OK here goes. I was brought up to never kill anything I didn't plan on eating. I've never had a problem with that philosiphy until this year. In my deer hunting area (46 acres behind the house) the squirrels are out of control. You can honestly sit down anywhere you choose and have 5 - 10 squirrels within 25yds. They are like an alarm system out there while I'm hunting deer as I'm sure a lot of you guys know. They come up and destroy all the bird feeders in the yard and just cause an overall mess.

My question is do you think I should try and thin out the population (during the legal season for them) or not? I've tried squirrel before and really don't like it. I won't go any further in depth for reasons most of you reading this understand. What do you think (without giving anyone any ammunition).

MassBowhunterwww.BackyardBucks.com <-- Check Out My Site.

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please tell me you live in my area!!!!!( upstate new york.) i say shoot them and give them to some older person who can't hunt anymore plus they are good practice. good luck

Well you could try and find someone who would eat them, many people find them tasty. I see your dillema. If all ele fails and you want to salvage the bare minimum I think Mepps still takes squirrel tails in exchange for lure credit.

Thanks everyone. I live in SE MA and can't find anyone that likes them. I think I'll look into Mepps though.

MassBowhunterwww.BackyardBucks.com <-- Check Out My Site.

surly if you add in the local paper for someone to help,you would get an answer.Wish I were near you. I love squirrels any way you fix them.
maybe some of the young hunters in the area would like to hunt with you.that would give them a hunt and you a way out.

I am not a hunter I am a whitetail population reduction specialest

remember keep your back to the sun, your knife sharp, and your powder dry.

Ya thats another part of it. I want to bring my two nephews (9 & 12) but I don't want them to think that it's ok to waste them. They are from the city so they don't get the chance to be around hunting much. Now that they are getting a little older I want to teach them the way that I was taught.

MassBowhunterwww.BackyardBucks.com <-- Check Out My Site.

i agree with man is above SOME animals on the food chain but we all have to remember that the animals were here before we were and that we are infringing on their rights they are not on ours.....with that said i see nothing wrong with keeping game animals in check, hell of a theory ain't it. but that is the same theory that is affecting habitat and our state game departments every day. there is compromise everywhere. i don't believe in shooting animals for the sake of shooting but then again i hunt coyotes and don't eat them (who the heck would!) so i guess i'm wrong. just a heck of a predicament us hunters are in and the animal rights people don't think we have consciences. it is a personal thing and it ties me up every time i try to think about it......

I plan on starting my son squirrel hunting this year when deer season goes out. I've got the same problem with them around my feeder so we're going to cut down the population a bit. I really like eating them but I can skin and gut a deer in the time it takes me to clean one of those little critters.

Shoot and eat rule is a good one but there are limits. I don't eat the yotes I shoot ect. Squirrels are of the rodent family and besides if they are not thinned mother nature will take caare of it for you with disease.

February 2003 = tired and Re-tired cop