In praise of Grey Squirrels

[Le Sanglier]

Well some interesting views there, loads of bird feeders on the market that are squirrel proof. So they take some eggs or damage some trees, they've been here 60 odd years and no extinctions yet. I like 'em and I say more power to their elbow!

[Albedo]

I guess the thing with an introduced species is whether or not there is a native predator to keep the numbers down.

 

The possum is protected in Oz where it is native and has control factors which I think may be environmental ones...and it's hunted in NZ where it is out of control. It has a price per kilo on its fur in NZ.

 

Our own (meaning my garden) grey squirrel population is quite high at the moment. I guess availability of food, harshness of winter, birds of prey could limit their numbers.

 

Without some kind of natural control they could become quite a problem.

[Rebel_Commando]

One of seven reds I saw in the summer

[nz paul]

I've seen tons of reds with grey tinge in Sweden,all over the show. Not sure if they are native here.Saw plenty of reds in Scotland but no where near as many as here. Amazing to watch them in trees!

[Le Sanglier]

Well pine martens and golden eagles are in rather short supply.

[Ty Korrigan]

TBH...I do miss greys, from a youth I used to trap them in cages then let them loose for my JRT to dispose of in a manner that was as quick and effective as as a .22 and cheaper too.

Ah...happy days:001_smile:

Ty

[Le Sanglier]

TBH...I do miss greys, from a youth I used to trap them in cages then let them loose for my JRT to dispose of in a manner that was as quick and effective as as a .22 and cheaper too.

Ah...happy days:001_smile:

Ty

 

Careful Ty,

Reincarnation and all that! Maybe Krishna's on arbtalk

[dellwood33]

There is of course another option

[Le Sanglier]

There is of course another option

 

There we are! lot more meat on a grey than a red:thumbup:

[Dean Lofthouse]

Squirrels are decimating my trees, they have so far ruined about 100 young trees on my land and I noticed the other day that they are causing massive damage to large mature Beech on the estate that I shoot on. They have stripped the bark off the tops of the branches on nearly the entire crown of a huge number of them, an unbelievable amount of damage.

 

They also take "all" my hazel crop before they are ready, they don't actually take them, they just chew a hole in the shell and drop them to the floor where they just go to waste ?

 

Then there's the nicking eggs and chicks

 

This is damage on my trees, I'll try and get some photos of the beech trees but I,ll need my telephoto lense.

 

We despatch around 2000 per year if we didn't the damage would be horrendous