YOU LUCKY SQUIRREL SHOOTERS, KILLERS. But maybe not?

Jump to latest Follow Reply
C

cross hair

Member
Jul 15, 2023
57
125
Port Angeles wa
I read so many posts about shooting squirrels on this forum and wonder why such a big deal? Well I now know you all have serious problems with them. My wife is from Louisiana, I'm a Yankee in Washington...sucks I know.not that's she's from LA but that WA now sucks. However...the squirrels here on the Olympic Peninsula are small and present no problems. I, as a kid shot one and tanned it and made a puppet for my kids.

You guys who have huge squirrels and can eat them is difficult for me to understand. Everyone I know say they taste good but is it worth such a small chunk of meat? I guess so according to my wife. They are protected here in WA.

Some here on this forum stated that you've killed 20 this year...I'm interested in knowing who has killed how many this year? How can these critters come back with you few who knock em off? :)

Just having fun on AGN. Nothing to thak serious tonight.

20231210_204522.jpg


20231210_204501.jpg
 
  • Like
Reactions: BluegrassBill2020 and markhooper
nice post.. I don't know how it is in other places.. but here where I live, I got over a dozen of various sizes.. in the front yard.. guess they would bother me if they are the fruit of my trees or if I had nuts.. but all I have is pine trees and oaks and madrone.. I haven't seen any pine nuts yet but lots of acorns, since I don't eat acorns they are welcome to get them and run around for my entertainment.. I don't eat meat either so no point for me to kill one.. that said we do have a few ground squirrels, I've only seen a little one on the property and promptly went for the gun, don't know what happened to him but it appeared like the cats thought he was a snack and was looking for more, especially since he was dumb enough to get close to their place to eat.. I guess it's not a good idea to get on the cats plate and then not expect to be dinner..
I won't tolerate a ground squirrel to live here, especially since they bring it rattlesnake since the snake likes to eat them, but I also won't tolerate any rattlesnake.. as far as I am concerned they both can go extint.. along with meat bees.. just save the bumble bee and honey bee..
it's funny that you say something about the taste of squirrel.. a friend of mine shot a bobcat eating his sheep.. so he skinned it and ate it.. said it tasted like chicken.. so hopefully all the chicken for sale in the store is not cat🤣🤣
last squirrel I shot thought I was going my corn for him and scolded me for getting close to my garden.. so my rifle promptly scolded him right between the eyes..
I'm vegetarian so I only hunt ground squirrels hopefully before they cause a problem.. so I pretty much just hunt my spinner targets 😂🤣
I would have a hard time shooting at the squirrel in your picture.. so cute.. but I'm not against others doing what they want to say their place.. just like the thread about the barred owls vs spotted owl.. I think we and our government should let it be.. however if it is determined to shoot the barred owls I agree with the original poster that it should be opened up to the air gun community..
it a big thing lacking nowadays, Dad's taking the kids hunting and teaching gun safety.. while my Dad didn't take me hunting, we shot a lot of targets and some ground squirrels.. it's a good thing for parents and kids to do something together and I support that..
however myself I couldn't shoot even the crows eating my corn seed by pulling up every little corn plant.. I did scare them off and replanted..
but some animals, especially big birds I find interesting and couldn't bring myself to shoot one..
Mark
 
  • Like
Reactions: cross hair
Upvote 0
Well I've shot over 40 this season in two suburban backyards. I could go to other backyards in the neighborhood and do the same. We are so overrun with them it seems like a bottomless glass. They've caused considerable damage here in both outdoor furniture and car wiring. They take minutes to clean and make a great stew. Most of mine go to several of the neighbors to eat, the occasional squirrel becomes bait for racoons.
 
  • Like
Reactions: darylm, markhooper, cross hair and 1 other person
Upvote 0
There's a lot of difference between shooting squirrels in the yard and actually going into the woods to hunt them. Walking in the woods is just a way to relax and leave the world behind, shooting a squirrel is a bonus that taste good. Most hunting is not about the kill and the meat, it's an experience.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Sideways1, cachehunter, markhooper and 6 others
Upvote 0
Teep said:
There's a lot of difference between shooting squirrels in the yard and actually going into the woods to hunt them. Walking in the woods is just a way to relax and leave the world behind, shooting a squirrel is a bonus that taste good. Most hunting is not about the kill and the meat, it's an experience.
Click to expand...
total agreement , just like fishing same / same
 
  • Like
Reactions: Sideways1, cachehunter, JakeRico and 4 others
Upvote 0
Teep said:
There's a lot of difference between shooting squirrels in the yard and actually going into the woods to hunt them. Walking in the woods is just a way to relax and leave the world behind, shooting a squirrel is a bonus that taste good. Most hunting is not about the kill and the meat, it's an experience.
Click to expand...
Agree. I haven't done any real squirrel hunting in several years, but I find it very enjoyable, and challenging. Just being in the woods on a cool fall morning and hearing the crows come off the roost and feeling the woods come to life is a real treat. On the other hand, squirrels around the house can be a nuisance and destructive, two totally different scenarios.
 
  • Like
Reactions: markhooper and BluegrassBill2020
Upvote 0
As a prey species favored by many predators squirrels have to be prolific breeders in order to survive.

In areas where people have displaced the natural predators the squirrel population can quickly overwhelme the avaible food supply and become a destructive pest.

Squirrels can be a problem if they find (or chew) an entrance into the attic and for those with nut trees they can really reduce the crop. In most areas they're usually not a big problem.

You can tell when the normal population cycle is out of wack (humans at work again) and there's too many squirrels in the area. All the denning trees are occupied and there a lot of leaf-nests, the squirrels become more territorial (lots of squabbles), there's an disportionally high number of young, and many of them are being killed on the road.

Normally the predator population would increase to balance the situation but frequently humans interfere with that. If left unchecked too long Mother Nature will step in with drastic measures.

I live on 10 acres in a rural area. There are some predators (coyotes, foxes, and hawks) around but I still need to manage the squirrel population. Depending on the year (predators, weather and food availability) I harvest between 12 and 24 squirrels. This season, a typical average year, I took 18 squirrels.

Interestingly, this year our local fox accompanied me on several hunts knowing that he could have the "gibblets" when I field-dressed the squirrels. He was very helpful in finding the squirrels, it's easy to see how canines became domesticated. Yeah, not very original but I named him "Red".

Squirrels are fun and challenging to hunt with airguns. They're tasty and, as a fly fisherman, I use the fur and tails for tying flies.

Cheers!
 
  • Like
Reactions: Farmplinker2, markhooper, cross hair and 2 others
Upvote 0
Teep said:
There's a lot of difference between shooting squirrels in the yard and actually going into the woods to hunt them. Walking in the woods is just a way to relax and leave the world behind, shooting a squirrel is a bonus that taste good. Most hunting is not about the kill and the meat, it's an experience.
Click to expand...
I agree. Before they developed a huge section of maybe 1000 acres of woods about 200 yards south of my house we had deer galore. I'd drive between one hour and two hours to get to my deer hunting grounds and my neighbors would tell me to just sit on their deck with my bow. I tried to explain it wasn't the same.
 
  • Like
Reactions: markhooper and Vana2
Upvote 0
dens228 said:
I agree. Before they developed a huge section of maybe 1000 acres of woods about 200 yards south of my house we had deer galore. I'd drive between one hour and two hours to get to my deer hunting grounds and my neighbors would tell me to just sit on their deck with my bow. I tried to explain it wasn't the same.
Click to expand...
Yeah, lots of deer here, don't hunt them 'cause the all have names and run to me rather than away!

Would not be "sporting" 😉
 
  • Like
Reactions: qball
Upvote 0
Squirrels where I live are highly destructive. Every year there are a number of house fires from unexplained causes. Most people agree many of those are from rodents, specifically red squirrels, chewing through insulation on wires.

I'm on a 6 acre piece of land out in the woods, and the squirrels will get into the attic, walls, and shop if not kept in check. Between my place and a couple of local farms, I shot probably 25+ this year. I don't usually eat them. We have plenty of predators here. I leave the dead rodents in random spots way out in the back 40, and they're always gone come morning.

Although I could use a .22lr or .17hmr, I prefer an air rifle. My .177 D48 gets the job done.
 
  • Like
Reactions: markhooper, cross hair, pan60 and 2 others
Upvote 0
the bleeding hearts that loves the natural feral population, do it best by NOT feeding them and making them afraid of humans,,, BOO get the heck out of here, as I chase the darn turkeys away.
I never run out of tree rats,,, if they were not cute,,, the women would demand we get rid of them, like rats and mice

wise farmers never name their farm eatable animals
 
  • Like
Reactions: markhooper, cross hair and qball
Upvote 0
I used to love to "hunt" ground squirrels,my justification is it was Fun,plus the holes they dug could cause real problems for the cows and horses.
Trees squirrels were eating my dogs food,plus they were destructive....also pigeons....
I am not into killing squirrels,nor much of anything now,heck I am a catch-and-release fisherman,well 80% of the time:sneaky:.
ps 12 ground squirrels in a day; Remington 121.
 
  • Like
Reactions: markhooper and cross hair
Upvote 0
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Bottom
Back
Home
Forums
Resources
Menu