You lucky guy. Can’t shoot here. But have a couple 12 gauge semi automatics ready to go. It is just killing me!
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If you were allowed I bet you could really knock down some squirrels fast.
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I used to thin all year but backed off several years ago. But there seem to be an awful lot around up to now this winter so its probably time for me to fire up my traps. Its a 2-for-1, I can also help the fox population get through the winter in good shape as well. One good thing about all the squirrels is we have a very large suburban fox population here.
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Have you noticed them taking voles?
January and February is breeding season for squirrels or earlier in the warmest zones. Now is a good time discourage them from being in the orchard. It would be nice if there was cost effective birth control pill for them.
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So, although the tube trap is effective - it doesn’t matter if you can’t set it, OR, release it. So I’ve resorted to the squirrelinator. It is a capture and dunk type that I got about a year ago, but never caught anything iin it. I have to do something because I’m seeing baby squirrels and nothing is preying on them, and the population is increasing.
I tried it again because it is working for some folks, so hey, gotta do something. Yesterday I caught 1. Today I caught 2 - at the same time! Not fun, but encouraged I can start reducing the population some.
Maybe this is just a good time of year to do this since there is not a lot of food around. Like others mentioned on this forum, seems it is best to keep this activity going. 
I have a large trap for raccoons which I probably should start using. Do they hibernate? Is this a good time to trap them?
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Raccoons don’t really hibernate here. They may stay in their den for a few days if the weather is bad. I would say you could trap year around and catch them. A female caught this time of year greatly reduces the summer population
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Thanks Jason, I need to first figure out how to attach the bait (small can of fish with holes punched in one side) to the outside of the trap so it is only accessible from the inside, and so I can remove the bait from the outside (w/o getting bit) so my drowning tub doesn’t smell like fish, and I can reuse it.
Whew, now that’s a run-on sentence.
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This reminds me I should order my tube trap. I’m determined to taste a peach from my tree this year after so many years.
@JustAnne4 is the tube trap hard to set? I looked at few other alternatives and thought they were hard to set. But I thought tube trap looked to be easy to set.
It is a very powerful trap. I push the u shaped squirrel smasher over the top of the trap with both thumbs and manipulate the set mechanism with my fingers. Keep everything out of the path of the u bolt when moving your hands. This trap works. I will be ordering two more.
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My brother uses empty sardine cans for bait. There might not be enough to harm your water that way
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If you have strong hands, no. I think @ltilton mentioned that the tube trap people now have a jig to help set it that gives you more of a lever arm but I have not tried it. Maybe she has.
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No, my tube trap was missing a part and I never replaced it
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I use dog proof raccoon traps for the coons. They are fairly cheap and cats and dogs don’t get caught. They work very good with a little cat food and/or sunflower seeds. Last year with 2 traps I got 21 raccoons in 21 days. I never would have thought that many were around, but they were getting lots of my peaches.
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Holy cow. They decimated my blackberries 2 years in a row and the game cam showed the 1st year there were one or 2. The next year 5-6. Sigh.
I don’t want to catch a cat. Can you post what kind of trap yours is.
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These are the ones I use. I have two cats as well and they don’t mess with them. It’s the raccoons curious nature and their “hand like” paws that work against them with this trap. They have to reach in and grab the trigger and pull up. Cats can’t do this. The only downside is they often tear up all the grass around the trap. Anything close enough that can be reached will also be tore up.
I hates raccoons!! They destroy my bird feeders and eat all cat food left in the bowl. They can also be very bold. I’ve come out on the patio at 2am being woken up to the lid of a metal garbage can being ripped off. (Where I keep my sunflower seeds for the feeder) A raccoon sitting in the bag of sunflower seeds looking like he’s saying “don’t bother me, I’m eating”. I don’t like cleaning up the mess on the concrete at 2am from sending them to raccoon heaven, so I trap them a little ways from the porch.
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Thanks for the info Jason. I watched the video and I maybe wrong but it looks like what I will have if I successfully catch a raccoon with this trap is a mad, and possibly hurt creature that is not dead. So, I’m not sure this is a fit for me as it appears to need 2 things I lack…hand strength and a gun.
Is there a type of bait raccoons like and cats don’t?
If not, I’ll just have to release the cats and maybe the experience will be so memorable they won’t enter the trap again (?)
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When I catch one of my cats in the live trap I roll it around on the ground a few times before I release the cat. Harmless but the cat hates it , never caught one twice. You might try marshmallows or sweet corn cobs , probably less attractive to cats
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For your squirrel needs. I have not used it but am tempted.
Whatever you do, be careful when your kids come home with a squirrel found “dead” laying in the road. Stuff like this happens and makes it pretty much impossible to go after them for stealing your fruit. I don’t lose any fruit to squirrels for some reason. They just don’t mess with my apples.
5 months after setting the darn thing free he’s still coming back to hang out with my family almost every day. Here’s the little bugger this morning.
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