Sounds like you need to bust out the shotgun and have a good squirrel shoot.
What's Growing in the Garden
- Thread starter trc65
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Sounds like a good idea - I like me some fricasseed squirrel. However, I live in a more non-conservative part of the state (way inside the city limits and I get busted for too much smoke while smoking brisket) and "they" would get absolutely apocalyptic bat-crazy and start foaming at the mouth if I discharged a weapon. Used to use a bow, but they have since outlawed that by claiming it is "discharging a weapon". Tried trapping and relocating - but there was no end to the replacements! So I've had to learn to grin and bear!
Ah that blows. Too bad you couldn't use a pellet Rifle. I have a gamo and that thing is bad news to coons and squirrels at my bird feeder.
I understand the trapping frustration.
One thing you might could try is to provide food for the squirrels during fig season. I know it seems counterproductive, but you might give it a try. Chunk some corn out and they might just leave your figs alone
Relocating in wet areas works for eliminating the captured ones returning. Especially rivers...
I don't put out food (corn) especially for them, but I have no problem with them getting other things. I have a 60-70 yo pear tree that still bears 100's aand 100's of pears - they have free reign. Have a mature black walnut that have big crops of walnut that they have free reign to. And up to 3 years ago also had a mulberry that was always loaded. And they eat all of them - and all during fig season. I think the figs are dessert for them. Last couple of years they would leave the white figs and purple figs pretty much alone and just eat the sweet small amber ones - but this year they are after them all. And they get them one day before they are ripe. The quandry - harvest a day or two early and they are not sweet - or wait until ripe and harvest nothing but a nub.
That is not a mystery as to what is getting the figs. However, my okra is something else. Three years ago we cut down a huge pine tree and that left an area of my back yard with some sun. Decided to plant some tomatoes, peppers, and okra. Decided on this short variety call Bubba Okra. Starts bearing less than knee high and at most will get 2-3 foot tall. Last year planted it first time and a rabbit decided to nibble all the leaves off. This year thought I would outsmart that wascally wabbit and install a little fence around the okra. Well something is eating leaves off about half of the plants. It doesn't just cut a leaf off and leaves it on the ground, it eats the whole thing at one setting all the way to the stem. If it is a wabbit, I have no idea how he is getting in. No deer that I know of. Our cat dined on a small rabbit the other day. I gave her extra loving on for doing that!
That is not a mystery as to what is getting the figs. However, my okra is something else. Three years ago we cut down a huge pine tree and that left an area of my back yard with some sun. Decided to plant some tomatoes, peppers, and okra. Decided on this short variety call Bubba Okra. Starts bearing less than knee high and at most will get 2-3 foot tall. Last year planted it first time and a rabbit decided to nibble all the leaves off. This year thought I would outsmart that wascally wabbit and install a little fence around the okra. Well something is eating leaves off about half of the plants. It doesn't just cut a leaf off and leaves it on the ground, it eats the whole thing at one setting all the way to the stem. If it is a wabbit, I have no idea how he is getting in. No deer that I know of. Our cat dined on a small rabbit the other day. I gave her extra loving on for doing that!
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- #246
Started sweet corn harvest /freezing today. Picked the first of three varieties today, about 8 dozen ears and will pick the next variety tomorrow. The last is a little later to spread out the season a little.
Nice! Love sweet corn. We don't have the space to grow any, but have opportunity to get some. Last year we got 4 dozen ears and most of it got frozen. Still have some in the freezer from last year, so not planning to add more now. Got 2 dozen yesterday. 1 dozen I cut off the cob tonight and froze - I'll use that later on for making some soups to can. The other dozen we'll eat fresh. My favorite way to eat is to shuck it, then grill it. A little char from the grilling and put some butter, salt, and pepper on it - doesn't get any better than that! I would have liked to have gotten more than the 2 dozen, but my time to do something with it right now is pretty much non-existent and our freezer space is getting full of items to can when I have more time, like cherries and blueberries for pie filling and jam, and starting to get tomatoes, which I'm freezing to make stuff from later on. I really need to get some time to get some of that canning done! And time to also pull some meat from the freezer so I can can some meat, soups, and stews for quick and easy meals.
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- #248
Tomato juice day. Stew them for a little while to break them down, run them through food mill, then pressure can them. Shooting for around 16-18 qts. Still have some from last year, so not doing as much this year. Tomorrow will be making sauce from the Romas, and Monday will can whole Romas.
You don't want to get me started with a town/city/municipal corporation telling me what I can & can't do on my private property, pretending a bow is a "firearm"... But I digress.
Wildlife Body Traps
“Springkeeper” corner loops prevent springs from sliding around trap frame. Patented four-way trigger can be set off by animals approaching from any direction. Snap on or off easily as needed for baited or blind sets. High carbon steel and improved welding reduce trap bending or breaking.
Just hang them where a neighbors cat, or God forbid a skunk, can't stick it's head in there...
.
You don't want to get me started with a town/city/municipal corporation telling me what I can & can't do on my private property, pretending a bow is a "firearm"... But I digress.
View attachment 214763
Wildlife Body Traps
“Springkeeper” corner loops prevent springs from sliding around trap frame. Patented four-way trigger can be set off by animals approaching from any direction. Snap on or off easily as needed for baited or blind sets. High carbon steel and improved welding reduce trap bending or breaking.www.forestry-suppliers.com
Just hang them where a neighbors cat, or God forbid a skunk, can't stick it's head in there...
.
A Conibear 330 is a much better trap. It will take your arm off if you ain't careful.
Do you mount it over the door bell?You don't want to get me started with a town/city/municipal corporation telling me what I can & can't do on my private property, pretending a bow is a "firearm"... But I digress.
View attachment 214763
Wildlife Body Traps
“Springkeeper” corner loops prevent springs from sliding around trap frame. Patented four-way trigger can be set off by animals approaching from any direction. Snap on or off easily as needed for baited or blind sets. High carbon steel and improved welding reduce trap bending or breaking.
Just hang them where a neighbors cat, or God forbid a skunk, can't stick it's head in there...
.
Just got home from a week in Illinois, visiting my wife's family. @trc65 - Tim we were kinda down in your neck of the woods. My wife is from Savanna, IL and one of the days we were there, we went down to Clinton, IA to the Sawmill Museum.
While we were gone we had someone tending the garden for us. Have a couple bags of cut up tomatoes in the freezer, saving for making sauce.
Tonight we picked the garden. The green beans that had started to blossom again had some ready to pick - about a gallon of beans. Picked some peppers, cucumbers, and tomatoes. And we came home with a box of tomatoes we picked from my wife's grandfather's garden this morning.
Going to be busy doing more canning in the next few days!
Green onions will be ready for trimming again in a few days. I froze the last cutting; this cutting I'll dehydrate.
While we were gone we had someone tending the garden for us. Have a couple bags of cut up tomatoes in the freezer, saving for making sauce.
Tonight we picked the garden. The green beans that had started to blossom again had some ready to pick - about a gallon of beans. Picked some peppers, cucumbers, and tomatoes. And we came home with a box of tomatoes we picked from my wife's grandfather's garden this morning.
Going to be busy doing more canning in the next few days!
Green onions will be ready for trimming again in a few days. I froze the last cutting; this cutting I'll dehydrate.
They are Bad news on the beavers around here
I used one to trap a groundhog here. It took his head clean off. I wasn't expecting that, but hey, whatever works.They are Bad news on the beavers around here
As long as you don't say it was me that told you to, have at it. Just make sure there is video recording involved, with sound.
I'd say the 330 is a bit overkill for squirrels but whatever floats your boat. I had the 110 snap on my fingers once, as I was setting it so still had some grip on the spring. Didn't break them but got the old adrenaline going pretty good.
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A squirrel is hardly a ground hog my friend.
I could have sworn the stated issue was with squirrels but can't imagine a ground hog would do too well with the 110 snapped closed on it's neck. I'm sure the double spring 330 would be more definitive in that regard but just how dead do you need it to be?
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- #259
Took a walk with my camera after supper to check out the pumpkins. This is a pic of the main patch with the conventional pumpkins. They are looking good, probably 50 pumpkins in this patch. For size reference, the little one bottom center is probably a 10# pumpkin, and the one right behind it is ~30#.
The I walked over to a patch where I have some specialty (dif. size/shapes/colors) pumpkins. First thing I saw was a large orange shape peeking out above the leaves.
Crawled into the patch and holey cow. It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown!
I'm guessing this one is 150#+. I wasn't trying to grow that large a pumpkin, planted seed mix that should have a mix of colors and shapes, but this is the only pumpkin I could find from the five plants. Guess you get a really big one when it's the only one. Going to be interesting trying to move this one without borrowing a tractor.
The I walked over to a patch where I have some specialty (dif. size/shapes/colors) pumpkins. First thing I saw was a large orange shape peeking out above the leaves.
Crawled into the patch and holey cow. It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown!
I'm guessing this one is 150#+. I wasn't trying to grow that large a pumpkin, planted seed mix that should have a mix of colors and shapes, but this is the only pumpkin I could find from the five plants. Guess you get a really big one when it's the only one. Going to be interesting trying to move this one without borrowing a tractor.
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Maybe all the other shapes, sizes and colors are inside that one.
Pretty cool but I still think you need to consider making Pumpkin Ale!