Author Topic: Beating off The American Invaders (Read 757 times)

bounder · « **on:** November 11, 2002, 06:14:59 AM »

Further to the squirrel story:

It's interesting to note that this was a Grey Squirrel. The Grey Squirrel is an American species and is well known (in spite of reports to the contrary) to have a very aggressive and belligerent nature.

So no surprise there then

It has pushed the timorous and beautiful indigenous Red Squirrel to edge of exctinction in England, all the while leaving a trail of destruction through British birdlife (unlike Reds, they are notorious egg eaters).

I see it as my personal responsibility to snuff out these unwelcome American invaders, and as a child I was able to collect £1 a tail from my local landowners for services rendered. Alas , nowadays I have to resort to feeding them poison bait in the park, just like I do to the pigeons round our way.

American Grey Squirrels can be killed, or at least horribly maimed by several methods, my favourite being the 'dog impersonation' method (Dip Tail in Petrol, Ignite. Squirrel goes: "WHOOOF")

Anyone else got any favourite vermin elimination techniques for Grey Squirrels?

Reschke · « **Reply #1 on:** November 11, 2002, 07:14:51 AM »

The best way to kill a squirrel is to get either a shotgun or a small caliber rifle (.22 is my favorite) and go hunting. Squirrel's make great dinners when they are combined with vegetables and dumplings. My grandmother used to make squirrel dumplings when I was living at home and could go hunting and eliminate the massive number we had living in the pecan trees around our house.

ra · « **Reply #2 on:** November 11, 2002, 07:17:47 AM »

My neighborhood is full of both grey squirrels and birds. Maybe English bird eggs taste better than US bird eggs.

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Anyone else got any favourite vermin elimination techniques for Grey Squirrels?

Use whatever method you used as a child.

ra

Mighty1 · « **Reply #3 on:** November 11, 2002, 07:21:12 AM »

Bounder wrote:

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Anyone else got any favourite vermin elimination techniques for Grey Squirrels?

Yes we sent ours to England!:p

capt. apathy · « **Reply #4 on:** November 11, 2002, 07:30:27 AM »

i got this video off morpheus- a guy sets up his auto-launcher(for skeet shooting) on his back porch with a trail of nuts going onto the arm of the launcher. the squirl follows the trail and the guy fires him off when he picks up the last one. funny as all hell

sling322 · « **Reply #5 on:** November 11, 2002, 07:53:55 AM »

My only question is: Why on Earth would you want to beat off a squirrel?

Sox62 · « **Reply #6 on:** November 11, 2002, 07:55:40 AM »

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Originally posted by Mighty1
Bounder wrote:

Yes we sent ours to England!:p

LOL!!!

Funny-I have a 210' wooded lot,with a ravine behind it.Lots of trees,squirrels and birds.I can see many nests in the spring,and I haven't seen one plundered yet by a squirrel.

bounder · « **Reply #7 on:** November 11, 2002, 07:59:23 AM »

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Originally posted by ra
My neighborhood is full of both grey squirrels and birds. Maybe English bird eggs taste better than US bird eggs.

Use whatever method you used as a child.

ra

ra- Given a choice, Squirrels will eat the same thing as rats, human food garbage.

FWIW i used to use a theoben sirocco .22, Singlepoint SP280 binocular fusion gunsight, old stock of SABO pellets.
Those SABO pellets were amazing, flattest trajectory i've ever seen (when they worked).

ra · « **Reply #8 on:** November 11, 2002, 08:06:22 AM »

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FWIW i used to use a theoben sirocco .22...

Would there be any reason not to use this method for squirrel control now?

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Squirrels will eat the same thing as rats, human food garbage.

Yet another grey squirrel behavior I've never witnessed. WTF are you doing to our grey squirrels over there? Over here they just pillage bird feeders and collect acorns. Sounds like you have racoons.

ra

gofaster · « **Reply #9 on:** November 11, 2002, 08:34:53 AM »

Get in close and see the fear in their eyes.

AKDejaVu · « **Reply #10 on:** November 11, 2002, 08:53:18 AM »

What you chose to do with grey squirrells in England is entirely your buisness. Just don't come over to the states and try that... you'll get arrested.

As far as who invaded what... seems the Brits are having a problem distinguishing between "sent over" and "brought back". Much unlike us in the states... we didn't "bring back" dandylions, blackberries nor broom. Thanks for the horses though... they're pretty cool.

And this squirrell paranoia is getting a bit outlandish. But don't worry... there is help out there.

AKDejaVu

-dead- · « **Reply #11 on:** November 11, 2002, 08:55:28 AM »

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Originally posted by sling322
My only question is: Why on Earth would you want to beat off a squirrel?

LOL! You obviously haven't seen enough of the internet. There's all sorts of strange stuff out there.

Reschke · « **Reply #12 on:** November 11, 2002, 09:56:01 AM »

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Originally posted by bounder
ra- Given a choice, Squirrels will eat the same thing as rats, human food garbage.

Never in all my life have I seen a squirrel eat the same stuff as rats. I have seen them take human food when it was left out but I have never seen them go through garbage looking for food. If they have no other food choices then they might but never as a first choice.

Also the only time I have seen people get chewed up by squirrels was when they were being a handsomehunk and trying to feed one by hand. I have caught baby squirrels and turned them into pets but only once the mother was dead and these were babies were never given a chance to develop wild tendencies. Once they leave the nest and get out they may get familiar with humans but are never totally domesticated.

I still contend that either a shotgun or .22 caliber rifle or pellet gun is the easiest way to eliminate the overpopulation issue. Provide every young boy with a guide and a gun and soon grey squirrels in England will be an afterthought of years gone by.

midnight Target · « **Reply #13 on:** November 11, 2002, 09:59:13 AM »

Grey's are highly intelligent, and fill the same biological niche here in the states as monkeys do in South America.

I have seen long intricate obstical courses set up with a bird food treat at the end. These courses would include many different learned behaviors including latches, rope swings etc. Untrained squirrels would work out the puzzle in the matter of a few days.

Wlfgng · « **Reply #14 on:** November 11, 2002, 10:26:05 AM »

squirrels wont even touch our trash.. lol
maybe 'cuz the bears scare them off

they're not above stealing out of the greenhouse though!