smerchly Posted November 23, 2012 Report Share Posted November 23, 2012 Something was robbing the peanuts from my squirrel trap ! Thought it was mice since very small holes were eaten in the sack I made to keep birds from eating them . I caught the culprit today . I have caught 4 possums (maybe the same one or two) , many squirrels and a big orange cat . Lots of critters roaming my garden , but I am winning the battle ......I think ! BTW , possums really stink BAD !! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
captnn Posted November 23, 2012 Report Share Posted November 23, 2012 You'll never win the battle. Squirrels are territorial. When you trap and remove one from the area another one moves in and takes over. Good luck though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blairwelsh Posted November 23, 2012 Report Share Posted November 23, 2012 You always have nice pics of the local wildlife Smerch. Awesome colours on your NUT THIEF! Got any pics of your other "Friends".... er, I mean Culprits? (Cat, Possums...) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigugli Posted November 23, 2012 Report Share Posted November 23, 2012 You'll never win the battle. Squirrels are territorial. When you trap and remove one from the area another one moves in and takes over. Good luck though. Very true. In fact they are so territorial as to be able to home in on their stomping grounds a distance of 5 miles. Trapping and releasing them, one should take them a good 6 miles/10km away to ensure they don't find their way back. We had a squirrel invasion in one of the cemetary buildings, in Vaughan, years back. Caught them, drove down the road, released them. Realised they were coming back because a week later 2 that had distinct white patches were caught in the traps a second time. Animal control told us to relocate them a lot farther away. We ended up releasing them up in King Township Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smerchly Posted November 23, 2012 Author Report Share Posted November 23, 2012 You always have nice pics of the local wildlife Smerch. Awesome colours on your NUT THIEF! Got any pics of your other "Friends".... er, I mean Culprits? (Cat, Possums...) this is one of 4 possums ,all small ones & I haven't seen any sign of them since I released the last one . I release them here since they are young & they were living under the shed next door . I used spread sawdust around the entrance until there was no sign of them , the blocked the hole . They left when all the apples disappeared . there was a 2' gap between the railway ties where the possums lived . I plugged it solid with a piece of tie and then I was contending with rats ! The boards with the wood & rocks have warfarin under them and the rats have been eating it up .....until now , no sign of them , sure they are all deceased now . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bryan Posted November 23, 2012 Report Share Posted November 23, 2012 Culprit catching looks like fun to me what happend with the cat? did it belong to anyone living near you? I would be afraid that I caught some old ladies cat by mistake.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smerchly Posted November 23, 2012 Author Report Share Posted November 23, 2012 Bryan , the cat was a big orange Tom , caught in a larger trap I set for coons . I put some sardines in there and sure enough it attracted the cat . When I released the cat it "flew" across the yard , banged into the chain link fence , over the fence into a neighbours yard , up & over a 6' wooden fence and disappeared .....for good ! Last year I caught a skunk , thankfully in the smaller trap where it couldn't raise its tail to release the sweet juice . I put a blanket over the trap and released it a few kms away near Short Hills ......verrrrry carefully ! The squirrel count is now 25 & only see one roaming the hood now . They seem to like the different places I released them where there's plenty of walnut trees . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bryan Posted November 23, 2012 Report Share Posted November 23, 2012 must have been alittle nerve racking dealing with the skunk... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blairwelsh Posted November 23, 2012 Report Share Posted November 23, 2012 thanks for showing more pics Smerch! The baby possums sure are cute. Learned something new about the Squirrels. (relocating) * You got big Kahunas with the Skunk situation. I wouldnt even want to "Chance" the odds of a spray. Got close to being nailed about 30 years ago ... and that was enough for me. Sometimes the animals can be a pest, but it is ("reasuring" ?) to consistantly see how well wildlife can adapt in our modern cities. I'd prefer the occassional minor hassels ... then a Sterile and lifeless enviroment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smerchly Posted November 23, 2012 Author Report Share Posted November 23, 2012 The squirrels (tree rats) are the most trouble for these reasons ..... 1. they destroy many apple producing buds & rake other larger branches bare ,thus killing the branches. 2. they crap from the trees & the dog tends to find it & may like the taste of nutty peanut butter which could cause health problems ..... 3. they have destroyed my bird feeders ,both plastic or cedar wood . 4. they breed like rats & the problem increases each year 5. the dog chases them & may one day get a hold on one , & get bit hard by their powerful walnut cracking teeth . So the trap will be baited up anytime I see one in the yard . I don't mind the possums , they come & go , but they are very vulnerable to being killed by cars & by the large dogs in my hood . During the after dark hours the dog is leashed to do his business to stop him from getting into a possum or a skunk . I live in a well built up hood & it is strange to have all these animals running around . There are more now than 30 years ago when my back yard was 10 acres of corn etc & my front yard was over 10 acres of grapes & ponds . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigugli Posted November 23, 2012 Report Share Posted November 23, 2012 The rodents continue to breed despite urban buildup. There is a good year round supply of food in gardens, garbage cans and composters to forage from in a subdivision. What is missing from the equation are the larger predators,( fox, coyote, wolf ) that keep their populations in check. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
knightfisher Posted November 23, 2012 Report Share Posted November 23, 2012 Love the colours on that Blue Jay. Are squirrels good eating Bill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bassmaster24 Posted November 24, 2012 Report Share Posted November 24, 2012 Love the colours on that Blue Jay. Are squirrels good eating Bill I've heard they are....taste like chicken smerch, just get yourself a pellet gun....get rid of the tree rats for good Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smerchly Posted November 24, 2012 Author Report Share Posted November 24, 2012 The rodents continue to breed despite urban buildup. There is a good year round supply of food in gardens, garbage cans and composters to forage from in a subdivision. What is missing from the equation are the larger predators,( fox, coyote, wolf ) that keep their populations in check. Bruce , there are some predators in the hoods ........there are many large dogs that have killed cats & possums . The biggest preds of squirrels is me ! haha . Yes Dan , squirrels are tasty ,especially if you like nuts ! In my early hunting days I remember freaking out my mother when a squirrel was being baked in the oven ....... Love2fish ....I have thought about a pellet gun but I would not want to waste the meat & would have to cook it .The gun would be for the rat rats ! I've heard that squirrels taste like chicken and so does frog legs . We had chicken soup for supper today .....funny thing , it tastes like squirrel . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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