Squirrel shield

still_waters_43 · Post by **still_waters_43** » Thu Apr 26, 2012 10:31 pm

Actually, I'm not sure that plywood in the cone will work. Especially, if it makes it too rigid the squirrel may well be able to get on top. The idea of the loose cone is that it flops around which causes the little rat to slip off

I got this http://www.amazon.com/Woodlink-NABAF18-Audubon-Squirrel-18-Inch/dp/B0010QD5QO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1335493417&sr=8-1 and hung it on a 8' shepards hook, works like a charm

Ed in Tampa · Post by **Ed in Tampa** » Fri Apr 27, 2012 10:43 am

still_waters_43 wrote:Actually, I'm not sure that plywood in the cone will work. Especially, if it makes it too rigid the squirrel may well be able to get on top. The idea of the loose cone is that it flops around which causes the little rat to slip off

I got this http://www.amazon.com/Woodlink-NABAF18-Audubon-Squirrel-18-Inch/dp/B0010QD5QO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1335493417&sr=8-1 and hung it on a 8' shepards hook, works like a charm

That looks exactly like the one I built. Only mine came from a sheet of 10ft aluminium flashing. And I pop rivet mine together instead of having the crimped edges.

Mine was considerably cheaper the whole roll of flasking costs me $15 and I only used a 20 inch piece.

My problem is the flashing is noisey when the wind blows it sounds like thunder they use to make on radio.

I'm wondering if the paint isn't the secret. I have three more to build (total of 80 inches from my 10 ft roll) and I'm going to spray paint them with a good primer and thicker paint.

I have also thought of trying to form a rolled edge on the rim.

Or I may take the advice someone offered and pop rivet some V shaped splines on it.

I used Aluminium because the Sun eat up the plastic ones I first had. Figured the aluminium would stand up to the UV rays better.

Yes I think you are right about the plywood and I have been rethinking that idea. A plywood disk say a 1/4 of the way down from wherer the cone goes on the pole would deaded the noise but it would also be a bear to get on the pole and wood would rot.

My thanks to everyone for your ideas

judaspre1982 · Post by **judaspre1982** » Sat Apr 28, 2012 7:41 pm

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lightnin · Post by **lightnin** » Sat Apr 28, 2012 9:18 pm

Ed in Tampa wrote:Actually I was taught not to shoot red squirrels they were too small, not worth the effort to shoot, clean, cook and eat. Grey squirrels are delicious if they didn't have to survive on acorns. Hickory nut feed grey squirrels are very good eating. Two nice sized ones made a nice meal.

Wow I live in northwest Indiana The red squirrels are bigger than the gray ones here Gray squirrels are found in
the cities more. Gray squirrels have been claiming territory from the red ones for decades here.
I like to take the tails from the occasional road kill for another of my obsessions fly tying and red ones are getting rare.

Ed in Tampa · Post by **Ed in Tampa** » Mon Apr 30, 2012 11:09 am

lightnin wrote:
Wow I live in northwest Indiana The red squirrels are bigger than the gray ones here Gray squirrels are found in
the cities more. Gray squirrels have been claiming territory from the red ones for decades here.
I like to take the tails from the occasional road kill for another of my obsessions fly tying and red ones are getting rare.

I never hunted Indiana but I hunted both Ohio and Pa and gray squirrels were always larger. Fox squirrels which are red also are much larger than grays or reds and their number is in decline as is the red's in most areas. Grays seem to be the most adaptable and many do live in among people. Fox squirrels won't come near a house or at least I never saw one. And it was their tail I used for flies. It seems to me that Reds and grays live anywhere there is food.

nuhobby · Post by **nuhobby** » Mon Apr 30, 2012 11:31 am

I grew up in So. Illinois near a town with a persistent population of white squirrels. But I was enclosed in a "shop" during childhood, never learning about hunting.

Ed in Tampa · Post by **Ed in Tampa** » Mon Apr 30, 2012 11:36 am

judaspre1982 wrote:Saw this squirrel proof bird feeder on This Old House tonight.
http://www.absolutelynew.com/content/pr ... ird-feeder

Pretty neat I thought.

Dave

That one is neat. I wonder how larger birds like doves and large woodpeckers manage to stay on the perch?

I had one feeder that weight of the squirrel would close a door but it also closed from the weight of a Dove and/or a woodpecker. In fact large mocking birds would shut it.

I have been tempted to build a squirrel obstacle course to see how the squirrel over comes whatever I think up. Someone above posted a video of a guy with a similar idea. Funny!

The only problem is letting the squirrel hang around more than a few days results in them trying to get into the house.

I liked the guy that used the clay target launcher. I could shoot the little buggers into the pond. My guess the huge soft shell turtle would eat them before they could swim out.

Last week I watched a mother duck take her ducklings swimming for the first time. As I watched a duckling would disappear under the water. Then another. Then I saw the hugh soft shell swimming behind them. The mother and father were swimming today without any kids. Life is hard.

And since the guy that loved turtle soup passed away the turtles are growing larger and larger.

magnaman · Post by **magnaman** » Thu May 10, 2012 8:12 am

Thanks for the info on squirrel bafflers. Hadn't expected to see this sort of info on the Shopsmith forum!! Our old plastic one was destroyed by something so I suspected a racoon. I set up the critter cam for several nights and sure enough I caught him a few nights after the new one from Amazon was installed.
Probably nothing baffles a racoon for long!

wrmnfzy · Post by **wrmnfzy** » Thu May 10, 2012 9:00 am

I once heard them called a rat with a good press agent.

mrhart · Post by **mrhart** » Thu May 10, 2012 9:33 am

magnaman wrote:Thanks for the info on squirrel bafflers. Hadn't expected to see this sort of info on the Shopsmith forum!! Our old plastic one was destroyed by something so I suspected a racoon. I set up the critter cam for several nights and sure enough I caught him a few nights after the new one from Amazon was installed.
Probably nothing baffles a racoon for long!

So how did the coon get from pic 1 to pic 2 ? It appears as it would stop the varmit, but odviously not. Bigger cone??