Gotta Start Killing Squirrels -- Hate To Do It

[Jack[_19_]]

Personally planted 1,000 trees during the 60s-70s, and had 300 of them
cut down with stumps ground 2005-6. The trees that were cut were
chipped and the shavings shoveled via bulldozers but kept on the
property to serve as a reservoir of mulch.

The ground stumps eventually rot and sink below ground level even if
you heap them. You have to regularly add filler (from mulch
reservoir) until the ground shavings and roots rot completely.
Otherwise, you have craters that are hard on garden tractors -- and
ankles.

Squirrels see these stump sites and assume that their walnuts and
acorns are buried there. So they dig, removing the filler. You
cannot replace the total amt. of filler they dig up by mere raking, so
it's necessary to haul out the cart and bring up more filler from the
mulch reservoir.

It's bad enough having to fight woodchucks -- killed six so far this
year -- who burrow along the row of wild mulberry and cherry trees
that define the east side property line, now it's war with the gray
squirrel.

[nada]

Jack wrote:
> Personally planted 1,000 trees during the 60s-70s, and had 300 of them
> cut down with stumps ground 2005-6. The trees that were cut were
> chipped and the shavings shoveled via bulldozers but kept on the
> property to serve as a reservoir of mulch.
>
> The ground stumps eventually rot and sink below ground level even if
> you heap them. You have to regularly add filler (from mulch
> reservoir) until the ground shavings and roots rot completely.
> Otherwise, you have craters that are hard on garden tractors -- and
> ankles.
>
> Squirrels see these stump sites and assume that their walnuts and
> acorns are buried there. So they dig, removing the filler. You
> cannot replace the total amt. of filler they dig up by mere raking, so
> it's necessary to haul out the cart and bring up more filler from the
> mulch reservoir.
>
> It's bad enough having to fight woodchucks -- killed six so far this
> year -- who burrow along the row of wild mulberry and cherry trees
> that define the east side property line, now it's war with the gray
> squirrel.
Evidently you don't have man's best friend a dog.
If you gonna shoot them put them into the freezer. Barbecued squirrel is
great.

[David E. Ross]

On 6/27/2009 9:06 AM, Jack wrote:
> Personally planted 1,000 trees during the 60s-70s, and had 300 of them
> cut down with stumps ground 2005-6. The trees that were cut were
> chipped and the shavings shoveled via bulldozers but kept on the
> property to serve as a reservoir of mulch.
>
> The ground stumps eventually rot and sink below ground level even if
> you heap them. You have to regularly add filler (from mulch
> reservoir) until the ground shavings and roots rot completely.
> Otherwise, you have craters that are hard on garden tractors -- and
> ankles.
>
> Squirrels see these stump sites and assume that their walnuts and
> acorns are buried there. So they dig, removing the filler. You
> cannot replace the total amt. of filler they dig up by mere raking, so
> it's necessary to haul out the cart and bring up more filler from the
> mulch reservoir.
>
> It's bad enough having to fight woodchucks -- killed six so far this
> year -- who burrow along the row of wild mulberry and cherry trees
> that define the east side property line, now it's war with the gray
> squirrel.

I don't kill the squirrels. I use a cage trap and then relocate them to
a nearby state park that contains hungry coyotes, owls, and hawks.

--
David E. Ross
Climate: California Mediterranean
Sunset Zone: 21 -- interior Santa Monica Mountains with some ocean
influence (USDA 10a, very close to Sunset Zone 19)
Gardening diary at <http://www.rossde.com/garden/diary>

[brooklyn1]

"Jack" > wrote in message
...
> Personally planted 1,000 trees during the 60s-70s, and had 300 of them
> cut down with stumps ground 2005-6. The trees that were cut were
> chipped and the shavings shoveled via bulldozers but kept on the
> property to serve as a reservoir of mulch.
>
> The ground stumps eventually rot and sink below ground level even if
> you heap them. You have to regularly add filler (from mulch
> reservoir) until the ground shavings and roots rot completely.
> Otherwise, you have craters that are hard on garden tractors -- and
> ankles.
>
> Squirrels see these stump sites and assume that their walnuts and
> acorns are buried there. So they dig, removing the filler. You
> cannot replace the total amt. of filler they dig up by mere raking, so
> it's necessary to haul out the cart and bring up more filler from the
> mulch reservoir.
>
> It's bad enough having to fight woodchucks -- killed six so far this
> year -- who burrow along the row of wild mulberry and cherry trees
> that define the east side property line, now it's war with the gray
> squirrel.

It's very silly counting on wood mulch to fill those rotting stump holes
unless you don't mind the process taking as many years as it did to grow
those trees. You're making your own misery... get some soil hauled in...
has nothing to do with squirrels, you old scapegoat. LOL

[Jack[_21_]]

On Sat, 27 Jun 2009 13:14:00 -0400, nada > wrote:

>Jack wrote:
>> Personally planted 1,000 trees during the 60s-70s, and had 300 of them
>> cut down with stumps ground 2005-6. The trees that were cut were
>> chipped and the shavings shoveled via bulldozers but kept on the
>> property to serve as a reservoir of mulch.
>>
>> The ground stumps eventually rot and sink below ground level even if
>> you heap them. You have to regularly add filler (from mulch
>> reservoir) until the ground shavings and roots rot completely.
>> Otherwise, you have craters that are hard on garden tractors -- and
>> ankles.
>>
>> Squirrels see these stump sites and assume that their walnuts and
>> acorns are buried there. So they dig, removing the filler. You
>> cannot replace the total amt. of filler they dig up by mere raking, so
>> it's necessary to haul out the cart and bring up more filler from the
>> mulch reservoir.
>>
>> It's bad enough having to fight woodchucks -- killed six so far this
>> year -- who burrow along the row of wild mulberry and cherry trees
>> that define the east side property line, now it's war with the gray
>> squirrel.
>Evidently you don't have man's best friend a dog.
>If you gonna shoot them put them into the freezer. Barbecued squirrel is
>great.

There's so little meat on a gray squirrel; never understood why people
make such a fuss over them as food.

Then you gotta worry about the bird shot while chewing. Several
acquaintances have fractured their teeth on pheasants that were killed
by shotgun.

[Jack[_21_]]

On Sat, 27 Jun 2009 20:23:19 GMT, "brooklyn1"
> wrote:

>
>"Jack" > wrote in message
...
>> Personally planted 1,000 trees during the 60s-70s, and had 300 of them
>> cut down with stumps ground 2005-6. The trees that were cut were
>> chipped and the shavings shoveled via bulldozers but kept on the
>> property to serve as a reservoir of mulch.
>>
>> The ground stumps eventually rot and sink below ground level even if
>> you heap them. You have to regularly add filler (from mulch
>> reservoir) until the ground shavings and roots rot completely.
>> Otherwise, you have craters that are hard on garden tractors -- and
>> ankles.
>>
>> Squirrels see these stump sites and assume that their walnuts and
>> acorns are buried there. So they dig, removing the filler. You
>> cannot replace the total amt. of filler they dig up by mere raking, so
>> it's necessary to haul out the cart and bring up more filler from the
>> mulch reservoir.
>>
>> It's bad enough having to fight woodchucks -- killed six so far this
>> year -- who burrow along the row of wild mulberry and cherry trees
>> that define the east side property line, now it's war with the gray
>> squirrel.
>
>It's very silly counting on wood mulch to fill those rotting stump holes
>unless you don't mind the process taking as many years as it did to grow
>those trees. You're making your own misery... get some soil hauled in...
>has nothing to do with squirrels, you old scapegoat. LOL

Quite a bit of that wood mulch has rotted down to soil. 50% or so,
I'd guess.

[Jim Elbrecht]

(Jack) wrote:

>On Sat, 27 Jun 2009 13:14:00 -0400, nada > wrote:
>

-snip-
>>If you gonna shoot them put them into the freezer. Barbecued squirrel is
>>great.
>
>There's so little meat on a gray squirrel; never understood why people
>make such a fuss over them as food.

We used to figure 4 squirrels 'meated up' a spaghetti sauce just right
for 6 people. Maybe our greys are bigger than yours? The labor/meat ratio is better than for
partridge or woodcock.

It has been a long time since I dressed one, but I'd guess a good one
went about 1-1 1/2 pounds.
[i]
>
>Then you gotta worry about the bird shot while chewing. Several
>acquaintances have fractured their teeth on pheasants that were killed
>by shotgun.

Bad teeth or steel shot? Lead is pretty soft. But that's also why I
always used a .22 & head shot 'em.

Jim

[AL]

Jim Elbrecht wrote:
> (Jack) wrote:
>
>> On Sat, 27 Jun 2009 13:14:00 -0400, nada > wrote:
>>


>>> If you gonna shoot them put them into the freezer. Barbecued squirrel is
>>> great.

>> There's so little meat on a gray squirrel; never understood why people
>> make such a fuss over them as food.


> We used to figure 4 squirrels 'meated up' a spaghetti sauce just right
> for 6 people. Maybe our greys are bigger than yours? [I've only
> hunted them in NY] The labor/meat ratio is better than for
> partridge or woodcock.

> It has been a long time since I dressed one, but I'd guess a good one
> went about 1-1 1/2 pounds.


That sounds like a mighty meaty gray's - around here they are way too
scrawy to eat, figure two per person. As a kid back on the farm I'd hunt
fox squirrels - plenty of tasty meat.

[JoeSpareBedroom[_2_]]

"Jack" > wrote in message
...
> Personally planted 1,000 trees during the 60s-70s, and had 300 of them
> cut down with stumps ground 2005-6. The trees that were cut were
> chipped and the shavings shoveled via bulldozers but kept on the
> property to serve as a reservoir of mulch.
>
> The ground stumps eventually rot and sink below ground level even if
> you heap them. You have to regularly add filler (from mulch
> reservoir) until the ground shavings and roots rot completely.
> Otherwise, you have craters that are hard on garden tractors -- and
> ankles.
>
> Squirrels see these stump sites and assume that their walnuts and
> acorns are buried there. So they dig, removing the filler. You
> cannot replace the total amt. of filler they dig up by mere raking, so
> it's necessary to haul out the cart and bring up more filler from the
> mulch reservoir.
>
> It's bad enough having to fight woodchucks -- killed six so far this
> year -- who burrow along the row of wild mulberry and cherry trees
> that define the east side property line, now it's war with the gray
> squirrel.


Do you like fishing? Mepps, the lure manufacturer will pay you for squirrel
tails.

http://www.mepps.com/squirrel_tail_program/

[brooklyn1]

"Jack" > wrote in message
...
> On Sat, 27 Jun 2009 20:23:19 GMT, "brooklyn1"
> > wrote:
>
>>
>>"Jack" > wrote in message
...
>>> Personally planted 1,000 trees during the 60s-70s, and had 300 of them
>>> cut down with stumps ground 2005-6. The trees that were cut were
>>> chipped and the shavings shoveled via bulldozers but kept on the
>>> property to serve as a reservoir of mulch.
>>>
>>> The ground stumps eventually rot and sink below ground level even if
>>> you heap them. You have to regularly add filler (from mulch
>>> reservoir) until the ground shavings and roots rot completely.
>>> Otherwise, you have craters that are hard on garden tractors -- and
>>> ankles.
>>>
>>> Squirrels see these stump sites and assume that their walnuts and
>>> acorns are buried there. So they dig, removing the filler. You
>>> cannot replace the total amt. of filler they dig up by mere raking, so
>>> it's necessary to haul out the cart and bring up more filler from the
>>> mulch reservoir.
>>>
>>> It's bad enough having to fight woodchucks -- killed six so far this
>>> year -- who burrow along the row of wild mulberry and cherry trees
>>> that define the east side property line, now it's war with the gray
>>> squirrel.
>>
>>It's very silly counting on wood mulch to fill those rotting stump holes
>>unless you don't mind the process taking as many years as it did to grow
>>those trees. You're making your own misery... get some soil hauled in...
>>has nothing to do with squirrels, you old scapegoat. LOL
>
> Quite a bit of that wood mulch has rotted down to soil. 50% or so,
> I'd guess.

More like less than .0000001% of vegetable matter becomes soil.

[Jack[_21_]]

On Sun, 28 Jun 2009 00:28:34 GMT, "brooklyn1"
> wrote:

>
>"Jack" > wrote in message
...
>> On Sat, 27 Jun 2009 20:23:19 GMT, "brooklyn1"
>> > wrote:
>>
>>>
>>>"Jack" > wrote in message
...
>>>> Personally planted 1,000 trees during the 60s-70s, and had 300 of them
>>>> cut down with stumps ground 2005-6. The trees that were cut were
>>>> chipped and the shavings shoveled via bulldozers but kept on the
>>>> property to serve as a reservoir of mulch.
>>>>
>>>> The ground stumps eventually rot and sink below ground level even if
>>>> you heap them. You have to regularly add filler (from mulch
>>>> reservoir) until the ground shavings and roots rot completely.
>>>> Otherwise, you have craters that are hard on garden tractors -- and
>>>> ankles.
>>>>
>>>> Squirrels see these stump sites and assume that their walnuts and
>>>> acorns are buried there. So they dig, removing the filler. You
>>>> cannot replace the total amt. of filler they dig up by mere raking, so
>>>> it's necessary to haul out the cart and bring up more filler from the
>>>> mulch reservoir.
>>>>
>>>> It's bad enough having to fight woodchucks -- killed six so far this
>>>> year -- who burrow along the row of wild mulberry and cherry trees
>>>> that define the east side property line, now it's war with the gray
>>>> squirrel.
>>>
>>>It's very silly counting on wood mulch to fill those rotting stump holes
>>>unless you don't mind the process taking as many years as it did to grow
>>>those trees. You're making your own misery... get some soil hauled in...
>>>has nothing to do with squirrels, you old scapegoat. LOL
>>
>> Quite a bit of that wood mulch has rotted down to soil. 50% or so,
>> I'd guess.
>
>More like less than .0000001% of vegetable matter becomes soil.

Well, if you don't wanna call it soil, that's OK.

Half of it since 2005 looks like soil and grass sprouts in many of the
stump sites where it was deposited like it's a loam soil ....

If it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck ...

In other words, it works for the purpose intended.

And if I spent a shitload of money to have soil hauled into the 300
stump sites, the damn squirrels would still be digging in it.

[AL]

Jack wrote:

> "brooklyn1" wrote:

>> "Jack" wrote in message


>>>"brooklyn1" wrote:

>>>> It's very silly counting on wood mulch to fill those rotting stump holes
>>>> unless you don't mind the process taking as many years as it did to grow
>>>> those trees. You're making your own misery... get some soil hauled in...
>>>> has nothing to do with squirrels, you old scapegoat. LOL


>>> Quite a bit of that wood mulch has rotted down to soil. 50% or so,
>>> I'd guess.


>> More like less than .0000001% of vegetable matter becomes soil.



> Well, if you don't wanna call it soil, that's OK.
> Half of it since 2005 looks like soil and grass sprouts in many of the
> stump sites where it was deposited like it's a loam soil ....
> If it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck ...
[...]



Well, if mulch doesn't become soil, I'd like to know where all that
mulch went that I've laid down in my landscaping every year over the
past 20 years...

[Jack[_21_]]

On Sat, 27 Jun 2009 20:22:14 -0500, AL > wrote:

>Jack wrote:
>
>> "brooklyn1" wrote:
>
>>> "Jack" wrote in message
>
>
>>>>"brooklyn1" wrote:
>
>>>>> It's very silly counting on wood mulch to fill those rotting stump holes
>>>>> unless you don't mind the process taking as many years as it did to grow
>>>>> those trees. You're making your own misery... get some soil hauled in...
>>>>> has nothing to do with squirrels, you old scapegoat. LOL
>
>
>>>> Quite a bit of that wood mulch has rotted down to soil. 50% or so,
>>>> I'd guess.
>
>
>>> More like less than .0000001% of vegetable matter becomes soil.
>
>
>
>> Well, if you don't wanna call it soil, that's OK.
>> Half of it since 2005 looks like soil and grass sprouts in many of the
>> stump sites where it was deposited like it's a loam soil ....
>> If it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck ...
>[...]
>
>
>
>Well, if mulch doesn't become soil, I'd like to know where all that
>mulch went that I've laid down in my landscaping every year over the
>past 20 years...

Amen.

[cj]

AL wrote:
>
> Jack wrote:
>
> > "brooklyn1" wrote:
>
> >> "Jack" wrote in message
>
> >>>"brooklyn1" wrote:
>
> >>>> It's very silly counting on wood mulch to fill those rotting stump holes
> >>>> unless you don't mind the process taking as many years as it did to grow
> >>>> those trees. You're making your own misery... get some soil hauled in...
> >>>> has nothing to do with squirrels, you old scapegoat. LOL
>
> >>> Quite a bit of that wood mulch has rotted down to soil. 50% or so,
> >>> I'd guess.
>
> >> More like less than .0000001% of vegetable matter becomes soil.
>
> > Well, if you don't wanna call it soil, that's OK.
> > Half of it since 2005 looks like soil and grass sprouts in many of the
> > stump sites where it was deposited like it's a loam soil ....
> > If it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck ...
> [...]
>
> Well, if mulch doesn't become soil, I'd like to know where all that
> mulch went that I've laid down in my landscaping every year over the
> past 20 years...
Don' cha know? It's SPACE ALIENS!!!

[Mycosimian]

On Jun 27, 8:22*pm, AL > wrote:
> Jack wrote:
> > *"brooklyn1" wrote:
> >> "Jack" *wrote in message
> >>>"brooklyn1" wrote:
> >>>> It's very silly counting on wood mulch to fill those rotting stump holes
> >>>> unless you don't mind the process taking as many years as it did to grow
> >>>> those trees. *You're making your own misery... get some soil hauled in...
> >>>> has nothing to do with squirrels, you old scapegoat. LOL
> >>> Quite a bit of that wood mulch has rotted down to soil. *50% or so,
> >>> I'd guess.
> >> More like less than .0000001% of vegetable matter becomes soil.
> > Well, if you don't wanna call it soil, that's OK.
> > Half of it since 2005 looks like soil and grass sprouts in many of the
> > stump sites where it was deposited like it's a loam soil ....
> > If it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck ...
>
> [...]
>
> Well, if mulch doesn't become soil, I'd like to know where all that
> mulch went that I've laid down in my landscaping every year over the
> past 20 years...

All of the mulch and compost I put down eventually breaks down and
the soil level returns to approximately where it was previously.
During the wet season this can happen rather quickly. I have a bed
where I have added compost and mulch several times. The soil there is
nice a friable and it is perfectly level with the surrounding area.
The wood chip mulch I put down earlier this year has almost completely
disappeared.

[brooklyn1]

"Mycosimian" > wrote in message
...
On Jun 27, 8:22 pm, AL > wrote:
> Jack wrote:
> > "brooklyn1" wrote:
> >> "Jack" wrote in message
> >>>"brooklyn1" wrote:
> >>>> It's very silly counting on wood mulch to fill those rotting stump
> >>>> holes
> >>>> unless you don't mind the process taking as many years as it did to
> >>>> grow
> >>>> those trees. You're making your own misery... get some soil hauled
> >>>> in...
> >>>> has nothing to do with squirrels, you old scapegoat. LOL
> >>> Quite a bit of that wood mulch has rotted down to soil. 50% or so,
> >>> I'd guess.
> >> More like less than .0000001% of vegetable matter becomes soil.
> > Well, if you don't wanna call it soil, that's OK.
> > Half of it since 2005 looks like soil and grass sprouts in many of the
> > stump sites where it was deposited like it's a loam soil ....
> > If it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck ...
>
> [...]
>
> Well, if mulch doesn't become soil, I'd like to know where all that
> mulch went that I've laid down in my landscaping every year over the
> past 20 years...

All of the mulch and compost I put down eventually breaks down and
the soil level returns to approximately where it was previously.
During the wet season this can happen rather quickly. I have a bed
where I have added compost and mulch several times. The soil there is
nice a friable and it is perfectly level with the surrounding area.
The wood chip mulch I put down earlier this year has almost completely
disappeared.

~~~~~~~~

Absolutely! Compost is a great soil *amendment* but it's very temporary.
There is very little that remains from vegetable matter decay... organic
material contains very little mineral matter and of what there is most is
water soluable, just washes away. The only way to fill in a depression in
soil is by adding soil, and the poorer the soil the less you'll need... god
rich topsoil contains nearly 50% organic matter... use sand, clay, bank
run... then once the depression is filled add a top coat of topsoil.
Filling a soil depression with wood chips has precisely the same effect as
taking a dump in a commode and flushing.