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Taking Down Squirrels

Ninsho

Ninsho

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So my girlfriend's mom wants to be able to shoot at some squirrels that go for the bird feeders in her back yard. Based on her location, it is quite obvious that she can't use a gun for this... too close to a road. What I was wondering was if an air rifle of some sort would do the job, and the legality of hunting squirrels with a rifle like that. Do you still need a hunting license of some sort for this, and do the seasons still apply?

Thanks in advance.
 
you can hunt squires in ma. You do need a hunting license and there is is a season on gray squire. Red squirrel and flying squirrel can be taken anytime buy licensed hunters. Squirrels are tough little creatures and fairly hard to kill. I would recommend a 1000 fps air gun and be ready to charge and bayonet that bad larry when it hits the ground.

Grey squirrel buy the way is really good eating. PM if you want a recipe.
 
Does she want to actually kill them or just scare them off?

If it's the latter, you can get a motion activated sprinkler that'll scare them off (obviously not much good in New England winters, but great the rest of the year)could also plink at them with an Airsoft gun.

If she wants them dead get a .22 air rifle that's capable of 850+ fps (I'd recommend either RWS or Beeman) that'll do the trick. I use an RWS 350 Magnum which shoots a .22 caliber pellet at 950 fps to keep my local Chipmunk guild in check (had a bad infestation in my foundation, getting into my ceilings and walls a couple years ago). I don't go after squirrels, but have taken down groundhogs with this setup, so squirrels should be no problem.

An alternative solution (and I do this as I feed birds in my yard as well) is to set up a "Distraction Feeder" for the squirrels … this is a low metal box with a spring loaded lid that you can mount away from the bird feeders and fill with cheap treats like peanuts or dried corn … these are easier to get to, so the squirrels go for these rather than the bird feeders (they are opportunists after all) … I have 3 bird feeders in my yard and almost never see squirrels trying to get at them since I set up the peanut feeder, you only have to fill it like once a year with a cheap bag of shell-on peanuts
 
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Just bought a BigCat 1200 by Gamo. 1000 FPS lead and 1200 FPS with the special ammo. Ehm it's quiet... Won't tell you what I plan on doing with it. But it's quiet. Pretty soon MA is going to tell us we can't kill the rats. They can go blow and blow hard.
 
Get a pellet riffle and don't talk about what you do with it on a public forum[smile]. especially when their might be tree hugger's IE do you really have to kill Innocent animals just. Its funny if its tail is bald kill it quick if its tail is fluffy feed it and let it live[rolleyes]
 
About the rifle idea. Something cheap from Walmart will do the job 800-1000FPS. Pick a fairly heavy pellet and make sure you can pull off a head shot at 8-10 yards....the little bugger won't know what hit him.

As always safety first. I have a Beeman R9 that is rated at 800FPS. It will drive a wadcutter pellet 1/4-3/8 inch into a 2x6 board at 10 yards. Which means if you miss that pellet is gonna travel easily 1/2 mile maybe more! In populated areas you really need to be sure about whats behind your tartget if you miss.

Shooting a rodent climbing up the side of your house is probably not too risky since the house acts as a backstop.....if you miss the siding and plywood sheeting will stop a pellet unless you hit a window of course.

A better suggestion would be to visit your local farm store and get a wire cage trap. Put some peanut butter and sunflower seeds in there and your rodent will eventually find it. Take him for a nice drive in the country and both of you will be happy.
 
My first kill with a pellet gun was a red squirrel in Maine. It was in my garage and when I saw it come out it was all over for that bastid! 1000ft/s pellet is just fine.

I'd use one if needed in MA but follow the laws for pellet/bb guns- no shooting accross roads, etc. Laws for these are not the same as guns/rifles.

Common sense helps too.... I wouldn't use it in my front yard with cars driving by... the pellet rifle looks just like a "real" rifle.
 
I read the 1st page and skipped to the last. Hunting and dispatching "pest" are 2 different things. If the Squirrels are destructive, they are pests and can be shot. Again, a 1000fps air rifle works great, but anything over 700fps will do. The newer 700fps break action are about perfect. If her eyes are lacking a cheap 32mm air scope will make her Annie Oakly.
We have contests in our neighborhood. Between myself and 2 neighbors we were up to 56 grays, 28 reds and an unknown amount of chipmunks. We have been over run the last 3 years. Destructive little bastards. jp
 
My grandfather used a 410 shotgun until the police chief came and told him that he really shouldn't do that anymore. He had a lot more neighbors than when he built the house 50 years before. He went to a Red Ryder BB gun, which didn't permanently injure the squirrels, but man did they take off running and not come back for a while.

When he couldn't go out and shoot them anymore, we got him one of those spinning bird feeders mentioned above. Another option is to take advantage of the fact that birds don't have capsaicin receptors, while squirrels do. Dust your birdseed in chili powder. The birds won't notice it, but the squirrels won't like it at all.
 
chaynes68 said:
A better suggestion would be to visit your local farm store and get a wire cage trap. Put some peanut butter and sunflower seeds in there and your rodent will eventually find it. Take him for a nice drive in the country and both of you will be happy.
Click to expand...

Relocating wildlife is illegal in MA.
 
jpattersonnh said:
I read the 1st page and skipped to the last. Hunting and dispatching "pest" are 2 different things.
Click to expand...

http://www.mass.gov/legis/laws/mgl/131-58.htm

Unfortunately, the law doesn't ban hunting near a road, it bans the discharge of a firearm:

Section 58. A person shall not discharge any firearm or release any arrow upon or across any state or hard surfaced highway, or within one hundred and fifty feet, of any such highway, or possess a loaded firearm or hunt by any means on the land of another within five hundred feet of any dwelling in use, except as authorized by the owner or occupant thereof.
Click to expand...

This might mean that an air gun is OK but a .22 is not, but IANAL, and it isn't clear to me what the definition of "firearm" is for this section of the law. It is not in the definitions section for this chapter:

http://www.mass.gov/legis/laws/mgl/131-1.htm
 
I would check with Mass Wildlife about being able to kill the squirrels even when they're pests. MA is very strict about when and how. If by chance someone sees you and calls the Environmental Police, I think you might be putting your LTC in jeapordy.

Anyway, you can take squirrel, rabbit, and other small game with an air rifle that shoots only 620 FPS or so, out to about 25-30 yards, with a nice head shot. My Beeman R7 shoots there and I've taken them easily at that power and range.

I've got a Theoben Evolution break barrel rifle that shoota about 820 FPS. It's good out to about 50-60 yards for a clean kill.

The trick is shot placement. Lotta of practice. Cheap to shoot though.

I talked to a Mass Environmental Police Lt. about airguns. He was kinda wishy-washy about laws on them. I know you need to follow the allowed seasons and bag limits though.

John
 
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