On Sun, 20 May 2012 18:10:40 +0100, Gareth wrote:

Once caught I quickly realised that I didn't have it in me to kill the
squirrel ...

Not properly thought through getting the trap have we...

If hitting the thing on the head with a lump of wood doesn't appeal
try an air pistol at short range. In either case keeping the little
******* still enough to hit or shoot won't be easy. Probably need to
use bits of wood through the bars of the to pin it against a side.
Don't even think about handling the thing unless you have some really
thick leather gloves, they have long sharp teeth and don't fight
acording to the Queensbury rules.

But what harm would it do to release a squirrel in a local forest miles
away from anyone where there are already thousands - probably millions -
of the critters?

Depends if there are any Red Squirrels any where near (near being 50
miles) Greys carry, and are immune to Squirrel Pox. To Reds squirrel
pox is nearly always fatal within a wekk or so.

--
Cheers
Dave.