What do you use to attract squirrels?

Blue Jay — You do know that goat is mighty tasty. My only problem is that in the area that I live there are no feral or stay goats. I wish one of the rancher around me would get some. I do love goat meat. I am hopeing that the feral hogs that are across the road come on over so I can have hog meat.

Buzzcat — I do agree with what you are saying but I hope most people are shooting squirrels for the meat or for pest elmination. Squirrels in the attic of a house can do thousands of dollars damage in no time at all. The only post I ever hated was when some dumbass shot some song birds and posted pictures of the birds. And, yes I am a stupid bird lover, I only hate two types of birds HOSP and Starlings. The grackles I on shot to give the hawk something to eat besides my song birds and I only do that in the winter.

Love the Fatman

Yeah, I know… SavageSam is a TAG Goodfella, I’ve appreciated a lot of his input here. Hope he doesn’t take too much offense at my rant, it wasn’t pointed at him. 😉

It’s just that threads like this tend to bring out the “ugly” in a lot of folks, and the comments usually go against everything I was taught about hunting and taking game, no matter how big or small that game may be.

Buzzcat — The only thing I can think of is that grackles do make good Hawk food.

What are you talking about sir? that’s not venison on the table that’s just a mean old billy goat I shot in it’s pin, can’t let that bastard go to waste ya know 😉

It took a while to find this, but it is in the fish & game code:

§ 4152. Right to Take Mammals Injurious to Growing Crops or Other Property

(a) Except as provided in Section 4005, nongame mammals and black-tailed jackrabbits, muskrats, subspecies of red fox that are not the native Sierra Nevada red fox (Vulpes vulpes necator), and red fox squirrels that are found to be injuring growing crops or other property may be taken at any time or in any manner in accordance with this code and regulations adopted pursuant to this code by the owner or tenant of the premises or employees and agents in immediate possession of written permission from the owner or tenant thereof. They may also be taken by officers or employees of the Department of Food and Agriculture or by federal, county, or city officers or employees when acting in their official capacities pursuant to the Food and Agricultural Code pertaining to pests, or pursuant to Article 6 (commencing with Section 6021) of Chapter 9 of Part 1 of Division 4 of the Food and Agricultural Code. Persons taking mammals in accordance with this section are exempt from Section 3007, except when providing trapping services for a fee. Raw furs, as defined in Section 4005, that are taken under this section, shall not be sold.

(b) Traps used pursuant to this section shall be inspected and all animals in the traps shall be removed at least once daily. The inspection and removal shall be done by the person who sets the trap or the owner of the land where the trap is set or an agent of either.

I’ve read that before, but it doesn’t really square with the regulations:\

Ҥ250. General Prohibition Against Taking Resident Game Birds, Game Mammals and Furbearing Mammals.

Except as otherwise provided in this Title 14, and in the Fish and Game Code, resident game birds, game mammals and furbearing mammals may not be taken at any time. ”

So taking mammals has to be specifically allowed.

Ҥ307. Tree Squirrels.

Tree squirrels may be taken only as follows:

(a) General Season and Areas:

The general season in the counties of Alameda, Alpine, Amador, Butte, Calaveras, Colusa, Contra Costa, Del Norte, El Dorado, Fresno, Glenn, Humboldt, Kings, Lake, Lassen, Madera, Marin, Mariposa, Mendocino, Merced, Modoc, Monterey, Napa, Nevada, Placer, Plumas, Sacramento, San Benito, San Luis Obispo, San Joaquin, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Shasta, Sierra, Siskiyou, Solano, Sonoma, Stanislaus, Sutter, Tehama, Trinity, Tulare, Tuolumne, Yolo, Yuba, and that portion of Kern County lying east of Interstate 5 shall open on the second Saturday in September extending through the last Sunday in January.

(b) Archery and Falconry Tree Squirrel Season and Area: Tree squirrels may be taken with bow and arrow or raptors only during the general tree squirrel season and as follows:

(1) The season in the counties of Alpine, Amador, Butte, Calaveras, Del Norte, El Dorado, Fresno, Glenn, Humboldt, Lake, Lassen, Madera, Marin, Mariposa, Modoc, Napa, Nevada, Placer, Plumas, Shasta, Sierra, Siskiyou, Solano, Sonoma, Sutter, Tehama, Trinity, Tulare, Tuolumne, and Yuba; and that portion of Kern County lying east of Interstate 5 shall open on the first Saturday in August extending through the day before the general tree squirrel season.

(c) Bag and Possession Limit: Four squirrels per day, four in possession.

(d) Except as provided herein, tree squirrels may not be taken at any time in the balance of the state. ”

This establishes seasons and again prohibits other conditions.

Ҥ472. General Provisions.

Except as otherwise provided in Sections 478 and 485 and subsections (a) through (d) below, nongame birds and mammals may not be taken.

(a) The following nongame birds and mammals may be taken at any time of the year and in any number except as prohibited in Chapter 6: English sparrow, starling, coyote, weasels, skunks, opossum, moles and rodents (excluding tree and flying squirrels, and those listed as furbearers, endangered or threatened species).

(b) Fallow, sambar, sika, and axis deer may be taken only concurrently with the general deer season.

(c) Aoudad, mouflon, tahr, and feral goats may be taken all year.

(d) American crows (Corvus brachyrhynchos) may be taken only under the provisions of Section 485 and by landowners or tenants, or by persons authorized in writing by such landowners or tenants, when American crows are committing or about to commit depredations upon ornamental or shade trees, agricultural crops, livestock, or wildlife, or when concentrated in such numbers and manner as to constitute a health hazard or other nuisance. Persons authorized by landowners or tenants to take American crows shall keep such written authorization in their possession when taking, transporting or possessing American crows. American crows may be taken only on the lands where depredations are occurring or where they constitute a health hazard or nuisance. If required by Federal regulations, landowners or tenants shall obtain a Federal migratory bird depredation permit before taking any American crows or authorizing any other person to take them.

American crows may be taken under the provisions of this subsection only by firearm, bow and arrow, falconry or by toxicants by the Department of Food and Agriculture for the specific purpose of taking depredating crows. Toxicants can be used for taking crows only under the supervision of employees or officers of the Department of Food and Agriculture or federal or county pest control officers or employees acting in their official capacities and possessing a qualified applicator certificate issued pursuant to sections 14151-14155 of the Food and Agriculture Code. Such toxicants must be applied according to their label requirements developed pursuant to sections 6151-6301, Title 3, California Code of Regulations. ”

This is where the list of ‘non game speicies’ is found. Notice that tree squirrels are specifically excluded from the other rodents. My ‘read’ on the code is any tree squirrel (even eastern fox) are game animals.

I think UC Davis is OK with their view, confusing as it is, because of the “may be controlled at any time and in any legal manner by the owner or tenant of the premises without a permit” part. You still would need a license (to take any bird or mammal) and there would be only one legal manner to do so without an approved Depredation Permit, in season, within hours and within bag limits.

Short answer, no tree squirrels are on the list “English sparrow, starling, coyote, weasels, skunks, opossum, moles and rodents (excluding tree and flying squirrels, and those listed as furbearers, endangered or threatened species)”. Looks like tree squirrels (of any sort) out of season is poaching.

Doug Owen

making a squirrel feeder coffin is a good idea, i dont like the idea of using wood as backstop unless it is replaced often, especially not with a condor or other high powered airgun, they tend to blast through

for noise sake you can use wood in front of a metal backplate.