Shoot it or watch it??????

[TheViking]

I eat all my game, but a squirrel is very small and it takes a lot of preparation compared to the amount of meat you get.

I shot a snipe the other day (yes the little fast bird that is so hard to hit) and we ate it the same evening. Very little meat on that. And I think there's even less on a squirrel.

 

[British Red]

Watch and shoot......Watch and shoot

I had a pair in my loft recently - they can do an awful lot of damage. Stopped the hole under the barge board to keep them out and came out to find them chewing a new one. To echo Gooses sentiment....."load and make ready"! Nope didn't eat them, don't eat the rats I shoot either. I've seen what they eat - ymmv.

Interestingly, the last red I saw was two years ago....on a rifle range (Altcar range up near Formby). Cute little devils the reds.

You still in Goose?

Red

 

[JonnyP]

OK.........Seeing my poll come up again, I have made up my mind and voted myself.........I do enjoy seeing these tree rats around so yes I would rather watch them than shoot them. I know they do damage to property and trees and raid nests etc etc, but they are great fun creatures and for me that is what has made up my mind. I do get pleasure seeing them chase each other around the trees with their claws scratching on the bark as they try to grip. Also loved that programme where someone made up an assult course for them to the food............Jon

 

[Greg]

Shoot it and eat it, they are a pest that has outstayed its welcome.

Reds deserve a break and we should do our best to help Red numbers increase!

 

[British Red]

Why thank you

 

[Risclean]

Varmints for sure, though there's no squirrels at all in this part of the world.

 

[chrisanson]

shoot it ,its vermin

 

[Greg]

Why thank you

Your Welcome!

 

[Greg]

Varmints for sure, though there's no squirrels at all in this part of the world.

No just Haggis!

 

[GlenM]

Iv'e only ever seen 1, so that says it all to me, i'd watch it then shoot it, only if i was hungry of course.

 

[Risclean]

No just Haggis!

Fortunately the haggis survives on a diet of cheap whisky and pandrops, this is what gives it the distinctive flavour.

 

[Alex Thorneycroft-Taylor]

Instead of seeing what we can kill why dont we try to reintroduce native animals back into the uk like wolves and wild boar which were actually hunted out of the uk for sport ?

I don't mean to bore you out personally for this comment - it is meant for the wider audience in that I have just spent the last 4/5 days in Germany at a trade show, revolving around hunting and shooting - the swedes in particular have a big problem wth wolves in that they take their livestock and even kill their dogs! The law in Sweden prevents them from shooting wolves, even if they are killing their dogs at the time.

Just a ponderous thought.

A

 

[Risclean]

Speaking of squirrels - Twirl a Squirrel .

 

[w00dsmoke]

the swedes in particular have a big problem wth wolves in that they take their livestock and even kill their dogs! The law in Sweden prevents them from shooting wolves, even if they are killing their dogs at the time.

Just a ponderous thought.

A

However that has not stopped Swedish people from shooting them almost back to the brink of extinction...

Carnivores will take whatever is easiest for them, there is no doubt in that, Radio Sweden a while back stated that proper compensation was put in place for farmers in Sweden when they lost livestock, how long that scheme lasted I don't know.

 

[Goose]

Speaking of squirrels - Twirl a Squirrel .

I was dreading looking at first, "twirl a squirrel" on a U Tube link , but that looks like a good idea, and it is hilarious .

 

[bambodoggy]

the swedes in particular have a big problem wth wolves in that they take their livestock and even kill their dogs! The law in Sweden prevents them from shooting wolves, even if they are killing their dogs at the time.

That's interesting, I've got quite a few Swedish mates and non of them have ever mentioned this problem to me before and they know it's the sort of thing I'd be interested in hearing about .

I wonder if any of our Swedish members on here can tell us anymore about this? Abbe, Swede, Big Swede, Viking, Tommy?

Cheers,

Bam.

 

[big_swede]

the swedes in particular have a big problem wth wolves in that they take their livestock and even kill their dogs! The law in Sweden prevents them from shooting wolves, even if they are killing their dogs at the time.

This is news to me! Sure there have been a couple of isolated incidents, but in general there isn't a problem.

And shooting to protect your dogs are certainly not a problem, since the dogs would scare off any packs long before the wolfs would attack. I do know a case where some loose dogs were killed during a bear hunt. Nature gives and nature takes...

You are allowed to scare away the wolfs to protect your livestock, and the government are changing the laws as this written. But there are certainly better ways to protect the animals (mostly sheep in this case and reindeer to some extent). Wolves avoid human contact and human scent.

To conclude, there isn't a general problem, though some farmers would say so. Domestic dogs do more damage to livestock than wolves, if you look at the complete statistics.

 

[mayobushcraft]

Having lived in Florida 40 years and now living in Somerset UK 3 + years. Hunting is very popular in the States. This is a very controversal subject. but to make squirrels taste ok you need to leave them in salt water in the frige over night. some like it fried like chicken never cared for it this way. I prefer stew. leaving it in salt water helps remove the tannic and gamie taste. still would much rather eat rabbit.

 

[Adi]

WOW i am amazed to hear wolves are still being blamed for such things. Stories of wolves regularly taking livestock is on the whole unfounded.

As for Greys i have both shot them and watched them. Whilst living in the country i shot them but whilst living in town they have become fascinating creatures to watch. Its nice to see some wildlife in our towns and squirrels are often the first encounter that children have with wildlife.

As has already been said they breed very fast and are damaging to some other species so need to be controlled.

 

[taylor27]

eat it, youll like it