I need a squirrel gun!

[pro4mance]

Dear Tim,

If you pop the squirrel make sure to keep the tail. Another option is a bow, you could pop the squirrel and nail him to the tree silently. I did that as a teenager and it was pure luck.

Regards,

Norm

 

[outsider]

mikesl wrote:
I think trapping/shooting the squirrels is a short term fix... not that there is anything wrong with short term fixes... but it seems to indicate somethign is out of whack.
Perhaps the more fundmental issue is that you and/or your neighbors have too many squirrel-friendly bird feeders and too few foxes and hawks.

Totally disagree with this post. My father trapped squirrels from his home for decades, and new ones displace the removed ones. And I experience the same thing . They breed more than rabbits. Get rid of the old ones and new ones move in. I don't think there is a long term solution. Hawks prey on them, but foxes are primarily nocturnal animals and squirrels are not. And foxes do not climb trees. The best you can do is keep them under control. But new ones will displace the old ones.

 

[Rilke]

Years ago we had red squirrels getting into the camp. We bought rat traps, the spring loaded ones that look like large mouse traps, and screwed cup eyes into the top side. We would hang them from the eyes against the trees. It seemed to do the trick. Usually had to empty them once or twice a day. It only took about a week and they stopped coming around.

 

[Acristickid]

PA is close to approving the use of a Falconer to eliminate nuisance animals-with the use is a US Fish and Wildlife


Fly like a Falcon Service permit.

 

[poopdeck]

Not to sound like a peta member but Squirrels eating your bird food does not make a nuisance. Killing squirrels because they are getting into your bird feeder sounds a little kooky to me. Having grown up on squirrels eating them is a better idea then nailing their carcasses to a tree. Squirrels in the attic is a good reason to get rid of a few. Squirrels eating bird food is not a good reason. Just my humble opinion, do as you please as long as your within the law.

 

[FarmerDave]

PhilC wrote:
If you really want to get rid of them get a trap.
I had a squirrel infestation at my old house about 10 yrs ago...they drove me nuts (no pun), one day I woke up, to them in the walls and decided to do something about it. Went to walmart and bought the best air gun they had. I got a couple by shooting them in the yard. It was a fun challenge but not as effective. Gotta trap and I was getting one just about every day. Trap em and cap em

I second that and I never heard of anyone shooting their eye out with a squirrel trap.;-)

Next size larger trap would also solve the cat problem, and you could use a squirrel as bait.

 

[FarmerDave]

PennKev wrote:
You can get an honest to god .22 rimfire at that price. Just shoot cb caps and noise will be kept at a minimum.

Pellet guns are not necessarily quite and the ones in your price range may not be the most accurate.

Have you tried to find ammo recently? But Tim, if you go that way, I would be willing to sell you some .22 shorts.;-)

I also have some subsonic rounds. Probably CB, but I can't remember. Personally would use hollow points.

Someone suggested a bow. Yeast back I declared war on the chipmunks around the house (not this house). Bought some shocker tips and cranked down the draw on the old compound bow.

The shocker tips were somewhat of a mistake. I grazed one once and it about skinned the thing alive and it made it down it's hole. I quit using them after that, but never saw that particular chipmunk again.

 

[FarmerDave]

Hey Norm, have you ever tried smoked squirrel?

Would you like to.;-)

 

[FarmerDave]

I just thought of something. My dog, the officially designated dangerous dog pictured in my avatar often catches squirrels. Wanna borrow a dangerous dog? He also thinks cats are game animals.

It's pretty cool when he points at cats.