Turning the tables on summer squirrel control
By JDJ Braithwaite.
HUNTING grey squirrels in the summer woodlands poses some challenges. One issue is simply that at this time of the year the woodlands are themselves in full flow with dense tree canopy and floor growth. This makes the greys particularly hard to spot. As a consequence, stalking in woodlands is tricky at this time of the year.
It is not impossible to get results, but in my opinion, there is a more effective way to target this furry foe in early summer and that is to lure them to a pre-established ‘feeder’. By bringing the grey squirrel out of cover, the hunter navigates around the issue of dense foliage making a shot impossible. The tables are now turned.
The night before my planned ambush I entered the woodland and checked the footage on the wildlife trail cameras that are in situ monitoring all visits to the feeder. The camera footage showed a lot of squirrel activity in the evening, from around 6pm until dusk.
I topped the feeder up with nutty goodies and also smeared some Nutella into the tree bark at an angle that could be clearly targeted from my camo-leaf netting hide which had been set up about 27 yards away. The Nutella acts as a scent attractant. Other methods include adding aniseed to the feed itself.
