Fisherman Mike Posted April 5, 2005 Report Share Posted April 5, 2005 Last year the lady who owns the land on which I shoot planted several hundred saplings of various deciduous types... now to the squirrels thats like a red rag to a bull. within days despite the protection they were making havoc with them. We had a six man ( shotgun ) squirrel cull last year and killed nearly 120 of the blighters. I went up Sunday and its as if we hadnt taken any, squirrel damage everywhere. I sat at the base of an oak tree in the middle of a wood with the .22 Axor to hand all camoed up and just waited........ After two minutes two woodies planted themselves in the canopy above me and I dropped one stone dead with a shot through the underbody. The other scarpered straight away. Some minutes later the squirrels started creeping out of their hidy holes in the ivy covered trunks and began acrobatically feeding on buds from the trees. I left it 20 minutes or so to see how many were about and was amazed that there were 20 or so in just this one end of the copse which is about the size of a footy pitch. The first shot was a beauty, though I say it myself. 40 yards exactly because I had zeroed my scope and laser on the very branch he was sat on and measured it out with a builders line about and hour previously. I lined the laser up from my hip on the body of the upside down squirrel hanging by his back legs and wollop he hit the deck. I picked him up straight awy and the powapell had entered the body just under the forearm and had travelled 4 ins or so through the cavity and finished just under the skin on the back. 20 mins late another one... Thwack 30 yards at the base of a sycamore. He jumped about a bit but was dead within a few seconds. Third one was shot only about 15 yards from me with a head shot as it crept down the trunk of a beech.. Fourth and fifth were from the top of the canopy... one was a really big male that had been in a scrap or two. I de-tailed all of them and left a couple for the crows/ buzzards the rest went to my friend ferrets. One of the carcasses attracted the attention of a lone carrion and he got the start of a good meal before I knocked him over too. All in all the most enjoyable days shooting for a long while... and it just illustrates the recovery powers of these bloody North American tree rats. The local Farmers father aged 98 says he can remember when you could go in that copse as a child and still see the odd red... Now that would be a thing indeed. FM. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coney hunter Posted April 5, 2005 Report Share Posted April 5, 2005 Been trying to thin them out myself around my area but it doesn’t take long for more to move in. You don’t see much damage done by them around where I live because there isn’t huge numbers of them my biggest bag is three which I had on Saturday but every little bit helps. :*) David Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Devilishdave Posted April 5, 2005 Report Share Posted April 5, 2005 I took 33 of the little blighters last year from a fairly small area. All opertunistic stuff never targeted them. Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rjimmer Posted April 5, 2005 Report Share Posted April 5, 2005 One bait station with warfarin every 5 acres is supposed to control squirrel numbers. Shooting will never keep on top of them sufficiently. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
margate shooter Posted April 5, 2005 Report Share Posted April 5, 2005 We have a school at the back of are house with a large wild garden/woods for the kids to do rural studies etc, there just out of control :< (I don’t mean the kids this time). They Seem to be trashing the back Gardens all down the road Cant do much, dread to think what the neighbours would say me running around with the 12g And I don’t fancy my chances with some of them anyway just take a look you have to look at the funny side When you seem to be on a losing battle Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coney hunter Posted April 5, 2005 Report Share Posted April 5, 2005 (edited) After reading this post earlier on today I felt the sudden urge to go out with the air rifle and came back with two not bad for and hours walk in the sunshine Lol David P.s. looks like he’s gone bit nuts on the steroids if you ask me. Edited April 5, 2005 by coney hunter Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sharp_shooter Posted April 6, 2005 Report Share Posted April 6, 2005 I used to get a constant flow of 2 or 3 squirrels in my small wood. Now the tawny owls have returned and are nesting for the second year running they seem to be keeping the squirrels away, i havent seen any for a good month..possibly two....it gets hard to keep track of time Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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