Attracting the local wildlife...

[Arisaka99]

Mods, Not sure if this is in the right spot or not.. Feel free to move it to where it actually belongs.

I'm trying to figure out how to attract and keep squirrels and rabbits around my house and 3 acres.. We live in a rural neighborhood; (houses 30-50yds apart) and have an abundance of deer and squirrels around, I just want them close so I can hunt them if I get the desire. I've been putting deer corn around on stumps and logs in the backyard for the squirrels, and whatever else decides to eat it, but I would like to do more. I've got a brush pile next to one of the stumps I put corn on, brush piles down our path into the holler (woods). I figured that would attract bushytails, but so far haven't seen any. I've considered building squirrel boxes and putting them into trees around. We've got a couple oaks because I've seen the cut acorns.

Suggestions? Ideas?

[Beerd]

feral cats can be hard of the rabbit population.
just sayin'.
..

[nannyhammer]

Year round feeder, small clover plot if possible, build brush piles, and fertilize any nut bearing hardwoods you have. Control/eliminate predators as needed.

[freebullet]

Salt licks. Spackle molasses on a couple stumps or dig a little bowl in the ground to pour it in. Dump water over it. It will form a crust most critters can't resist. Cracked corn mixed with peanut butter. Food plots even if tiny. Vegetable and fruit scraps from the kitchen. Heck I caught a squirrel in a live trap with stale donuts, most wildlife aren't too picky when food isn't abundant.

[DanWalker]

A cheap and easy squirrel and deer attractant can be made from a jar of peanut butter. Go find a tree where you want said critters to be, and unscrew your lid from peanut butter jar. Using a cordless drill and a wood screw, screw the lid of the jar to the tree with the threads of the lid facing outward. Now screw jar back onto those threads. Next, take your knife and cut a hole in the bottom of the jar. (the actual bottom of the jar, not the side that is now facing the ground.) There you have it. Deer can come and lick the peanut butter out of the jar, and squirrels will scoop it out by the handful. The two best things you can do for bunnies is provide them with cover, and kill the predators(usually domestic and feral cats)

[Arisaka99]

See, the neighborhood cats are the problem. (My wife's included). I had a salt/ mineral block in the yard up until deer season, but I didn't want the neighbor to call me in to the warden, so I took it into the shed. I don't know a whole lot about identifying trees, but I know we have a couple oaks because we have acorns. I attempted to pull some 3-4" woody vines off the oaks and ended up finding out that it was poison ivy... How do you fertilize trees?

[TXGunNut]

I don't much care for bushytails around the house, they have a knack for gaining entry to attics and causing serious issues. I used to have rabbits living under my shed (still have one now and then) but my young tom cat is a pest control contractor and I can't get him to discriminate between the different rodent species. His mother was a feral cat who adopted me so he comes by his hunting skills honestly. The only rabbits I see nowadays aren't very sociable. Miss that.

[dragonrider]

Boiled unsalted peanuts for squirrels, they love em, at least the ones around here do.

[Orchard6]

If you want to see squirrels and rabbits go hunt for deer! While deer hunting all I ever see is squirrels and while squirrel hunting I always seem to kick up deer!

[Arisaka99]

When deer hunting, there are usually 5 or 6 squirrels all around and they sound like deer. When squirrel hunting at a local WMA, a buddy decided not to get his muzzleloader license the day before we went squirrel hunting ad we had a decent size 6pt walk right by us at 70 yards. SITTING ON THE GROUND! It never fails. Haha

[Screwbolts]

Arisaka99,

You have access to the internet, right? You are able to post and read this sight. Possibly do a search of Tree Identifications, and learn what the different barks and leaves look like for all the trees in your local.

On the vine thing, next time take a good pair of brush cutters and simply cut the main stem/trunk of the vines and enjoy watching nature decay them dam parasitic vines. I enjoy watching their leaves dry up and fall off in the middle of our summer. Learn to use a Chain saw if the vines need it! :-) wild life can also use the dying branches for perching and nesting support. In your search also look up and identify the different vine species in your area. that will avoid the Poison Ivy lessons. I believe it is not recommended to burn Poison Ivy because the smoke can also carry the offending oil. Cut its connection to the Earth and enjoy watching it shrivel up and go away.

On another note, I have a fondness for the Arisaka 99 action also. Mine is thumhole stocked, Timney triggered, with a 26" Heavy 6MM rem chambered barrel. It harvested 3 deer this past season here in NY state.

Yup, CATS, Yup, great targets if you want to see Rabbits ( most come with target designes on their sides in various colors). In most cases it will not enhance community/domestic relations if they should disappear. How can one live with neighbors houses only 30 to 50 yards away. I have never lived anywhere that got Cable TV.

Ken

[truckjohn]

one thing people forget is habitat... 3' tall broom straw, native grasses and brambles attract all sorts of wildlife that clean, closed canopy mature forest won't....

Pick some areas "out back" and just let it grow up thick and weedy.... you will have no shortage of wildlife...

Thanks

[Orchard6]

You really need a good habitat for squirrels and rabbits as well as a constant food and water source. Rabbits tend to like very thick, dense undergrowth with lots of brush and tall grass for good cover. Squirrels on the other hand will prefer a stand of good hardwoods preferably with oak or other nut bearing trees. I find the best places to find both animals is in wood lots along side corn fields. There is usually enough brush and undergrowth along the edges to keep the rabbits feeling safe and squirrels will drag ears of corn 50 to 100 yards into the woods where their nests are. Of course it really helps if the corn stays up for a good portion of the winter!
Take a look around your neighbors places that seem to have more small game critters and see what is keeping them there. Then try to make your spot more appealing to them. It probably won't happen over night but eventually if you do your home work and think like the critters your after they will move into your neck of the woods.

[Geezer in NH]

Cat's are the main problem. They should be inside outside they need to go.

[SSGOldfart]

Try feeding with sunflower seeds and pecans works for me,I enjoy watching the treerats once they start coming in to the feeders they will get braver. I keep two feeders up year around and six or eight during the spring breeding time they can go through a 100 plus pounds of sunflower seeds in a week if I'll give it to them,no feeders around the garden,they will carry off small red tomatos

[CLAYPOOL]

Talk to local Wildlife Biologist and he can also info the laws to you. Build something on the sides of trees 5 feet off the ground or so. Ledge for squirrels to sit while eating. Don't let them near your attic - wiring problems will be the result. You fertilize by sticking a pointed rod (etc)) into the ground 6 inches or so. Pour full. Doesn't have to be perfect. Start near the tree trunk and work out wards in a circle till you reach the "Drip line" Again no need for perfection. Any fertilize is better than none. Broadcast by hand under Japanize Honeysuckle for growth. Get woodie type plants from your local state Forester and/or advice. I hire the local high schoolers to do this and 2 at a time to drop seeds or Acorns and Hickory nuts into the holes with use of a planting bar. They questioned why I was doing this. Some one coming behind me , Hopefully will enjoy the timber.. and of course the wildlife will.

[CLAYPOOL]

The nuts in the holes will freeze during the winter which I was told is necessary to crack the outer shell and/or stimulate growth in the spring warm up. I planted giant Hickory River nuts 2 at a time in the holes. Then a firm push of dirt to tamp and keep the Squirrels from find them. Not many will grow 2 trees from the same hole. If you are alive in 10 years or so you can do Timber Improvement program along with these other programs also. See Forester recommendations in the previous post. Your State Wildlife biologist has tons of info and maybe money programs to help you with.. It doesn't hurt to ask. My 15 acres of timber is tied up in "Timber Stand Improvement" with a reduction of Taxes. BUT I can't sell any. Wasn't big enough any way so what have I lost. Yes they expect you to do some work on it, but again I was going to any way.

[pls1911]

Want squirrels? Hang a bird feeder and load your gun....
I've fed two dozen or so to the yotes since fall.
A big +1 on the peanut butter too. I use 2-3 deck screws to mount lids on trees at deer feeding level, then rip off the safety seal, and cut out the bottom and screw it onto the tree mounted jar top.
Danged tree rats chew on all the outdoor furniture and tear up cushions for bedding material and are just a royal PITA.

[joesig]

Want squirrels? Hang a bird feeder and load your gun....
I've fed two dozen or so to the yotes since fall.
A big +1 on the peanut butter too. I use 2-3 deck screws to mount lids on trees at deer feeding level, then rip off the safety seal, and cut out the bottom and screw it onto the tree mounted jar top.
Danged tree rats chew on all the outdoor furniture and tear up cushions for bedding material and are just a royal PITA.
Exactly. I have seen them shovel black oil sunflower seeds in their mouth one paw after the other like it was a food eating contest. A couple on the feeder and even more on the ground picking up what was missed. They don't do well on a 3/32" high wire so that is where the feeder hangs now.

Wish I could help with the rabbits. I had a lot in the Spring but I think they fed the local hawk.

[Geezer in NH]

The standard NH bear, turkey, Squirrel, bait is a bird feeder with black oil sunflower seeds. Deer f any left from the coyotes no idea.

[Silvercreek Farmer]

Plant a garden!

[starmac]

This will undoubetdly get some laughs, but for tree and plant id, pick up an old boyscouts field manual. It covers tree id, edible plants, and iirc how to prepare them, and poisonous plants. It also covers a lot of other things a guy uses in day to day life.

[Rustyleee]

Here in Fla several years ago the game dept came out and asked hunters that were out hunting to kill feral cats when ever they saw them because they have such a terrible effect on wildlife. That lasted until the SPCA became outraged. Then then the game dept issued a repeal of the request. The truth was in the first statement though, feral cats are hard on wildlife because they are such efficient killers.

[jcren]

For a "natural" salt lick, get one of the hard brown salt/mineral blocks from a feed store and bury it completely an inch or two below ground level. After a rain or two, every critter around will find it, just don't put it close to a nice tree because salt can kill plants in close proximity. Fertilize trees with either stakes from a garden store or sprinkling loose fertilizer around the drip line. That is under the outer tips of the branches, where most feeder roots are. Fyi, I have watched squirrels cover a 1/4 mile of flat ground to get to a mulberry tree.


See, the neighborhood cats are the problem. (My wife's included). I had a salt/ mineral block in the yard up until deer season, but I didn't want the neighbor to call me in to the warden, so I took it into the shed. I don't know a whole lot about identifying trees, but I know we have a couple oaks because we have acorns. I attempted to pull some 3-4" woody vines off the oaks and ended up finding out that it was poison ivy... How do you fertilize trees?