Guns don't kill people...

[SV650rules]

Originally Posted by yokohama

I had one of them in my loft a few years ago. It gnawed through a wooden soffit under the eaves, made a nest in the loft corner and ran around at night weeing everywhere and chewing electrical cables.
I baited a space in the garden with white chocolate kit-kat for a week and on Saturday, settled down by a bedroom window with an air rifle, leading to a most satisfying resolution of the problem.

The damage greys can do is tremendous, I hate them because they dig holes in the lawn to bury daffodil and tulip bulbs they steal from patio tubs, eat birds eggs and even chicks, and ringbark trees. Oh and did I mention they cost me a fortune in squirrel proof bird feeders ? I favour the air rifle solution, but if you are out at work most of the day then traps are maybe better as long as you put them off the ground so that hedgehogs or other innocent critters don't cop it.

I have found that for most rodents ( grey squirrel are rodents ) nuttella ( hazel nut spread ) is best especially as it has a irresistible smell and it sticks to traps or whatever you smear it on and they cannot carry it away, followed by peanut butter.

P.S. I think we went off topic....

[Heorot]

.22 rimfire works well too. Hit them virtually anywhere and they die rather than be wounded.

Originally Posted by Heorot

.22 rimfire works well too. Hit them virtually anywhere and they die rather than be wounded.

Yes indeed. I find a .22” PCP air rifle very effective also, and with less danger of collateral damage. Mine has a 10 round magazine which is good if there are several of the pests, it is quiet enough such that they don’t realise what has happened until the first two or three are dead.

See... guns have their uses after all.


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[timwilky]

Hungerford, I lost my rifles.
Dunblane, my pistols went as well.

They said no guns = no gun crime. We said, if it is a crime to own a gun, then only criminals will own them.

Of course there is no gun crime in the UK now the legal owner have been forced to give up their guns!

[Seeker]

hmm... it was supposed to be an amusing video not an introduction into wildlife extermination.

Originally Posted by timwilky

Hungerford, I lost my rifles.
Dunblane, my pistols went as well.

They said no guns = no gun crime. We said, if it is a crime to own a gun, then only criminals will own them.

Of course there is no gun crime in the UK now the legal owner have been forced to give up their guns!

Exactly the same - now we are only trusted to have shotguns and air guns, and I hear the nanny state is even trying to ban those in Scotland. Ho hum.


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Originally Posted by Seeker

hmm... it was supposed to be an amusing video not an introduction into wildlife extermination.

... only vermin: squirrels and rats (well, maybe a few rabbits and pigeons as well)


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[Heorot]

Originally Posted by Othen

Exactly the same - now we are only trusted to have shotguns and air guns, and I hear the nanny state is even trying to ban those in Scotland. Ho hum.

Oh you can still own a rifle, you just have to jump though all sorts of hoops to get a firearms certificate.

Originally Posted by Heorot

Oh you can still own a rifle, you just have to jump though all sorts of hoops to get a firearms certificate.

Of course. A few mates have small bore rifles, but for me the nanny state has created more hoops than would be worthwhile. Shotgun ownership is still fairly straightforward (and has about the right amount of checks), but I can’t help thinking the controls on air guns are a bit daft (like having to collect via a gunsmith) for something limited to 12 ft.lbf (less than the energy of a golf swing).

Ho hum.


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[Heorot]

Small bore is relatively easy to get: you just need to prove that you have a reason to need one and permission to use it over land where it's safe. Fortunately, I live in a rural area and farmers are willing to provide the permission. Having said that, I got rid of my centre fire rifle at the last renewal as it would have been almost impossible for me to meet the required permissions.