squirrel wars

[Foxy09 3]

On a personl level i would think shooting them in the cage would be alot quicker than having to remove them then dispatch them with a priest, not to mention the added stress the animal would be put under while doing it, and as for safe? i dont know anyone who has been biten by a squirell while shooting it in a cage, i know plenty who have been bitten trying to remove one from a cage to despatch it or had it escape while doing do so. Personaly i use a pistol though not a rifle which is the only difference id make than this guy did.

 

Foxy

 

As I say, most professional wildlife managers use the priest method...

 

The reason? Less chance of missing/wounding, less blood in the trap, no chance of ricochet, and no chance of an ARU turning up.

 

To me, using an air rifle for that is like using a hammer to put in a screw. The end result is the same, but it's just not the right way. But each to his or her own...........

 

Having undertaken a Squirell cull for the FC along with three other PROFESSIONAL Wildlife managers every caged squirell (over 700) was shot at point blank with a .22 air pistol, and the fact that we were proffesionals meant there was not one miss, not one ricochet, and not one ARU. I think any big organisations using the priest method will be doing so as more of a cost cutting exercise than views on best practice

 

Foxy

[woodga 170]

transfer from the catch cage into the kill cage

cleanly dispatch with a shot to the head

several thousand squirrels killed and never once in danger of ever being bitten as you say each to their own i know i would rather removed a dead squirrel out of a cage than a bagged live one

[OldTrapCollector 376]

I might be way off the mark here, and have nothing to back it up but . . . I always thought that it was illegal to shoot animals or birds with an air pistol which had to be less than 6 ft/lbs muzzle velocity to be legal???

 

Can anyone shed any light on this??

 

OTC

[Fidgety 8]

Cant seem to watch it again on 4's website

[120-2 8]

My contribution

 

 

 

[Holdaway 2]

OTC, I believe the law in Britain to be less then 12 foot lb for an air weapon. That is a rifle of course, for pistols I don't know as I don't own one.

 

H

[Temujin 0]

As with most things its seems the best killing method is the one that works best for you, and reduces the suffering of the animal... whatever anyone may think of the guy, his passion and commitment cannot be faulted and if his numbers add up he seems to be doing a good job. I for one will try and donate something to the cause. I lived on the Isle of Wight for a number of years and that is one of the last strongholds of Reds in England and still some moron released some Greys over there........

[OldTrapCollector 376]

OTC, I believe the law in Britain to be less then 12 foot lb for an air weapon. That is a rifle of course, for pistols I don't know as I don't own one.

 

H

 

12 foot lb for a rifle but 6 foot lb for a pistol I thought??

 

Does anyone know for certain??

 

OTC

[zig zag wanderer 0]

Sad to see that he can't dispatch em without an air rifle.....

 

And what would you suggest then Matt??

 

Foxy

 

Most properly trained professionals (MAFF, FC to name two) train their staff to dispatch them with a priest. Quick, clean and safe.

Well I'm a professional and I use a .22 air pistol. I think your referrence to MAFF shows your views to be a little out dated Matt.

 

To shoot or to club has always been a personal issue but to put a guy down who is committed to helping our indigenous red squirrel just because he doesn't use your old fashioned methods is a bit below the belt.

[trappa 517]

i liked the programme, if there was a few more like him, the grey could be managed a lot more effectivlely.

For the record, ive done both the sack and priest and the gun to dispatch. The sack looks more proffessional, but both do the job.

[Matt 160]

Well I'm a professional and I use a .22 air pistol. I think your referrence to MAFF shows your views to be a little out dated Matt.

 

To shoot or to club has always been a personal issue but to put a guy down who is committed to helping our indigenous red squirrel just because he doesn't use your old fashioned methods is a bit below the belt.

 

My views are not out of date. DEFRA (formally MAFF) and the Forestry Commission, still train their staff to dispatch squirrels using a bag and priest.

 

Don't get me wrong. I think that what Paul and the organisation are doing is fantastic (hence my donation) - but I didn't like seeing Fenns incorrectly used, or seeing the gun being used for dispatching caged squirrels. As I wrote earlier, its a like using a hammer to put in a screw IMO.

 

To me, it shouldn't be a personal issue, there are good, legitimate reasons to use the bag method. I've personally dispatched many, many squirrels using the method without ever being bitten. I would, however, suggest that anyone who wants to use the method is shown how to do it by someone experienced.

[Matt 160]

I might be way off the mark here, and have nothing to back it up but . . . I always thought that it was illegal to shoot animals or birds with an air pistol which had to be less than 6 ft/lbs muzzle velocity to be legal???

 

Can anyone shed any light on this??

 

OTC

 

You are right in saying that air pistols have to have a maximum power of 6ft/lbs energy. However, (no matter how I think dispatch should be carried out) there is no law preventing the use of an air pistol to dispatch. The only legal requirement is that we have a duty of care to ensure it is done humanely. The GCT recommend an air pistol (all be it with prometheus pellets) to dispatch mink caught on their rafts.

 

 

The most important criteria is that the target animal,..whatever it may be,..is always dispatched cleanly...

Using a gun or a priest will certainly do the job,...and most Pest Controllers will be anxious to remove the captive ASAP.

 

 

Personal,..I generaly encourage a trapped squirrel to run ito a sack that I place over the trap entrance...

Once inside,..I give the sack a quick twist and put my knee onto it,....then I feel for the squirrel's head and hold firm..

Next I peel back the sack and reveal the critter's body,...it is then real easy to gently dislocate the neck vertibrae

 

But,..this method should not be undertaken if you have been drinking,.coz it CAN get emotional

 

All the best,.CHALKWARREN...

 

 

Nice one Chalky. I'm glad I'm not the only one who feels the need to reach for a gun at every opportunity.

[Foxy09 3]

OTC, I believe the law in Britain to be less then 12 foot lb for an air weapon. That is a rifle of course, for pistols I don't know as I don't own one.

 

H

 

12 foot lb for a rifle but 6 foot lb for a pistol I thought??

 

Does anyone know for certain??

 

OTC

 

6ftlbs is the legal limit for an air pistol in this country.

 

Foxy

[Foxy09 3]

Well I'm a professional and I use a .22 air pistol. I think your referrence to MAFF shows your views to be a little out dated Matt.

 

To shoot or to club has always been a personal issue but to put a guy down who is committed to helping our indigenous red squirrel just because he doesn't use your old fashioned methods is a bit below the belt.

 

My views are not out of date. DEFRA (formally MAFF) and the Forestry Commission, still train their staff to dispatch squirrels using a bag and priest.

 

Don't get me wrong. I think that what Paul and the organisation are doing is fantastic (hence my donation) - but I didn't like seeing Fenns incorrectly used, or seeing the gun being used for dispatching caged squirrels. As I wrote earlier, its a like using a hammer to put in a screw IMO.

 

To me, it shouldn't be a personal issue, there are good, legitimate reasons to use the bag method. I've personally dispatched many, many squirrels using the method without ever being bitten. I would, however, suggest that anyone who wants to use the method is shown how to do it by someone experienced.

 

Like i said before, i think the priest method is more of a cost cutting exercise for the big Organisations than a best practice method, when the shirt and tie in the office sits with his calculator and adds up the cost of providing all his staff with an air pistol and pellets compared to a priest and a sack you will be amazed how quickly the sack and priest will become the "professionals" choice! regardless of the best way to do it.

 

Foxy

[Guest Rod&dog]

My contribution

 

 

 

 

That seems like alot of faffin around with that gun for me ,, What i was always told to do with cage traps was to use two plywood combs that fit into the cage and harbour the animal tight so against either comb so you colud get a shot to the head with an air rilfe or airgun without fuss ith it keep moving around,However i agree with matt the bag and priset method is far less effort that shooting with combs or without.