Man fined for drowning squirrel

[John Barleycorn]

Somebody should sue the US government over the damage

[Dean Lofthouse]

IYou can not guarantee an "instant" death, even at point blank range, in a cage, the squig can move his head at the precise moment you squeeze the trigger .

 

If you look at my picture above you will see a "comb" being used to push the squirrel into a corner and hold it still so it cant move, a good idea

 

I dont know why people use live traps if they are going to kill the squirrel, why not just use a tunnel trap which despatches the squirrel for you

[High Scale]

I must start watching the news/reading the papers more often.

[ferdinand2000]

They suggest taking it to the vet for a humain injection. They seem to forget it is illegal to transport greys so I don't know how you get it to the vets.

 

Is it illegal to transport squirrels *at all*? Can you take them half a mile down the road in a trap to shoot them somewhere quiet (though it would have to be somewhere where you have permission to shoot, of course, by the Firearms Laws)? Does it have to be killed on the physical spot?

 

I'd also be interested in further reading on which methods to kill squirrels are cruel. When we had squirrel roof problems back in the 1990s, it was "dump entire trap into water butt", and I think the advice was unofficial but from a from an official person.

 

The RSPCA seem to be bigging this up more than a little ; it looks like an exercise in sabre-rattling to scare people.

 

There was no penalty imposed (conditional discharge), not even a fine. The Magistrates imposed a very light penalty wrt to the law (potential 6 months in prison). Even the prosecuting legal rep expressed sympathy for an honest mistake.

 

Compare with a case in 2008 where people made an honest mistake and released more than 20 trapped squirrels over a period of weeks. The potential penalty there was also 6 months in prison under the Wildlife and Countryside Act.

 

What happened? They got an "official verbal warning".

 

Perhaps we need to end the RSPCA role in law enforcement, at least while it is joined at the hip to a political campaigning organisation, or split the organisation?

 

I can see two good things coming from this - 1 That people will know how to despatch squirrels and 2 That we can rid of the taboo.

 

Is there a market opportunity for "air rifle safety and pest control" workshops?

 

One thing that did surprise me was that the provisions already exist in the 2006 Act where the Sec of State can extend protection to "any invertebrate", e.g. jellyfish by extending the legal definition of "animal".

 

Ferdinand

[ging]

first few pages of this thread is lol-worthy!

 

personally i like to drown em in a barrel of their own excrement, usually dont even bother checking what colours in the trap y'know, just wang it in there.......

 

just do as you do chaps and dont tell no one.

[ferdinand2000]

I guess that there is an obvious question:

 

If it is about preventing cruelty to squirrels, is there a video of how to do it humanely, whether by priest or pellet?

 

Also, I note that releasing greys is apparently legal under licence. Parliamentary debate here:

 

Squirrels: 6 Feb 2008: House of Lords debates (TheyWorkForYou.com)

 

And that it is RSPCA policy:

 

Captured squirrels live to nibble again - Times Online

 

Despite the leaflets (this one from 2009) on their website saying that it is illegal:

 

http://www.rspca.org.uk/ImageLocator/LocateAsset?asset=document&assetId=1232713931123&mode=prd

 

There's a bit of sophistry going on there. No wonder the people in the article I mentioned before only got a talking to.

 

Ferdinand

[Mesterh]

I wonder how many would think it ok to put a family pet down by drowning it?

 

Would save on a lot of vet fees for the injection, just bung fidos head down the bog.

 

 

Being cruel to animals isn't that far a step than being cruel to humans imo.

[Mike Hill]

I remember shooting a Grey out of my bedroom window after a Rave once.

I was enjoying the Kaleidoscopic effect though the Scope when I snapped out of it and remembered why I was pointing a Rifle at a Tree at 8am on a Sunday Morning.

[josharb87]

Err wasnt for me.

 

or me . . . both times.

 

id much rather agonising intence pain for my next near death experience than the fear and panic of being trapped underwater . . . fractured skull, broken bones, being in a coma, , , all much much nicer than choking on water, not knowing which way the surface is, being dragged under. still love the water though!!!

 

the rspca have gone ott though

[Sam Thompson]

Personally, I feel the grey squirrel is just a rat with a fluffy tail, I would gladly see every one killed, bring back the reds.

 

Here Here! But they are tasy...

 

Perhaps we need to end the RSPCA role in law enforcement, at least while it is joined at the hip to a political campaigning organisation, or split the organisation?

 

Again, true. I once saw a White Transit van drop 8 Foxes out at 1am (Night Fishing) into a field full of new born lambs City foxes and were easy enough to shoot though

 

 

Sam