Ground squirells

[runriverright]

How big of an area are you having issues in? Most of my clients end up having issues if their neighbors aren't doing any type of suppression. I've cleared half sections (or more) of agriculture land of ground squirrels (several hundred animals) using traps (leg hold, conibear, and live traps), air rifles with moderators (air rifle suppressors), rimfire rifles, and centerfire rifles. Water flooding and gas pumping (exhaust gasses) can be used but are limited to interconnected tunnels. Suppression has to go on during all hours of shooting light. Ground Squirrels have a super high metabolism and the best way to get them to lower numbers is to force them underground where they eat all their food stores and eventually have to come out to feed or they will starve. They don't get water from a regular water source as the majority of their moisture comes from greens. Thirst and hunger will bring them out where they can be shot or trapped. When shooting them don't aim for the head. Might make a cool video clip but a miss doesn't remove anything. Aim mid body. A blown off limb will often be enough to kill them. If you want more info, PM me. I plan to head to the coast fishing in the next month or two and would stop and take a look and give some feedback on how I'd attack the issue.

Jay

Appreciate the info, I'm on 8 acres, but they are everywhere out here, including the neighbors. Any other options for keeping them underground? As much as I wish I could be providing suppressive fire all day, a guy has to work still. I'll reach out later and see our schedules work for a visit. Thank you!

 

[Silver Wings]

I’m in the Central Sierra at 4500’. We never had ground squirrels before the last big bark beetle kill and then the Creek Fire opened everything up. They are trying to get a foothold, but due to my heroic efforts with a sweet little 17 HMR they have been held in check.
I have a couple of spots where I can sit with a cup of coffee and wait. My seated off trekking poles shooting is quite good now!

 

[runriverright]

Ah, I see your problem. He just won't be able to calculate ballistics yet. Understandable.

Turn him loose with this glorious piece of American technology:

This is my son, he's a little big for his age, but he has real knack for the squirrels

 

[BLJ]

“Hey Lama. How about a little something the effort.”

 

[BLJ]

$1 a head

$5 bounty per tail,

Listen guys.

The boy’s a decent shot.
And I don’t think you guys really understand what kinda problem I have with these things.

If I can’t pay the mortgage, it doesn’t matter if the ground squirrels are gone.

 

[The Guide]

Listen guys.

The boy’s a decent shot.
And I don’t think you guys really understand what kinda problem I have with these things.

If I can’t pay the mortgage, it doesn’t matter if the ground squirrels are gone.

When I was a kid, good pay was $0.25 per tail and paper box of 50 22lr rounds for every 25 tails you turned in to the ranch foreman. We got up early and moved irrigation pipe, shot gophers all day and moved pipe again in the evenings. That made for a full day and extra time shooting and hiking while we watered the hay fields. If we weren't out killing the ground squirrels, we were fixing stuff or sweeping shops or cleaning out barns. If you ran out of ammo and couldn't get another free box, then you had to buy your own or trap enough to get your 25 tails. Real learning experience on trigger control and not pulling the trigger until the shot was right. You found out quickly that a semiautomatic rifle was nice but could lead you to several fast misses if you weren't careful. When you were doing good at collecting tails, sometimes you'd keep back any tails over 25 just to have a few spare tails to keep your rifle full when you had a bad day of shooting. We weren't old enough to buy ammo yet so little did we know that the ammo we were shooting was like $0.25 for a box of 50 when you bought a brick of 500. Back when a Marlin 60 was and a 10/22 were under $150. The kid with the most tails at the end of the summer got a new 22 rifle as the grand prize. Not many places anymore that will give boys 12 to 16 a rifle, box of shells, and free run of 10,000 acres of irrigated fields anymore. The late 80's and early 90's were a pretty awesome time to grow up.

Jay

 

[BLJ]

When I was a kid, good pay was $0.25 per tail and paper box of 50 22lr rounds for every 25 tails you turned in to the ranch foreman. We got up early and moved irrigation pipe, shot gophers all day and moved pipe again in the evenings. That made for a full day and extra time shooting and hiking while we watered the hay fields. If we weren't out killing the ground squirrels, we were fixing stuff or sweeping shops or cleaning out barns. If you ran out of ammo and couldn't get another free box, then you had to buy your own or trap enough to get your 25 tails. Real learning experience on trigger control and not pulling the trigger until the shot was right. You found out quickly that a semiautomatic rifle was nice but could lead you to several fast misses if you weren't careful. When you were doing good at collecting tails, sometimes you'd keep back any tails over 25 just to have a few spare tails to keep your rifle full when you had a bad day of shooting. We weren't old enough to buy ammo yet so little did we know that the ammo we were shooting was like $0.25 for a box of 50 when you bought a brick of 500. Back when a Marlin 60 was and a 10/22 were under $150. The kid with the most tails at the end of the summer got a new 22 rifle as the grand prize. Not many places anymore that will give boys 12 to 16 a rifle, box of shells, and free run of 10,000 acres of irrigated fields anymore. The late 80's and early 90's were a pretty awesome time to grow up.

Jay

Good days for sure.

The part about banking the extra tails made me smile.
Just like shooting is today, some days are better than others.

 

[Pharmseller]

 

[Uncle Goonie]

Have had the most success with conibear traps over their holes or placed in areas where they go under fences. I've flooded them out semi successfully but I can't flood my whole place, poison I tried was mostly unsuccessful but it was hardware store grade not ag. I have 4 traps I check daily and move around frequently. My 6 acres is squirrel free right now but they are pushing in from the neighbors and I have to spend quite a bit of effort to keep them at bay. I've got about 20 this year and 30 or so last year.