Now the fence is popping on all 4 cylinders and there are 8 strands of wire. I want fried squirrel for breakfast.
Any other methods other than lead poisoning? I am a really bad shot.

I trapped 16 of them the past month and relocated them a few miles away.
But lately they have learned how to trip the trap without getting caught which is bad for them because I am now left with only one other option which is lead poisoning.

Fortunately I have a really nice air rifle and can basically hit a bottle cap at 50 yards with it so cant miss a squirrel.
Have given 9 of them lead poisoning the past 3 days, problem is that it seems like there is a never ending supply of them.
I thought we had maybe 10-15 total around us, I have trapped and shot 25 so far with no end in sight.
They destroy everything so they gotta go.

What do you have for an "air rifle"? I have used a Gamo .177 spring gun (Varmint Hunter) for the last 8 years to dispatch many dozens of bunnies, but it has developed "barrel sag", and I cant hit anything.

Time for a new one. What works for you?

You might be able to find a Feinwerkbau 124 on the "Yellow Forum" air gun website in their classifieds.
If you are lucky you can get one in good condition for about $350 without a scope.
They are not made anymore and are really one of the best air rifles ever made.

This is a target I shot about 9 months ago.

Here is a 24 yard target which is usually about the distance I shoot Squirrels, 20-25 yards.
All five shots could be mostly covered with an Aspirin.

So far so good. As of today, Ive harvested 276 tomatoes in total, and lost only 17 to birds and squirrels. And this is with no netting of any type and a small 2 foot high chicken wire fence.

1. Let me say they seem to travel to areas with food then move on.
2. IF they are eating tomatoes they are likely looking for water. Try leaving a bucket of water near the plants. You may even be able to drown a few. Be sure to dump the water every couple of days or you'll be breeding mosquitoes.
3. Around my seedling I leave either some rose or raspberry trimmings (anything with thorns) or some of those carpet strips - the kind with tacks n nails in both sides. I also use these in & around my compost pile. It seems that rodents don't like pain any more than we do.

I think I have actually trained some raccoons, possum, & skunks to avoid my compost pile with this method.

IF you are using Havahart traps you would prob be better off to dunk them in a garbage pail of water lest they find their way back to the food fest.

HTH

Gumby_ct, we are on a pond, there is a creek about 75 feet away. I think they might just like tomatoes.
I don't like havahearts, just give somebody else your problem and more stress on whatever critter. If they get in the trap, it's lead poisoning. I feel bad, fish-in-a barrel, but I've only dispatched two coons that way.

Then why is it they don't eat the whole thing?

Thanks. Looks like a great gun. But, It looks like it could come down with the same "barrel sag" problem my Gamo did.

I guess since it is no longer made, it won't be my solution.

Buy a Feinwerkbau or a Weihrauch and you should not have that problem for your lifetime.

You can buy one of these Feinwerkbau 124's you just have to buy one used on the Yellow Forum Classifieds.
One sold just recently like 2 weeks ago for $385, in great condition, new spring and seals, ready to go for another 30 years, plus the advantage of it is a classic that is only going to go UP in price.
I bought mine just like you see it case and all for $250 back in 1983, I wouldn't sell it today for less than $800.

A Weihrauch 35E is nice.

A Weihrauch HW77 is nice and it is not a break barrel, it is an under lever.

Walther is putting out a really nice one pretty soon called a LGV. though will probably be around $500+

A RWS 54 would be nice also in .22cal, it is both a side lever plus is recoiless.

If that Feinwerkbau 124D were made and sold today it would run about $800 new.

You can put an ad on the Yellow classifieds saying you "Want to BUY" a Feinwerkbau 124 in good condition that has already been rebuilt, yo should probably come up with one within a week or so.

http://www.ste-sidam.fr/home/8.1008_Walther LGV en.pdf

Could it be possible that it's someone other than squirrels? Have you witnessed an event?

What seemed to really work the best was Lead Poisoning with the old trusty air rifle, a few dead bodies on the dance floor and they have started to figure out this is not a good place to terrorize.

Trapped 16, until they started figuring out how to not get trapped, then gave 9 of them lead poisoning.

I have only glimpsed ONE ecoterrorist in the past 5 days and that was very briefly as he was flying away into the trees.
I used to see 6-7 at a time all over the place.
No tomatoes eaten in I think about a week now.

So when all else fails lead poisoning works well.

Also I might add, after a dozen or so tomatoes, several peppers, about 50+ blueberries, several flowers and plants and various other things destroyed on our deck it was actually satisfying to see that little nuthead in the cross hairs.

Ecoterrorist are just destructive, they are like 2 year olds on a coffee and sugar binge, they constantly eat and will eat darn near anything and destroy darn near everything.

Not defending the squirrels either. One year I saw them eating my corn, never had problems for 3 yrs before. When I look up at the hickory trees I noticed there weren't many nuts so that was why they jumped on my corn.

And as I have said before - they do travel. I have seen as many as 25 in my small yard at one time.

They are right back in the yard, but not the garden, but I have had it. They have NO fear of me, my cats (both elderly) or my hens (well they are mini velocoraptors) it's too hot for my dog visit, and they have just got to get gone.
Me, Miss Daisy, and a cup of coffee each morning ought to do it. I am shooting from 20-30 ft, so Miss Daisy does just fine, and is a lot more subtle first thing in the morning. Thanks for the moral support, and suggestions, and just letting me vent.