Bushy tailed Rat(s)... more....

[lokidog]

Finally got the last, I think,  of the local squirrels. I got two of this one's buddies about a month ago while cleaning me out of my late season apples. I missed this one, barely.

Saturday,  I discovered this one in my garage after he holed three bags of chicken food. Several times I've spotted him but he just runs off into the bushes.

This morning, he screwed up! He decided to go about six feet up a tree by my chicken coop to see what I was doing.

As he lay photo, stewed squirrel for the holidays,  with his buddies.

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[DOUBLELUNG]

Love it!  A lot of my first hunts were squirrels, nothing more satisfying than head shooting a squirrel with a .22

[Encore 280]

You eat those rats?! I've got some around here that have been eating the berries on the Hawthorn tree. Yuk.

[DOUBLELUNG]

You eat those rats?! I've got some around here that have been eating the berries on the Hawthorn tree. Yuk.

They are great, better than cottontails!

[Encore 280]

I spose they taste like chicken huh.

[lokidog]

I spose they taste like chicken huh.

I'd say more like turkey legs.

[Southpole]

How did those buggers make it out to the islands, catch a ferry ride years ago?

[2MANY]

Make the wife a squirrel skin eyeglass case for Christmas.

[lokidog]

How did those buggers make it out to the islands, catch a ferry ride years ago?

There were a few on the east side of the island when we moved her 11 years ago, just in the last year they have been turning up much more frequently around us.  I've shot four this fall in my yard. Unless you shoot them off a feeder, they are very hard to hunt here as they seem to not run up trees when they are spooked, just off into the bushes.

How they got here originally?  Who knows.  We do not have any native squirrels or chipmunks.  We do not even have rats though we have White-footed Deer Mice in abundance.

[Encore 280]

I think they run the doug fir squirrels off and take over, invasive species, I hate 'em!

[lokidog]

I think they run the doug fir squirrels off and take over, invasive species, I hate 'em!

We have no native squirrels or chipmunks on this island.

[CP]

There were a couple of those tree rats fornicating in my yard and digging up tulip bulbs yesterday.  They won't be doing that anymore.   

[lokidog]

CP --- 

So, popped two last week and then missed one other.  I was hoping I either scared him or dinged him enough to make it leave.  No luck, and it brought reinforcements!

I got these four today and missed one more this afternoon.

The first two I shot at 1:00 with the last two rounds of my .22wmr.  I switched to my old Rem 513-T and head shot the next two crawling through the hole they chewed at 2:30 and 3:30.

The one I missed came from the other side of the coop and I tried picking him off under a crossbar, behind a water jug, and between a couple of chickens.  I think I hit the dirt right under him as he came flying out the door, spun a 540 degree turn, paused for not quite long enough, and then took off.  I missed again as it zigged around a tree.

[CP]

Nice!

I'm limited to an air rifle due to local laws.  If I had my way I'd be popping them with a .410

[lokidog]

Nice!

I'm limited to an air rifle due to local laws.  If I had my way I'd be popping them with a .410

A decent air rifle would be fun!  And, legal to use for these.   

[CP]

.177 Gamo - DRT if I do my job right 

[smithkl42]

Our contribution...

[lokidog]

Nice!  When I was a kid, I shot a beautiful Fox Squirrel with my bow and, of course, he ran up the biggest tree in our yard with the target arrow halfway through him (I was a kid so don't judge me too harshly....).  My brother had the great idea of shooting him out with the .22 and promptly shot the tail in half.  The tail was the main reason I wanted that darn squirrel....

When I was cleaning these, I discovered that the second one I shot today was the last one I had shot at and "missed" last week.  How do I know? His back leg was broken with a clean .22 hole through the leg.

[lokidog]

Yay! Hopefully the last one, at least for a while.

Weird scar on its side though.

[bowhunterforever]

Maybe from a ring worm

[lokidog]

Interestingly, there was no indication of any damage to the meat or even the back side of the skin under that scar.

I didn't see any for a few days and then went to let the chickens out yesterday... standoff at 12 feet, I lost having no gun in my hands.  Took up my defensive position on my shop porch and waited.  Finally after about 20 minutes, she came back, big mistake.

[Southpole]

I think you should throw a first annual hunt-wa squirrel fry at your place, I'll bring the beer 

[lokidog]

I think you should throw a first annual hunt-wa squirrel fry at your place, I'll bring the beer 

 

[Fl0und3rz]

Our contribution...

That's pretty good shooting right there!  Nice.

[Fl0und3rz]

I didn't see any for a few days and then went to let the chickens out yesterday... standoff at 12 feet, I lost having no gun in my hands.  Took up my defensive position on my shop porch and waited.  Finally after about 20 minutes, she came back, big mistake.

I find that is about the typical time frame for them to come back around, if you don't spook them too much at the first interaction.  Lay low for about 10-15 minutes and they typically come back around, if there was something they were looking for in the first place, and not just passing through. 

I get both kinds at my place, for strawberries, cherries, apples, etc. and transients.  For some reason they do not care too much for blue berries and raspberries, though. 

[nwwanderer]

The scar is from a bot fly larva lokidog, kind of like the movie 'Alien'

[lokidog]

I didn't see any for a few days and then went to let the chickens out yesterday... standoff at 12 feet, I lost having no gun in my hands.  Took up my defensive position on my shop porch and waited.  Finally after about 20 minutes, she came back, big mistake.

I find that is about the typical time frame for them to come back around, if you don't spook them too much at the first interaction.  Lay low for about 10-15 minutes and they typically come back around, if there was something they were looking for in the first place, and not just passing through. 

I get both kinds at my place, for strawberries, cherries, apples, etc. and transients.  For some reason they do not care too much for blue berries and raspberries, though. 

The others have taken 5-10 minutes.  It surprised me that this one took so long as it was still staring at me when I turned and walked slowly away.  I thought it might actually still be out there when I returned with the gun.

I had a misfire on my first shot as it was going through the fence hole, on the second shot it seemed to get caught in the netting as the others have done after being hit, then suddenly it took off out the door where it paused.  I couldn't get on it though before it went behind a tree, but then it came out relatively slowly from behind the tree and I got it with a high shoulder/neck shot.  I missed the first one somehow, maybe too flustered at the misfire.

I have to admit, as frustrating as these things are, it is kind of fun sitting there waiting for them to come back.  I have a neighbor who feeds lots of birds that might be getting sick of feeding the squirrels, I need to check in with them.   

[Calvin Rayborn]

Right on! 

[lokidog]

OMG, saw another one yesterday as I  was packing for a week out of town. I sat there for a half hour and nothing.  I guess I have something to look forward to on my return....  😯

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[Fl0und3rz]

Live traps work well, but I suspect not as well with piles of chicken feed strewn about.  A squirrel poll would probably work well, if we weren't in WA.