Whacking and Stacking OM.   I am making enquiries about the wood overhanging the Austrey side. The owner is now in New Zealand. Must be a bunch in there.

Just trying to catch you up for numbers.

Plenty of woodland around for you to you investigate?

[Walker570]

8 minutes ago, old man said:

Just trying to catch you up for numbers.

Plenty of woodland around for you to you investigate?

Got enough trouble controlling the #####y things in my own wood to be honest. Another bunch moved in today so out early tomorrow to try and sort them.  At the moment they will just not sit still so maybe the fourten in the A>M>

[old man]

5 minutes ago, Walker570 said:

Got enough trouble controlling the #####y things in my own wood to be honest. Another bunch moved in today so out early tomorrow to try and sort them.  At the moment they will just not sit still so maybe the fourten in the A>M>

Possibly kitts then?

[Walker570]

No , mixed bunch but hitting what few walnuts we have this year. Stripped the smaller tree and doing their best on the main tree. Problem is, they don't just go up and take one then go and bury it ....we have about 18 walnut trees growing around the wood wild planted.... but they bite of as many as they can which drop to the floor. I pick up every one I see but I don't think they will mature. Had a tree rat this afternoon came screaming across with walnut in mouth and at full speed went the full length of the top of the wood and I would have been pushed to shoot it with a shotgun.

I will be lurking in the a.m.

[Mice!]

34 minutes ago, Walker570 said:

No , mixed bunch but hitting what few walnuts we have this year. Stripped the smaller tree and doing their best on the main tree. Problem is, they don't just go up and take one then go and bury it ....we have about 18 walnut trees growing around the wood wild planted.... but they bite of as many as they can which drop to the floor. I pick up every one I see but I don't think they will mature. Had a tree rat this afternoon came screaming across with walnut in mouth and at full speed went the full length of the top of the wood and I would have been pushed to shoot it with a shotgun.

I will be lurking in the a.m.

Definitely sounds like you need to patrol with the .410

Walnuts must draw them from miles around?

[amateur]

I had an interesting one today.

I caught a young male in the garden live trap, but was alerted to its presence by it being attacked by a magpie. 

[Mice!]

So I didn't go out this morning, it was a wet dark morning and raining even though it wasn't forecast so it was off to bed for an early night.

Well it was like waking up on a different day this afternoon, so once I'd pulled my finger out I decided to go top up the feeders.

I arrived and practically had a conversation with myself, take the gun or not? If I don't then I'll be quicker, probably get both feeders done in an hour, but if I don't take the gun then what's the bets that there will be squirrels sat around barking at me??

So I took the gun, the first feeder was almost empty, this holds probably 8kg easy, I'll be honest I was surprised at this but the squirrels are obviously still coming for the feed mix.

I topped up and had a look around, something caught my eye in the thermal but was gone, it could have been a weasel or small squirrel.
Heading back for the path and I had a scan of the big Yew tree, and something is glowing.

So gun out, take a look and it's a squirrel, I load a mag and wait, it's a fair distance and oblivious to me, I moved forward to lean on an oak and waited, then changed sides of the tree because of the angle of the sun, then knelt down to clear some leaves from my view.

I probably waited ten minutes, watching on and off through the scope or thermal as it moved around eating berries, nearly always keeping its head out of view, happy it seemed upside down swinging about, all of a sudden it sat the right way up, facing me with a clear shot.

It was perfectly relaxed and as the pellet hit just tumbled out the tree.

No drama, just dead beneath the tree.

Don't forget I'm shooting from below so the pellet will have taken a perfect line.

It was one of those shots that just makes you smile, I'd checked my zero the day before, two quick shots taken off the garden table at 22mtrs, both shots were touching the bull on the 5/6 not great for paper punching, but two shots on target then the gun went away.

That's what I'm liking about this R10, Simmons scope and the JSB heavies, they just work, nothing fancy but the first pellet hits home each time, absolute confidence in my gear.

I then headed back to the car, dropped the young female squirrel and refilled my feed bag, heading back off up the hill.

As I got near the feeder I started seeing squirrels in the oaks, but they were high up and busy, I obviously tried to get a line on them but had no joy, I haven't been to these feeders for two week so I was surprised when a squirrel came out from behind the feeder tree and shot off, then another started calling from behind me, I tried to get a shot but it was behind some twigs, another appeared but it was a long shot, I wasn't quite settled and the squirrel was wary so I didn't take it.

I turned back and walked toward the feeder for another squirrel to pop up! This one wasn't as clever as the last, it went up but came over the top of me and stopped for a look, it won't make that mistake again.

A mature male. 

The strange thing was the feeders, one was just about empty the other was untouched, I'd filled these with cheap B&M bird seed, its obviously kept the squirrels interested but they haven't hammered them both.
I topped up with good stuff and I'll be back probably Thursday morning.

So it took me two hours to fill up, because I took the gun, but I managed two squirrels.
And I was only nearly late for work, shooting in the evening is dangerous 

It was a nice evening though, the pictures don't do it justice. 

 

[ratchers]

Out this morning and was expecting sunshine as per forecast but no, really foggy. Never mind I thought I'm going higher up so the sun will be shining there, nope still foggy but see two greys right away on the beech mast but they see me and are off. Check one of the two feeders on this perm and its empty, so I top it up in readiness. I walk round to the other side of the big house and theres a squirrel dancing about on the lawn, could be one of the same ones from earlier, anyway it goes up a tree so I top the feeder up on this side and settle in. Half an hour later, she takes her last peanut, no sign of the other so off I goes to the second permission, this has a wheat feeder and its empty again but the sun is out and warm. Sitting quietly in the hide and look up and theres a deer no more than 20 feet away probably attracted to the split wheat, I watch it for 5 minutes and manage to get a pic. The buzzard screeches overhead a few times but eventually a grey ambles past me no more than 5 feet away and makes its way on to the feeder where a jsb lands on target.

So two squirrels and get to see a deer, what a great day, and the sun was shining.

[sam triple]

Took a trip up to the wood this morning after a week of leaving it alone sat there for 2 hours nothing showed heard a few bark elsewhere but feeder had hardly been touched? A bit puzzling all crops have been harvested unless they’re on the beech masts , new feeder going up elsewhere on Saturday 

[Walker570]

Well not many have shot two squirrels in two locations 70 miles apart on the same day. Done it today but admit one was sat waiting in a live catch cage.  Left home at 5am and arrived over at the estate in Lincolnshire at 6.30 on the dot. Got sat up in the passenger seat of the Landy set at an angle on the feed ride to the release pen and poured myself a mug of coffee.

At exactly 07.15 No1 appears and starts to feed from the tray feeder. I was using my Browning 22RF so did not go for a head shot. Soon as I could see a good sideways on the chest area. I eased the trigger off. Whock!!   No 1.

Almost and hour later and numerous caramel biscuits and three more mugs of coffee and No2 came out and cautiously looked at it's pal, only to join him on the deck. The  apart from numerous pheasants, one mad rabbit and the Game Keeper nothing else happend. I drove across the estate and on every track squirrels ran ahead but non where feeding  anywhere. My Forest Ranger rang to say we had one in a live catch in our wood.   At 13.00 I decided nothing was going to happen in Lincolnshire until all the outlyin pheasant feeders had been filled so i drove back home and straight down into our wood.  Snook into the cabin overlooking the trap, could see said trapped squirrel and gave it ten minutes to see if a mate turned up as one had been reported.  No, nothing moved , so shot the trapped big old momma and left her out for the night crew and moved up to another cabin overlooking the walnut tree and con nut tree where there had been activity reported that morning.   BONK!!!!!!!!!!!!  something the size of a golf ball hit the roof.  and I was just thinking that sounded like a walnut being dropped when a scratching and sound of feet on the roof had me rigid.  This went on for about 15 mins and then it all went quiet. Now the poplar trees run across from this cabin and the first one is just as small step for a tree rat.

I scanned both infront and behind and was about to pack up when aid tree rat appeared from my right, 20yrds away. It paused long enough to receive a lump of lead from my Browning but just to show how tough these little brute sre it bounced and ran 20yrds before expiring. Another big fat momma squirrel.   So that was two in Lincolnshire and two in West leicestershire on the same day.   That is 21 in 15 days out of a small ten acre wood we normally consider squirrel free.

I am sure there will be more sneeking in.  The problem is we have such a host of goodies for them. 

[old man]

A lovely day after clearing the car windows. Sat at 07.30 a few went somewhere without pausing, 2 carrying something walnut sized. 1

0.00 finally, one appeared from nowhere behind the feeder tree pausing to look my way, big mistake, AA to the forehead.

A big fat lactating sow. Nothing more seen, left at 12.15.

[Mice!]

4 hours ago, ratchers said:

Out this morning and was expecting sunshine as per forecast but no, really foggy. Never mind I thought I'm going higher up so the sun will be shining there, nope still foggy but see two greys right away on the beech mast but they see me and are off. Check one of the two feeders on this perm and its empty, so I top it up in readiness. I walk round to the other side of the big house and theres a squirrel dancing about on the lawn, could be one of the same ones from earlier, anyway it goes up a tree so I top the feeder up on this side and settle in. Half an hour later, she takes her last peanut, no sign of the other so off I goes to the second permission, this has a wheat feeder and its empty again but the sun is out and warm. Sitting quietly in the hide and look up and theres a deer no more than 20 feet away probably attracted to the split wheat, I watch it for 5 minutes and manage to get a pic. The buzzard screeches overhead a few times but eventually a grey ambles past me no more than 5 feet away and makes its way on to the feeder where a jsb lands on target.

So two squirrels and get to see a deer, what a great day, and the sun was shining.

Brilliant. 

1 hour ago, Walker570 said:

Well not many have shot two squirrels in two locations 70 miles apart on the same day. Done it today but admit one was sat waiting in a live catch cage.  Left home at 5am and arrived over at the estate in Lincolnshire at 6.30 on the dot. Got sat up in the passenger seat of the Landy set at an angle on the feed ride to the release pen and poured myself a mug of coffee.

At exactly 07.15 No1 appears and starts to feed from the tray feeder. I was using my Browning 22RF so did not go for a head shot. Soon as I could see a good sideways on the chest area. I eased the trigger off. Whock!!   No 1.

Almost and hour later and numerous caramel biscuits and three more mugs of coffee and No2 came out and cautiously looked at it's pal, only to join him on the deck. The  apart from numerous pheasants, one mad rabbit and the Game Keeper nothing else happend. I drove across the estate and on every track squirrels ran ahead but non where feeding  anywhere. My Forest Ranger rang to say we had one in a live catch in our wood.   At 13.00 I decided nothing was going to happen in Lincolnshire until all the outlyin pheasant feeders had been filled so i drove back home and straight down into our wood.  Snook into the cabin overlooking the trap, could see said trapped squirrel and gave it ten minutes to see if a mate turned up as one had been reported.  No, nothing moved , so shot the trapped big old momma and left her out for the night crew and moved up to another cabin overlooking the walnut tree and con nut tree where there had been activity reported that morning.   BONK!!!!!!!!!!!!  something the size of a golf ball hit the roof.  and I was just thinking that sounded like a walnut being dropped when a scratching and sound of feet on the roof had me rigid.  This went on for about 15 mins and then it all went quiet. Now the poplar trees run across from this cabin and the first one is just as small step for a tree rat.

I scanned both infront and behind and was about to pack up when aid tree rat appeared from my right, 20yrds away. It paused long enough to receive a lump of lead from my Browning but just to show how tough these little brute sre it bounced and ran 20yrds before expiring. Another big fat momma squirrel.   So that was two in Lincolnshire and two in West leicestershire on the same day.   That is 21 in 15 days out of a small ten acre wood we normally consider squirrel free.

I am sure there will be more sneeking in.  The problem is we have such a host of goodies for them. 

Busy day with great results, the walnuts certainly draw them in.

1 hour ago, old man said:

A lovely day after clearing the car windows. Sat at 07.30 a few went somewhere without pausing, 2 carrying something walnut sized. 1

0.00 finally, one appeared from nowhere behind the feeder tree pausing to look my way, big mistake, AA to the forehead.

A big fat lactating sow. Nothing more seen, left at 12.15.

Everyone is out 👍

[Fisheruk]

Another three for my dangerous but effective friends in their gardens.

One young male and one young female died of lead poisoning when visiting a feeder. Another young female mistakenly went into a trap. Didn’t end well for her. 😳

[Mice!]

Well my morningat Big Wood, going off the amount of feed gone I decided on feeder 1, but I only saw one squirrel, it went past on the floor amongst the bracken and I swear it was zig zaging!!

Then shortly after this a Buzzard glided through the trees and perched behind the feeder. 

 

I've no idea if Buzz had been there all morning,  the small birds and voles were busy, but there all safe and the canopy was alive,  even a couple of thrushes about which are always nice to see, so after 2hrs I decided to call it.

 

I wasn't going to go to feeder 2 today, I wanted to be there at first light, but I was a bit nippy,  I'd kept my fleece on, it was 7°C when I arrived this morning and it was a lovely morning so a walk seemed a good idea ( plus no one likes to blank)

 

Making my way around and up the hill, two F35s went over, they didn't seem to clear the trees by much and the noise was incredible.

 

I made my way up to look over the bank, gun out elbows resting on the ground one knee down, there were a couple of branches bouncing in the canopy so I just waited. 

 

It didn't take long, I was trying to watching both areas when a grey came along the broken dry stone wall with an acorn in its mouth, maybe 7mtrs away,  I managed to slowly turn as it just watched me, no waiting as soon as the crosshairs were on her head the shot was away knocking her off the wall.

 

Then two were chasing each other through the trees, the lead squirrel stopped looking down at where #1 would be, Pfft whack and crashed to the floor, I watched the chaser head up into the oaks, followed it through the scope but it never gave me a shot.

 

I looked across and there is a squirrel sat on the feeder? No idea where it came from, but it was just sat there eating!

Lined her up, Pfft crack and she tumbled off the feeder, 3 in ten minutes. 

 

I was just thinking wow nothing for two hours and three in ten minutes when another came along the wall from the opposite direction, it paused then moved along,  stopping around 10mtrs away Whack, this one was also knocked off the wall.

 

4 females in probably 15 minutes,  two youngsters and two mature females. 

 

I keep looking at new scopes, but days like this make me wonder why,  no messing around with focus, just point and shoot.

[Sciurus]

Some great reports and squirrel action! 👍