Martlandhw100 Posted October 5, 2020 Report Share Posted October 5, 2020 1 hour ago, Sciurus said: Congratulations, you must be very pleased, it does make it all worthwhile. It will be interesting to see if it stays or is passing through. Best keep the camera going and doubling your efforts to keep the greys down in that wood as soon as they appear. Ps Spotting your red might help you get more grey control in nearby woods ( this works well for us in Cumbria). Good luck Let's hope it stays and isn't just passing through, I will keep hitting the grays although I haven't had any pictures of them on the feeder for at least 3 weeks, whether that's because there still on the natural food and just not using the feeders. Fingers crossed I can get some more woodland close to this one and maybe the numbers of reds will increase 👍 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moondoggy Posted October 6, 2020 Report Share Posted October 6, 2020 One today feeding in the rain 1435 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Longbower Posted October 6, 2020 Report Share Posted October 6, 2020 1 on the bird table in the garden with my HW95K. 1436 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Walker570 Posted October 7, 2020 Report Share Posted October 7, 2020 (edited) One more this morning which has been taunting me for three days and nicking my walnuts. 1437 This is what heaven must look like to a tree rat..... Edited October 7, 2020 by Walker570 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Good shot? Posted October 7, 2020 Report Share Posted October 7, 2020 Two today, one at range with HMR and one in the tree tops with SX3. Total 1439. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ferret664 Posted October 7, 2020 Report Share Posted October 7, 2020 Another one today foraging around in the leaf litter s410 put pay to that. 1440 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mice! Posted October 9, 2020 Report Share Posted October 9, 2020 On 07/10/2020 at 08:47, Walker570 said: One more this morning which has been taunting me for three days and nicking my walnuts. 1437 This is what heaven must look like to a tree rat..... Are they all walnuts? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Walker570 Posted October 9, 2020 Report Share Posted October 9, 2020 4 hours ago, Mice! said: Are they all walnuts? Yes and even more now ..... 3077 to date and that is what collecting and handling them does to your hands, wears off around January but worth it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mice! Posted October 9, 2020 Report Share Posted October 9, 2020 3 hours ago, Walker570 said: Yes and even more now ..... 3077 to date and that is what collecting and handling them does to your hands, wears off around January but worth it. Impressive number of Walnuts there Nev, you supplying willy Wonka 😅😅 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Walker570 Posted October 9, 2020 Report Share Posted October 9, 2020 Two trees given to me 25yrs ago and have produced in excess of 2000 nuts in each of the last four years. This year was a bumper crop. One joy is seeing the number of nuts which our growing nuthatch population have had a go at, sometimes totally emptying the shell. This is all down to the wood being a no go zone for tree rats. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
powler Posted October 10, 2020 Report Share Posted October 10, 2020 14 hours ago, Walker570 said: Two trees given to me 25yrs ago and have produced in excess of 2000 nuts in each of the last four years. This year was a bumper crop. One joy is seeing the number of nuts which our growing nuthatch population have had a go at, sometimes totally emptying the shell. This is all down to the wood being a no go zone for tree rats. Thats a very impressive amount and well worth the effort. Two yesterday while out for a stroll. 1442 Mick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mossy835 Posted October 10, 2020 Report Share Posted October 10, 2020 2 today 1444 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
strimmer_13 Posted October 11, 2020 Report Share Posted October 11, 2020 2 today on a walk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Walker570 Posted October 11, 2020 Report Share Posted October 11, 2020 23 minutes ago, strimmer_13 said: 2 today on a walk 1446 then..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
strimmer_13 Posted October 11, 2020 Report Share Posted October 11, 2020 10 minutes ago, Walker570 said: 1446 then..... Sorry forgot Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Longbower Posted October 11, 2020 Report Share Posted October 11, 2020 7 today , they are starting to hit the sweet chestnuts, down the woods. 8 Legs in the slow cooker, in sweet chilli and garlic sauce for tomorrows tea. 1453 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ian1337 Posted October 14, 2020 Report Share Posted October 14, 2020 Fenn trap today. 1454 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sciurus Posted October 14, 2020 Report Share Posted October 14, 2020 Three this morning, with some help from the thermal, .410 and a whippet! 1457 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mice! Posted October 14, 2020 Report Share Posted October 14, 2020 24 minutes ago, Sciurus said: Three this morning, with some help from the thermal, .410 and a whippet! 1457 I could have done with the whippet and .410👍 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fisheruk Posted October 14, 2020 Report Share Posted October 14, 2020 28 minutes ago, Mice! said: I could have done with the whippet and .410👍 Go on spoil yourself, you know you deserve it 😀 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sciurus Posted October 14, 2020 Report Share Posted October 14, 2020 6 minutes ago, Mice! said: I could have done with the whippet and .410👍 Sounds like your day was similar to ours, not an air rifle day. Do you fancy adding a moderated shotgun to your armoury? They are very useful this time of year. The whippet is very switched on and will sit patiently under the tree, if we haven’t spotted the grey and gives us a withering look. It’s a luxury to have a dog to pick up in the bracken. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ferret664 Posted October 14, 2020 Report Share Posted October 14, 2020 1458 another one falls to the s410 carbine Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mice! Posted October 14, 2020 Report Share Posted October 14, 2020 1 hour ago, Fisheruk said: Go on spoil yourself, you know you deserve it 😀 1 hour ago, Sciurus said: Sounds like your day was similar to ours, not an air rifle day. Do you fancy adding a moderated shotgun to your armoury? They are very useful this time of year. I couldn't use one where I am, I'll just have to be patient, won't be long. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hatter Posted October 15, 2020 Report Share Posted October 15, 2020 21 hours ago, Sciurus said: Three this morning, with some help from the thermal, .410 and a whippet! 1457 As a relative novice to the world of grey squirrel control I am intrigued as to how you use a shotgun and a thermal to control grey squirrels? I’ve only ever used a feeder and air rifle. Why do you use a moderated 410? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sciurus Posted October 15, 2020 Report Share Posted October 15, 2020 34 minutes ago, hatter said: As a relative novice to the world of grey squirrel control I am intrigued as to how you use a shotgun and a thermal to control grey squirrels? I’ve only ever used a feeder and air rifle. Why do you use a moderated 410? A very good question. Shooting grey squirrels with an air rifle and feeder (or trapping) can be very effective in season between January and July when natural food is scarce. However come July onwards, the greys prefer fresh acorns, Beech mast and hazel, which begins to appear and they are less likely to be attracted by a feeder and they also become trap shy. So instead of making the greys come to you, you then have to hunt the greys. Dependant upon which fruits are ripening the greys will move from feasting upon say acorns to feasting upon sweet chestnuts etc, so you need to keep an eye open to what and where they are eating and shoot them where they are feeding. It can be difficult to shoot them with an air rifle at this time of year, because they are unlikely to stay still and are hiding in the leaves, so a shotgun can be used to shoot them running about the branches. In the autumn and leaves fall, a thermal is very useful to spot greys in trees or under bushes and again it’s easier to shoot them with a shotgun- particularly if there are two of you on either side of a tree. I like to use a 12bore, but I am a volunteer with a Red Squirrel Group and most of my shooting is on NT or Council woodland (with public access) or around Country House Hotels, so a moderated shotgun tends not upset or disturb the public or guests too much. A moderated 12 bore is too long and heavy to carry about so the preferred weapon of choice up here is a moderated mossberg .410 pump, which is fun gun to use and pretty quiet. Hatter, Keep up the grey control, if you haven’t got a shotgun, try shooting them with the air rifle while they are foraging on the ground for nuts. Cheers Scurius Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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