General location would be interesting and helpful please?
Red Squirrel Pox
- Thread starter B&W FOX
- Start date
HonestJohn
Well-Known Member
Jedburgh
Ludicrous
Smellydog
Well-Known Member
If a male smells a juicy ripe bitch squirrel he will travel miles for it.
Remember, dynamite can not blow you as far as what a female can pull you!
Like you old 30-06 I would have thought exactly that. I live near land purchased by the RSPB for the Cirl bunting project. the cost of the project plus the purchase of the land has been enormous. I controlled the vermin on that cliff land for forty years or so but since the RSPB took over they have stopped all shooting. As a result, magpies, crows, foxes, and all other vermin have increased enormously.
I pointed out that the Cirl project although doing well would do even better with vermin control. But was informed that we like to do things naturally!
There has been quite a lot of land bought up by the RSPB locally, much of it very desirable, which would lead me to think that perhaps there are motives other than looking after selected species !!!
old keeper, It is interesting that the RSPB (and The National Trust) have a non intervention policy which they choose to use selectively when it suits their purpose. As "non intervention" has no cost implication, and a charity is not allowed by law to make a profit, what do they spend their money on ?
Nickb
Well-Known Member
Crazy fool
shakey jake
Well-Known Member
shame basc cant get behind grey squirrel control more heavily. badge for most tails in a year, sponsering traps at reduced rate. anything to control them.
i earn good money controling greys bit would be pleased to see them wiped out in uk
if "we" cant get the public to care the red is finished
i earn good money controling greys bit would be pleased to see them wiped out in uk
if "we" cant get the public to care the red is finished
I live in a little village near hawes , all we have are reds , no greys at all, killed two in the forestry in over 25 years. But we are just spruce , lodgepole and larch. All the restock is mixed woodland so the greys will colonise in time.
As far as the farmer who asked for the greys not to be shot, well we had a farmer who wouldn't allow rooks to be shot because if the rooks leave the money goes with them.Another farmer said magpies had to be left as they're lucky. We killed them , he bought a load , sprayed them orange then released them . He sprayed them so he could tell if they were disappearing or not.
Nowt so queer as folk.
As far as the farmer who asked for the greys not to be shot, well we had a farmer who wouldn't allow rooks to be shot because if the rooks leave the money goes with them.Another farmer said magpies had to be left as they're lucky. We killed them , he bought a load , sprayed them orange then released them . He sprayed them so he could tell if they were disappearing or not.
Nowt so queer as folk.
Nickb
Well-Known Member
The farmer's I do pest control for would have no qualms if the only living things on the farms we're livestock.
They've just been given red sacks to put dead badger's in. They get £25 for each one.
I asked how many bag's they have? and if they want to go 50/50.
May have to mix and match the tread pattern between BFG and Geolanders??
Nimrod1960
Well-Known Member
Non intervention : Apex predators kill everything and move on.
RSPCB = I cant find rude enough words , and I know some bad ones , even in Czech !
There has been an explosion of grey squirrels around us ,I have never seen so many run over as there were in late autumn.1st visit to woodland after being told by keeper “go where you want there’s hundreds of them” I shot 20.The future doesn’t bode well for Reds I’m afraid.
countrryboy
Well-Known Member
To be fair that's not as daft as it sounds.
The scottish/central belt greys generally don't carry the squirrel pox. So if they are Scottish greys and not English he may be right.
In jed I wouldn't like to bet that they re not English.
Been a while since I've been at a squirrel meeting but from wot I can gather very few reds left in most of the borders, same in Lanarkshire.
Really D&G is the last strong hold but its only just hanging on by a thread.
The grants that paid for seasonal spring squirrel catchers has dried up.
Most large estates, even shooting estates aren't controlling them.
Fc isn't controlling them
I was on wildlife trust/ nature reserve committee for many many years which was famous for its reds yet some fellow committee members actually thought we shouldn't control greys if any where seen
Just bonkers
Sadly I reckon reds will have w9 to 25 years left, if the amsquirrel pox virus spreads to the Scottish greys they will very quickly expand there range up throu trossachs and into Highlands.
Without the pox u can hold them at bay, with the pox ur wasting ur time really.
The airgun ban has knackered the job in Scotland.
Only way I can see is if they bring back poison and really organise it.
Set up poison zones all around ( althou not too close) red strongholds so atleast when they catch a grey its not being replaced instantly.
Yes the odd red may die if it strays and eats some poison, but it's an impossible task otherwise.
I've said for years should be intensive poisoning alound Lanarkshire to North and Cumbria to south to protect D&G.
If we start to get on top of them move the line down to Lancashire.
Reds can reconalise quickly if u hammer the greys.
With all this tree planting targets it's complete madness not to be seriously controlling greys.
Or if this grey specific sterilisation actually works,
Stupid comment of the day award
Dunwaters
Well-Known Member
Perhaps, but since you have no hope of turning back the clock or eliminating the greys at this stage, it’s a pretty accurate assessment.
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