squirrel control

[Mice!]

1 hour ago, sam triple said:

the tree maybe this is where it was stashing his haul , that’s 31 since July only shot for a few hours a week 

Great work, few hours when you can all add up, next couple of months will be difficult for me with dark mornings, waiting for it to get light after nights isn't great, but it means I can look at going places at the weekend and not need to be there at silly o'clock 😀 

[Fisheruk]

One shot and three trapped. Trapping bait, new season conkers 👍

Just had a report of a Red Squirrel sighting in another wood where they haven’t been see for more than 5 years and a picture of a Red in a reserve this week where @Mice! and I use to do the grey control.

  

[Mice!]

4 hours ago, Fisheruk said:

One shot and three trapped. Trapping bait, new season conkers 👍

Just had a report of a Red Squirrel sighting in another wood where they haven’t been see for more than 5 years and a picture of a Red in a reserve this week where @Mice! and I use to do the grey control.

  

That is good news, carpark will be overflowing. 

[sam triple]

6 hours ago, Fisheruk said:

One shot and three trapped. Trapping bait, new season conkers 👍

Just had a report of a Red Squirrel sighting in another wood where they haven’t been see for more than 5 years and a picture of a Red in a reserve this week where @Mice! and I use to do the grey control.

  

👍👍

6 hours ago, Mice! said:

Great work, few hours when you can all add up, next couple of months will be difficult for me with dark mornings, waiting for it to get light after nights isn't great, but it means I can look at going places at the weekend and not need to be there at silly o'clock 😀 

Yes , me working split shift sometimes has its benefits meaning I’ll be able to get out in the morning as pm’ s will be too dark , that’s in amongst wild fowling etc 

[sam triple]

12 hours ago, Walker570 said:

Nice one

👍👍

11 hours ago, Eddie B said:

Excellent thread this. Some great write ups, and pictures to match👍

Yes you can pick up some good pointers on here , helped me out no end 

[Mice!]

The first in my garden this year, I think?

There has been one mooching about recently but it hasn't been up the garden when I'm here, the kids have chased it away a few times though.

It's surprising how much quieter 22 pellets are on impact,  but they do some damage,  the old girl still on song.

Then I get back from the school run and....

 

It's been zig zaggin around,  but needs to come up the garden, it's days are numbered. 

[Eddie B]

3 minutes ago, Mice! said:

The first in my garden this year, I think?

There has been one mooching about recently but it hasn't been up the garden when I'm here, the kids have chased it away a few times though.

It's surprising how much quieter 22 pellets are on impact,  but they do some damage,  the old girl still on song.

Then I get back from the school run and....

 

It's been zig zaggin around,  but needs to come up the garden, it's days are numbered. 

Lovely place you have there Mice!

[sam triple]

2 minutes ago, Eddie B said:

Lovely place you have there Mice!

If you haven’t got a load in there I’d be surprised had 4 out of my stamp size garden this year 

[old man]

On 23/09/2021 at 16:55, Walker570 said:

Well I had sat for almost two hours this lunch time and then a tree rat came down the walnut tree, walnut in mouth and set off at 45degs away from my position at speed. I tracked it in the scope and it stopped for a breather at the the top a bank I estimated as 40yrds. I settled the 40yrds dot on it's chest and eased one off. The tree rat leapt about 3ft in the air dropping the walnut and then leapt a similar height into a forest of brambles over a fence in my neighbours orchard .  I was happy with the hit and thought  Hmmmmmm ? that walnut looks about the same size as a tree rats chest. I settled the 40yrd dot on that and it leapt in the air about the same height and on inspection the pellet had half sckinned it. I'm happy to claim the kill for my own wood records but will not enter it on here as not confirmed.

I continue to be amazed at the accuracy of this quite old AA S200 which I purchased second hand.  I'm told it is a Mk2.

One of mine was made 27/05/2002. A Mk 1. Stimm more accurate than me.

An email to AA with the serial number will confirm.

18 hours ago, Fisheruk said:

One shot and three trapped. Trapping bait, new season conkers 👍

Just had a report of a Red Squirrel sighting in another wood where they haven’t been see for more than 5 years and a picture of a Red in a reserve this week where @Mice! and I use to do the grey control.

  

Brilliant news, well done all concerned reducing the grey menace.

[Mice!]

42 minutes ago, Eddie B said:

Lovely place you have there Mice!

Cheers 👍

 

39 minutes ago, sam triple said:

If you haven’t got a load in there I’d be surprised had 4 out of my stamp size garden this year 

I was taking 20-25 each year, the wood behind used to be crawling with them, then they started trashing my bird feeders, and we noticed the numbers of birds visiting the garden was dropping,  that's when I decided to shoot the squirrels that came to the garden.

Now your lucky if you spot one in the wood, I didn't shoot many last year, like this year they only turned up late, and didn't make it to spring. 

And we now get loads of birds all year around,  including Bullfinches,  Greenfinch, thrushes and all the usual birds you would expect. 

[Fisheruk]

15 minutes ago, Mice! said:

Cheers 👍

 

I was taking 20-25 each year, the wood behind used to be crawling with them, then they started trashing my bird feeders, and we noticed the numbers of birds visiting the garden was dropping,  that's when I decided to shoot the squirrels that came to the garden.

Now your lucky if you spot one in the wood, I didn't shoot many last year, like this year they only turned up late, and didn't make it to spring. 

And we now get loads of birds all year around,  including Bullfinches,  Greenfinch, thrushes and all the usual birds you would expect. 

I still keep my eyes peeled as I drive past the other side of that wood @Mice!but they are just scarce. It’s interesting that you only need one person to persistently target the greys and it affects the grey numbers for maybe a mile radius or so.

[Mice!]

5 hours ago, Fisheruk said:

I still keep my eyes peeled as I drive past the other side of that wood @Mice!but they are just scarce. It’s interesting that you only need one person to persistently target the greys and it affects the grey numbers for maybe a mile radius or so.

They have just not moved back into the wood or reestablished,  I have some food out all year round,  normally sunflower hearts and fat balls, so any that come along the river make there way into my garden at some point.

The wood used to be chock full, now you might see one in a 30 minute walk,  there must be ample food in the wood, but the gardens make easy pickings.

[Mice!]

Number two, all out on the patio making a shield with my daughter for her homework when the wife spots the squirrel in the apple tree, it very obligingly came down and sat in front of the raised bed, big female.

[sam triple]

48 minutes ago, Mice! said:

Number two, all out on the patio making a shield with my daughter for her homework when the wife spots the squirrel in the apple tree, it very obligingly came down and sat in front of the raised bed, big female.

👍

[Walker570]

Well I am astonished. I have shot four more today in our little 10 acre wood. Where the dickens are they coming from?

That is 38 in 25 days.   The last one at 4pm was walking down the track from my neighbours garden and sat bolt upright at 40yrds having a look around. Obviously a newcomer. I settled the 40 yrd dot on its chest and it collapsed without a twitch.

I am pretty certain I saw two more but did not get a shot.

Forest Ranger instructed to be on duty at dawn to check numbers as I have a meeting with a cheeky fox which wanders through the farm yard mid morning and also visitors to a flip top I have close by. I can cover both and will have the 17hmr as well as the AA S200.  No peace for the wicked so they say.

[old man]

Maybe I need to change the bait in my feeders from mixed bird seed, kibbled maize, peanuts and a dash of aniseed oil?

Any ideas please, realising that natural food and pheasant corn availability a problem at present?

[sam triple]

I Use the same as what’s in the pheasant feeders 

[Walker570]

35 minutes ago, old man said:

Maybe I need to change the bait in my feeders from mixed bird seed, kibbled maize, peanuts and a dash of aniseed oil?

Any ideas please, realising that natural food and pheasant corn availability a problem at present?

They are too busy eating and storing natural food. I have 9 flip tops out at present and only a couple are showing activity. Even the Golf Course is a bit short on takers.  I mix all of my seed in a cement mixer and add a couple of scoops of GamKeep additive but aniseed should do the trick when they get back to NEEDING food.  I have one bird feeding table with live catch cage at the far end of our wood and there are no nut trees at that end and I have seen activity on there.

I ised to use kibbled maize but changed to whole maize. I found that a piece of whole maize kept them still longer as they nibbled with kibbled they tended to keep dipping their heads up and down picking up the small bits.

Edited September 26, 2021 by Walker570

[old man]

1 hour ago, Walker570 said:

They are too busy eating and storing natural food. I have 9 flip tops out at present and only a couple are showing activity. Even the Golf Course is a bit short on takers.  I mix all of my seed in a cement mixer and add a couple of scoops of GamKeep additive but aniseed should do the trick when they get back to NEEDING food.  I have one bird feeding table with live catch cage at the far end of our wood and there are no nut trees at that end and I have seen activity on there.

I ised to use kibbled maize but changed to whole maize. I found that a piece of whole maize kept them still longer as they nibbled with kibbled they tended to keep dipping their heads up and down picking up the small bits.

Thank you sir.

Being restricted on a shoot area with mainly Beech and very overgrown woodland I'm not aware of any different Nut trees available to them. Not many Chestnuts, Hazel or Oak as target areas either but just looking for inspiration as they seem very transient and hyper lately? Just trying to increase my scores?

Wondering if my aniseed oil has lost its small and attraction.? Peanut butter and Nutella seem to go down over time but too many ramblers etc to risk the camera.

My zones have to be chosen very carefully due to the conditions I have,

I'm very lucky at the moment, hope to be able to rock on reducing the numbers?

Edited September 26, 2021 by old man

[Walker570]

I will deliver a scoop of Game Keep to your local contact sometime this week. Give it a try.

It is that time of year they are all over the place, food sex causing them to be unreliable.  Coule of weeks and things could change.

[old man]

3 hours ago, Walker570 said:

I will deliver a scoop of Game Keep to your local contact sometime this week. Give it a try.

It is that time of year they are all over the place, food sex causing them to be unreliable.  Coule of weeks and things could change.

Thank you very much. just got home prior to dusk to see one on the front drive carrying a conker.

Edited September 26, 2021 by old man

[Mice!]

8 hours ago, old man said:

Maybe I need to change the bait in my feeders from mixed bird seed, kibbled maize, peanuts and a dash of aniseed oil?

Any ideas please, realising that natural food and pheasant corn availability a problem at present?

Like Nev says, they are just busy and happy elsewhere,  we're competing with natures bounty at its best, nuts, berries, mushrooms. 

I'm putting camera's out this week, feeder 1 at big wood has been going down but I'm seeing nothing there, probably feeding later in the day, and if I'm waiting for it to get light I want to know they will be coming. 

[Walker570]

Saw one carrying a hard green wild apple a few days ago. Must have mistaken it for a walnut.  Two seen today taking an interest in the peanut feeders in the live catch cages, so things maybe a changing.

[Martlandhw100]

I went and topped one of my feeders up I haven't been to it for about 3 weeks and it had all been eaten so topped up and will probably shoot it next week but definitely more interested in the natural food at the moment 

[Mice!]

4 minutes ago, Walker570 said:

Saw one carrying a hard green wild apple a few days ago. Must have mistaken it for a walnut.  Two seen today taking an interest in the peanut feeders in the live catch cages, so things maybe a changing.

The two in my garden started at the bramley apples, they didn't get any custard though.