Squirrel Be Gone

[Black Adder]

Crows are birds, too, and very interesting. I don't consider them opponents. My rule of thumb: Rodents, no; Birds, yes

They are opponents in my yard. Corvids are an intelligent family of birds; only parrots demonstrate higher problem solving abilities - but that same intelligence has resulted in feeders lying on the ground or stripped clean on their stands. I've seen them tear baby rabbits and fledgling mourning doves to pieces with the full audio accompaniment of screaming and distress cries. I generally don't like to anthropomorphize, but their arrival is like having a Mongol horde descending on a Perkins Restaurant.

Don

 

[Shiloh]

They are opponents in my yard. Corvids are an intelligent family of birds; only parrots demonstrate higher problem solving abilities - but that same intelligence has resulted in feeders lying on the ground or stripped clean on their stands. I've seen them tear baby rabbits and fledgling mourning doves to pieces with the full audio accompaniment of screaming and distress cries. I generally don't like to anthropomorphize, but their arrival is like having a Mongol horde descending on a Perkins Restaurant.

Don

The great circle of life...some eat, some get eaten. And rabbits -- just like squirrels -- are rodents and have value only as food for predators...and good riddance.

 

[simon1]

The great circle of life...some eat, some get eaten. And rabbits -- just like squirrels -- are rodents and have value only as food for predators...and good riddance.

I shoot predators on sight, except for protected red tailed hawks and the occasional, very occasional, bald eagle around here. A couple of weeks ago a skunk killed three of my kittens that were about 8 weeks old that momma had stashed under the porch, and it had another one in its mouth when I saw it and beat it off the kitten. If I'd have went back inside to grab a gun it would have killed that one also. I've got some live traps to put out for them but haven't seen any again, and the ranch manager next to me said they killed two skunks the other day so that may have been them. They also carry rabies and several are diagnosed with it every year around this area...about this time of year. With a live trap I don't have to worry about catching someone's roaming pet in the area and can dispose of the skunk real quick from a distance.

Wife let out one of our house cats to go potty one morning a few days ago, that just turned 2 years old and we had bottle raised since before it had its eyes open, and it disappeared. I later noticed one of the adult outside cats was missing. Probably coyotes, and they kill a lot of baby calves this time of year. A piece of red cellophane over the lens of a light and my Dad's old Winchester model 70 in .270 with the scope I bought from the SWAT sniper at work a few years ago when they upgraded will probably get put to good use.

 

[DoctorShavegood]

Mike, I hope Orangy is Ok.

 

[njpaddy]

I solved my squirrels on the roof problem by cutting down the tree closest to my house where they liked to nest. Squirrels weren't the reason I cut it down, just a side-benefit.

Groundhogs, skunks, opossums? I used to catch them in a Havaheart trap then kill them, but since I put wire mesh along the bottom of my shed they leave me alone.

 

[DoctorShavegood]

All the finches are coming in to feed today. A wonderful sight. The squirrels have given up completely with the new feeder. A good birdy day.

 

[DoctorShavegood]

The Squirrel Buster has met a new challenger:

Spoiler

RATS!!!

 

[Black Adder]

The Squirrel Buster has met a new challenger:

RATS!!!

Yikes!! Is that your feeder, Aaron? That thing will gnaw right through the wood or the wire. Time to up your game, I think. Trapping or an air rifle is in order here.

Don

 

[foverman]

The natural enemy scarecrow works great I have some, other birds like to sit on it and poop on them.

And you gotta keep cleaning the bird poop off or the squirrels figure the game out faster.

Get a "have a heart" trap and "remove/dispose" of them from your property.

You could shave him and then drop him on the other side of town. He'd be too embarrassed to come back to your neighborhood anytime soon!

Guys - anyone know the best pre-shave prep for a squirrel? (Wait - that sounds like I'm handing someone a straight line.)

 

[Shiloh]

The Squirrel Buster has met a new challenger:

Spoiler

RATS!!!View attachment 579848

Looks like a squirrel with a summer haircut...a rodent is a rodent is a rodent...they're all worthless except as food for predators (and maybe as pellet gun targets)

 

[marksman1122]

The beauty of living in the country is getting to use one of my trusty 22s to dispose of of varmints and pests. Had to put down a huge feral cat that that was beating up our indoor/outdoor cat a while back, we've got all sorts of critters out here that like to come around and generally run amok.

 

[DoctorShavegood]

Yikes!! Is that your feeder, Aaron? That thing will gnaw right through the wood or the wire. Time to up your game, I think. Trapping or an air rifle is in order here.

Don

No, that's not my squirrel buster feeder. That's just a picture I scrounged up of a rat on crappy feeder. For the most part the new feeder is keeping the rat out but somehow he is able to get one paw in there and grab a seed or two..

I can't use my 30.06 because the neighbors live 100 feet behind me...lol

 

[Black Adder]

I can't use my 30.06 because the neighbors live 100 feet behind me...lol

Yes... that does kind of put a dampener on things.

Don

 

[DaltonGang]

Look up a live trap, called "The Squirrelinator". I bought one, a few summers ago, and have caught at least a hundred or more with it. Best trap ever, and I have caught multiple tree rats at a time. Easy to use.
I got other family members to get one too. My elderly mother has already caught over 45 this year.

 

[foverman]

Maybe you could ship all your squirrels to this town.

http://www.viralnova.com/squirrel-bridge/?mb=fbko

 

[BullGoose]

We do not have a problem with squirrels. This was at the Redondo Beach Dog Park just last Monday.

 

[DoctorShavegood]

Well, I put out some Nyjer seed last week in my "Squirrel Buster" Feeder. I saw nothing for about a week until yesterday morning. I'm getting 6 pairs of Goldfinches both mail and female. It's a feeding frenzy.

 

[Mick]

I let my "posse" take care of the "light stuff"

 

[Graybeard57]

Our squirrels would laugh at these statues. We've just learned to live with them, because we can't seem to defeat them. If you find something that works, please pass it on!

 

[Billski]

I live in an apartment complex with 8 large buildings. There are 12 apartments in each building.

The owner of these buildings was troubled by squirrels, so he chopped down all the good Bradford pear trees.

He chopped down about 15really healthy trees. I couldn't believe it. The tree lovers of the world hate to see such a thing!