Squirrels

Daisyman · Post by **Daisyman** » Sat Jan 02, 2016 5:24 pm

If you will remember earlier this fall, I had a post about the amount of squirrels I had relocated from my place. Well, the year is over and the official count.......90!!! Beats the previous record by 41. This has been an ongoing thing for several years. Twenty one, then 25, 27, 49, and now 90. I think I'm losing the battle!

JReed · Post by **JReed** » Sat Jan 02, 2016 5:35 pm

Wow! Do you have any local raptors to help thinthe population?

AJMD429 · Post by **AJMD429** » Sat Jan 02, 2016 5:38 pm

Are you 'relocating' them to the freezer...??

JReed · Post by **JReed** » Sat Jan 02, 2016 5:40 pm

AJMD429 wrote:Are you 'relocating' them to the freezer...??

One would hope so

Blaine · Post by **Blaine** » Sat Jan 02, 2016 5:51 pm

Yum.....Squill stew....

Daisyman · Post by **Daisyman** » Sat Jan 02, 2016 6:11 pm

AJMD429 wrote:Are you 'relocating' them to the freezer...??

Nope, didn't think it would be cool to squirrel hunt out of season.

I thought they might not be the only ones in hot water!!

Daisyman · Post by **Daisyman** » Sat Jan 02, 2016 6:19 pm

JReed wrote:Wow! Do you have any local raptors to help thinthe population?

We have redtail and sparrow hawks and some others I can't name in the country. Once in a while one will be in town when the winters get tough. I saw one snag a starling out of the walnut tree in my back yard a few years ago. What a sight!! I was rooting for him all the way and hoping he'd come back and get the rest of them.

Old No7 · Post by **Old No7** » Sat Jan 02, 2016 6:43 pm

Daisyman wrote:
AJMD429 wrote:Are you 'relocating' them to the freezer...??
Nope, didn't think it would be cool to squirrel hunt out of season. I thought they might not be the only ones in hot water!!

Just use the Leverguns Official "3 S" System...

Shoot!

- - - - - Shovel! (or Stew!)

- - - - - - - - - - - - - Shut Up about it!

"Relocating" the way you're doing it, isn't permanent...

Old No7

Daisyman · Post by **Daisyman** » Sat Jan 02, 2016 6:47 pm

Old No7 wrote:
Daisyman wrote:
AJMD429 wrote:Are you 'relocating' them to the freezer...??
Nope, didn't think it would be cool to squirrel hunt out of season. I thought they might not be the only ones in hot water!!
Just use the Leverguns Official "3 S" System...

Shoot!

- - - - - Shovel! (or Stew!)

- - - - - - - - - - - - - Shut Up about it!

"Relocating" the way you're doing it, isn't permanent...

Old No7

You might be right.....I DID see a map nailed to a tree in the timber I take them to.......you don't reckon????

Pete44ru · Post by **Pete44ru** » Sun Jan 03, 2016 5:36 pm

.

I wonder how many of the 90 found their way back ?

I have one genius in my neighborhood, who live traps Squills, then releases them in a patch of woods down the street. (DOH)

.

BAGTIC · Post by **BAGTIC** » Mon Jan 04, 2016 7:53 pm

Get yourself a sack of shelled corn, a squirrel feeder, and a feist dog. Squirrel season is 12 months a year for dogs and no bag limit.

m.wun · Post by **m.wun** » Mon Jan 04, 2016 11:31 pm

Break out the clay thrower, put a few peanuts in the arm and when skill enters give the string a yank.
They will start to get a little edgey.

fordwannabe · Post by **fordwannabe** » Tue Jan 05, 2016 12:02 pm

My paternal Grandfather would catch them in homemade box traps, paint the tail red with spray paint and the release them back into his own yard. I asked why and he would never say. He did get a smile on his face when he would see one of the red tails flickering away in the trees though. TOM

fordwannabe · Post by **fordwannabe** » Tue Jan 05, 2016 6:46 pm

Grandfather had his way I have mine...quartered dried dredged in flour,pepper,salt, then relocated to a black skillet with hot oil in it.

HMMM relocating at its best.

Rusty · Post by **Rusty** » Tue Jan 05, 2016 8:48 pm

fordwannabe wrote:Grandfather had his way I have mine...quartered dried dredged in flour,pepper,salt, then relocated to a black skillet with hot oil in it. HMMM relocating at its best.

Everything tastes better with bacon grease.

Daisyman · Post by **Daisyman** » Tue Jan 05, 2016 8:48 pm

Trust me, I thought about it. It might be worth it to get in trouble for a purty girl, but not for a durned squirrel.

Daisyman · Post by **Daisyman** » Tue Jan 05, 2016 8:57 pm

Pete44ru wrote:.

I wonder how many of the 90 found their way back ?

I have one genius in my neighborhood, who live traps Squills, then releases them in a patch of woods down the street. (DOH)

I wonder how many of them beat him home!!!

.

cas · Post by **cas** » Tue Jan 05, 2016 10:14 pm

I think you should stop. It's pretty obvious you're just making things worse.

Post by **Ysabel Kid** » Wed Jan 06, 2016 8:58 pm

Old No7 wrote:
Daisyman wrote:
AJMD429 wrote:Are you 'relocating' them to the freezer...??
Nope, didn't think it would be cool to squirrel hunt out of season. I thought they might not be the only ones in hot water!!
Just use the Leverguns Official "3 S" System...

Shoot!

- - - - - Shovel! (or Stew!)

- - - - - - - - - - - - - Shut Up about it!

"Relocating" the way you're doing it, isn't permanent...

Old No7

+1

I am taking them out any time I see them at this point. Figure that since they've invaded my attic, all I'm doing is pest control. The government can screw themselves if they think I'm going to sit by and let them destroy my house.

Besides, where I live it is illegal to relocate pests. I'm just following the law.

Nath · Post by **Nath** » Fri Jan 08, 2016 2:41 am

Sometimes one has to just use ones own common sense and not any one else's!

N.

Griff · Post by **Griff** » Fri Jan 08, 2016 6:44 am

Down at my place, it ain't the city that gets all up in arms about shooting the squirrels... it's the WIFE! An off-hand comment and she went nuts. Crows, pigeons, sea gulls, coyotes are all fair game... but not her squirrels! But, there's only one or two... on occasion.

Daisyman, get rid of the fruit and nut trees. No food source, and they abandon home pretty quick.

Pete44ru · Post by **Pete44ru** » Sat Jan 09, 2016 10:43 am

.

This guy's been hanging around near my backyard for the past 2-3 years, now.

.

M. M. Wright · Post by **M. M. Wright** » Sat Jan 09, 2016 11:27 am

40 or 50 years ago I had a colony of flying squirrels on my place. They disappeared for no apparent reason except we had, (still do) a LOT of owls. Great Horned, Barred, and the little Screech Owls just abound here. Of course I have lots of acorns, hickory nuts, walnuts and pecans which keep me supplied with a plethora of squirrels, both gray and red (fox) with the occasional black. They all taste the same. I never killed or ate the fliers so anyone know what happened to them?

Booger Bill · Post by **Booger Bill** » Sat Jan 09, 2016 11:39 am

One squirrel cost me big time a year or two ago. It got under the hood of my truck and chewed up my wiring and ate a large area of insulation under my hood. Probably used the insulation for a nest.

1894 · Post by **1894** » Mon Jan 11, 2016 1:51 pm

Pete44ru wrote:.

This guy's been hanging around near my backyard for the past 2-3 years, now.

.

A white "grey " squirrel ? I know the black ones are the same as the grey except for color , is that one like that , or pink eyed albino ?

BAGTIC · Post by **BAGTIC** » Mon Jan 11, 2016 3:36 pm

My flyers disappeared when I got a new roof and had my fireplace capped and sealed. Cute little buggers, I got a couple of photos of them watching me from the hearth and the nearby storage closet.

BAGTIC · Post by **BAGTIC** » Mon Jan 11, 2016 3:40 pm

Check the web. Several towns have populations of the leucistic (white) squirrels.

Pete44ru · Post by **Pete44ru** » Mon Jan 11, 2016 5:41 pm

.

I suspect that it's not an albino, as, although I never actually looked closely at it's eyes, I most likely would have noticed if they were pink (I've been as close as 20', walking around by backyard).

.

Daisyman · Post by **Daisyman** » Mon Jan 11, 2016 9:09 pm

Griff wrote:Down at my place, it ain't the city that gets all up in arms about shooting the squirrels... it's the WIFE! An off-hand comment and she went nuts. Crows, pigeons, sea gulls, coyotes are all fair game... but not her squirrels! But, there's only one or two... on occasion.

Daisyman, get rid of the fruit and nut trees. No food source, and they abandon home pretty quick.

Well, I would kinda' hate to do that...my wife and I planted that pin oak in the back yard in 1977. It's now a beautiful specimen and is just part of the family. The WALNUT tree, however, could go in a minute except that............it's my neighbors tree and lives about 5 feet from the lot line. Half the walnuts fall in my yard where I hit them with the mower if I don't pick them up first.

He's got a bad case of "yellow dog" and doesn't clean up anything. I used to throw them back in his yard, but the squirrels would pick them up, run up the part of the tree over my yard and eat them there and I had them back again.

Sooooo, the wife picks them up and I mow to my hearts content. I've got a bagger on it so I get most of the rubble that's left.
Irv

Daisyman · Post by **Daisyman** » Mon Jan 11, 2016 9:17 pm

Booger Bill wrote:One squirrel cost me big time a year or two ago. It got under the hood of my truck and chewed up my wiring and ate a large area of insulation under my hood. Probably used the insulation for a nest.

I know a guy about 6 blocks from here that had about the same thing. They were building a nest under the hood of his truck. He saw him go under there so he popped the hood and the little beggar stood up on the air cleaner and gave him a squirrel cussin'. I never did know how he came out on that one..

That wiring thing can be nasty, very expensive!

Old No7 · Post by **Old No7** » Mon Jan 11, 2016 9:22 pm

Daisyman wrote:
Griff wrote:Down at my place, it ain't the city that gets all up in arms about shooting the squirrels... it's the WIFE! An off-hand comment and she went nuts. Crows, pigeons, sea gulls, coyotes are all fair game... but not her squirrels! But, there's only one or two... on occasion.

Daisyman, get rid of the fruit and nut trees. No food source, and they abandon home pretty quick.
Well, I would kinda' hate to do that...my wife and I planted that pin oak in the back yard in 1977. It's now a beautiful specimen and is just part of the family. The WALNUT tree, however, could go in a minute except that............it's my neighbors tree and lives about 5 feet from the lot line. Half the walnuts fall in my yard where I hit them with the mower if I don't pick them up first. He's got a bad case of "yellow dog" and doesn't clean up anything. I used to throw them back in his yard, but the squirrels would pick them up, run up the part of the tree over my yard and eat them there and I had them back again. Sooooo, the wife picks them up and I mow to my hearts content. I've got a bagger on it so I get most of the rubble that's left.
Irv

Here's an idea...
(a) Pick up those walnuts
(b) Buy a Sling Shot
(c) HAVE AT IT!!!

Or, shoot the squirrels with a paintball gun, using a different color every month. At least then, you'll which ones are coming back...

Old No7

Daisyman · Post by **Daisyman** » Mon Jan 11, 2016 9:27 pm

1894 wrote:
Pete44ru wrote:.

This guy's been hanging around near my backyard for the past 2-3 years, now.

.
A white "grey " squirrel ? I know the black ones are the same as the grey except for color , is that one like that , or pink eyed albino ?

Are you sure about the blacks and the greys being the same? There's a town about 100 miles from here that has black ones and they are the same size as fox squirrels.

Griff · Post by **Griff** » Mon Jan 11, 2016 9:33 pm

Daisyman wrote:
Booger Bill wrote:One squirrel cost me big time a year or two ago. It got under the hood of my truck and chewed up my wiring and ate a large area of insulation under my hood. Probably used the insulation for a nest.
I know a guy about 6 blocks from here that had about the same thing. They were building a nest under the hood of his truck. He saw him go under there so he popped the hood and the little beggar stood up on the air cleaner and gave him a squirrel cussin'. I never did know how he came out on that one..

That wiring thing can be nasty, very expensive!

I had a nest of 'em in my shop, on top of a 4-tube 4' fluorescent fixture... right over my RockChucker! Never noticed it till one day, loading, a bunch of twigs started fallin' on my head! Enough light in the shop that I could see the thing, but wasn't sure what it was, other'n a bunch of twigs. Swept it off and found about 5 baby squirrels in it, no hair, so pretty new. Kilt them and cleaned up the shop, no problem since. Might be a nest over the feed stall, but it doesn't have any access from above, as it's all plywood floor, walls and ceiling, with galvanized sheet metal covering that. I never find them in the barn anymore, so maybe not.

Daisyman · Post by **Daisyman** » Mon Jan 11, 2016 9:42 pm

Old No7 wrote:
Daisyman wrote:
Griff wrote:Down at my place, it ain't the city that gets all up in arms about shooting the squirrels... it's the WIFE! An off-hand comment and she went nuts. Crows, pigeons, sea gulls, coyotes are all fair game... but not her squirrels! But, there's only one or two... on occasion.

Daisyman, get rid of the fruit and nut trees. No food source, and they abandon home pretty quick.
Well, I would kinda' hate to do that...my wife and I planted that pin oak in the back yard in 1977. It's now a beautiful specimen and is just part of the family. The WALNUT tree, however, could go in a minute except that............it's my neighbors tree and lives about 5 feet from the lot line. Half the walnuts fall in my yard where I hit them with the mower if I don't pick them up first. He's got a bad case of "yellow dog" and doesn't clean up anything. I used to throw them back in his yard, but the squirrels would pick them up, run up the part of the tree over my yard and eat them there and I had them back again. Sooooo, the wife picks them up and I mow to my hearts content. I've got a bagger on it so I get most of the rubble that's left.
Irv
Here's an idea...
(a) Pick up those walnuts
(b) Buy a Sling Shot
(c) HAVE AT IT!!!

Or, shoot the squirrels with a paintball gun, using a different color every month. At least then, you'll which ones are coming back...

Old No7

I like both those ideas!

1894 · Post by **1894** » Tue Jan 12, 2016 8:26 am

Daisyman wrote: Are you sure about the blacks and the greys being the same? There's a town about 100 miles from here that has black ones and they are the same size as fox squirrels.

Only know about the ones here in NY so YMMV

But yes , the greys and blacks here are the same critter just different color. It appears that white is a possible color.
From : http://www.dec.ny.gov/docs/administrati ... irrels.pdf

Squirrels come in a wide variety of colors. In
fact, as a whole, this group of animals is prone
to producing color variants of the more typical
color patterns for that species. For example, in
New York, gray squirrels can be black-furred,
albino, or many different variations of gray
mixed with yellow-to-reddish brown. Many
squirrel species have light spots on the back of
their ears

M. M. Wright · Post by **M. M. Wright** » Wed Jan 13, 2016 9:18 am

Here in NE OK, (and SW MO) the blacks are color variations of the red squirrels that are sometimes called "fox" squirrels. Maybe you have to be old.

Tycer · Post by **Tycer** » Wed Jan 13, 2016 9:39 am

A town near here, Brevard, NC has around 1000 white squirrels. They are increasingly found outside that area.

Daisyman · Post by **Daisyman** » Thu Jan 14, 2016 10:31 am

1894 wrote:
Daisyman wrote: Are you sure about the blacks and the greys being the same? There's a town about 100 miles from here that has black ones and they are the same size as fox squirrels.
Only know about the ones here in NY so YMMV But yes , the greys and blacks here are the same critter just different color. It appears that white is a possible color.
From : http://www.dec.ny.gov/docs/administrati ... irrels.pdf

Squirrels come in a wide variety of colors. In
fact, as a whole, this group of animals is prone
to producing color variants of the more typical
color patterns for that species. For example, in
New York, gray squirrels can be black-furred,
albino, or many different variations of gray
mixed with yellow-to-reddish brown. Many
squirrel species have light spots on the back of
their ears

Interesting reading, I learn something new every day!

Old Ironsights · Post by **Old Ironsights** » Thu Jan 14, 2016 10:22 pm

IMO best use for a mess of squirrel is shredded into BBQ sauce... and served as "Pulled Pork".

"Secret's in the Sauce"...

Daisyman · Post by **Daisyman** » Fri Jan 15, 2016 2:11 pm

Old Ironsights wrote:IMO best use for a mess of squirrel is shredded into BBQ sauce... and served as "Pulled Pork".

"Secret's in the Sauce"...

I haven't eaten squirrel since I was a kid on the farm. Mom used to fry them in a cast iron skillet, kinda chewy if I remember right. A stew would probably be much better or like you said as "pulled squirrel". Might be good in some Sweet Baby Rays!

mergus · Post by **mergus** » Fri Jan 15, 2016 5:36 pm

30 years ago I lived in a little town on the Eastern Shore of Md called Queenstown. Back then they had 7 or 8 albino greys. It was quite something to see them all chasing around at once.

Mergus

jeepnik · Post by **jeepnik** » Fri Jan 15, 2016 6:29 pm

Around here they are nothing but tree rats. I wouldn't even think of eating one. My big tom on the other hand thinks they are great sport and good eating. He has scouted out their favorite treats and knows when to set an ambush. He is quite accomplished.

There is only one problem with this mighty hunter. He always brings it back home and has a special place (right in the middle of the front walk) where he will dine. It has upset a couple of neighbors, but I ask those what they had for dinner last night and they shut up.

Daisyman · Post by **Daisyman** » Sat Jan 16, 2016 3:45 pm

To be truthful that's what I call them too. They're a PITA.