Hard going today

[Rabid 1,936]

Well, I've got a Nieghbour up road that wanted some squizzers thinning out, and seen as I've cleared my place I said I would have a look around for him.

 

Rang him this morning, and he was overjoyed I offered to go, so off I trundled, met up with him and he pointed out the likely spots where he sees them, mainly around the walnut trees, a few mature chestnuts and an ash, but he said fill your boots and go where you like.

 

knowing his ground quite well already, I set off down the hedgeline, scanning with the thermal as I walked, nothing in the walnuts except pigeons. Nothing on show anywhere except pigeons and doves, and not wanting to spook the squizzers I let them be this time, I've plenty of my own woodies anyway.

Got down to his bottom paddock, WOW, it's gone wild in a couple of years, could hardly make my way through it, thorn bushes 4ft high, brambles, it was a mission, so I swerved it and went back up top near the chestnuts, decided to sit them out and see what occurred.

After sitting and waiting for a while, enjoying the quiet, and listening to the breeze I hear squirrel chatter not too far away, so I'm sitting back against a tree scanning the trees, one big ole tree totally covered in ivy, and I saw movement, no squirell, just movement, I waited an eternity but it wouldn't show for a shot.

Partly from frustration, partly from boredom I grabbed the phone and googled 'grey squirrelled mating call' first vid up I stuck on speaker and played it, less than a minute and said tree rat was up high on a big bare branch flicking its tail and looking straight at me.

I picked up the cricket .22(today's tool of choice) and sent it a lead sleeping pill, satisfying thwack and it dropped stone cold.

I was bemused, was it the video, or just coincidence.

so I played it again, and again, and again, ok so the baby crying in the video probably didn't help Nothing seemed to be stirring so I got up, bad move, a 2nd tree rat scarpered out the ash tree just down the hedge and dissapeared into some undergrowth at a rate of speed linford would have been proud of.

so I played the video again, and again, blow me down it came out the undergrowth and startled cackling at me, so he very swiftly joined his buddy on the long sleep, unfortunately he dropped right into some brambles, and I decided no rats worth it, so he got left to feed something else.

 

spent a while wandering around but nowt else was showing, so I headed back home with some grub for the stinkers.

I had never tried calling squirells before, but I felt it made a big difference today, so will be using that in the future, has anyone else tried it ?

[Rez 4,957]

Pukka looking cricket rabs. 

[villaman 9,980]

We have used the caller before , does work . I thought I read some where and they say its illegal to use callers 

Nice looking gun mate

[j j m 6,481]

nice shooting ,and nice looking gun mate

[The one 8,397]

keep at them mate probably the worst vermin about 

[Rabid 1,936]

On 21/07/2018 at 23:58, Rez said:

Pukka looking cricket rabs. 

Cheers, yeah I rate them and that one is a particularly good one.

On 22/07/2018 at 09:51, villaman said:

We have used the caller before , does work . I thought I read some where and they say its illegal to use callers 

Nice looking gun mate

Shite, I best look into that, I had not heard that before.

On 22/07/2018 at 10:24, j j m said:

nice shooting ,and nice looking gun mate

Cheers

On 22/07/2018 at 13:10, The one said:

keep at them mate probably the worst vermin about 

Yeah you ain't wrong, they should be paying us to clear them up, I may have permission on a very very large estate, that is crawling with the blasted things fingers crossed.

[Rimfireboy! 1,463]

Good sport to be had though. Squirrels can be tricky quarry.