Gray Squirrels

[Duckshot]

The only problem I got with the neighborhood squirrels is that the eat the apple blossoms in the spring, and if any blossom escapes they will eat that apple as soon as it's skin starts to turn red. I have not harvested an apple from that tree since mom planted it 25 years ago. Meh, no big deal. Squirrels gotta eat too. And I'm not a big fan of apples anyways.

 

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[crashbandicoot]

I absolutely love Grey Squirrels,with mashed potatoes,gravy,purple hull peas and sweet tea!Yum!

 

[crashbandicoot]

I guess it's what you're brought up on, Duckshot. Lobsters look disgusting, but they're delicious.

Cleaning ducks ain,t for the faint of heart either but fixed up in a slow cooker with wild rice they,re finger lickin good!

 

[Oregon Viking]

We have a lot of grey tree squirrels, the purty ones.




I have about an acre of garden/orchard and they stay out of it.... Thanks to one of our rescue cats. The squirrels just don't tempt their luck!

 

[DizzyDigger]

We have a few squirrels and chipmunks in the area, but I rarely
see them around our place. Was a time when several of the squirrels
were regularly in our trees, but once Scruff found out how good they
tasted it was pretty much all over for them.

That's a healthy looking kitty OV....either it's a hellofa hunter or it's not
missing any meals, which I assume is what that rodent became..

 

[Oregon Viking]

We have a few squirrels and chipmunks in the area, but I rarely
see them around our place. Was a time when several of the squirrels
were regularly in our trees, but once Scruff found out how good they
tasted it was pretty much all over for them.

That's a healthy looking kitty OV....either it's a hell of a hunter or it's not
missing any meals, which I assume is what that rodent became..

That cat has all the food it desires.... In the house... provided by us!
It still is a hunting machine.
I did install fencing to encourage the deer to stay out. We let them have apples from the orchard...and they are not harmed or messed with on our property.

 

[Jeff Beaumont]

Have you tried a Border Collie?

 

[Gold Maven]

Have you tried a Border Collie?

yeah, if you cook them right, they aren't bad.

 

[ticndig]

yea a Border collie won't eat your apples only your ankles.

 

[Slingshot]

Female calico cat - problem solved...

 

[releventchair]

I guess it's what you're brought up on, Duckshot. Lobsters look disgusting, but they're delicious.

Crustaceans minding thier own business , and then you (or more likely you pay someone to) go and put them alive into boiling water.
But that's not cruel. And nothing dies in your little world so you can eat.. Right?

 

[bowwinkles]

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[Kray Gelder]

Three times in three years I've lost power due to squirrels. The first time, loud pow from the transformer on the pole. I found him already cooked at the pole's base. Next year, same thing, bam, no power. Couldn't find the squirrel until I grabbed my binocs to examine the transformer fuse. The smoldering rodent was sprawled across the top of it. One leg, and the tip of his tail were visible. Third time, this year, a squirrel chewed through the neutral line connector ( aluminum ) on the pole. It was making connection randomly. My house voltage was fluctuating from 38 to 180 volts. Fried all of my led lights, my computer, coffee maker. We live in a "Sanctuary City" for squirrels. Anything turned on, that was digital, fried.

 

[FreeBirdTim]

Crustaceans minding thier own business , and then you (or more likely you pay someone to) go and put them alive into boiling water.
But that's not cruel. And nothing dies in your little world so you can eat.. Right?

Big difference between eating an animal that was raised for food and blasting away at some animal just trying to survive in this world. As I originally stated, try to co-exist with the creatures in this world.

 

[shovelready]

And you wonder why people are against hunting. You guys make it easy for them...

Everybody is a anti hunter until you have a family of skunks living under your house. Then they don't care how you get rid of them....

 

[releventchair]

Big difference between eating an animal that was raised for food and blasting away at some animal just trying to survive in this world. As I originally stated, try to co-exist with the creatures in this world.

Lobsters are raised for food? Trust you for thier well being and you kill them in exchange?

I don't blast away.
You're welcome to join me to confirm.
When an animal lives it's fated life and survives until I decide to kill it I call it a decent life.
The domestic animals I've raised and killed had a less holistic life.

I've seen the remains of starved deer. In person. And the evidence of thier over browsing before they died a lingering death. And seen the stunted survivors. When they need reduced to fit the habitat's resources , it will be done one way or another. My way is much faster.

We can reintroduce wolves to increase predation. But my kills are likely faster than your lobster boils. And faster than many wolf kills.
Do you believe prey simply co-exist in a warm fuzzy manner without humans preying on them? Have you watched animals fight for resources or mates?

I live with a pack of dogs. Canines and I go way back.
From wolf/shepherds to those breeds here today. And a decade of research in breedings..With heavy emphasis before breeding a pair. Pedigrees. Do you understand how to select mates by pedigree? What to breed to what?
Yet I dislike canine kills of game .
I have coyote that are killing fawns. Some years more than 2/3 of the years fawns. More than a dozen fawns fed to one den. Do you believe it was a happy coexistence for the fawns and the doe trying to keep them alive? When fawns are reduced , the focus of prey targets simply becomes directed at other deer.

Would you introduce more canines to create better balance and reduce human interference in prey species?
Tell me of the quality of just trying to survive survival for this calf. Or it's coexistence so much better unfettered by my not blasting away..

 

[FreeBirdTim]

When an animal lives it's fated life and survives until I decide to kill it I call it a decent life.

Sounds like you have a God complex. You decide when it dies, even if it's only a few months old. And how many female squirrels do you kill that have babies waiting to be fed back in their nest? They will die a slow and lingering death, thanks to you. Every action has an equal and opposite reaction.

We'll have to agree to disagree on this one. Your view on animals has been instilled within you by your environment and your relatives. My desire to show mercy and compassion to all animals was taught to me at a young age. I will always risk my neck to get a turtle out of the road and will always feed any stray animal that needs some help. Just my upbringing. Take care.

 

[FreeBirdTim]

Lobsters are raised for food?

Yup.

https://www.roysfarm.com/lobster-farming/

 

[releventchair]

Sounds like you have a God complex. You decide when it dies, even if it's only a few months old. And how many female squirrels do you kill that have babies waiting to be fed back in their nest? They will die a slow and lingering death, thanks to you. Every action has an equal and opposite reaction.

We'll have to agree to disagree on this one. Your view on animals has been instilled within you by your environment and your relatives. My desire to show mercy and compassion to all animals was taught to me at a young age. I will always risk my neck to get a turtle out of the road and will always feed any stray animal that needs some help. Just my upbringing. Take care.

Age matters in your choice of kills? Well , that's one standard.
For economy's sake (feed to meat ratio) when raising domestic stock , there comes a point of diminishing returns . Depending on the animal or plant.
Yearlings for cervids. Unless there's a demand for lamb or veal or suckling pigs.
The last deer was 2 1/2 years old. By my choice again. Weighed more than I. And took 3.5 hours to have mobile. 2 days to cut up. A 6 moth old would be less work. And is legal here.

Squirrel orphans?
Season is closed during nursing stages. Plan your harvest by breeding beginning near snow final melt. Young of the year are then quite independent and competing for resources among themselves.
I have considered killing a squirrel building a nest in the fenced yard. We had the dogs bring fleas in. Lots of flea combing. Yard spraying. More combing. Flea baths. Yard spraying. Vacuum some more ect. and so on.
Left the squirrel live though. And have hunted them with a passion , including a designated squirrel dog..
Here's another harmonious relationship.
Planted beans. Rabbit mowed them down.
I watched the rabbit repeatedly. Sure , I considered it's life forfeit in exchange for me eating beans. Left it alone anyways and planted more beans. Which it mowed down.
Annoyed and season for growing getting short I planted again. And watched the rabbit eat plants , again.
O.K. you win rabbit. Despite the posing for a shot repeatedly...
About a week later an owl killed the rabbit.

I built a fenced area to garden.
Squirrels enjoyed corn. I enjoyed none.
Chipmunks and squirrels enjoyed beans. I managed a few.
Then there were the acorn squash I looked forward to having enough to store a while.
I got a couple. Critters got the rest.

Never shot a squirrel or rabbit in the yard these many years. Not sure why , other than it's more a hunting elsewhere thing.
Same with deer. Though I own property elsewhere more suitable.
Had a bear getting too close and curious when I was leaving the forest into my yard one evening on my way back from a deer hunt before I owned land elsewhere.
Left it alone too.

Much of my hunting is watching. Critters taking advantage of habitat maintained for critters. All seasons , with spring recovery an important feed time. Followed by fawning territory.
Feel free to study fawning times impact on a deer herds socialization. Doe order and dominance in claiming and defending a territory in which to birth fawn(s). The affect on last years fawns (those that survived a year( somehow) and what they do when run off by momma. And what if they are then in another doe's fawning territory? It's a big deal. And habitat matters far beyond simply space. Roadkills go up when them young deer are bumped around until rejoining the doe after the fawn is grown up enough to follow it's mother.
Younger and less dominant doe get the poorer places to drop fawns. (Last years fawns were often bred late in season , meaning this year they are looking for where to drop thier fawn , amid competition. Young and not dominant.) Where do they end up?
Vs cement and glass and crap quality grass for humans.
I could build a house there. Or stay in this shack with it's already existing footprint and impact on nature.
Critters do alright here. But better on the uninhabited land. At the cost of a life now and then.
Staying off allows more doe fawn groups spread out amid decent forage.

All removed from the subject of hunting bucks. Which are not hanging around unreceptive doe.
Why should I encourage doe fawn groups instead of bucks? What of a doe eating more forage than a buck?
I could manage the habitat to reduce doe use and encourage bucks instead.
But there's more to it than my desires.
In fairness, if a doe and fawn stick around during hunting season , (there is appealing ag in the distance during fall) a buck will check them out.
At night. Unless things are undisturbed , un human scented ect..
But , buck fawns come from doe too. Some survive a while. If the coyote don't get em first.

C.W.D.. man , that sure caused state encouraged reductions in deer numbers. Herd I hunt halved year one. Halved again year two. And again year three.
I refused to kill a deer when the numbers were reduced so far. Just watched them again....
And I pay plenty in taxes on that land to just watch. Yes , I enjoy it. But wildlife benefits more than I from my enjoyment there. It's how it is managed.
An injured deer in trouble I likely won't pass on should one be encountered. Most get a free pass to just be deer. Yet they remain prey and I an occasional predator I still have canine teeth. (One is an implant today, but it still works.)

How many tens of thousands do you have invested in lobster habitat? Do you maintain it for thier benefit?
Are any other creatures deprived of lobsters or lobsters affect on environment , by your consumption of lobsters?
Is age/size limit on lobsters due to taste? Or age weight to feed ratio? Lobster breeding success? Or due to competition for the resource? Or all of the above?

We have invasive rusty crayfish here. Another study for those interested with the question of what if anything to do about a competing critter.
I built a trap. Law said they cannot be transported alive. Multiple folks communicated with the state that to eat them (thereby removing those caught from the environment) they need to be alive.
Law changed. We eat mini lobsters. I've learned to boil outside vs lobster shack scented shack.
But we don't use them for bait , understandably and by law...

That's not getting along with the rusty crayfish. Not for humans. We intervene , and eat an abundant resource that's not desired.
We could order lobsters though. Easier. Plus it's not our home or home habitat , or home critters being exploited.

 

[GoDeep]

I don't mind 'em, "grey squirrels" are the best option i have at my age. Sure, i could chase after some younger hot brunette, but at my age, grey is down to play!