Squirrel Trouble Again

   / Squirrel Trouble Again #1  

RSKY

Veteran Member
Joined
Oct 5, 2003
Messages
2,442
Location
Kentucky, West of the Lakes, South of Possum Trot.
Tractor
Kioti CK20S
Was working out in the garage earllier this week when I heard gunshots. Walked over to the fence and my neighbor to the south and his wife were in their front yard shooting at squirrels. If you remember my thread from last fall he has had to have his truck worked on twice because the little tree rats had chewed wires and a gas line. Well they have struck again. This time the mechanic knew what was wrong and it only cost him $220 to get it fixed. I also saw the neighbor to the north out with his pellet gun. He has had water damage inside his house twice last year after the squirrels ate thru something on his roof.

Anyway, so far this week I've shot four, neighbor to the south has shot six, and I don't know the score my neighbor to the north has. Seems like when we shoot one that the next day there are two more to take it's place. We have killed ten out of two acres and I've already, this morning, seen four in my front yard. After a short mild winter these things are FAT. They will sit on the ground looking at you as you walk by them. Have had to chase one up a tree so I could shoot it.

Neighbor to the south says he sees one with most of it's tail missing in his trees. Says he has seen what he thinks is the same squirrel a half mile away in another yard.

Neighbor said he ran out of .410 shells and all he could find in our small town they wanted $20 a box. Somebody else gave him a box and that is what he's using. I'm using forty year old 16-guage until I use it all up.

Anybody else have trouble with these little pests?
 
   / Squirrel Trouble Again #2  
We had issues until we got our current rescue dog. He is a squirrel chasing,catching,killing machine.:D We still have a lot of squirrels but they don't come out of the trees when he is out.

Maybe you and your neighbors need to each get a good squirrel dog:thumbsup:. Mine is a Lab Border Collie mix but terriers make great squirrel dogs.
 
   / Squirrel Trouble Again #3  
Yep, they've got my F150 three times to the tune of about $1,000 and one of my cars once that I repaired myself. I've tried everything and the only thing that has slowed them down is the new dog. I've tried several repellents including mothballs. We've killed at least 10 in the last year but they're still everywhere you look.

Good Luck,
Kevin
 
   / Squirrel Trouble Again #4  
The problem is that modern vehicles insulate their wires with squirrel food.

From:
Rodents love to eat soy-based materials

Recent reports indicate that automakers are now using wire insulated with a soy-based product and even making seats out of similar materials. Unfortunately, it turns out that rodents like the materials even more than they like cheese.
 
   / Squirrel Trouble Again #5  
If you can't beat'em then feed'em. Get a bird feeder and some Sunflower seeds. They will eat the seeds instead of property.
 
   / Squirrel Trouble Again #6  
I have an old pellet gun with a surprisingly good scope that I've had good success with. What the red tails don't get, I plink. Still seem to have lots of them. Seems a waste to just toss them. Have to try that old, taped up Joy of Cooking book - I know it has skinning and cooking instructions in it.
 
   / Squirrel Trouble Again
  • Thread Starter
#7  
We had a squirrel killing cat that kept them under control but had to put her down a few years ago.

They haven't bothered anything on my house because everything chewable is covered with roofing tar. Have talked to neighbor to north but he has done everything except that and he's still having problems.

The squirrels have been chewing on lead pipes on some of the houses so I am afraid to dress and cook them. I only do that to ones I shoot in the woods.

Putting out feeders will only attract more squirrels. They ain't starving that's for sure. All I've shot are FAT. We are looking around the neighborhood to see if anybody else has feeders attracting them to this area. Putting a feeder out might be a good idea as long as we have a clear field of fire behind it. Fed the cat for years with a couple of low mounted bird feeders. Bird seed cheaper than cat food and she would chow down on a couple a day. Only problem was that she kept bird guts on the front porch. Clean them off and more appeared the next day.
 
   / Squirrel Trouble Again #8  
This environmental soy based wiring thing is starting to make sense now, I was wondering about this "squirrel plague" and why we keep hearing about this chewing on the wires thing. I don't remember any of that before. I guess the old oil well based plastic wires were damaging our environment, and now we put squirrel food soy based wiring insulation in cars... great. Al Gore strikes again.! That SOB, someone needed to kick his *** a long time ago.

James K0UA
 
   / Squirrel Trouble Again #9  
Why don't y'all eat them?

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   / Squirrel Trouble Again #10  
They good with grits.

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