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FEBRUARY/MARCH TREE RAT HUNTING


Walker570
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HM try contacting the Scottish Wildlife trust, duno if there is much info on there site might be worth phoneing after the new year or saving scotlands red squirrel site, there basically all linked and swt sort of organise stuff. They do have FT staff involved with saving reds
There may be a local squirrel group to u? If so I'd guess it should be linked on the above sites.
Most local groups are desperate for volanteers esp folk with airgun tickets to dispose of trapped squirrels in there gardens. In the past I would leave my old airguns with some but now u can't. The new airgun legislation is a nail in the coffin for reds, not good
In my area there is  a big spring survey coming up again this spring (not sure if Scotland wide or not? in fact I think it will be nation wide) if It is they will be looking for volanteers too (basically the survey is where those maps come from)
idea is to get a feeder in every 1km sq quadrats they have located, so u have to place a feeder and keep it toped up for 1 monh and they stick some Velcro type stuff on the lid which catches the squirrls hairs so they can tell if red or grey in that area.
I think they're also looking for volanteers who aren't local (or even if ur not very fit) to analyse the fur samples in ur own house in ur own time, they will train u how to do it, think it is a micro scope job

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just had a quick look and there is decent info on both those sites if ur really keen on volunteering (or anyone else) boys pr girls with a bit of common sense and an airgun ticket are like gold dust and in very short supply.
And even if ur not local and wanted to help the lass did say they need help to analysis all these Velcro patches from the upcoming survey.
 
1 of the biggest things is simply reporting seeing them esp greys in an area that should be predomantely red, it helps to know as soon as u see a grey so u know its in the area and u can properly focus ur traps
I've seen me turning up to a garden only to find they seen a grey regularly weeks or months ago and not seen it since.

the above msgs are copied and pasted from scotslad msg on off topic,

volunteers are wanted in Scotland especially people with an air rifle ticket from the sound of things, schemes like this are a good way to get a reputation for being trustworthy which will help you when your looking for shooting permission.

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  • 4 weeks later...

Hi everyone was just discussing this at the last shoot because although we don't see many squirrels when we're out and about but damaged due to feeders must mean there's plenty around. I was thinking of putting a few feeders out and sitting down with the air gun but also fancy the idea of taking before 410 out and stalking them, any tips? Particularly as there might be two or three of us and big stupid the Labrador. I know it's probably best to go it alone in stealth mode but just being honest more likely to do it if it's combined we give him the Lab a bit of exercise.

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19 minutes ago, redogi73 said:

Hi everyone was just discussing this at the last shoot because although we don't see many squirrels when we're out and about but damaged due to feeders must mean there's plenty around. I was thinking of putting a few feeders out and sitting down with the air gun but also fancy the idea of taking before 410 out and stalking them, any tips? Particularly as there might be two or three of us and big stupid the Labrador. I know it's probably best to go it alone in stealth mode but just being honest more likely to do it if it's combined we give him the Lab a bit of exercise.

Hi redogi I imagine you'll have a good day out if there's a few of you walking the woods, probably find once your looking for squirrels not pheasant you'll see more than you think, plus a few corvids or pigeons flying about, I was out yesterday cursing my air rifle, sat under some big willow and oaks, loads of ivy wondering if a pigeon would land when two squirrels shot past me into the ivy, be sure to tell us how you get on.

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Not long now, two days of pheasant/ game shooting left, hope you've all had a great season, then hopefully the biggest mass cull of grey squirrels for many a year. Give the woods and hedgerows near you a real good going over before the song birds get busy nesting, doing some good conservation work at the same time as enjoying some informal shooting with your mates, let's see who of all the game and pigeon shots does the best.

It will also come in handy if the panorama program is as bad as people are thinking for the shooting orgs to be able to say there is more goes on than just driven shooting, but it doesn't get reported.

? Mice!

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Thanks!

8 of us had a walk around to tidy up a few cock birds which rapidly turned into forgetting pheasants and shooting every drey possible!  We had some sun in Essex yesterday and we management to catch quite a few out enjoying the sun. 

Cartridge consumption was huge, I used 100 alone! We'll be covering those woods for pigeons in the coming weeks, I 've no doubt they'll get another good hammering :good:

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