What do you “Feed” your squirrels?

[Bruce L]

Have set up a feeding station near the sugar house where I am “ feeding “ the squirrels,they have definitely found it,but numbers don’t seem to be declining yet

[ecolbeck]

Before providing input to this topic I would like to acknowledge that I am not a professional producer and therefore I do not have the stresses that come with making a living as a farmer and the headaches of dealing with wildlife. That being said, I encourage you to find an alternative means of dealing with squirrels other than feeding them because non-target species are practically guaranteed to be affected either through direct consumption of the bait or by eating dead squirrels. Poisons bioaccumulate and move up the food chain killing many animals. I don’t know what the answer is to the issue, but I hope that another choice can be made.

[spud]

I feed mine with lead pellets from my shotgun.

Spud

[n8hutch]

I tend to just let some steele shot from my 12 gauge take care of them. Wife gets a little squeamish, doesn't seem to bother the kids much. And I can personally Guarantee that it is a quick and humane death, usually there isn't much left to even clean up.

[motowbrowne]

Switched from the 12 gauge to a Ruger 10-22 with a scope this year. Wear it over my shoulder while replacing taps or drops. Got a bunch during setup and had almost no squirrel chews during the season.

[highlandcattle]

I truly hope the original post was NOT talking about leavibg out poison. That is just beyond awful. You will end up killing other wildlife. I really hope I'm reading this wrong.

[Mead Maple]

Ill throw my two cents in. While I’m all about ridding them, Im against poisoning them (if thats whats implied). My son is 9 and practicing off hand shooting for his first deer season. The Ruger 10/22 as mentioned before is our choice of eradication. Of course, if the covid continues we will begin to harvest and make pot pies or casseroles with them.


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[Bruce L]

To put everyone’s mind at ease,no poison involved,people tend to walk in that area with their dogs also. My nephew is trying to pick them off with a high powered pellet gun,too young for anything heavier. Was considering traps,but would have to be live traps as an unsuspecting dog or other animal could trip one. Should be good hunting now that I have them congregating in one area.

[Bricklayer]

I use my grandfathers trick.
I nail a 16” or so piece of 2x4 to a tree. Close to where you can get a good safe shot at them. Then on the bottom side of the end of the 2x4 put an open eyelet bolt screwed into the wood.
Then take a roundish piece of stick or dowel about 2” diameter spread some peanut butter on it then dunk it in cracked corn or sunflower seeds or whole corn whatever is available.
The birds will like it. But the squirrells climb right on it and hang there. Makes for a great shot. Chipmunks love it too. Can pick off lots before the log is destroyed from the shot. I’ll send you a picture if I remember tomorrow when I get home.

[Bricklayer]

Here’s a pic I found of something similar. Never thought of just hanging a cob of corn. Would probley keep the birds away from it.

21349

[Pdiamond]

Squirrel stew is the best.

[Michael Greer]

A pellet gun and a blue heeler dog makes a pretty good team. I've been "feeding" squirrels to my garden.

[TapTapTap]

I've been known to get out .410 if they're getting into the chicken nun but generally i let the preditors take care of them - owls, hawks, foxes, bobcat, etc. Preditors have to eat too you know. I like knowing that my sugarbush has diversity.

And, oh ya, i got plenty of squirrels. But thats what attracts the other animals.

[Tmeeeh]

We use this automatic trap. Kills about 20 of them before you need a new CO2 cylinder. Finding the right location and keeping it baited are important too. Probably cheaper to buy ammo but takes less time.
https://goodnature.co/

[Bruce L]

Thanks Tim,looks like exactly what I was looking for. Pretty pricey,would figure out to over $300.00 for me here in Canada. What do you use for bait? Our nephew is gone home now ( split family his Mom wanted him home for her week,thought he would be better off and safer staying here in the country. All washed up and done in the bush,black flies out already,so won’t be back in there often enough to get much hunting done. Says it attaches to trees,what size? I either have a 3” sapling where they are congregating,or a 36” maple 15’ away they run to. Can you get the co2 charges anywhere,or should I order extra of them also?

[maple flats]

All I fed mine this year was a cocktail made using Vicious Viper hot sauce. We blend it 1/5 hot sauce, 3/5 cooking oil and 1/5 water. We then spray it on some drop lines where they are likely to attract squirrels. This year was our most successful year controlling ever for squirrel chews. We never went below 25" vacuum all season.

[Bruce L]

All I fed mine this year was a cocktail made using Vicious Viper hot sauce. We blend it 1/5 hot sauce, 3/5 cooking oil and 1/5 water. We then spray it on some drop lines where they are likely to attract squirrels. This year was our most successful year controlling ever for squirrel chews. We never went below 25" vacuum all season.
Dave,my wife had asked something like this when we were repairing tubing before we tapped. Problem is there are a lot of hot spots throughout the three bushes we tap, and hundreds and hundreds of lateral lines to maintain also

[maple flats]

While this year I only had 400 taps, and I had help tapping early on, once the Covid 19 became an issue, I worked totally alone. Fortunately the previous 2 seasons I had help and that "educated" some squirrels. This year I only sprayed some drops in areas where the squirrel problem was the worst in years past, spraying just once. My vacuum runs between 26-27", and it never fell to 25" or under so I never had to fix leaks all year. This was the first year ever that I could say that. Yes I might have had some micro leaks, but at 26+" I didn't feel the need to chase them down. This was also my first year with apparently no deer chews since they began in 2018. 18-19 were bad for deer chews, this year none that I needed to fix. A deer chew last year would drop the vacuum from 26-27 down to 23 or under. My pump is an old relic, a BB4 piston pump.

[sugarsand]

When we have squirrel visits I doctor up where they climb up with Hot Sause mixed with Vaseline then sit back and enjoy the show:lol: