Posted: 11/26/2009 4:36:35 PM EDT
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It's that time of year again. Up until last Spring, I never minded squirrels around the yard. That was until they decided to wreak massive destruction by chewing multiple holes in my roof over-hang and have babies in my attic. After dealing with that, we are now at war and I consider them targets of opportunity on sight. I just picked up a new 1200 fps pellet gun to deal with the enemy combatants.
The reason for this post is to ask a question. Does anyone know if it's legal to dispatch the critters on my own property outside of the regular squirrel hunting season? Thanks |
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The key points are that they are on your property, and that they are making a nuisance of themselves by damaging your property. That makes it an issue of pest control, not hunting. Similar to a farmer shooting animals (which are not on the endangered list) that are destroying crops.
At least that's my understanding of TN state law. City ordinances may be completely different. |
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M, You have to share details about that rifle, pellets, optics, etc! supreme let down! Hi J, I picked up a Remington Vantage 1200 from Dick’s Sporting Goods for $79. It’s one of the 1-pump barrel break spring operated rifles (.177). I did quite a bit of research and was surprised to find you can sink almost as much in a pellet gun nowadays as you can an AR. I couldn’t see spending that much for pest control, so I opted for the lower cost Remington. I have been pleasantly surprised by its performance and accuracy. I sniped my first squirrel with the iron sights about 5 minutes after I took it out of the package. It did come with a scope, but it seems to be very low quality. I have an old 3x9 Simmons hunting scope that I’ll probably use instead. One thing that surprised me was the report. I was expecting the mild sound of my old Crossman 10 pump pellet gun I had has a kid. The Remington sounds very close to the crack of a .22 rifle. This was a surprise since I mainly bought a pellet gun to quietly dispatch the critters without alarming my squirrel loving / feeding neighbors. I have read that it will be quieting down some after break in. All in all, I’m very happy with the rifle. It’s certainly not a kid’s toy. I can see this thing easily taking small game without any problem. I can also see its use in a survival situation where stealthy small game hunting would an advantage. |
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M, You have to share details about that rifle, pellets, optics, etc! supreme let down! Hi J, I picked up a Remington Vantage 1200 from Dick’s Sporting Goods for $79. It’s one of the 1-pump barrel break spring operated rifles (.177). I did quite a bit of research and was surprised to find you can sink almost as much in a pellet gun nowadays as you can an AR. I couldn’t see spending that much for pest control, so I opted for the lower cost Remington. I have been pleasantly surprised by its performance and accuracy. I sniped my first squirrel with the iron sights about 5 minutes after I took it out of the package. It did come with a scope, but it seems to be very low quality. I have an old 3x9 Simmons hunting scope that I’ll probably use instead. One thing that surprised me was the report. I was expecting the mild sound of my old Crossman 10 pump pellet gun I had has a kid. The Remington sounds very close to the crack of a .22 rifle. This was a surprise since I mainly bought a pellet gun to quietly dispatch the critters without alarming my squirrel loving / feeding neighbors. I have read that it will be quieting down some after break in. All in all, I’m very happy with the rifle. It’s certainly not a kid’s toy. I can see this thing easily taking small game without any problem. I can also see its use in a survival situation where stealthy small game hunting would an advantage. You should've got the one with the threaded barrel and gotten the Gemtech 
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M, You have to share details about that rifle, pellets, optics, etc! supreme let down! Hi J, I picked up a Remington Vantage 1200 from Dick’s Sporting Goods for $79. It’s one of the 1-pump barrel break spring operated rifles (.177). I did quite a bit of research and was surprised to find you can sink almost as much in a pellet gun nowadays as you can an AR. I couldn’t see spending that much for pest control, so I opted for the lower cost Remington. I have been pleasantly surprised by its performance and accuracy. I sniped my first squirrel with the iron sights about 5 minutes after I took it out of the package. It did come with a scope, but it seems to be very low quality. I have an old 3x9 Simmons hunting scope that I’ll probably use instead. One thing that surprised me was the report. I was expecting the mild sound of my old Crossman 10 pump pellet gun I had has a kid. The Remington sounds very close to the crack of a .22 rifle. This was a surprise since I mainly bought a pellet gun to quietly dispatch the critters without alarming my squirrel loving / feeding neighbors. I have read that it will be quieting down some after break in. All in all, I’m very happy with the rifle. It’s certainly not a kid’s toy. I can see this thing easily taking small game without any problem. I can also see its use in a survival situation where stealthy small game hunting would an advantage. You should've got the one with the threaded barrel and gotten the Gemtech
Gamo actually makes one with a built-in supressor. No tax stamp required. 
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| I have squirrels and chipmunks all over the backyard. Last year one decided to chew on the side of the house where I sleep. It took me a couple of days to catch it, but I finally shot it and the others haven't bothered me since. I shoot birds that like to peck on the house too. My neighbors who saw me outside with the scoped .177 pellet gun asked if had I problems with the birds too. I use a gamo shadow 1000 with a gamo scope and gamo hunter pellets. |
Squirrel medicine for sure. Plus keeps the trigger reflex going when i can not get to the range. Reactive targets, fun in the back yard! 
One on the right is hinged to show a flag when hit, the other two fall down and can be reset with cords tied to the lanyards. |
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http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y108/worriedman/Resize%20folder/R9-1.jpg Squirrel medicine for sure. Plus keeps the trigger reflex going when i can not get to the range. Reactive targets, fun in the back yard! http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y108/worriedman/Reactivetargetspainted.jpg One on the right is hinged to show a flag when hit, the other two fall down and can be reset with cords tied to the lanyards. Which rifle is that? |
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** UPDATE **
My worst fears have been realized. I heard a thump in the attic yesterday. I went outside and looked around the house for any access points. After not seeing anything initially, I retrieved my mag light from the jeep for another look. Sure enough, a squirrel had squeezed through my roof eave vents and pushed through the screen from the outside in. As I stood there shining my light on the eave in disbelief, one of the little sh!theads popped his head up and stood there staring down at me. I wanted to kill him and he knew it. If not for the damage I knew he was about to do to my house, this would almost be funny… in a Caddy shack kind of way. Last Spring, it took me about 6 weeks to fully exorcise them from my attic. I guess it’s “game on” once again. I hate squirrels. |
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If not for the damage I knew he was about to do to my house, this would almost be funny… in a Caddy shack kind of way. A few weeks back, we were having problems with a mouse that had somehow figured out how to remove the bait from each trap I had. I would bait and set the traps, then over a period of days the mouse would nibble at the bait until it was gone, leaving each trap baitless and still set. I started getting frustrated and stated that I was going to have to find some other way to kill this mouse. My daughter immediately responed to that with "NO SHOOTING IN THE KITCHEN!" I admit that I did ponder how effective the pellet rifle would be against a mouse, if I limited it to 2 or 3 pumps, instead of the full 10, and I did figure out where the best place for a "stand" would be, but wrapping bacon onto the trap with thread (looked like I was trying to tie a fishing fly) eventually did the trick. The mouse did nibble at the loose pieces of bacon, sticking out from the wraps of thread, for a couple of days, but trying to get to the bacon under the thread was finally enough to trigger the trap. Other lessons I've learned in past dealings with mice: A Keltec P3AT (they do call it a "mousegun") should not be used against mice in a garage, unless proper hearing protection is used. Failure to use hearing protection will result in a brief period of yelling "WHAT?" when saner people say something to you, followed by at least a half hour of an annoying ringing sound. A .22 rifle, loaded with CCI shotshells, is very effective against mice in a garage. At a range of 8 to 10 feet, the shot pattern is slightly larger than a mouse, and any shot that fall outside the mouse's profile will most likely do no more than dent aluminum siding. I just might have to take a look at one of those 1200fps pellet rifles. |
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If not for the damage I knew he was about to do to my house, this would almost be funny… in a Caddy shack kind of way. A few weeks back, we were having problems with a mouse that had somehow figured out how to remove the bait from each trap I had. I would bait and set the traps, then over a period of days the mouse would nibble at the bait until it was gone, leaving each trap baitless and still set. I started getting frustrated and stated that I was going to have to find some other way to kill this mouse. My daughter immediately responded to that with "NO SHOOTING IN THE KITCHEN!" I admit that I did ponder how effective the pellet rifle would be against a mouse, if I limited it to 2 or 3 pumps, instead of the full 10, and I did figure out where the best place for a "stand" would be, but wrapping bacon onto the trap with thread (looked like I was trying to tie a fishing fly) eventually did the trick. The mouse did nibble at the loose pieces of bacon, sticking out from the wraps of thread, for a couple of days, but trying to get to the bacon under the thread was finally enough to trigger the trap. Other lessons I've learned in past dealings with mice: A Keltec P3AT (they do call it a "mousegun") should not be used against mice in a garage, unless proper hearing protection is used. Failure to use hearing protection will result in a brief period of yelling "WHAT?" when saner people say something to you, followed by at least a half hour of an annoying ringing sound. A .22 rifle, loaded with CCI shotshells, is very effective against mice in a garage. At a range of 8 to 10 feet, the shot pattern is slightly larger than a mouse, and any shot that fall outside the mouse's profile will most likely do no more than dent aluminum siding. I just might have to take a look at one of those 1200fps pellet rifles. Good advice... Thanks.
You've actually given me a good idea. I'm wondering how effective a big mouse (rat) trap would be against a squirrel? Maybe even one of those large sticky pads. I would love to catch him alive. Anyone know if it's illegal to water board a squirrel? |
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FWIW, You can go to the nearest co-op and buy a gallon or so of rat poison, dump it in the attic, and your squirrels will soon disappear. (It worked for me...) (disclaimer: i don't have kids. If you have kids, be sure and keep them away from the bait dump) I considered that at one time, but was concerned they might not make it out to die and I'd have to deal with the smell. |
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FWIW, You can go to the nearest co-op and buy a gallon or so of rat poison, dump it in the attic, and your squirrels will soon disappear. (It worked for me...) (disclaimer: i don't have kids. If you have kids, be sure and keep them away from the bait dump) I considered that at one time, but was concerned they might not make it out to die and I'd have to deal with the smell. Depends on what type of poison you use - I don't remember what mine was, but I never smelled a thing. YMMV, and anyway, shooting them is more fun. |
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You've actually given me a good idea. I'm wondering how effective a big mouse (rat) trap would be against a squirrel? Maybe even one of those large sticky pads. I would love to catch him alive. Anyone know if it's illegal to water board a squirrel? The first problem that comes to mind with using a rat trap, is what to bait it with. I don't know what could be used, that would both fit on the trap and would attract squirrels. The second problem is that I have heard that squirrels have been difficult to trap by people using the live traps (Hav-A-Hart traps). Seems the squirrels have a combination of quickness, manual dexterity, and just plain deviousness that results in them beating the traps. |
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You've actually given me a good idea. I'm wondering how effective a big mouse (rat) trap would be against a squirrel? Maybe even one of those large sticky pads. I would love to catch him alive. Anyone know if it's illegal to water board a squirrel? The first problem that comes to mind with using a rat trap, is what to bait it with. I don't know what could be used, that would both fit on the trap and would attract squirrels. The second problem is that I have heard that squirrels have been difficult to trap by people using the live traps (Hav-A-Hart traps). Seems the squirrels have a combination of quickness, manual dexterity, and just plain deviousness that results in them beating the traps. I caught only one of several squirrels in my attic last spring with one of those live traps. I baited it with cut up apples and peanut butter per the advice of a animal control company employee. It took almost 3 weeks before I caught one. The rest I caught coming out to feed during the day and boarded up all entry wholes before they returned. This was also on the advice of the same guy. What was amazing is that he told me what time they would be exiting the house to feed outside and they came out with about 15 minutes of that time. The guy knew his stuff. I think there were some babies left in the attic when I boarded it up and they eventually died of starvation or dehydration I'm guessing. |
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If not for the damage I knew he was about to do to my house, this would almost be funny… in a Caddy shack kind of way. A few weeks back, we were having problems with a mouse that had somehow figured out how to remove the bait from each trap I had. I would bait and set the traps, then over a period of days the mouse would nibble at the bait until it was gone, leaving each trap baitless and still set. I started getting frustrated and stated that I was going to have to find some other way to kill this mouse. My daughter immediately responed to that with "NO SHOOTING IN THE KITCHEN!" I admit that I did ponder how effective the pellet rifle would be against a mouse, if I limited it to 2 or 3 pumps, instead of the full 10, and I did figure out where the best place for a "stand" would be, but wrapping bacon onto the trap with thread (looked like I was trying to tie a fishing fly) eventually did the trick. The mouse did nibble at the loose pieces of bacon, sticking out from the wraps of thread, for a couple of days, but trying to get to the bacon under the thread was finally enough to trigger the trap. Other lessons I've learned in past dealings with mice: A Keltec P3AT (they do call it a "mousegun") should not be used against mice in a garage, unless proper hearing protection is used. Failure to use hearing protection will result in a brief period of yelling "WHAT?" when saner people say something to you, followed by at least a half hour of an annoying ringing sound. A .22 rifle, loaded with CCI shotshells, is very effective against mice in a garage. At a range of 8 to 10 feet, the shot pattern is slightly larger than a mouse, and any shot that fall outside the mouse's profile will most likely do no more than dent aluminum siding. I just might have to take a look at one of those 1200fps pellet rifles. Those gluetraps (the cheap ones on paper) work great on mice if you put them where you can see them, they work great for brown recluse spiders too. |
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** UPDATE ** My worst fears have been realized. I heard a thump in the attic yesterday. I went outside and looked around the house for any access points. After not seeing anything initially, I retrieved my mag light from the jeep for another look. Sure enough, a squirrel had squeezed through my roof eave vents and pushed through the screen from the outside in. As I stood there shining my light on the eave in disbelief, one of the little sh!theads popped his head up and stood there staring down at me. I wanted to kill him and he knew it. If not for the damage I knew he was about to do to my house, this would almost be funny… in a Caddy shack kind of way. Last Spring, it took me about 6 weeks to fully exorcise them from my attic. I guess it’s “game on” once again. I hate squirrels. What kind of screen is it? If you were to replace/reinforce it with 1/2 inch weld wire and use fence staples to hold it up you might be in business. Then again, I've seen squirrels eat through the wood siding before like you mentioned so who knows. We haven't ever had a problem with squirrels but we have always had a couple dogs in the yard that enjoy harrassing them, they come close but can't seem to catch them. Rabbits though  ha, ha, ha,
any rabbit that makes the mistake of trespassing gets crunched up and eaten. One of my dogs likes stalking blackbirds if he gets lucky he can ambush one and snatch it from the air which I'm not too fond of him doing because of possible disease transmission. Anyway good luck.
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M, You have to share details about that rifle, pellets, optics, etc! supreme let down! Hi J, I picked up a Remington Vantage 1200 from Dick’s Sporting Goods for $79. It’s one of the 1-pump barrel break spring operated rifles (.177). I did quite a bit of research and was surprised to find you can sink almost as much in a pellet gun nowadays as you can an AR. I couldn’t see spending that much for pest control, so I opted for the lower cost Remington. I have been pleasantly surprised by its performance and accuracy. I sniped my first squirrel with the iron sights about 5 minutes after I took it out of the package. It did come with a scope, but it seems to be very low quality. I have an old 3x9 Simmons hunting scope that I’ll probably use instead. One thing that surprised me was the report. I was expecting the mild sound of my old Crossman 10 pump pellet gun I had has a kid. The Remington sounds very close to the crack of a .22 rifle. This was a surprise since I mainly bought a pellet gun to quietly dispatch the critters without alarming my squirrel loving / feeding neighbors. I have read that it will be quieting down some after break in. All in all, I’m very happy with the rifle. It’s certainly not a kid’s toy. I can see this thing easily taking small game without any problem. I can also see its use in a survival situation where stealthy small game hunting would an advantage. The price was $99 when I got to it. They also had a similar Gamo, with no iron sights, for (if my memory isn't off) $129. Tried it out with a few short range target shots, this morning. The first two shots seemed almost as loud as a .22 (heard the crack echo off the hill), but it quieted down by the fourth or fifth shot. The manual mentioned putting a drop of Crosman oil in the compression chamber, every few hundred shots, and I noticed a bit of smoke each time I opened the breech after a shot. Could be that the oil used at assembly made a good seal and it has worn/burned off after the first few shots and dropped the velocity to the subsonic range (no crack). I'll have to pick up a .177 cleaning kit and the Crosman oil, to see if that will bring the crack back. Shot a Crosman hollowpoint pellet at an untreated 2x4 sitting next to the target, and it penetrated deep enough that the back edge of the pellet was over 3/4" deep. This was after the rifle quieted down. The scope seems to be about the same as the cheap .22 scopes you can find at Walmart. Not too good a scope, but far better than scopes they usually have with the pump up air rifles. |