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MA law and shooting gray squirrels with pellet gun

Don’t know if this has already been brought up, but bringing in predators is probably the best option long term. The most liberal of liberals will be pleased as punch if you successfully seduce some form of raptor to nest in your area.

“Look at the beautiful owl! Hello mister Owl!”

Truth be told, I’d much rather be drowned in a havahart trap or straight up shot than have done to me what an owl would do to me if I were a squirrel, but ignorance is bliss I guess. Depending on your property, it is absolutely realistic to make this happen with a little work.
 
I’m not reading through 5 pages to see if someone already suggested this, so apologies in advance if this is repeat advice:

get a 5-gallon bucket, 1/3-1/2 filled with water and float sunflower seeds on top (like a lot of seeds, enough to completely cover the surface). Leave a little ramp for them to climb right in to go for a swim. catch and release.

once they stop moving, release them off into the woods for the animals to get them.
 
Mtn_Guy said:
I’m not reading through 5 pages to see if someone already suggested this, so apologies in advance if this is repeat advice:

get a 5-gallon bucket, 1/3-1/2 filled with water and float sunflower seeds on top (like a lot of seeds, enough to completely cover the surface). Leave a little ramp for them to climb right in to go for a swim. catch and release.

once they stop moving, release them off into the woods for the animals to get them.
Click to expand...
You know, I tried that several times and had very few takers. Not sure what I did wrong. Plus it is a PITA to have to fish them out. I found the haveaheart swimming lessons to be easier and more convenient.
 
babygorilla said:
You know, I tried that several times and had very few takers. Not sure what I did wrong. Plus it is a PITA to have to fish them out. I found the haveaheart swimming lessons to be easier and more convenient.
Click to expand...

Dunno... works for me. Also a few snakes in the woodpile and Red Tailed Hawks overhead have been good for the population control.

FYI, I never fish them out, I’ll just dump the entire bucket with the 1 or 2 of them in there.
 
In Mass the bucket worked well for the chipmunk swim competition. I just dumped it out and refilled it.

In NH, they seem much smarter. I watched one walk all around the rim, look down frequently and then took the ramp back to safe ground. I also saw a few squirrels hang on the bucket with their rear feet and eat all the sunflower seeds, then leave the bucket. Cagey little bastards.
 
Len-2A Training said:
In Mass the bucket worked well for the chipmunk swim competition. I just dumped it out and refilled it.

In NH, they seem much smarter. I watched one walk all around the rim, look down frequently and then took the ramp back to safe ground. I also saw a few squirrels hang on the bucket with their rear feet and eat all the sunflower seeds, then leave the bucket. Cagey little bastards.
Click to expand...

That's the squirrels in my area. I could get chipmunks, but not the squirrels. I next tried trapping them, until finally I said "f it" and got into pellet rifles.
 
It is a sad day. My Ted Williams model 799 BB/.177 Pellet rifle is about to buy the farm. Went to use it today, put some oil on it and parts of the plunger (I would assume) crumbled out onto the table. It still pumps up, but doesn't seem as strong as before. Did a search for replacement parts, without much success. Had this for 50+ years. She got a lot of use.
 
VetteGirlMA said:
When I grew up my neighbor had some kind of nut trees and was constantly plagues by squirrels. He would be outside and I would be enthralled when he would pull out some ancient BB/Pellet gun and shoot the squirrel. Eventually one day he did give me a tail since I always asked for one. Me personally I don't care what my neighbor does. I know one of my neighbors had a problem with woodchucks and took one out with a bow and arrow and all I could think was "man that was a nice shot". If your neighbors are hoplophobic idiots then you have my sympathy. Either take care of your problems early in the morning or late at night. Most hoplophobes are cowering under the covers watching CNN at that time anyways.
Click to expand...

Thank you for expanding my vocabulary!
 
Mtn_Guy said:
I’m not reading through 5 pages to see if someone already suggested this, so apologies in advance if this is repeat advice:

get a 5-gallon bucket, 1/3-1/2 filled with water and float sunflower seeds on top (like a lot of seeds, enough to completely cover the surface). Leave a little ramp for them to climb right in to go for a swim. catch and release.

once they stop moving, release them off into the woods for the animals to get them.
Click to expand...
Works great for chipmunks, never got a squirrel with this method though, and have plenty of them.
 
Len-2A Training said:
In Mass the bucket worked well for the chipmunk swim competition. I just dumped it out and refilled it.

In NH, they seem much smarter. I watched one walk all around the rim, look down frequently and then took the ramp back to safe ground. I also saw a few squirrels hang on the bucket with their rear feet and eat all the sunflower seeds, then leave the bucket. Cagey little bastards.
Click to expand...

You have to lay the seeds on thick enough that they get no hint there is water under them.
 
Racenet said:
It is a sad day. My Ted Williams model 799 BB/.177 Pellet rifle is about to buy the farm. Went to use it today, put some oil on it and parts of the plunger (I would assume) crumbled out onto the table. It still pumps up, but doesn't seem as strong as before. Did a search for replacement parts, without much success. Had this for 50+ years. She got a lot of use.
Click to expand...
It probably has a leather pump cup or seal that dried out & crumbled, that's pretty easy to replace
 
Dadstoys said:
You have to lay the seeds on thick enough that they get no hint there is water under them.
Click to expand...
44gyb9.jpg
 
Cur said:
That's the squirrels in my area. I could get chipmunks, but not the squirrels. I next tried trapping them, until finally I said "f it" and got into pellet rifles.
Click to expand...
Previous home owner (NH) had a BB gun that he told me that he used on them.

Smokewagon said:
Works great for chipmunks, never got a squirrel with this method though, and have plenty of them.
Click to expand...
I wasn't looking to get squirrels. But they ate all the bait as I watched them do it.

Dadstoys said:
You have to lay the seeds on thick enough that they get no hint there is water under them.
Click to expand...
Wouldn't help, see above. I didn't put a thick layer in MA and the bucket trick worked great on the chipmunks. NH has smarter chipmunks. :rolleyes:
 
thorin said:
It probably has a leather pump cup or seal that dried out & crumbled, that's pretty easy to replace
Click to expand...

I'm going to take it apart tomorrow and take a closer look. Hopefully it will be something off the shelf to fit it. I've been looking around different places online and haven't found a parts diagram. That would be useful.
 
Len-2A Training said:
Previous home owner (NH) had a BB gun that he told me that he used on them.


I wasn't looking to get squirrels. But they ate all the bait as I watched them do it.


Wouldn't help, see above. I didn't put a thick layer in MA and the bucket trick worked great on the chipmunks. NH has smarter chipmunks. :rolleyes:
Click to expand...

Ok , I have another trick for you .
Get yourself a rat trap with the square yellow bait holder.
Like this one.
1600514975149.png
Set it where you see them running.
Put sunflower seeds on the pad. (Mind the fingers)
Put a milk crate upside down over the trap and put something heavy on it.
This keeps most anything else away from the trap and chipmunks love to play in the milk crates.
 
Dadstoys said:
Ok , I have another trick for you .
Get yourself a rat trap with the square yellow bait holder.
Like this one.
View attachment 391331
Set it where you see them running.
Put sunflower seeds on the pad. (Mind the fingers)
Put a milk crate upside down over the trap and put something heavy on it.
This keeps most anything else away from the trap and chipmunks love to play in the milk crates.
Click to expand...
I like the idea.
That will be the next thing I'll try.
Thanks
 
5 gallon bucket trick doesn't work on squirrels in my yard. Caught dozens of chipmunks and mice, however. I've watched squirrels fish around for seeds in the bucket while there were dead chipmunks floating in it.
 
Dadstoys said:
Put a milk crate upside down over the trap and put something heavy on it.
This keeps most anything else away from the trap and chipmunks love to play in the milk crates.
Click to expand...

That’s a great idea.

Jason Flare said:
Possession of milk crates is illegal under most circumstances.

It says right on them.
Click to expand...

 
Remember shooting with a friend down south.......
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Jason Flare said:
Possession of milk crates is illegal under most circumstances.

It says right on them.
Click to expand...

Couple or three years ago, @minininjer emailed me asking if I had any (or a source for) milk crates.

I can only assume she was trying to reach something on the counter top.

I think she eventually bought some on ebay, but I can't quite remember.
 
Someone I know is 8 boxes (50) into squirrel control over 2 years. It doesnt end. It never ends. Its only a way to keep them from getting comfortable enough to start chewing on the house etc.
 

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