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Otherwise known as "squirrels".
For the longest time, I really enjoyed these critters around the house. Pesky around the bird feeders, and it was a real challenge for them to keep me busy trying to outsmart them. They would give me a full day to believe I had finally outsmarted them before lowering the boom on my ego.
But they made a fatal mistake. I am growing stands of LARGE timber bamboo species. Now this is no way in hell a natural food item for them, but the little tree weasels will climb to the top of a 20 foot tall culm, bite into the tip of it and chew a little bit, then jump over to the next one, doing the same thing. In this manner they completely destroyed on whole year's worth of new growth.
Fact is, I like my bamboo more than I do squirrels. But once they learned I was no longer their buddy, they became very discreet about their activities. And I think they know my one flaw. I will not get up early for anything other than maybe driving to a gun show. So I think they take advantage of this.
So what I am asking here is if there are any expert tree rat hunters out there that can give me some tips on plinking those suckers. I need to wipe them out completely before the bamboo starts shooting again in late March or early April.
I tried a live trap, but caught exactly one, before they all figured out that thing. I guess maybe I can get some huge gray rat snakes and release them in my bamboo groves, and maybe that isn't a half bad idea. But I still want to be ready with the .22 (or maybe that new .17HMR I bought), and would like to know the tips from the pros in the audience.
For the longest time, I really enjoyed these critters around the house. Pesky around the bird feeders, and it was a real challenge for them to keep me busy trying to outsmart them. They would give me a full day to believe I had finally outsmarted them before lowering the boom on my ego.
But they made a fatal mistake. I am growing stands of LARGE timber bamboo species. Now this is no way in hell a natural food item for them, but the little tree weasels will climb to the top of a 20 foot tall culm, bite into the tip of it and chew a little bit, then jump over to the next one, doing the same thing. In this manner they completely destroyed on whole year's worth of new growth.
Fact is, I like my bamboo more than I do squirrels. But once they learned I was no longer their buddy, they became very discreet about their activities. And I think they know my one flaw. I will not get up early for anything other than maybe driving to a gun show. So I think they take advantage of this.
So what I am asking here is if there are any expert tree rat hunters out there that can give me some tips on plinking those suckers. I need to wipe them out completely before the bamboo starts shooting again in late March or early April.
I tried a live trap, but caught exactly one, before they all figured out that thing. I guess maybe I can get some huge gray rat snakes and release them in my bamboo groves, and maybe that isn't a half bad idea. But I still want to be ready with the .22 (or maybe that new .17HMR I bought), and would like to know the tips from the pros in the audience.
