I Give Up!!!!

[Peterjay 0]

Like a lot of people with bird feeders, I've been waging a running battle with squirrels for about the last 20 years or so. It seems that no matter what I do, they always find a way around it and end up getting all the food and wrecking the feeder in the process. I've tried suspending the feeder with wire and 100-pound mono stretched between trees, but as soon as they figure out the mechanics, they just chew through it and knock it down. I even tried putting the feeders on aluminum poles and spraying the poles with Pam. That was hilarious to watch for a while but it didn't take long for the Pam to wear off and they'd just shinny up the pole and get down to business. A while ago, somebody gave us a nice feeder that was encased in heavy wire and I thought I had it licked. Like the critter in the picture below, they could grab a bite without wrecking the system. (Hey, everybody's gotta eat)

 

 

 

 

I was feeling pretty smug about it until I looked out my office window this morning to check the seed level and found that one of the little SOBs had knocked off the cover and was down inside the feeder stuffing his gut. At first I thought that this might be the Einstein of the squirrel world until my wife pointed out that he had absolutely no need to be in there in the first place and that if he kept it up, he'd be too bloated to get out. (It was a very tight squeeze as it was) If this is a case of Man vs. Nature, it would appear that nature is winning hands down, at least in this neck of the woods.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Fred&Ruth 0]

Like a lot of people with bird feeders, I've been waging a running battle with squirrels for about the last 20 years or so. It seems that no matter what I do, they always find a way around it and end up getting all the food and wrecking the feeder in the process. I've tried suspending the feeder with wire and 100-pound mono stretched between trees, but as soon as they figure out the mechanics, they just chew through it and knock it down. I even tried putting the feeders on aluminum poles and spraying the poles with Pam. That was hilarious to watch for a while but it didn't take long for the Pam to wear off and they'd just shinny up the pole and get down to business. A while ago, somebody gave us a nice feeder that was encased in heavy wire and I thought I had it licked. Like the critter in the picture below, they could grab a bite without wrecking the system. (Hey, everybody's gotta eat)

 

 

 

 

I was feeling pretty smug about it until I looked out my office window this morning to check the seed level and found that one of the little SOBs had knocked off the cover and was down inside the feeder stuffing his gut. At first I thought that this might be the Einstein of the squirrel world until my wife pointed out that he had absolutely no need to be in there in the first place and that if he kept it up, he'd be too bloated to get out. (It was a very tight squeeze as it was) If this is a case of Man vs. Nature, it would appear that nature is winning hands down, at least in this neck of the woods.

 

 

peterjay,

the best solution to the problem is squirrel potpie which by the way is delicious and also the tails and hide are great tying material Fred

[Faster Fish 0]

I was going to say squirrel stew.

[smallieFanatic 0]

Suatayed (hows that spelled??) squirrel is my favorite. Remember to add seasoning.

[Brian Brown75 0]

I think its saute' sit on the porch with a bb gun (it wont killem just scare the crap outa him) you could electrify it by wrapping electric wir aropund it

[Peterjay 0]

Thanks for the suggestions guys, but I never did care much for rodent meat. (pheasants and ducks are another story) I used to give all the squirrels I got to a guy who ran an Italian bakery, and he'd drop off a sheet pizza or a big box of pastry whenever he was in the neighborhood. That was a pretty good deal, but he retired and that was that. About the only thing I shoot at these days are coyotes, and they're too smart to come anywhere near my dogs. Besides, I kind of enjoy the the battle of wits, even though I'm losing to something with a brain the size of a pea.

[DrVette 0]

I kind of enjoy the the battle of wits, even though I'm losing to something with a brain the size of a pea.

Do not worry about the little furry guy in the window. he was taught well at my squirrel Ninja camp by the master Queen, Klinger, in my avatar. Her off spring are spreading out through the country to over take all of the country at once on Dec. 20th 2012. The masses will be enslaved and made to grow, harvest and shell nuts 24-7 untill her plan for global conquest is ready to be unleashed.

At that time i will reveal my cat squad to gain control over her masses.

Now Pinky, where did i leave that squirrel mind reader???

[Wulff 0]

1)Paint ball???

 

2) Squirrels dont raid our feeders too much, it's the damn raccoons I'm at war with. Finally thought Id found a solution by suspending the feeders from high branchs with 8 to 10 feet of picture wire. For a couple days everything was fine, then Id find the feeders empty in the morning. So my daughter and I sat out one night and waited. Sure enough around 10pm we heard some rustlin in one of the trees...hit the flashlights...Damn Raccoon was going paw over paw pulling up the feeder like he was ice fishing.

 

See 1

 

 

[Peterjay 0]

Yeah, raccoons are resourceful little suckers, and nasty to boot. We had one raccoon raid last year, and they not only ate all the food, they pulled down the feeders and left them scattered all over the place. I never did find one of the suet holders. They were getting into my garden last spring until I bought a couple of sprinklers with motion sensors built in. That did the job. They learn to avoid the area once they get splattered a few times - worked on the deer too. Too bad you can't use them in the winter. I'm just happy we don't have very many bears around here. When we lived in NY, they were demolishing bird feeders all over the area.

[njmagill 0]

2 words squirrel catapult!

[Isonychia 0]

Too funny!

 

I'll be fighting a similar battle when I put up feeders at our new house. There's a big beech tree with a den of gray squirrels just outside the backyard, and the brazen little buggers climb all over my back porch and garden shed.

 

John

[rich5665 0]

Entice some Red Tail Hawks to move in to the neighborhood. Nothing like watch Rocket P. Squirrel getting a lift from Mr. R.T. Hawk.

[Peterjay 0]

We've already got red-tailed hawks, not to mention owls, buzzards, foxes, coyotes, hawks of every description and the occasional fisher. Small wonder; to a predator, this place must look like the meat counter at Safeway.

[Vito1 0]

I don't know, I think you could tie some pretty nice nymphs out of those squirrels.

[Peterjay 0]

I don't know Matt - I get plenty of dubbing for nymphs from my dog brush. Seven dogs, red, brown, white, black and charcoal gray. Chow chow underfur with a few guard hairs blended in is my personal favorite. This guy sheds some beautiful gray a couple of times a year. Just wash with a mild soap, dry in the sun and stick it in plastic bags. (the fur, not the dog)