Grey Squirrels

[shavey]

we got several kania traps around i was told to put strawberries in there as squirrels are tempted to strawberries or nuts smothered in peanut butter i wandered if anybody else had heard this idea

[shavey]

Best way with greys is to get some Fenn MK 4 traps bury them for a couple of weeks to get the new smell off, in the meantime build yourself some plywood boxes about 18 inches long and just wide enough to sit the trap in when set and just tall enough when the lids closed to allow it to spring without the squirrel jumping clear, cut a 2 inch hole in each end set your traps in these and set them along hedge lines, ride sides or near trees you know the squirrels frequent, no need to bait they will go inout of natural curiosity, once trapped 280 greys in a mature oak wood this way in 6 months

 

this sounds a very good solution to the squirrel problem very good idea :thumbup:

[Logan]

Hi All,

 

Take a look at this: Grey Squirrel Bark Stripping - YouTube

 

Anyone suffer bad damage this year?

Any thoughts on most effective control methods?

 

Thanks

 

Glad you put this post Crobinson and the good replies. Have been seeing some great form young hardwoods peeled ragged like a banana in recent years by the gangs of greys that seem to move about. The FC recommended to me to try kania traps, but haven't tried yet.

 

Air rifle pellets need to be very well aimed to kill them. Tough skinned critters.

 

We've saved up a sack of sweet chestnuts and in the spring given them to our friend the shootist, and he's had a productive time at close range, actually sitting in a caravan with the window open and stove going. But as you've said, it's really another unpaid full time job.

 

Now if there were a bounty on them?!

 

Cheers, John.

 

Have heard that 2 good shotguns and a third on a high pruning pole poking the drays works well in winter, but the only time I saw this done they didn't have much success. Drays were out of reach!

Edited July 19, 2014 by Logan
awful predictive text changing words!

[codlasher]

The so-called 'modern game keeper', who is only really a pheasant rearer for London shooting syndicates, has to be called out and take much of the blame for the population explosion. They couldn't be bothered to do proper keeping for a decade, if at all! The shoot captains who employed these people should also take a considerable amount of the same blame too for being ignorant to the forests needs and this horrendous problem. The next generations 'big trees' simply won't be there when this crop is either felled or comes to its natural end.

 

I think its a bit harsh to blame the keeper for an explosion in the squirrel population. You could also blame every person who owns a garden that a squirrel goes through the amount of keepered land in this countryhas been going down for at least 40 years and at the end of the day a keeper could kill a 1000 squirrels and not one single bill has been paid.

 

gas powered traps will be the way forward in all grey forests just check them once a month the trials in new Zealand were very positive but it takes so long to get a trap approved its like waitig for Christmas but its not coming.

 

Fair comment!

It's upsetting though, when the young Oak/Beech stands that were planted in the late 70's are almost all completely destroyed thirty years later, just when the young trees are half way up to their parents and the tops fall out! Within the five mile circle of the keepers beat........

codlasher

[crobinson]

Work in The National Forest with ,000s Hectares of 15+ year old woodland and a lot more coming of age which is at huge risk. Deer less of an issue here, greys are the real enemy.

 

Was just looking to see if the industry had anything radical which had worked. Thanks for very interesting replies.

 

I note the mention of the NZ CO2 trap, currently under development for use on greys over here - could be 18 months... But will it be worth the wait, I hope so.

[matelot]

Work in The National Forest with ,000s Hectares of 15+ year old woodland and a lot more coming of age which is at huge risk. Deer less of an issue here, greys are the real enemy.

 

Was just looking to see if the industry had anything radical which had worked. Thanks for very interesting replies.

 

I note the mention of the NZ CO2 trap, currently under development for use on greys over here - could be 18 months... But will it be worth the wait, I hope so.

 

I wish I stayed closer if I had a couple of thousand hectares to shoot squirrels my shotgun barrel would be red hot. Have you thought of advertising on some of the shooting websites? There must be plenty people that would be willing to shoot tree rats.

 

Ten years ago we would see about 40 squirrels where we go shooting. Nowadays we rarely see any, but we now see lots of buzzards. My theory is that the buzzards are eating the squirrels. It could be an idea to encourage buzzards? I'd imagine a squirrel would be a tasty meal for a lot of birds of prey.

[crobinson]

I wish I stayed closer if I had a couple of thousand hectares to shoot squirrels my shotgun barrel would be red hot. Have you thought of advertising on some of the shooting websites? There must be plenty people that would be willing to shoot tree rats.

 

Ten years ago we would see about 40 squirrels where we go shooting. Nowadays we rarely see any, but we now see lots of buzzards. My theory is that the buzzards are eating the squirrels. It could be an idea to encourage buzzards? I'd imagine a squirrel would be a tasty meal for a lot of birds of prey.

 

Not all our land - looking at collaborative approaches across multiple land ownerships - same principle as deer management groups. Also the same principle that if one landowner managed the population, then it creates a pocket for neighbouring squirrels to move into.

 

Anyone know anymore about the Goodnature traps from NZ?

[Paul in the woods]

Sorry to resurrect an old thread but I thought best to keep a single thread with various options.

 

I've had success with these traps (wooden box and the BMI 116 trap): Fourteenacre | Fineren Bodygrip Box for Squirrels

 

The trap is enclosed in a box with an offset entrance which prevents bycatch.

 

Baited with hazelnuts and peanuts and with a few minutes practice very easy to set and not as expensive as a Kania. Also the dead squirrel is hidden from view (from people as well as other squirrels).