Squirrels, am I wasting my time?

[RKDinOKC]

Used to have a large garden and orchard. The squirrels were eating in the garden. Got a golden retriever. Squirrels were chased away enough that were no longer a problem. The problem is the golden retriever would eat the okra. Yep, okra. Who knew.

At my current home there are a few squirrels but not many. There is a great horned owl nest in the top of the cottonwood tree in my back yard. Can hear them hooting late eveneings in the fall.

Otherwise...Caddyshack!

[scottmandue]

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[Danimal16]

Originally Posted by RKDinOKC

Used to have a large garden and orchard. The squirrels were eating in the garden. Got a golden retriever. Squirrels were chased away enough that were no longer a problem. The problem is the golden retriever would eat the okra. Yep, okra. Who knew.

At my current home there are a few squirrels but not many. There is a great horned owl nest in the top of the cottonwood tree in my back yard. Can hear them hooting late eveneings in the fall.

Otherwise...Caddyshack!

OKRA?? For crying out loud, that is funny!

[aigel]

You need to learn how to clean and cook them, now you aren't killing them for fun, but for food. I can clean a squirrel in a few minutes, fur to pot. You don't know what you are missing. You stay on top of them, it will greatly reduce the population wanting to be near the house. They are not stupid.

I'd shoot them with a pellet rifle - .22 Benjamin or a modern Co2 gun. A subsonic .22 or CB caps also are good for this.

I have no experience trapping tree squirrels but think that some of the traps shown are for ground squirrels.

G

[Danimal16]

Originally Posted by aigel

You need to learn how to clean and cook them, now you aren't killing them for fun, but for food. I can clean a squirrel in a few minutes, fur to pot. You don't know what you are missing. You stay on top of them, it will greatly reduce the population wanting to be near the house. They are not stupid.

I'd shoot them with a pellet rifle - .22 Benjamin or a modern Co2 gun. A subsonic .22 or CB caps also are good for this.

I have no experience trapping tree squirrels but think that some of the traps shown are for ground squirrels.

G

Traps work for both. Also, don't assume it is for fun, they are pests and destroy the food I grow.

[RKDinOKC]

[KFC911]

Originally Posted by Danimal16

Traps work for both. Also, don't assume it is for fun, they are pests and destroy the food I grow.

Yep...I'm a live and let live kinda guy...I battle muskrats constantly around my pond structures....with a shovel only . There's a groundhog with a deathwish if he goes after my dad's 'maters again this year....he's been given ample warning.

edited....groundhogs are welcome on my rural property....everything is....almost

[Starless]

They told me the same thing about trapping, you can't release them on somebody else property, but we have a large wooded park on the other side of the river that i've been releasing them. I back up the SUV with the back facing the woods and let them loose. I can see if anybody is pulling into the park from 3/4 mile away. The park is only used for launching boats into the river and there's a soccer field that's only used after school and weekends. I have a .22 and a .177. The .22 I think is a bit noisy, I would use the .177 and shoot from inside the house to a bird feeder hanging on the deck @ 12 feet away. I am not going to eat them, have never skinned one and the wife said no way am I cooking a rat in the house.

[KFC911]

Originally Posted by Starless

They told me the same thing about trapping, you can't release them on somebody else property, but we have a large wooded park on the other side of the river that i've been releasing them. I back up the SUV with the back facing the woods and let them loose. I can see if anybody is pulling into the park from 3/4 mile away. The park is only used for launching boats into the river and there's a soccer field that's only used after school and weekends. I have a .22 and a .177. The .22 I think is a bit noisy, I would use the .177 and shoot from inside the house to a bird feeder hanging on the deck @ 12 feet away. I am not going to eat them, have never skinned one and the wife said no way am I cooking a rat in the house.

I got my .177 strictly for targets.....I'd go with the .22....and if I couldn't make a clean kill with air power, then I would opt for a .22 subsonic...or 50 cal....whatever it takes

[stomachmonkey]

Squirrel melts

[stevej37]

I've been using 22 cal bird shot for squirrels.
The range isn't as good as reg shot, but the spread pattern makes it easier to score a hit.

[Cooper911SC]

The last 3 years we're seeing more and more of these guys.

Older neighbor ladies macadamia tree was stripped completely 2 years in a row.
They also get into the avocado trees...

I started with a .177 springer but struggled to get clean 1 shot kills. I’m not into maiming.

(Most of my shots are like a shooting gallery, braced on a 5’ tall wall and shooting 15-20 yards)
Have moved on to a .25 PCP Maurader
.22 would probably work fine... but we also get the occasional raccoon or coyote. I wanted more knock down power.

I killed 25 squirrels the first year and after the first 5 the following year I quit counting...

I know I’m in the 40-50 range now and just the beginning of this year I have noticed a marked drop in the number of squirrels I am seeing.

Like 1-2 a month now rather than 8-10 scampering around.

Good progress!



Tried cooking one up too. Felt bad waisting them...

[Tobra]

A good dog would solve your problem.

Alternatively, get some red fox urine and use it to keep them away.

[Jolly Amaranto]

For some reason the Great Horned Owls around here don't go for the squirrels. By examining the "pellets" they cough up they eat mostly mice and sometimes a dove. I have seen the squirrels chase them off. The Red Tailed Hawks on the other had do grab one now and then. I still shoot around 50 a year with my pellet gun. Seems to not even make a dent. With all the pecan and oak trees around there is more than enough for them to eat.


Stealing tomatoes from the garden.

[flipper35]

Originally Posted by Starless

Thanks all. I stopped by the PD to find out what the law is as far as shooting an air rifle in my yard to kill the squirrels. They said they didn't care, but, if a neighbor complains they will have to come out and investigate. The only problem they can see is that the squirrels are considered game animals and I could be cited for hunting without a license. So, I really only have 2 neighbors and they are never home. So I may just check to see if they're home before shooting, or I may just go over there when they are home and ask if they care. I very much doubt they'll give a damn.

Check with the DNR or your state's small game regs. I bet it is legal to kill them on your property without a license if they are causing damage.

[flipper35]

Oh, we have bald eagles in our area so tree rats aren't much of an issue for us. It is for the neighbors and their cats though. Sometimes they drop a cat on the road in front of you. Who knew?

[john70t]

Originally Posted by scottmandue

We have peacocks...

I knew of a Florida condo complex that had a few peacocks.
Noisy as heck at certain times of the day, but so beautiful to watch prance.
They gobbled up all the cockroaches around trash containers, also millipedes found inside the house like a carpet by returning residents. Kept everything clean.
They got run over.

[Rickysa]

[Rickysa]

getting in trouble at work....dying here

[Rickysa]