Backyard bird watching

[PRBuzz]

I've got between 6-7 squirrels that fear the sight of me, one has felt my sting! A clap of the hands now has them scurrying for cover.

[FishermanTim]

We get anywhere from 7-12 grey rats ** every day.
It wouldn't be so bad if they were content to feed on what I give them, but they have destroyed too many of the feeders for me to let it go any further. Fortunately the will only bother with a feeder that has sunflower seeds. Unfortunately they have learned to leap great distances in order to get at the only feeders that I fill with sunflower seeds, and they have chewed them into worthless plastic tubes.
I don't want a deterrent, a repellent or any other device/method to repell these creatures. I want them gone PERMANTLY. They not only destroy the bird feeders, they dig up way too many transplants in the spring, and take too many liberties in the veggie garden.
Their time is up!

** I was referring to squirrels, but in hindsight I don't want to give rats a bad name.

[Raven]

Originally Posted by PRBuzz

I've got between 6-7 squirrels that fear the sight of me, one has felt my sting! A clap of the hands now has them scurrying for cover.

when i attached the wire baskets to my one feeder
to deter the pack of bluejays

they finally gave up ...

But not the squirrels, and as i sent out the dingo to chase them off
one had difficulty navigating back out of the wire loosing precious seconds
and was actually in my dogs mouth for a split second before she went to do the clamp down...
he flew outta there missing entrapment by a half second
(wishing i had my camera) and hasn't been back since.

Rats -Grey_ i find live inside trees same as squirrels but down low.

[2na]

so...how many of you guys blast squirrels?? Nothing pisses me off more than seeing one on the feeder shoveling out the seed and scaring off all the birds. Anti-squirrel devices simply do not work - they figure them out eventually. I had a red squirrel the would just chew through the line leading to the feeder so I had to start using a picture wire leader. They are like the Terminator.

I have a friendly neighborhood fox that collects them at nite, and as another benefit I have found far fewer mice in my sheds. Additionally, my accuracy has improved tremendously over the last 4 years.

[Raven]

I'd like make a simple blow gun with a curtain rod ,
a piece of yarn and a large sewing needle.....
have the compressor sitting there attached with 80 lbs of air..
the rod goes out right next to the feeder...


sitten there with finger on the trigger....

but....then,
the sk-wirl -dog would have nuthin to do or to get excited about

[JohnnyD]

Originally Posted by 2na

so...how many of you guys blast squirrels??

The same one or two squirrels have woken me up every morning going after the feeders I have hanging from my front windows. Grabbed my pellet gun last night from storage. This morning was the first morning in a week that I haven't seen them out there. It's like they know.

[Raven]

no pellet gun here

so the hav -a- Heart with a full piece of bread covered in old peanut butter topped off with black sunflower seed proves out to be an irresistible bait that works every time! I use half the size for chippy's

had a red squirell coming over this morning which i thought odd

Dave the squirell's know their home turf by sound
not by internal compass

they remember things like sirens from the local fire station
church bells
a particular dog's bark
the sound of a dump truck squealing

so if the wind carry's that sound to them
they'll know which way is home

[Chris in Mass]

Is there enough ground swell (15 pages) here for an "Outdoors" Forum... Or maybe a combined "Outdoors/Sportsman" forum. Scuppers doesn't seem right. Maybe I'm being too anal

[justplugit]

Originally Posted by Raven

no pellet gun here

so the hav -a- Heart with a full piece of bread covered in old peanut butter topped off with black sunflower seed proves out to be an irresistible bait that works every time! I use half the size for chippy's

had a red squirell coming over this morning which i thought odd

Dave the squirell's know their home turf by sound
not by internal compass

they remember things like sirens from the local fire station
church bells
a particular dog's bark
the sound of a dump truck squealing

so if the wind carry's that sound to them
they'll know which way is home

Interesting stuff, Rav, I had no idea. I know they have a great sense of smell
too as they keep trying to pry the lid off my metal garbage pail where
I keep my sunflower seed.

If they hear the sounds of the old neighborhood they'll have to swim
a 1/2 mile over the resivoir, then find the bridge over the river to
get back here. When everything is frozen they betta think twice
about running over the resivoir with the pair of Bald Eagles we have
wintering there.

[Raven]

Originally Posted by justplugit

Interesting stuff, Rav, I had no idea. I know they have a great sense of smell
too as they keep trying to pry the lid off my metal garbage pail where
I keep my sunflower seed.

If they hear the sounds of the old neighborhood they'll have to swim
a 1/2 mile over the resivoir, then find the bridge over the river to
get back here. When everything is frozen they betta think twice
about running over the resivoir with the pair of Bald Eagles we have
wintering there.

~
i used to cross the Charles river over a bridge and walk another half mile.But, Before i opened the hav-a-heart i sprayed a small amount of paint on the tip of their tail so if they returned i'd know it.

One day, i happened to be there on a Sunday just before ten oclock
and the air was as still as can be,,,, then i heard the Church bells sounding off and i counted to ten. 2 weeks later that squirell was back and i figured he heard the bells and went closer tree by tree.