Grey squirrel management

[Tippin Alaybye]

Out of rabbit and wood pigeon, squirrel meat is my favourite. I trap and shoot.

[woodwizzard]

21 minutes ago, Tippin Alaybye said:

Out of rabbit, squirrel and wood pigeon, squirrel meat is my favourite. I trap and shoot.

👍

[Paul in the woods]

I tend to find they vary in size a great deal, some small males are not worth preparing for the table but others can be a good size. If you get a dominant male you could even dabble with a squirrel nugget recipe!

 

I find reducing the numbers greatly reduced the damage to trees, so certainly worth doing. Shooting or trapping, I like the Fineren offset wooden boxes and bodygrip traps as they're easy to use. https://www.fourteenacre.co.uk/shop/fineren-bodygrip-box-for-squirrels/

 

Not everyone has the time to deal with them, check traps regularly etc, so well done for offering a service.

[Squirrely]

13 minutes ago, Paul in the woods said:

I tend to find they vary in size a great deal, some small males are not worth preparing for the table but others can be a good size. If you get a dominant male you could even dabble with a squirrel nugget recipe!

 

I find reducing the numbers greatly reduced the damage to trees, so certainly worth doing. Shooting or trapping, I like the Fineren offset wooden boxes and bodygrip traps as they're easy to use. https://www.fourteenacre.co.uk/shop/fineren-bodygrip-box-for-squirrels/

 

Not everyone has the time to deal with them, check traps regularly etc, so well done for offering a service.

 

38 minutes ago, woodwizzard said:

👍

Must give squirrel meat a try. The problem with what I could make out is that only the back legs seem worthwhile. Would it be true that you'd need half a dozen or so for a meal? Back to my original post, if anyone would like me to embark on a grey clearance, completely free, please let me know. 

[Tippin Alaybye]

Slow stew til all the meat falls off the bones. Not just the legs

[Stubby]

Just now, Tippin Alaybye said:

Slow stew til all the meat falls off the bones. Not just the legs

In the " Crock Pot " turn it on in the morning ( having marinaded over night ) go to work , come home and George is your best friends dogs aunties photograph .

[rookery]

What is the best air gun and sights to buy for despatching rabbits and grey squirrels

[Will C]

10 hours ago, Stubby said:

The I.O.W. has reds , dunno if they have greys as well @SamanthaSunny ?

No greys here. We have a charmed life as far a squirrels are concerned.
The reds cause no tree damage apart from a very very occasional nibbled branch, I’ve only seen it in bad drought times possibly when they are desperate for some moisture, prob half a doz times in the last decade. (There is no scientific evidence to this claim just a passing observation)

 

I have had them run up my rope a couple times, always a pleasure to see.

 

 

[sime42]

I'll vouch for squirrels being good eating. Though I had a mate of mine do the butchery, I wouldn't have bothered myself as not much meat on them. I think he used 2 or 3 of them to make a terrine. If was very good.

[sime42]

Anyone know why the buggers do so much bark damaging? The Greys. A guy told me once that it was all to do with territorial behaviour and the fact that they have no natural predators in this country. Frustratingly I've forgotten the details of what he said.

Until recently I didn't realise that they attacked oak trees as well. I thought it was beech and sycamore that they preferred to go for. I was doing a light reduction and thin of an oak a few weeks back and when I got to the top loads of branches were screwed with squirrel damage.