Squirrel feeders ?

[Ferret664]

Squirrels feeders how often do you shoot them ?.

I have one thats been out for about 2 months.  Shot it twice a week apart then left for a month then shot it again a week apart twice.  Had 16 so far and still Seeing squirrels still on it on camera at first light but today no luck even after 3 hours of sitting got there 30 minutes before daylight so what went wrong?.

 

I have several others that I rotate and shoot and they are still producing regularly.  Yet this one you see plenty on camera at first light and for a hour then they stop but getting there before first light doesn't seem to work now as they don't show ? 

Edited February 20, 2021 by Ferret664

[Fisheruk]

I don’t believe that there is any rhyme or reason, keeping totally concealed. Not moving at all. Movement is the most conspicuous thing. I have often nodded off, to be woken a little while later as the clang of the metal lift lid feeder let’s me know a squirrel is there. 

[Walker570]

Bit hit and mis here as well.  I shot four on one feeder in an hour then next visit nothing but a chap who has a trail cam 40yrds away has seen nothing but squirrels.

I think it is all a bit strange certainly here anyway.

1 minute ago, Fisheruk said:

I don’t believe that there is any rhyme or reason, keeping totally concealed. Not moving at all. Movement is the most conspicuous thing. I have often nodded off, to be woken a little while later as the clang of the metal lift lid feeder let’s me know a squirrel is there. 

been there done that.

[pork chop]

Had one in place since Xmas 

shot it twice so far ,both this week n had 7 off it 

[Mice!]

2 hours ago, Ferret664 said:

Had 16 so far and still Seeing squirrels still on it on camera at first light but today no luck even after 3 hours of sitting got there 30 minutes before daylight so what went wrong?.

Try and compare and record the weather patterns on the days you shoot, we have had high winds today,  the squirrels don't like that at all, we went out for a walk this afternoon and the wood we went to is normally crawling,  I only saw two.

[Goldfish]

It can be hit and miss particularly regarding weather and the wet conditions we have had.

If there is an abundance of wild food a feeder can be redundant.

I find that I am best feeding small quantities of high calorie food such as peanut butter, peanuts and sunflower hearts in a dedicated squirrel feeder. They are a small mammal which uses a lot of energy so need to feed regularly and will seek out the feeders but it is a war of attrition.

A feeder on dry ground in open view but shielded from cold winds, in the sun, located in an area with little other food is what I try to create. Maize scattered on the ground is a good visual draw but peanut butter really gets them going.

And most importantly you need to have squirrels in the area! If you don’t they will fill the void you have created come the spring and summer.

Squirrels also have a good sense of smell and hearing so watch the wind and be still and quiet 

Final point worth noting is that squirrels currently have other things on their minds!!

Edited February 21, 2021 by Goldfish

[Ferret664]

8 minutes ago, Goldfish said:

It can be hit and miss particularly regarding weather and the wet conditions we have had.

If there is an abundance of wild food a feeder can be redundant.

I find that I am best feeding small quantities of high calorie food such as peanut butter, peanuts and sunflower hearts in a dedicated squirrel feeder. They are a small mammal which uses a lot of energy so need to feed regularly and will seek out the feeders but it is a war of attrition.

A feeder on dry ground in open view but shielded from cold winds, in the sun, located in an area with little other food is what I try to create. Maize scattered on the ground is a good visual draw but peanut butter really gets them going.

And most importantly you need to have squirrels in the area! If you don’t they will fill the void you have created come the spring and summer 

This is a big wood 70 acres . I have 6 feeders out on it  . There are still plenty squirrels in it . Normally take 100-150 a year from it . All other feeders are working nicely and producing regular.  The weather for the sit was good yesterday light wind and pretty warm . There isn't a great deal of food available apart from pheasants feeders but I run fenn traps along them all the time so pick off most of what goes to them.  It's the fact I'm getting good picture of squirrels on there regularly yet they didn't show even though was there well before daylight. I'm lucky that I live next to the wood so check and top up feeders everyday.

8 hours ago, Mice! said:

Try and compare and record the weather patterns on the days you shoot, we have had high winds today,  the squirrels don't like that at all, we went out for a walk this afternoon and the wood we went to is normally crawling,  I only saw two.

I'm going to try a this afternoon as seem to notice that they feed at first light for a hour then between 2-4.30 pm in the afternoon 

[Goldfish]

@Ferret664 maddening isn’t it !!! 🤬 

Stalking  deer in an area one day and see lots of squirrels, return the next day with a .22, with the same weather, at the same time and only see deer 🤣

Edited February 21, 2021 by Goldfish

[Walker570]

There is litle doubt they have a sweet tooth.  I treat all of my feed with GameKeep.  I mix two bags in a cement mixer and pour a bottle of cheap cooking oil over the lot before adding a couple of scoops of GameKeep. The oil helps the dust to stick.   My mix is usually a bag of whole maize, bag of kibbled and a small quantity of peanuts (mostly for the little birds).  Jan/Feb this year so far has been very slow but I have given them a fair bending in the lat two years so the indigenous squirrels breeding stock has been reduced considerably and now all I am getting is incomers filling the void.   No doubt there will be a few youngsters born this spring so numbers will build again.   My own small wood (10 acres) is virtually a squirrel free area and any incomers only survive maybe 48hrs maximum if they are lucky.    All good fun.

[oldypigeonpopper]

Hello, would be nice to see some more Reds about 👍

[Mice!]

1 hour ago, Ferret664 said:

I'm going to try a this afternoon as seem to notice that they feed at first light for a hour then between 2-4.30 pm in the afternoon 

I was out a few weeks ago, at a feeder and saw nothing for two hours, yet 300-400 yards away there were three squirrels happily or maddeningly rooting around on the ground still for acorns,  rather than come and take the easy food. 

That was a nice day, no wind and warm, maybe you need a good cold day to get them wanting the easier food from a feeder.

[Mice!]

1 hour ago, oldypigeonpopper said:

Hello, would be nice to see some more Reds about 👍

One of the lads on Facebook posted about seeing a red this week on the patch they shoot in the North East,  said it brought a tear to his eye, years of shooting greys paying off. 

Sadly elsewhere in Cumbria there have been a few causes of pox being reported this week.

[oldypigeonpopper]

1 minute ago, Mice! said:

One of the lads on Facebook posted about seeing a red this week on the patch they shoot in the North East,  said it brought a tear to his eye, years of shooting greys paying off. 

Sadly elsewhere in Cumbria there have been a few causes of pox being reported this week.

Hello, sadly I can only remember reds in years gone by 🙄

[Walker570]

I fished the South esk  a few years ago and rented an A frame holiday house for the week. The owners had a feeder about 15fy from the window and sitting having breakfast with two or three red squirrels feasting their faces was a joy.   How these southern tree rat lovers can stand feeding them in their back yards and public places I don't know.   No comparison. 

[Mice!]

35 minutes ago, Walker570 said:

I fished the South esk  a few years ago and rented an A frame holiday house for the week. The owners had a feeder about 15fy from the window and sitting having breakfast with two or three red squirrels feasting their faces was a joy.   How these southern tree rat lovers can stand feeding them in their back yards and public places I don't know.   No comparison. 

Because most have never seen a red up close, they are like tigers or pandas,  just images on the telly unfortunately. 

Watching a red scamper around a few metres away from you is fantastic,  greys in comparison are just there to eat whatever they can find.

[Ferret664]

I have never been lucky enough to see a red in person . I live on the Essex/Herts border so they haven't been here for many many years unfortunately but at least the song birds,  ground nesting birds and trees benefit from thinning out the grey horde 

[Mice!]

3 minutes ago, Ferret664 said:

I have never been lucky enough to see a red in person . I live on the Essex/Herts border so they haven't been here for many many years unfortunately but at least the song birds,  ground nesting birds and trees benefit from thinning out the grey horde 

I follow a group on FB shooting down there, they are largely responsible for squirrel control to do with tree damage,  normally they are shooting 6,7,8 as a minimum and regularly hitting teens a few times a week, but this year they are still seeing very few so far, blinking regularly because there are still natural food sources available. 

[ratchers]

4 hours ago, Ferret664 said:

This is a big wood 70 acres . I have 6 feeders out on it  . There are still plenty squirrels in it . Normally take 100-150 a year from it . All other feeders are working nicely and producing regular.  The weather for the sit was good yesterday light wind and pretty warm . There isn't a great deal of food available apart from pheasants feeders but I run fenn traps along them all the time so pick off most of what goes to them.  It's the fact I'm getting good picture of squirrels on there regularly yet they didn't show even though was there well before daylight. I'm lucky that I live next to the wood so check and top up feeders everyday.

I'm going to try a this afternoon as seem to notice that they feed at first light for a hour then between 2-4.30 pm in the afternoon 

if the level in the feeders are going down, then you still got squirrels, if you have 6 feeding boxes up at least if its quiet at one you can go on to the next and so forth.

I've got a good sized box up at the moment and its empty in a week but a very rarely see a grey on it, think its time a trail cam.

[Walker570]

Yep, trail cams don't tell lies.  I need to get mine out and about this next week which PROMISES to be dry and sunny. We will see.

[Walker570]

14 hours ago, pork chop said:

Had one in place since Xmas 

shot it twice so far ,both this week n had 7 off it 

Have not seen your logging it on the total killed ??????????????????

[243deer]

I checked on one out of my 2 feeders yesterday when out stalking, not yet touched this year. I did see 1 big buck nearby who's days are numbered. I will need waders to get anyehere near my other feeder as we have a new stream and marsh that will take a while to receed

[pork chop]

30 minutes ago, Walker570 said:

Have not seen your logging it on the total killed ??????????????????

??

[Walker570]

In the vermin thread we log all squirrels shot. I may be wrong but don't see yours logged.  Apologies if you have.

[pork chop]

No not logged them 

then 

[Walker570]

No problem, scroll down to Other types of shooting... Other pest control and you will find on there a list of vermin which we keep a log of.  Log your squirrels then add to the total. 

Keep whacking and stacking.

Edited February 21, 2021 by Walker570