First thinning of new woodland

[GarethM]

  On 14/12/2024 at 12:15, woody paul said:

You talk to any good game keeper they will not try and catch squirrels this time, as still food about for them. 

Best off shooting them this time of year. 

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You can catch them around buildings as they'll be moving through, but very difficult randomly in a woodland.

 

If you have a track or fence line between woodlands same applies or around a feeding station for wildlife.

 

But shooting best option, I average 120+ a year. Try atleast once a month and I give up at say the 20 mark in a afternoon.

[doobin]

  On 14/12/2024 at 13:13, GarethM said:

You can catch them around buildings as they'll be moving through, but very difficult randomly in a woodland.

 

If you have a track or fence line between woodlands same applies or around a feeding station for wildlife.

 

But shooting best option, I average 120+ a year. Try atleast once a month and I give up at say the 20 mark in an afternoon.

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Bloody hell that s a good bag for an afternoons work! You must be overrun?

[spandit]

  On 14/12/2024 at 12:15, woody paul said:

You talk to any good game keeper they will not try and catch squirrels this time, as still food about for them. 

Best off shooting them this time of year. 

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Thing is, I don't spend all day in the woods and am generally out with the dogs so any squirrels are scared away. I'd shoot them given the chance - toying with the idea of thermal

[GarethM]

  On 14/12/2024 at 14:59, doobin said:

Bloody hell that s a good bag for an afternoons work! You must be overrun?

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Overrun would be an understatement, but I do have some very well fed buzzards and birds of prey so not all bad for an afternoon.

 

But it helps to keep the summer numbers down a bit more, they'll move in slowly between outings but in my mind it helps the reds further away by diluting the numbers.

 

Might be worth a table for one bait station and fill it a few days beforehand, maybe even shooting from a car ?.

 

If you do go thermal spotter, let me know as it's always been a mixed review and I need all the help I can in summer to get on the advantage 🙂.

Edited December 14, 2024 by GarethM

[doobin]

  On 14/12/2024 at 15:32, GarethM said:

Overrun would be an understatement, but I do have some very well fed buzzards and birds of prey so not all bad for an afternoon.

 

But it helps to keep the summer numbers down a bit more, they'll move in slowly between outings but in my mind it helps the reds further away by diluting the numbers.

 

Might be worth a table for one bait station and fill it a few days beforehand, maybe even shooting from a car ?.

 

If you do go thermal spotter, let me know as it's always been a mixed review and I need all the help I can in summer to get on the advantage 🙂.

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A thermal is a hell of a tool, but sunlight aiming at the canopy can be hard to read the pattern and it can still be hard to spot a small target like a squirrel unless it's against a large constant background. A lot of the time the squirrel will have clocked you and it'll only be the head poking out from behind the trunk.

 

For winter foxing etc they simply can't be beat.

[GarethM]

  On 14/12/2024 at 15:43, doobin said:

A thermal is a hell of a tool, but sunlight aiming at the canopy can be hard to read the pattern and it can still be hard to spot a small target like a squirrel unless it's against a large constant background. A lot of the time the squirrel will have clocked you and it'll only be the head poking out from behind the trunk.

 

For winter foxing etc they simply can't be beat.

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That's why I thought I'd wait for someone else to real world a cheap one 🙂.

 

I'm a good shot, so tend to just have a circular route around the farm. With a cleared track to make it almost silent, stop and listen and repeat.

 

Walking silently is a skill everyone needs to learn for hunting.

Edited December 14, 2024 by GarethM

[Doug Tait]

  On 14/12/2024 at 15:32, GarethM said:

maybe even shooting from a car

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A drive by shooting on squirrels, love it.

Only question is Uzi or a mac10, blud?

[GarethM]

  On 14/12/2024 at 16:59, Doug Tait said:

 

A drive by shooting on squirrels, love it.

Only question is Uzi or a mac10, blud?

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Providing you've a FAC slot in .22LR you can have either. Barn door might come to mind tho 

[spudulike]

You could try something like this....

 

[peds]

Is it available in a sub 12ft/lb version?