# Rogue Squirrel



## Tom Smart

Anyone ever have this problem?

I had a squirrel who acquired a taste for plastics and rubber. I have plenty of walnut trees, so plenty of squirrels. There is no shortage of nuts for them to work their teeth on. But this guy would climb on top of the fuel tank on my truck and chew the hoses and lines to the closed emissions system. $614 to replace a $25 part because they had to drop the fuel tank. Then $521 on my wife's SUV. Mothballs didn't bother him. Tried Have a Heart (which by now I surely do not) cages. Caught a raccoon and the birds ate the rest of the bait. I am now on an Arnold Schwartzenegger style mission to rid my little piece of the world of squirrels.

Got this guy yesterday after he ran out from under my truck and tried to shelter in a walnut tree.



 


Now I'm after the rest of the herd. This one today.




 

None are safe now.

Reactions: Like 2


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## robert flynt

Get some of those big rat traps and drive finish nails through the bottom on the closing side of the trap. Set these thing out baited with their favorite food and watch the action . When they trip the trap it will drive their head down on the nails and it will be game over. Might not hurt to drill a whole in the trap to tie it off to something with cord.

Reactions: Like 1 | Informative 1


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## Tom Smart

robert flynt said:


> Get some of those big rat traps and drive finish nails through the bottom on the closing side of the trap. Set these thing out baited with their favorite food and watch the action . When they trip the trap it will drive their head down on the nails and it will be game over. Might not hurt to drill a whole in the trap to tie it off to something with cord.



I like it.

Reactions: Agree 1


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## gman2431

Nice shootin!

Reactions: Thank You! 1


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## Mike1950

Spendy critters.
Nice shooting though.

Reactions: Thank You! 1


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## Tom Smart

Mike1950 said:


> Spendy critters.
> Nice shooting though.



Pretty sure the first guy was the culprit. But I'm not takin any chances now. Critter bullets are much cheaper than car mechanics.

Reactions: Agree 1


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## Mike1950

Tom Smart said:


> Pretty sure the first guy was the culprit. But I'm not takin any chances now. Critter bullets are much cheaper than car mechanics.



We had a skunk problem for a little bit. The pellet gun solved it......


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## robert flynt

Mike1950 said:


> We had a skunk problem for a little bit. The pellet gun solved it......


Bet that smelled good!

Reactions: Agree 2


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## Kevin

Tom Smart said:


> Pretty sure the first guy was the culprit.



Put his body on a survey stake out in the middle of the yard and hang a sign around his neck that says ...

Reactions: Funny 7


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## Tom Smart

Kevin said:


> Put his body on a survey stake out in the middle of the yard and hang a sign around his neck that says ...
> 
> View attachment 101068



You think like me Kevin. I was gonna put his little head on a stake as a warning to the other little b******s. Left him out last night and the night time varmints carried him off.


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## Mike1950

robert flynt said:


> Bet that smelled good!



They smell bad before I shot them, after, only for a few days.
I did learn one thing though- do not put dead skunk in bottom of garbage can the day after garbage day in 90 degree weather....  Just trust me on this one....

Reactions: Funny 4 | +Karma 1


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## Kevin

We've been covered up with the skunks more so than normal since last year. They don't even pay attention to the dogs, and the dogs hardly bark at them anymore. They spray occasionally but not always. It's like a damned zoo around here.

Reactions: Like 1


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## Mike1950

Kevin said:


> We've been covered up with the skunks more so than normal since last year. They don't even pay attention to the dogs, and the dogs hardly bark at them anymore. They spray occasionally but not always. It's like a damned zoo around here.



I hate skunks......

Reactions: Agree 2 | Useful 1


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## Tony

I'm having a possum problem, again. My dog killed a couple of small ones in the yard last year, thought we were done. We'll now, Momma has started coming around going across our back fence. She'll get about halfway across before Maggie sees her and loses her mind barking and jumping up to get at her. I keep telling her that possum is aS big as she is and will rip her to shreds, but she don't listen..... Tony

Reactions: Agree 1


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## HomeBody

robert flynt said:


> Get some of those big rat traps and drive finish nails through the bottom on the closing side of the trap. Set these thing out baited with their favorite food and watch the action . When they trip the trap it will drive their head down on the nails and it will be game over. Might not hurt to drill a whole in the trap to tie it off to something with cord.



This is appropriate as squirrels are just tree rats. MO ended their hunting season on them. Now considered vermin and can be shot/killed any time of the year legally. Gary

Reactions: Informative 1


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## ClintW

Skin em out and eat em!


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## Tom Smart

I was chatting with @Kevin earlier about something else and happened to mention this squirrel issue. He suggested I provide an update so here 'tis. 

I had to take the pickup in again and the estimate is $835. That makes the total for 3 visits to the shop for rodents just short of $2K. I'm still pretty sure the guy in the first picture above is the chewer, although I didn't check between his teeth for plastic and rubber. I've been driving around with the check engine lights for a bit. But just to make sure, I'm wackin' anything with a bushy tail that hides in trees. Count so far is 9, but there are still plenty around and I'll eventually get to them. Like I said 410 shotgun shells are much cheaper than mechanics. No more " Have a Heart" cages or mothballs, just lead, or whatever the current environmentally friendly load is these days. 

I set each of these guys out on the firewood pile at night and the next day they were gone. 



 

Some days were a twofer. 



 



 

For anyone who has been in the Army you know what they say about gathering in small groups. One hand grenade will get you all. Well the same is true for squirrels and 410s. One shot got these two. 



 

I was curious about what was taking them each night, there are plenty of likely suspects around here. Borrowed a trail camera and it looks to be the raccoon I first caught and let go.

Reactions: Like 3 | Way Cool 1


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## Kevin

I don't blame you a bit. Only sensible thing to do. Coons gotta eat same as the squirrels.

Reactions: Like 1 | Agree 1


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## Tom Smart

Was mowing the grass last week along the fence line and when I came back around this little guy was there. Would not move. I got off the tractor and actually petted him. Then he got up and wobbled off. Could not be more than a few days old. No mom around so he probably won't make it.

Reactions: Like 3


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## rocky1

Squirrels... here are likewise on the verge of declaration of war. Spent Nearly $400 of fence around the garden to keep the deer and rabbits out, the squirrels go in and chew my damn corn off at the ground. Have a family of 5 out there by the garden, but I cut the tree down they were nested in, and figured they'd move off.

Wabbits... Got 2 - 3 running around the yard every night. Have a couple that hang out in the field where I'm feeding deer also. Kinda enjoyable seeing them around again, both they and the squirrels had gotten pretty scarce around these parts for awhile.

Possum... Ran across one of them in the backyard the other night playing with the rabbits. Or, the rabbits were playing with him or something. They were all out there together!

Skunks... Shot two so far. Have let one or two go because I didn't feel like messing with them that time of night, or they were gone when I got back with the gun and light. Walked out to the shop the other night and saw one wandering around out there by the barn, but it was raining and I wasn't following him off far enough to shoot him. He kinda wandered up under my pickup and disappeared, so I headed for the shop. 

I get 10 ft. from the shop door and the little SOB pops out from under my pickup, 4 ft. from the shop door, about 12 ft. from me! He stands there grinning, searching for something to eat and headed my way. So I just kinda stood still for a minute or two, he wandered up to within about 8 feet away before turning and wandering off far enough I could get in the shop, and out of the rain.

Reactions: Like 1


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## Kevin

Tom this made me think of you when my wife and I were in an curio shop couple days ago . . . .

Reactions: Funny 3 | Way Cool 1


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## Tom Smart

PS I'm liking your selection of aircraft.

Reactions: Thank You! 1


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## Tom Smart

The above comment won't make any sense when the "King" returns.


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