Now it's ground squirrels

[GOPHER SLAYER]

When we lived on acreage I had to fight gophers. I finally gave up and moved to a place without one blade of grass. Now my humble abode is under attack by ground squirrels. They are tearing the insulation from underneath the floor and from the duct that carries our cool air from the air conditioner. I will try traps first and then I am going to the pellet gun. I am sure it would be breaking some kind of law so my future posts may come from the pokey.

[trapper9260]

Do not say what you do to anyone and go from there.No matter if it is ok or not.The less that is said the better you are off alot of times.

[fouronesix]

Thank goodness I don't have the stupid legal restrictions here that some states/jurisdictions do. Unfortunately the tendency to be "sensitive" and politically correct has made it easier and easier for politicians and bureaucrats to seize more and more power. Enough is enough!

Yep, they can be destructive buggers- especially the rock and/or ground squirrels around buildings or even vehicles this time of year. Not to mention they commonly carry the plague.

After two years of dedicated work, I finally got rid of all the prairie dogs on 80 acres. Most of the surrounding area here is timbered so there is at least a buffer area of no p-dogs. It was an uphill battle. I used my trusty, scoped and very accurate Win 52B sporter 22, cheap modified camera tripod and approached the situation like a spot and stalk hunt. My max range for 100% kills is about 50 yards. One by one I got them all!….. until of course next spring when the young adults are kicked out from surrounding colonies and emigrate into my area. Then it starts all over again.

I also have rock squirrels which are similar to your problem critter. I can eliminate them from around the house and shop but within a few days the young adults are pushed out from surrounding areas and go on the prowl for new territory, find the vacuum, move in and the process starts over. I use the same gun with the same limitations to control them. This end-of-season battle with rock squirrels is especially tough and goes on about this time every year.

The onset of really cold weather with some permanent snow will allow me to rest until next spring when it all starts over for both p-dogs and rock squirrels. Oh well, it is good practice for hunting and provides valuable trigger time :)

[Smoke4320]

targets of opportunity :) :)

[crowbuster]

3 s's

[Beagle333]

Get a cat?

[Kskybroom]

A Pet Black Footed Ferret

[MaryB]

P-dogs are a blast. I go out to South Dakota with my brothers and sisters to a place with 1200 acres of pasture land. We shoot p-dogs all day long! They actually make an okay stew too!

[Col4570]

This area is troubled by Moles,and it is usual in the morning to find mounds of dirt from their Tunnels and the ground near them collapsing.There are Traps and vibrating devices that just seem to partly annoy them but fall short on getting rid of them.Just lately I have tried another tactic i,e using Jeyes Fluid as follows.Pour a small amount of fluid on each mound and water it down into the tunnels,this dissuades the little buggers for a while but you have to be vigilant when any mounds appear and treat each one as soon as possible.I have kept them at a reasonable level for a while now.This might work with Gophers and Ground Squirels,I do realise that your problem is on a grander scale than mine.Fortunately we do not have either of the two species here but who knows it might work as it does with our little velvet nuisances.

[snglstack]

Pack rats here can build a nest under the hood of your truck in one night. And make your check engine and brake warning light turn on forever. Got a couple of kittens, brothers, and before long there were no more rats. Or mice, within two hundred yards. One night they dragged in a full grown jackrabbit through the pet door that barely fit, kicking and squeaking, cats growling and tugging. They were so proud of it, it got downright lively in the 300sf cabin there for a few minutes.

[prsman23]

Get a cat?

Make sure it's fixed. My idiot neighbor decided that was a good idea. Now he has a feral cat population.

[Taylor]

I'm working on this too.I have put out D-con and rat traps.So far the best defense has been a pellet rifle.

[Elkins45]

I'm only reading this thread because the OP used the term "ground squirrels" and that's what I knew them as growing up. I moved 100 miles from home (still in the same state) and nobody knew what I was talking about. I had no idea that ground squirrels were called chipmunks...I thought chipmunks wore sweaters and sang in cartoons. :)

My dad was at constant war with ground squirrels digging up his bulbs and hiding hickory nuts in the downspouts. No telling how many rounds of 22 ammo were fired out the backdoor of our house. He must have shot hundreds of them over the years.

[GOPHER SLAYER]

Last night I set a large live trap and baited it with peanuts and strawberries but when I eagerly checked the trap this morning it was still set and the bait was untouched. I think it is time to get out the pellet pistol and lie in wait. I am attaching a picture of the landscape behind my house and it will give you an idea of what I am up against. All kind of wild life live in those hills from squirrels to black bear.

[Beagle333]

Curious...... why would anybody care what you shot, out there?

[bedbugbilly]

Gopher . . . I'll trade you one fat woodchuck for two ground squirrels . . and then raise you two chipmunks! :-)

Last summer, here on our place in MI I was fighting woodchucks about every day. This summer, I haven't seen but a couple until this past week. I have one in the back yard that I've been trying to nail for a couple of years. I swear . . if I see him out and I reach for a rifle in the house . . he heads for his hole. I can't catch him in a live trap regardless of what I bait it with. I used to go to the bakery and get jelly rolls to put in to catch them - they worked pretty good. The only thing I've caught in a live trap all summer was a snapping turtle that crawled out of the swamp. Took me forever to get it out as it hung on for dear life with its claws. (And no .. I don't eat snapping turtles.)

Your worry about the pellet gun and others seeing it reminds me of when I killed a rattle snake with a shovel right by the garage door of our place in AZ. A neighbor . . . a died in the wool tree hugging PITA card carrying member . . . asked me about it as she heard we had killed one. She was all bent out of shape over the death of it instead of me carrying it across the road to let it loose. I tried to explain that I hadn't killed it . . . the snake committed suicide by running in to my shovel . . . she doesn't speak to me any more. What can I say . . . ? :-)

[Echo]

[QUOTE=bedbugbilly;3391649 she doesn't speak to me any more. What can I say . . . ? :-)[/QUOTE]

Lucky devil...

[GOPHER SLAYER]

Two years ago I picked up a cement block in my backyard and there was a young western diamondback rattler. since it was still a little cool he at first didn't even move but he soon tried to leave the area. I also used a shovel to dispatch him to a better place. If anyone is bitten by one of these snakes had better have some good insurance or lots of money. The last I heard a rattlesnake bite can cost an adult a hundred thousand dollars. It depends on your size and weight and how many anti venom shots you need.There is also a lot of pain involved not to mention a possible loss of an arm or leg.

[Freightman]

Rattle snakes! we have a bumper crop here this year news said they were very dangerous this time of year as they are molting and strick at any movement and the weeds and grass is waist high .

[Taylor]

They steal the peanuts and leave the trap unsprung. 4 so far with the pellet rifle.

[gunauthor]

I had some success with a live trap and ended up "euthanizing" them with a pellet gun. Then tried a rat trap using peanut butter for bait. That worked even better.........

[Iowa Fox]

The animals are out of control here. Never thought they would or could get the best of me but they have.

Deer by the hundreds
squirrels by the hundreds
chipmunks by the hundreds
Bluejays by the hundreds
Woodchucks
Moles
Coons
opposums
mice
wasps
hornets
yellow jackets

When we moved here 35 years ago there were no animals around. Now they are everyplace.

[MaryB]

We sit out on my deck and use the pellet rifle on gophers while drinking a beer or three.(that is the limit, more than 3 no more shooting for you). Killed many but when my neighbor moved in with outdoor cats the gophers moved out. Then people dumped off 4 other cats that are semi feral. They will come to me for a pet then run away. Tried to tame one but she refuses. Gopher population is zero right now... ruined our Saturday afternoon fun!

[fouronesix]

Rock Squirrel Down!

Filled my tag this afternoon, nice little buck. Laser ranged at 47 yards. Shooting ole reliable- Win 52B Sporter w/Leupold 4X. Perfect terminal performance from CCI Blazer- DRT. :wink: