i hate squirrels.....

Derick Freese wrote: I need to pick up something to shoot the squirrels with. I kind of like them around outside, but several of my neighbors put out poison peanuts for them and I end up having to bury a half-rotted squirrel instead of a fresh one. I'd rather take them out before they have to suffer. What do you guys recommend to someone that hasn't fired a gun since 1994. Keep in mind that I live in town between 2 schools.

Go to the pound and get a farm cat. The presence of the cat will deter them. Yes, you will lose them outside, but it will chase them away from poison peanuts as well. The joy of a farm cat is that they are equally effective on mice and rats as well.

f86sabjf wrote: I dunno my RWS .177 cal rifle whips along at 1600fps and takes out racoons when needed. Me thinks your gun is to pooped to pop

I tend to agree with Jay but I you're going to use an air rifle, the answer is not pellet diameter or design, but velocity.

Mental wrote:

Derick Freese wrote: I need to pick up something to shoot the squirrels with. I kind of like them around outside, but several of my neighbors put out poison peanuts for them and I end up having to bury a half-rotted squirrel instead of a fresh one. I'd rather take them out before they have to suffer. What do you guys recommend to someone that hasn't fired a gun since 1994. Keep in mind that I live in town between 2 schools.

Go to the pound and get a farm cat. The presence of the cat will deter them. Yes, you will lose them outside, but it will chase them away from poison peanuts as well. The joy of a farm cat is that they are equally effective on mice and rats as well.

I actually got a shop cat instead. I don't know the dude's history, but he's a big ol' orange cat, bout 25lbs. Not declawed, had not been fixed prior to my acquisition of him, and has extra toes. The reason I know he was a shop cat? He'd been at the rescue less than 24 hours when I got him, and was still covered in grease from being petted by mechanic types. Degreasing a cat is good fun.

Comedian Emo Phillips has a good "I hate squirrels" bit

Chased a squirrel around the yard (was rabid). Up and down the yard, back and forth, back and forth and the squirrel ran up a tree.....

So now the car's totaled....

My Daisy pump does really well. I don't even have to step onto the back porch to scare possums anymore, just pump that sucker a couple times from inside the house and they scurry. Might be a little slow for squirrels though, but 750 fps (which may even be a conservative rating) will put a hole in one. I think it's this one:

http://www.monstermarketplace.com/bb-guns-and-gun-accessories/dy880-multi-pump-by-daisy

While I'm in city limits, they don't really worry too much about me having a rifle. The 2 drug houses that I share a property line with, yeah, they worry about those. Had a cop tell me I was crazy for not having a gun in working order in my house. Dead serious.

For the vermin, I was thinking an air rifle would work. I'd be less than 10 yards away from my target, so it shouldn't be too bad.

We have cats outside. The only thing they do is keep the squirrels in the trees until they die from poison pellets. One of my neighbors actually puts them in the hollows of her trees!

I don't know why all of my neighbors have had rat and squirrel problems but I've never had a single one of either in my house. In my sheds, yes, but never in my house. Their houses are newer AND better maintained. I guess my grandfather did a really good job vermin proofing this house back in the 80's.

Its called a trap. Use the jaws kind.

1600 FPS Air Rifle, this will kill them dead, but also let you hunt deer...

http://www.cabelas.com/air-rifles-gamo-hunter-extreme-177-caliber-air-rifle-2.shtml?type=product&WT.tsrc=CSE&WT.mc_id=GoogleBaseUSA&WT.z_mc_id1=708432&rid=40&mr:trackingCode=FD9B95D7-7290-DF11-A0C8-002219318F67&mr:referralID=NA

I will also say, if you're talking about trying to pop one from 20 feet away while it's back in your attic, that dead squirrels really start to stink in a week or so.

Paintball gun wakes them up pretty quick.It took care of my squirrel problem but we had pink squirrels running around for a couple days afterward. Little bastards were chewing through the window sill, it would have been funny if one of them had made it inside only to be found by the 23-pound Maine coon cat with too much energy but I didn't want to mop up gore.

anybody thinking about air guns of any sort might check out this forum. Very nice and informative people there. Wether your into targets or varmint eradication.

http://www.gatewaytoairguns.org/GTA/index.php

Since nobody said it yet, buy a Miata. Squirrels hate them.

Lesley wrote:

mad_machine wrote: last summer I was sitting at home minding my own business when I heard scratching on the screen. Looking up was a squirrel trying to get in. I shooed him away and after about 5 attempts.. set a pot of water to boil on the sink.. the 6th attempt my said squirrel saw it gettng a boiling water shower. Did you know that squirrels can scream?

That's just horrible.

I don't have to worry about that anymore.. Applied for and got my handgun permit.. I got the pistol.. now I need a pellet gun

I use scented dryer sheets (smellier the better) to keep mice and chipmunks out of my vehicles, not sure how they'd work on squirrels... but I've never had a squirrel in my cars.... except maybe me.

some of these: http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct/default.aspx?productNumber=295321

will put the hurt on whatever you are looking to remove from your house and be no louder than your air rifle. if those won't do the trick (550ish fps, 20grain round, no powder, only the primer sends the round down the barrel), you could jump up to CB longs at around 700 fps, then on up to "subsonic" which will be about 900-950 fps. i'd be careful with anything more than the CB rounds if you're worried about ventilating the house though.

I was going to offer some advice, but the paintball gun and squirrel-a-pult get my votes, and have my stomach sore from laughing.

If you're in Texas, I have 14 cats you can take your pick of. LOL I live on 50 acres and have a barn. Very few mice. Cats do like to share. They will bring you what they caught so you can see how full of awesome they are.

I recently got a .17 HMR rifle for small varmint hunting. I also have a .22 semi-auto rifle that's been quite perfect for the job too. As it seems you live in a relatively populated area, I'd suggest getting a pellet gun you can pump up to determine if you want to stun them, or end them.

The ammo mentioned above is good stuff. There is also an adapter you can get for a .223 rifle that uses a large primer to fire a .22 pellet from it. My father in law has one and thinks it's the most awesome thing ever. LOL

Pink squirrels. There's a real dirty joke in there somewhere.

Come see the pink squirrels down at the Peppermint Rhino. Look out for lifted trucks.

you guys gotta remember your getting what you pay for.thats why your guns shoot 10 inch groups.thats kinda far for a 177 anyways,to many factors in play on a little pellet.there just not heavy enough.now my RX beeman,which is a r series pellet gun in 177 will put hole inside a hole off a rest at 15 yards or so,but its a 800 dollar gun.

I have found that when it comes to free advice on the internet, you always get what you pay for.

On my bike ride this morning I saw three bunny rabbits, four young deer, and more Berkeleying squirrels than I could count.

I dunno what it was, but near the place where my wife works they had a ton (23, by my daughter's count) large turkey vultures hanging around. I don't want to think what they found.