Greys Vs Reds - Come on you Martens!

[Mick Dempsey]

Grey squirrels are hardly hard to catch infact 1 of the easist animals to trap.

 

My poiint about the rabbit catchers was that was the days pre mixi and definately pre VHD, and whole regions worked together to keep rabbits at a sustainable level. These boys were taking phenominal nuumbers of rabbits every day.

It would be possibly but to many bunny huggers wouldnae allow it, and would get upset by it.

 

 

So are rats but try catching all of them.

I ferreted as a lad, caught a few rabbits but was not making a dent on their population.

[Coletti]

Assuming we go do the intro PM route, wot happens in 10,20,30 years time if they are so succesfull and PM have bred to such numbers to wipe out the greys

 

I know I'm just picking at one part of this post but if the above does happen then partial normality will be restored. The pine marten population was UK wide long before the introduction of the greys and personally I'm all for it. Would sooner see our native reds and pine martens than the greys and if I'm not mistaken there is a national cull in force on greys that was instigated by prince Charles I believe. No use in waiting though, I hear squirrel is quite nice

[Coletti]

And referring to another post, maybe the re introduction of the pm would mean fewer numbers of rabbits and rats? It's an eco system messed up by humanity in my opinion, it managed fine before we started messing with it.

[pete23]

11 greys have got lead poisoning here, think the figures will rise.

[John Shutler]

Both NZ and OZ routinely air drop poisoned baits to kill non natives, while that would never work here i wish some folk would grow a pair and make some harsh choices to protect wot's left

 

 

How do the native species know not to eat the poisoned bait?

 

Oh yeah they don't

 

Ever been to an area that's had a drop of 1080?

 

 

 

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[timbernut]

These may be available in the UK some time in the future, spoke to a man who brought one back from NZ after seeing how effective they are , but obviously not legal here. But probably easier for me to get than a breeding pair of pine martens!

[timbernut]

Meant to say they auto reset and you just find a pile o dead varmints at the bottom of the tree!

[drinksloe]

I know I'm just picking at one part of this post but if the above does happen then partial normality will be restored. The pine marten population was UK wide long before the introduction of the greys and personally I'm all for it. Would sooner see our native reds and pine martens than the greys and if I'm not mistaken there is a national cull in force on greys that was instigated by prince Charles I believe. No use in waiting though, I hear squirrel is quite nice

 

 

While i agree with u it would be nice i fear the price u'd pay would also be next to no song birds. When u look at the BTO red/amber list at all the once common garden birds that have declined 60,70, or 90% in last 30 or so years, i doubt such a ferocious and able hunter like the PM would be the deathnell for a lot of species

 

 

There is hardly a natural part of the uk, all is managed land so expecting nature to find a natural balance is fairly naive

[drinksloe]

How do the native species know not to eat the poisoned bait?

 

Oh yeah they don't

 

Ever been to an area that's had a drop of 1080?

 

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Arbtalk

 

 

 

Aye been throu some areas a few years after drops and been in a few areas where got a lot of land based feed stations.

 

Got mixed views on it, on 1 hand think its great that NZ gov/DoC are trying to look after there native fuana after we have made such a mess of it. Really is an amzing place that i'd hate to see destroyed, by all the stupid thing we released.

 

But i do feel bad for the animals die like that, but in fairness in NZ (almost) any mammal thats eats it is invasive and non native.

Can't see any other real alternative as country is so vast and in accessable.

 

 

When i was out in OZ they 'claimed' most native animals had some resistance to it as it was derived from the flame retardant in tree bark, so most predators have evolved a restistance to it over the years where cats and foxes don't.

[Mark Bolam]

How do the native species know not to eat the poisoned bait?

 

Oh yeah they don't

 

Ever been to an area that's had a drop of 1080?

 

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Arbtalk

 

 

I drank gallons of 1080 when I was 18/19.

Never did me any harm.