Dispatching Squrrels

[Axholme Ferreter 0]

I'm strictly a rabbiter myself but someone was asking me the other day how they should humanely dispatch cage caught Grey Squirrels.

He said that every time he went near the cage the caught squirrels started doing a 'wall of death' routine round the cage and did not stay still enough for him to shoot them with an air rifle.

He said that he had heard of people just dropping the cages in a water butt and drowning them but I dont think that this sounds right.

I thought of tipping the squirrel out in to a sack and moving it up to a corner before giving it a crack on the head with a priest, is this too simplistic?

Anyone got any experience/advice I can pass on?

 

All the best

 

AF

[Matt 160]

I'm strictly a rabbiter myself but someone was asking me the other day how they should humanely dispatch cage caught Grey Squirrels.

He said that every time he went near the cage the caught squirrels started doing a 'wall of death' routine round the cage and did not stay still enough for him to shoot them with an air rifle.

He said that he had heard of people just dropping the cages in a water butt and drowning them but I dont think that this sounds right.

I thought of tipping the squirrel out in to a sack and moving it up to a corner before giving it a crack on the head with a priest, is this too simplistic?

Anyone got any experience/advice I can pass on?

 

All the best

 

AF

 

The correct way (I'm going to stir up a hornets nest here) is the bag n bash method. It is quick, clean, and safe.

 

Drowning is illegal and cruel, and shooting is risky and ends up with blood in your traps. Buy a rotproof sandbag, place it over the trap entrance and gently encourage your squirrel into it. Once its in, twist the top over and place your foot over it to prevent escape, and give the squirrel a good wack over the head. Tip it out of the bag and check for eye reflex, pupil dilation and signs of rythmic breathing. If any of those signs of life are present, give it another wack over the head.

 

A good priest for this purpose is a 12" length of 3/4 inch steel rod.

 

Once you've done a couple its easy. If you are not sure, ask someone competent to demonstrate.

[Wilky 0]

Good answer, especially the last bit, but personally I find the .410 hushpower is as good as anything and very quiet as well.

[Guest little_lloyd]

shooting is risky and ends up with blood in your traps.

 

 

 

Traps can be cleaned

 

Now most of my squirrels are caught in fenns

 

But if you stand back from the trap a fair bit and shoot with a shotty you wont make a mess of the cage trap. saves faffen about with the sack method.

[OldTrapCollector 377]

But if you stand back from the trap a fair bit and shoot with a shotty you wont make a mess of the cage trap.

 

Shoot the cage and captive with a shotgun?? That sounds like a quick way wreck your trap if ever I heard one.

 

OTC

[proper job 1]

I use an air pistol if cage trapped, make yourself a couple of plywood "combs" at least the height of the trap your using, the slots in the combs should be mad to slot over the wires and the width of the comb should be slightly less than the inside width of the trap, just move the squig up to the end using the combs and then despatch it.

[Ron Weasley 83]

You just continue to fuel the fire! Don't try and start an argument, because

 

a. I'm just giving you some advice

 

and

 

b. You will lose.

[Axholme Ferreter 0]

Thanks for some of the advice.

The 'Bag and Bash' method seems logical and humane and the idea of using combs to move the squirrel before shooting with a suitable air weapon also seems a good idea.

Not sure about shooting the trap with a shotgun, seems a bit risky and overkill to me (especialy for the trap) but it would almost certainly kill the squirrel humanely.

As for putting a ferret in the trap !!!

I will pass on the relevant information thanks.

 

All the best AF

[Guest Bigbob]

Either the combs ive seen then advertised somewhere just dont remember where ,Or the bag and bash methord you will find prey settles in the darkness of a bag and it's easy to dispatch them .

[Guest little_lloyd]

Either the combs ive seen then advertised somewhere just dont remember where ,Or the bag and bash methord you will find prey settles in the darkness of a bag and it's easy to dispatch them .

 

 

Those combs dont fit in all cage traps tho

[proper job 1]

Either the combs ive seen then advertised somewhere just dont remember where ,Or the bag and bash methord you will find prey settles in the darkness of a bag and it's easy to dispatch them .

 

 

Those combs dont fit in all cage traps tho

Make your own to fit, all you need is wood, drill and saw.

[trappa 518]

I use the bag n bash method a lot, but the air pistol works fine. To stop the squirrel bounding all over the trap i slip my mole trap markers ( bamboo) down through the grids and it only takes a few to wedge it in so you can get a nice quick kill with no messing about.

Ferrets , drowning and electric currents!!!! my my there are some imaginitive people about!!

[masterhunter 3]

I'm strictly a rabbiter myself but someone was asking me the other day how they should humanely dispatch cage caught Grey Squirrels.

He said that every time he went near the cage the caught squirrels started doing a 'wall of death' routine round the cage and did not stay still enough for him to shoot them with an air rifle.

He said that he had heard of people just dropping the cages in a water butt and drowning them but I dont think that this sounds right.

I thought of tipping the squirrel out in to a sack and moving it up to a corner before giving it a crack on the head with a priest, is this too simplistic?

Anyone got any experience/advice I can pass on?

 

All the best

 

AF

AF,

The method I use to dispatch grey squirrels from cage traps is, first of all find a 2ft long canvas sack that will fit over the front of your cage trap, something like a ferret carrying bag. Place the mouth of the bag over the trap by several inches, then take a small tool pencil/keys/knife etc and open the door of the trap up. persuade the squirrel to bolt into the sack by moving your body position. When squirrel has entered , grasp mouth of sack and gradually restrict movement of squirrel till its head is in one corner of sack. Grasp squirrel in the sack around shoulders with one hand and "chin" as you would a rabbit. If you cant or dont know how to "chin" a rabbit take a priest and administer blunt trauma to the head, through the sack.

This can be done quietly and unobtrusively.Quickly and humanely.

We should all go about our work as thoughtfully/humanely and as discretely as possible. enough said

Master Hunter

[mole catcher 1]

: You guys are as mad as a sack of frogs,...

 

Slip a lightweight sack over the end of the cage,...gently encourage the captive to walk into the darkness and refuge that the sack offers,.and,..quickly screw the sack up behind the prey...

Move your hand to the creatures neck (it will be obvious if you have used a decent sack) ...grip the squirrel around his head and PEEL the sack back until you have his body in your hand,..then,..pull his neck...

 

Quick,.clean,..efficient,.and above all,.HUMANE.....

 

All the best ,...CHALKWARREN...

 

 

FECK PUTTING MY HANDS ANYWHERE NEAR A LIVE SQUERRELS HEAD, AND TEETH

 

combs or a thing called "" the lesser known lump of lead"

humane

quick

clean

JOB DONE

[victoria vixen 0]

Co2 gas takes about 5 seconds.........but drowning is cheaper....and doesn't take that long. If you have a problem with it, that's one thing. Just as humane as hitting it with a club in my opinion.

Edited November 2, 2007 by victoria vixen