Fine.

UKworkshop.co.uk

Help Support UKworkshop.co.uk:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

Digit

Established Member
Joined
11 Nov 2007
Messages
10,222
Reaction score
1
Location
Wales
According our regional BBC news some chap's been fined for drowning a Grey Squirrel.
Without getting into the rights/wrongs I was greatly impressed by the 'expert's' advice on how to avoid falling foul of the law.
'Squirrel proof your garden,' then with the usual contemptuous ease with which I have come to assosciate 'expert's advise no suggestions as to how we might accomplish this deed were offered!

Roy.
 
Digit":2h7ihhu8 said:
According our regional BBC news some chap's been fined for drowning a Grey Squirrel.
Without getting into the rights/wrongs I was greatly impressed by the 'expert's' advice on how to avoid falling foul of the law.
'Squirrel proof your garden,' then with the usual contemptuous ease with which I have come to assosciate 'expert's advise no suggestions as to how we might accomplish this deed were offered!

Roy.

I saw that report, and you are allowed to hit the squirrel once but not twice!? to kill it. Can you hit it with a twelve bore?
 
The single strike was on DEFRA's site at one time, I haven't checked recently. Typical of the barmy ideas some people come up with though.

Roy.
 
flying haggis":hhpb4j4w said:
I saw that report, and you are allowed to hit the squirrel once but not twice!? to kill it. Can you hit it with a twelve bore?

What happens if you tw@t it once and it doesn't die, but is in extreme pain - perhaps bits of skull hanging off. What are you supposed to do, wait for it to die naturally?

I got bollocked off wifey for putting one of our goldfish out of its misery which had been attacked by the cat. "What should I have done?" I asked. "Flushed it down the toilet instead of tw@tting it with a brick".. :lol:

Cheers

Karl
 
I came to the conclusion many years ago Karl that being an 'expert' appeared to require little in the way of common sense.

Roy.
 
Digit":3ayq7nsx said:
I came to the conclusion many years ago Karl that being an 'expert' appeared to require little in the way of common sense.

Sounds like you are an expert on that, Roy.
 
I understand 'expert' derives from the Latin 'ex - formerly' and 'spurt - a drip' or something like that!

I once tried trapping a grey squirrel with the intention of transporting it miles away to a local forest. Then I heard on the radio that if you trap it you have to kill it and it is illegal to release it elsewhere. I left the trap down for a week with copious supplies of peanuts but no sign of the little blighter. Gave the trap back to the local farmer and the squirrel re-appeared.

Regards Keith
 
grey squirells are on schedule 9 (alien species) of the countryside and rights of way act (CRoW) 2000 which means you arent allowed to release them from captivity (though there is an exemption for wildlife hospitals)

It also means that they can be killed by, or with the permision of, the landowner, but only by "humane" means.

What is considered humane will vary from person to persons opinion but the established best practice is that it includes:

i)shooting with an appropriate weapon (shotgun, rifle, or 12ftlb+ air rifle - not bows or catapults),

ii)trapping with a break back trap like a fenn (so long as it is set in a way in which non target species are not at risk),

iii) poisoning with wafarin or other approved substances via hoppers (again providing they are set so non targets are not at risk),

iv) Falconry with a suitable raptor such as a peregrine, lanner, or harris hawk

or v) cage trapping for later humane despatch (which is where the single strike comes in - you are suposed to kill with a hard strike to the back of the neck with a cudgel or baton, clearly if one strike doesnt kill it you can hit it again, but you cant legally set out to bludgeon it repeatedly to death, nor can you drown it as this isnt an approved method of humane despatch (personally Ive always favoured shooting the captive in the head with an air rifle) )

You can also legally use drey poking (the destruction of dreys with a long pole) as a control method, either alone or in conjuction with a gun - but you arent allowed to deliberately, recklessly, or negligently target occupied maternity dreys.

You can of course be prosecuted for using inhumane means (such as drowning etc) but you would have to be pretty blatant to get caught as grey squirels are not at the top of the list for animal welfare organisations to be concerned about.
 
Tough little buggers I know people who hunt them with harris hawks and its not unknown for the birds to lose a toe or two
 
I was up a Ladder pruning some branches and I kept hearing this very odd noise. I had to climb a bit higher to do another branch, the next thing I know is this Bloody Squirrel coming straight at my face. :shock:
Tried to blatt the little fu... chap with the saw but it was way too quick for that. I decided the branches could wait for another day.
 
Try eating greys ... slow roast with chorizo ... yum :twisted:
 
Sounds like you are an expert on that, Roy.

Well sarcasm not withstanding Jake if you have bothered at any time to read my rants on my dealings with them, and the results therein, you would understand my comments.
Just to give you a simple fact. I married 40 yrs ago this year, and if you wish I'll give you my phone number and you can speak to my wife and she will confirm that not ONCE in all that time have my dealings with professionals, including yours, have been anything but complex, long drawn out, sometimes expensive and never straight forward.
The list covers soliciors, county court, HP companies, DVLA, county sherif, planning authorities, rating officers, pensions, income tax, police, benefit fraud investigators, banks and probably others that I've forgotten.
I think therefore that I am qualified to make that comment.
My last dealing but one with your profession resulted in him threatening court action for non payment. The fact that ALL paperwork, BAR the bill went to the wrong address didn't help his case!
I rest my case! :lol:

Roy.
 
Luckily we don't have that problem here - YET

Only have the beautiful little red ones but greys are being trapped 6 miles away so won't be long before they drive out our native species. (Bit like humans really :?: :? )

Bob
 
studders":2kbs7k4q said:
I was up a Ladder pruning some branches and I kept hearing this very odd noise. I had to climb a bit higher to do another branch, the next thing I know is this Bloody Squirrel coming straight at my face. :shock:
Tried to blatt the little fu... chap with the saw but it was way too quick for that. I decided the branches could wait for another day.

Mr S have you been on the psychedelic drugs again. :lol:

Anyway what the puff puff the weed would you do if some big fuc£er was trying to chop your house down. I bet the poor little bugger is on prozac now :lol:

Cheers

Mike
 
Of course I'm on Drugs Mr C. One has to be to live round here. :lol:

As for the little bas... Squirrel in MY Tree, its days are numbered as I think I now know what keeps digging up my Bulbs, doesn't take them, just digs em up. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.
 
Digit":15nfby9m said:
I think therefore that I am qualified to make that comment.

Jolly good, sounds like you are an expert on that as well.
 
Back
Top