In article ,
Andrew McMichael wrote:

Phaedrine Stonebridge wrote:

In article ,
"Mile High" wrote:

Any suggestions for deterring squirrels from eating my beautiful tomatoes?

Shoot them before you go to work (unless you are prohibited of course).

If you do decide to shoot them [and I've been doing it on an off for years],
get a BB gun that can shoot at a high velocity, use flat-head pellets, and
practice before you go out to shoot them.

I recommend a .22 pump air rifle (if one has to use a "pellet" gun), as
opposed to a pistol, for accuracy and I find .22 superpoints quite
effective. However, I prefer a .22 rimshot rifle using long or short CB
rounds (though I use both depending where the squirrel is). These are
actually more quiet than the air rifle and better at killing them
instantaneously. For small game like squirrels, you can't really get
much more accurate than a Ruger 10/22 or a Marlin 39A. I prefer the
latter because you cannot use CB rounds with the Ruger (well not with
complete safety that is) and it uses a clip. The 39A is a nifty
lever-action that will hold around 15 short rounds. Both of these
weapons shoot ammo that go a VERY long way so it is best to restrict
oneself to ground shots even in rural areas like where we live.


Squirrels are tough creatures, and it isn't easy to kill them with a
single shot from a BB gun. If you hit them anywhere behind the front
legs, they'll likely run away and suffer. Hitting them in the head or
in front of the legs with a BB also won't ensure a quick kill. A
flat-head pellet to the chest or head will knock them down, and you
can finish them with another shot if necessary. I'm a pretty dead
shot with my BB gun, and can knock a squirrel down anywhere out to
about 50 yards. But I always use the pellets, and won't shoot if I
can't hit the head.

I won't shoot, either, unless I have a clear head shot. I got one the
other day just peeping his head over the top of the retaining wall to my
herb garden. And before I could bury him, his "brothers" were walking
right over him to get to some seed. So much for scaring the others away
lol.

..