Air Guns

[sanford12]

With all the snakes hunts in places like Texas the ones that are quick to rattle are most of the ones caught. The ones that remain quiet are left to breed. So it's being said your getting snakes that are less prone to rattle before biting. Kinda makes sense but I don't know if it's true

 

[mfrench]

@sanford12
This is number 8.of.9
Sarge said she was within a foot of this guy, with her face, while she was checking him out.
It is an adult Southern Pacific variety, which are typcially really jittery and aggressive, and about 3' long.
In capturing it, I couldn't make it rattle. I used a small plstic leaf rake with a long handle, and escorted it into this snap-top storage bin for the ride down to the river bottom reserve area at the bottom of our street.
When I got back home, I realized that I'd pulled it off of a mouse that it had just struck. It was waiting for it to die.

 

[mfrench]

I dropped another into the 10-Ring Bullseye at some decent distance yesterday.
I gave them the weekend off. Yesterday started the new week.
The 10-Ring was in the shadows, at the base of the shrubs, to the right of the pine tree in the foreground.


My lead trap.
I had such a difficult time in getting the Beeman scoped, as explained about the zero scrambling each time I set the rifle down.
In order to keep from becoming a lead toxic hotspot, I made this collector from a scrapyard steel plate, and some 2x2 lumber and plywood.
I drape a piece of carpet rem across the opening, and the trash bucket is also filled with carpet rems to catch the pellets.
This is a pic from the day that I built it. I've since attached some angle stock to the front that allows me to slide cardboard target backers onto the front.

 

[dosmalo]

I like your collector, Mike.
We bagged 3 in 3 days ourselves and still have another to go.
I saw him yesterday coming down the fence headed for the oak but BG did too and got so excited at the window he sensed something was up and fled. Once they get treed in the oak it's just a matter of time before he's toast. This one, he will be back. They check in but rarely check out on their own.
If I ate these damn things I'd have a freezer full by now but I just don't eat critter!

 

[dosmalo]

I've wanted to share this since the thread was revitalized and finally dragged it out from the closet.
This is my very 1st air rifle that was given to me for Christmas or my BD - I can't remember cause it was 52 years ago and I was only 10 years old at the time.
It has no markings on it anywhere and of course I can't recall what make it is. It lost it's milk long ago and I've always thought it would be cool to restore it but I think I'll just leave it original with all the nostalgia intact.
Compared to the rig I'm using now this thing is light as a feather!

 

[dosmalo]

09/18/2018 The 4th SQUIRREL DOWN!
I know that by looking at my pics in this thread you could say that I'm posting the same squirrel, same BG all in the same backyard but I assure you as an AK member in moderately good (ahem) standing I am not.
Today's cleaning: I feel like we've been under siege here and I'm ready for a break!

 

[Pio1980]

Haven't been seeing much squirrel activity lately, so did a bit of websearching on predators. Their relationship with serpents is interesting as I have an assortment of such sharing my space.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/squirrel-hot-tail-tell-snakes/

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071219130305.htm

 

[Pio1980]

It also seems that scenic changes can confuse their ability to find the forage they've "squirreled" away. They also don't like coffee scent, and I throw the expended grounds out the back door.
I should also throw them around my parked vehicles if true.

 

[dosmalo]

They obviously LOVE acorns and I must have gourmet ones!
I do know by just dealing with the little rats that this is nesting season. They want to build their nest before the leaves die back.
When green, leaves are easier to snip, bend and cradle for nest building.

 

[mfrench]

@dosmalo
In a perfect world, where they weren't an attic nuisance,... would they nest in trees? debris??
The ground squirrels dig burrows that can go 4'+ deep, and spread out 12' or so from the entrance, in multiple tunnels leading to different den areas (or so I've read).
I've been removing an old in-ground liner swimming pool. I found a view into a den when I took out the liner.
This is the area just below the den entrance that was below the wood pool deck. The "other side" of the pool liner was a wall to their den, and this is the opened up view of some of it. The black holes to the right of the main tunnel are more tunneling spots.
I have a squirrel den sinkhole (is what I suspect it is) out front in the yard. We call it the Sump. The ground is so soft there that I can hand push a 2' concrete form stake into it, all the way, just by pushing it into the ground, by hand.
We emptied the swimming pool into this sump, 12k gallons, and it never even puddled; straight into the soft soil.
There is another place on my neighbors property where a truck caved in a hole, and it was stuck to its axle.
Destructive?

 

[Imprecise]

@dosmalo
In a perfect world, where they weren't an attic nuisance,... would they nest in trees? debris??
The ground squirrels dig burrows that can go 4'+ deep, and spread out 12' or so from the entrance, in multiple tunnels leading to different den areas (or so I've read).
I've been removing an old in-ground liner swimming pool. I found a view into a den when I took out the liner.
This is the area just below the den entrance that was below the wood pool deck. The "other side" of the pool liner was a wall to their den, and this is the opened up view of some of it. The black holes to the right of the main tunnel are more tunneling spots.
I have a squirrel den sinkhole (is what I suspect it is) out front in the yard. We call it the Sump. The ground is so soft there that I can hand push a 2' concrete form stake into it, all the way, just by pushing it into the ground, by hand.
We emptied the swimming pool into this sump, 12k gallons, and it never even puddled; straight into the soft soil.
There is another place on my neighbors property where a truck caved in a hole, and it was stuck to its axle.
Destructive?

Around here the ground is much too rocky to allow nesting. I see squirrel nests way up in the forks of trees. Great little engineers they are. Even in the dead of winter, they show no interest in houses. Just as well, this is a no hunting no way area.

 

[dosmalo]

This last winter I had a pair of (what looked like to me) chipmunks (I'm talking Chip and Dale looking critters) living under my barn. I'm sure that's what they were because when I did see them I saw 2 white stripes running down their backs. They had a place where they could get under my fence and all I would see would be one dart from the shed to a large clump of rocks and then to and under the fence. They had things mapped out and they were fast.
I was really sort of slack-jawed because I've never seen for real chipmunks in the wild around my parts, ever, and I was a free-range kid. I seem to recall some relatives having them in Arizona and they would run in and out of large cactus plants where they obviously had their den.
They evidently are pretty smart too because they disappeared right before spring. I think they sized Baby Girl up and decided it wasn't worth their trouble.
Mike, I think you've got your hands full!

 

[bowtie427ss]

This last winter I had a pair of (what looked like to me) chipmunks (I'm talking Chip and Dale looking critters) living under my barn. I'm sure that's what they were because when I did see them I saw 2 white stripes running down their backs.

The 13 lined ground squirrel and eastern chipmunk can be difficult to tell apart. They're both about the same size. They both burrow. They both have the same colors in their coat.

But, the chances of ever seeing the two in the same habitat are right between slim and none. The eastern chipmunk is native to deciduous forests and while they don't climb often they are excellent climbers. Ground squirrels don't climb, and are generally native to the grassy prairies of the west.

Top to bottom pics as follows:

13 lined ground squirrel

Eastern chipmunk

South African ground squirrel found mainly along the Barbary coast

 

[dosmalo]

I distinctly recall 2 fairly wide lines and more of a reddish color to the coat than what the 13 line grounder has. Again, it was something that just struck me as so unusual and more than once the thought crossed my mind that they may have been on the lam or somebody purposely turned them out. Even the perky little ears strike a marked resemblance. Plus we do have plenty of deciduous woods throughout thus the over abundance of tree squirrels.
I told my wife that I had no interest in trying to rub them out - they looked too cute and I doubted they'd get a toe-hold in Baby Girl's backyard anyway. But, like I say, they disappeared.
Normally the only real ground critters we have are moles and gophers but
I know that in the last several years we have had quite a few different animals take up residence that were very rarely seen in the past if spotted at all.
I've got at least one pair of Cooper's hawks that I've been watching, a pair of bald eagles nested in the top of a large tree about 3-4 miles north of our house and since 2010 we have large (pigeon size) Barbary doves that frequent our bird baths and a pair nested in my pines on the north side of our house. Last few years I've occasionally seen Painted Buntings in the backyard (this is extremely rare) and for the 1st time in my life I had a Pileated Woodpecker fly into my backyard. That really blew my mind!
Not to mention the pygmy rattlers. Growing up they just didn't exist around here.
My wife and I are Blue-birders and practice 'animal husbandry' with a pair that call our backyard home so we both have to keep a keen eye out to be successful in getting broods out every year.
I've lived here all of my life and grew up as a free-range kid in the woods and on the rivers and have always loved the outdoors so it always perks my interest when I see something 'new-to-me.'

 

[mfrench]

Ground squirrels climbing,...
It is an individual characteristic of some of our ground squirrels, rare, but, we do get ones that climb the native shrubs. I see them up in them shrubs, "having a look around". They seem to climb up about 5' or so, sit in the branches looking about.

I have one that I call Jaba the Squirrel. It is an immensely fat squirrel that only just emerges from the burrow, and then just sits there about 2' outside of the burrow.
It is at my longest shot, way off in the distance. So far, he has gotten the free card, because it is just such a fat blob.

Jaba looks about like this:

 

[dosmalo]

LOL!
Yeah, he should get a pass!

 

[jt1135]

Bout 40 years ago, me and a buddy was renting a trailer house. Mice were so bad, my bud left a half of a bacon sandwich on the counter overnight and it was damned near gone the next morning. I went a got a CO2 replica .38 and we used to get drunk and lit up and shoot mice that were running around in the house. Good times

 

[mfrench]

Mice,... and from a blind!
Yep.
When I pushed back the backyard squirrels, time in the blind got boring.
Sarge feeds her birds in one small isoated area. Mice have found that spot, and, have nested up in my firewood back stop pile right behind it. They'd emerge, and dart out to the seed, and in an instant turn around and head back for cover.
They had a fault, in that, when they emerged from cover, they'd stop for an instant to make sure the coast was clear. They'd do the same thing on return. I knew where that stop was, and took full advantage.
Whacking mice at 40' is a challenge.
I also got a "vole" from about 5' away at this same spot. Sarge saw that one from the bedroom, and about bust a gut laughing. I literally walked up to it, and popped it with my .177. It seems that they're not real strong on vision.

 

[dosmalo]

Headlines: "CALIFORNIA MAN IN SAN DIEGO SETS OFF SMALL NUCLEAR DEVICE!"

 

[Imprecise]

This last winter I had a pair of (what looked like to me) chipmunks (I'm talking Chip and Dale looking critters) living under my barn. I'm sure that's what they were because when I did see them I saw 2 white stripes running down their backs. They had a place where they could get under my fence and all I would see would be one dart from the shed to a large clump of rocks and then to and under the fence. They had things mapped out and they were fast.
I was really sort of slack-jawed because I've never seen for real chipmunks in the wild around my parts, ever, and I was a free-range kid. I seem to recall some relatives having them in Arizona and they would run in and out of large cactus plants where they obviously had their den.
They evidently are pretty smart too because they disappeared right before spring. I think they sized Baby Girl up and decided it wasn't worth their trouble.
Mike, I think you've got your hands full!

One distinctive feature of chipmunks is that when they run (really fast for their size) they hold their tails stiffly vertical.. They are usually quite shy and there are probably a lot more of them around than you think.