Well, I thought I had control over myself and the grey's which are near extinction in my neighborhood, but apparently I proved myself wrong. I have abstained from shooting squirrels the last 2 weeks. I even had one in my sights a couple of times and let him go. I kinda felt sorry for him since he seems like a loner and the "last squirrel standing" in the neighborhood. I say that because I see him climbing both my willow tree and disappearing, as well as the big oak tree to bed for the night, where a bunch of now deceased squirrels used to live in both trees. I remember 2 squirrels from the Willow fighting the 2 or more from the oak tree now and then. Now I 've been watching this guy come and go by himself and visiting both trees for a couple of weeks. Probably feeding from multiple stashes of nuts in a few different nets. I had talked myself into leaving him alone until he gets a mate and regenerates the now depleated squirrel population around my house, which I have caused.

The wife went to Walmart around 3pm today so I figured I 'd sneak in some 40 or 50 pellets but since I don't have my indoor silent trap yet, I put up an 8.5x11" outside on my favorite log at 20yds and got started with CP's. Trying to save up on the JSB's since there 's always a shortage.. I was minding my own business shooting paper out my 2nd floor window with the 350 .22, when not 15min. into my shooting session, here comes the resident squirrel to check things out, thinking the noise of the pellet hitting wood could be nuts falling off the tree. It's not the first time.. I ignore him at first, even when he came within inches of my target paper. Too easy, I just finished getting a 1" group at 20yds on Open Sights - I could easily take him, but no I 'm stronger than that.

5min. later he 's still hanging around. He 's now about 20ft up on a branch eating something, out in the open. He keeps going a little further and is on an adjacent tree in the front branches about 25-26yds away (nearest tree trunk is 30yds). I try not to look at him and loose focus. I shoot a couple more CP's at the target but I 'm distracted, not doing well. I hear him again.. Hmm now it seems more challenging. He 's further out.. I give him 2-3 more minutes to clear out. I get some water and slap myself to get him out of my mind. I can't. I walk back to the window.. The suicidal squirrel is still there sitting in a classic position in a small clearing between branches & limbs broadside presenting me with a beautiful shot and tempting me still. I can't take it anymore!! I wait one more minute to increase his odds of survival. The squirrel is now a couple of yards farther, up on a larger branch and sitting totally out in the open broadside still (with a slight angle) and not only that, he 's only about 10 feet higher than my 2nd fl. window. I 'm flushed, sweaty, like going through an addict's withdrawls. I unwillingly raise the rife, put the tip of the front sight on what I 'm pretty sure is his head (at ~28yds they look pretty small) since his arched tail is on the other side. I hope I miss.. No body shot on this guy, I have to make it hard on myself and hopefully I 'll miss. I even pulled the trigger somewhat to increase his odds! Hmm, the 350 seems very smooth lately.. Barely feel the recoil.. hopefully it was a bad CP.. Dang it, he 's down before I even release the trigger! One leg kicks 2-3 times and no more movement. He has joined his other 16 or so friends and relatives. Maybe he 'll be happy there..
Stupid CP went in just under his right ear and exited out a little higher (since I was shooting up at him) just behind the base of the skull/neck severing some big artery, maybe spine. Why can't I miss? Why didn't he just go away and hang out for 10min? I did all I could for him. Why do I feel so bad? Because I think he was the last one that I was trying so hard to leave alone everytime I saw him hop around on my lawn and got between willow and oak. I hope I 'm wrong. I hope there are others..

I have to build that indoor trap soon so I can stay away from that window! Hey check out the balls on this fella! He did really have some "balls" hanging around while I shot paper!
Are there therapists for exterminating backyard hunters like me? On other hunting forums, they tell me there is no cure. I want to believe that's not true..

Oh weird thing is, the POI has a lot more blood than the exit wound.. strange but it's happened once or twice before. The pellet struck almost exactly where I was aiming with open sights. I think I'll start shooting flies in the out-of season, spring & summer

Nothing wrong with shooting animals but I'd hope you're eathing them. If an animal is wreaking havoc on your property (rats, ground squirrels digging, etc.) I'm all for wasting them. Or if it's an invasive species like a starling or sparrow. But squirrels normally don't bother anyting. Hope you're not wasting the meat. They are very tastey.

Harry,

Do the squirrels do damage for you to shoot them? I was just curious as by
me they just run around on power lines and I never see them do anything
wrong other than make my dog bark. I see a lot of people shoot these guys on
the forums and I know they must be doing something really wrong.

I can see some people here are animal lovers with airguns

I actually started shooting squirrels because they caused a lot of damage in my attic and even chewed through the electrical wires of my attic fan that could have caused a fire a couple of years ago. They also chewed the vinyl mesh (I got steel now) around the chimney cap and had 2 of them drop into my family room at different times and ran around the house for an hour until they found the open door. It also looked like they had a nest in my attic for some time because we 'd hear noises and found what looked like a very large birds nest but my neighbor swears it was a squirrel nest because we found a few nuts and shells. They have chewed through wood around the roof too. They have cost me a pretty penny in repairs and wiring for the fan, so maybe this is my way of getting revenge. No I do not eat the tree rats. They 're just rats to me. Many people don't eat them. Sometimes I use them as bait to get crows. It seems to attract them very well. Please don't give me that "you should not shoot it unless you eat it" guilt.. It's getting really old.. I only eat rabbit, duck and pheasant if I ever go to my favorite spot upstate again where I got the last pheasant a few years back.

I can see I will not be posting this sort of thread here again. This is why they have hunting forums I guess.

They haven't eaten any of my wire or moved into my attic so I shoot them because they eat acorns and Pine nuts. Don't ask me why I care about acorns and pine nuts, but it sounded ok to my wife when she asked why am I killing little squirrels.

Harry, since you are getting a 850 in 22.cal I thought you might enjoy this.

http://www.network54.com/Forum/580261/message/1200249569/Saturday+Hunt+for+Squirrels+at+Ft.+Boise

Dave. She fell for that? You are lucky! I tried numerous excuses, but she didn't go for any. Maybe I 'll try yours, it's nice and simple. Maybe I was making them too complicated

That guy was hunting starlings from a tree stand? That's new.. My 850 .22 is on its way. I 'll shoot it with open sights for a while and then probably get a 4-12x40 scope or something similar. No need for a TS or rugged scope anymore! whoohoo! I 'll send it out to Rich or whoever mods them to get some valve or spring hammer work done or whatever they do for an extra couple of foot-pounds, nothing big, and I 'll be all set From tomorrow on, I 'll be hanging out at the 850 forum to catch up. Haven't been there in a couple of months. I 'm sure these guys have come a long way with the mods..

the UK, England

it is driving the red into extintion, it is not native of the UK but the red one is, they shoot them with springers, PCP, black powder guns and arrows but cannot reduce the grey population

in fact some big estates and small farms will put ads in the newspaper for air gunners to come and shoot as many greys' as you want. Others will offer 3 Brithish pounds for any tail you hunt in their place

now to where I live in Florida. We have a lot of greys' here and in my neighborhood it is a sanctuary for them because my next door friend is an old man that feeds them peanuts. He will allow me to shoot rats and other pests. I can shoot in my backyard all I want but if I shoot a squirrel

the COP's will be knocking at my door in 60 seconds flat

go figure

warren



and remember "it's 30% the gun and 70% the shooter"

Harry, I didnt mean any harm in my question. I just wondered what they do to look for trouble.
In Southern FL there are iguanas all over considered pests. They sell them further North by me
as pets so I understand about you shooting what you have to.

Warren, Im in FL too and like your yard they're all over by me too. Fortunately they just go
about their business elsewhere and haven't bothered with my house. Unfortunately there are other
"pests" that some people would not like shot that I also have had to remove. I guess the
definition of pest is sometimes determined by the location in which they they habit.

is also unprotected here in NY and considered a pest. You can hunt them all year round with no bag limit but a hunting license is needed which I have. The same goes with all unprotected game (in NY) like woodchuck/groundhog, starlings, porcupine, etc. The gray however has a 6 month season from Sept.1 to the end of February just like rabbit, crow, etc.

Warren get yourself a hunting license so you can't get in trouble, unless you 're shooting them off season and a licese won't help.
I only have a little more than a month left in the season, so hopefully I will lose the urge the shoot at those critters after that. I 'm planning a rabbit hunt with a friend in February. It's a spot he 's hunted before and said he saw hares there last year. Too bad this year hare season is closed in my area, but about 30-40mi. north of here it's open. I think they 're trying to bring the hare population back but I have never seen one. The hawks, owls, eagles and foxes have the grabs on those

I'm not trying to start anything here Harry. I'm not anti-hunt or kill. What would it be if a deer was eating my tuplip bulbs and I shot it and threw it on the compost heap? They may have done some things in the past but if you've taken steps to keep them out, what's the harm?

Squirrels are just as tastey if not better than rabbits. Give them a try.

"but I'll be needin' that gun, fer squirrels and such."

I started skinning one a couple of months ago and of course my wife comes in through the door and says no way "that thing" is touching anything in my kitchen", so I threw it out and then I found out the crows really liked it, so now I use some of them for crow bait. Actually I 've given a few to my next door neighbor who does a lot of big game hunting and some duck hunting with his friend's dog. He 's eaten a couple of mine. I really don't have a desire to eat a tree rat but maybe the next one will go on the frying pan if the wife is not around for a while. If I find I like them, then I 'll definitely wipe them all out! LOL!

Back in the day - Squirrel backstraps and brown peppered gravy all the way !

I know longer eat meat for health reasons - so I limit my shooting to "pests" only . They make fine crow bait also .

just load, aim, shoot, kill and that goes for every invasive or predator species

even in the city limits of course you cannot break your neighbors glass window

just keep your pellets INSIDE feathers or hide

warren



and remember "it's 30% the gun and 70% the shooter"

yes the habitat dictates what is considered a pest

australia and the rabbits, they are a pest and hunted with nets that are 1,500 ft long and 25 tall, propulsed by ROCKETS to catch as many as they can, not native to australia but invasive and considered a pest

squirrels in the UK, read my post about them. They are not native to the UK the red squirrel is

iguanas in florida, the key west has an infestation problem. brought in as pets and released by the owners. Perfect habitat for the iguanas, S. Florida. They are now considered a pest by key west, shoot them on sight

monkeys in India, protected by Hinduism (religion) very intelligent animals and roam new delhi, bombay and other major cities. very dangerous animals when it comes to them getting food. Will not back down from humans in that situation, you have food in your hands they will take it away from you, try to deny and get a big bite from them

habitat is the key, they all have invaded the WRONG habitat and we complain about one squirrel

warren



and remember "it's 30% the gun and 70% the shooter"