Eastern Grey Squirrel, the new terror.

[Swoop]

...lol - nice try...the term "careless use of a firearm" comes to mind...

Sorry; got your apples and oranges mixed up, son;
-One is City Bylaw, and the other is criminal law.
-BB and Pellet guns are NOT firearms and are NOT restricted weapons as the bullets are under a certain mass, and under 500fps.

That is why airsoft toys which fire a light weight plastic pellet are TOYS and not restricted weapons, contrary to RCMP actions. The point being that the RCMP, contrary to the former Solicitor General's office's opinion, want to restrict ALL GUN OWNERSHIP in Canada, EVEN TOYS!!! Even a plywood cutout of a pistol is considered an illegal "replica weapon" by the RCMP.

The point being that we have become so gun-paranoid that neighbors freak when seeing kids playing with toy guns, and RCMP SWATT teams swarm the kids and seize the TOYS as illegal "replica weapons." Please, sir, for the sake of some sanity, get your understanding of the law in order with the real world. Toy guns are NOT restricted firearms.

...yea, I'm no hunter/firearms expert, and I've obviously touched a nerve so, maybe just ask that you make sure to be careful pointing your "toy" out the window while killing squirrels - so as not to hit anybody...

[Greg055]

if you pop a pellet inside your house and it exits your house out an open window, and there is nothing in the line of sight except a squirrel......

Many houses within the city limits are too close together to allow such activity. That was why I am so critical of the CITY NOT DOING their part. The effective solutions to the invasive gray squirrel are few AND NO ONE is willing to do anything. Those that do are subject to snide under-comments by those who have not a clue, and idiot enforcers. So, the end result is that NOTHING is done and the invasive species takes over and destroys the natural habitats...

No problem, lets all get a Hummer and be happy.

[Anonymous123]

So what if the Eastern Grey moves in. Is this not nature working on its own, or is someone helping them move in?

[danmartin]

So what if the Eastern Grey moves in. Is this not nature working on its own, or is someone helping them move in?

They aren't indigenous to the area and as such should be controlled if possible. They cause a lot of problems and kill many native species. This is much like many other species man has introduced to areas they don't belong and change things for the worse. Cane toads, rabbits, Mysis scrimp, black birds, bull frogs, magpies, numerous plants etc. are some that come to mind.

[Ken7]

Indeed, illegal as in City bylaw. But not illegal to fire within your house. The City has no business with you in your basement popping away at a pellet capture target. Now, let's push that a bit farther: if you pop a pellet inside your house and it exits your house out an open window, and there is nothing in the line of sight except a squirrel......

I suggest speak with your neighbors. First ensure they aren't using these squirrels as pets. Then explain to them what you are using your pellet gun for if they are all right with it.

Then use the three "S" method - shoot it, shovel it and shut up!

Happy Hunting!! I live in Glenmore and no greys here in my neighborhood. See the odd red which is ok.

[JLives]

When I lived up north we had family friends that built a series of squirrel tunnels inside their house. Each room in the house had a larger area where the squirrels could sleep, eat and hang out. They were accessible from the outside so all of the squirrels who used it were wild. There would usually be a few of them wandering around at any given time.

[Ken7]

When I lived up north we had family friends that built a series of squirrel tunnels inside their house. Each room in the house had a larger area where the squirrels could sleep, eat and hang out. They were accessible from the outside so all of the squirrels who used it were wild. There would usually be a few of them wandering around at any given time.

Can we say kinda nuts, but I like it.

[Queen K]

BUMP

Grey Squirrels are tearing off my sunflower heads and eating them, petals and all before they even have a chance to go to full seed for the chickadees. it.

Anyone got good squirrel recipes?

[maryjane48]

shooting any wildlife with pellets is cowardly and should be stamped out .

[Opeeved]

Get and raise some Norwegian lemmings. They're my new favourite rodent; full of pee and vinegar! Will chase cats away haha. I love squirrels and would love one as a pet, but they're squirrelly little buggers lol.

Sorry about your sunflowers. I've never had success with them.

[dirtybiker]

Nice timely bump..

They seem to be in cahoots with the rats.

They both just love the organic based insulator coatings on some years and brands of
vehicles.

[Greg055]

BUMP

Grey Squirrels are tearing off my sunflower heads and eating them, petals and all before they even have a chance to go to full seed for the chickadees. Anyone got good squirrel recipes?

Grey/Black invasive squirrels are very resilient and very successful in taking advantage of any food source. They are tough animals, and even with direct brain or heart shots, still fight for life. I guess the SPCA would call that pain and suffering...Too bad they are not accepting trapped animals for humane disposal.

I like the small-seed large flower-petal sunflowers, not the larger "Russian" types. The Gold Finches love the smaller seeds. About this time of year you can see the bright yellow male goldfinches hanging upside down pulling one seed at a time, shelling it and stuffing it into their cheek, all the while the young ones are all around fluttering their wings and begging (chee-bee, chee-bee) for a feed.

Then dad flies over to one,and stuffs the seeds into it's mouth. one, two, three, seven, ten, before going back for a refill. I have seen 5 - 7 little ones begging from one dad, so maybe it's the cousins also... while the moms are having cocktails?

But as the neighborhood fills with greys (and blacks), the gold finches are much less, even though the sunflowers are more.

[Greg055]

When I lived up north we had family friends that built a series of squirrel tunnels inside their house. Each room in the house had a larger area where the squirrels could sleep, eat and hang out. They were accessible from the outside so all of the squirrels who used it were wild. There would usually be a few of them wandering around at any given time.

Up north, those would have been the native brown squirrels. They are very brave and cute.
The invasive European grey squirrel drives them out.

[Queen K]

I have many goldfinch and chickadee in sunflower shots, this year I've caught red-wing black birds in them. But it's the first time I've seen a squirrel tear an entire head off and carry it to the squirrel's favourite diningroom table. I do have photographs of it.

[Queen K]

Hasenpfeffer with Semolina Dumplings
Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
2 hr 30 mins
Total Time
2 hr 45 mins

While hasenpfeffer should properly be made with hare (snowshoe or jackrabbit in the United States), hares are notoriously hard to find if you are not a hunter. So do what everyone else does and make it with rabbit. The actual making of the dish is pretty easy, but it will be far better if you give it the 2 to 3 days' worth of marinating time. Marinades take a long time to penetrate meat, and the flavorful marinade is the heart of hasenpfeffer.
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: German
Serves: 6 people
Author: Hank Shaw
Ingredients
MARINADE
1 cup water
1 cup red wine
1 cup red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon salt
2 tablespoons chopped rosemary
1 tablespoon juniper berries, crushed
1 tablespoon crack black peppercorns
3 bay leaves
4 cloves
1 teaspoon dried thyme
2 green onions, chopped
HARE
1 jackrabbit, snowshoe hare or domestic rabbit, or 2 cottontails or squirrels
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
Flour for dredging
2 to 3 cups chopped onion
1/4 cup sour cream
SEMOLINA DUMPLINGS
1 cup milk, whole or 2%
1 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons semolina flour, or use farina or Cream of Wheat
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/2 to 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Instructions
Marinate the rabbit. Bring all the ingredients for the marinade to a boil, then let cool to room temperature. While the marinade is cooling, cut up a hare into serving pieces. Find a covered container (plastic, ceramic, glass) just about large enough to hold the cut-up hare and put the meat inside. Cover with the cooled marinade. If you have leftover marinade, put that into a different container. Put everything in the refrigerator and let it sit at least 8 hours, but 2 days is better.
Remove the hare from the marinade and pat it dry. Save the marinade. Heat the butter in a large, heavy pot with a lid. Dredge the hare in the flour and brown well on all sides. Do this over medium to medium-high heat so the butter does not burn. Remove the hare pieces as they brown and set aside.
As the hare is browning, preheat your oven to 325°F and strain the marinade into a bowl.
Once you've browned the hare, add the onion and stir to coat with the butter. If there is not much butter left, add another tablespoon or so. Cook the onions over medium-high heat until they are soft and a little brown on the edges. Sprinkle salt over them as they cook.
Return the hare to the pot and add the strained marinade. Bring to a simmer, cover and put into the oven. Cook until the meat wants to fall off the bones: This will take 2 to 4 hours for a wild hare, or between 90 minutes and 2 hours for a store-bought rabbit. To finish the hasenpfeffer, remove it from the oven and uncover the pot. Spoon off about a cup of the sauce and put it into a bowl. Add the sour cream to the bowl and mix to combine. Return the mixture to the pot and swirl it around to combine. Serve at once with the dumplings.
Make the dumplings. Once the hasenpfeffer has cooked for an hour or so, make the dumpling dough. Heat the milk to the steaming point and add the butter and salt. Start stirring the milk with one hand while you sprinkle in the semolina with the other. Stir well until the semolina absorbs the milk and forms a stiff dough. Take the pot off the heat and let the dough cool. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil on the stove. once it boils, turn off the heat until the hare is done.
When the hasenpfeffer is ready, turn the heat off the oven but leave everything inside. Mix the egg and nutmeg into the semolina dough. Let the dough stand while you bring your pot of salty water back to a boil, which won't take long because you preheated it. Get a bowl of water ready to wet your hands, so the dumpling dough doesn't stick to them.
Roll the dough into balls. I like to make dumplings the size of a walnut. As you make them, drop each one into the boiling water. Do not crowd the pot. Once the dumplings start bobbing on the surface, let them cook another 2 to 5 minutes, depending on how soft you like them. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.
Nothing in this recipe is difficult to find, with the possible exception of juniper berries. Juniper is used so often in wild game dishes that if you are a hunter, you really need a constant supply. You can either pick them yourself, find them in a large supermarket, or order juniper berries online.
More Rabbit, Hare and Squirrel Recipes