SmallCaliberCentral

This year started out looking like a good squirrel year. They were out early. BUT, if it wasn’t snowing, it was raining , if it wasn’t raining , the wind was blowing 30 mph and if the wind wasn’t blowing , it was snowing again. I did manage to get out for a couple hours 3 times in the past month . Now with the perfect weather this week I headed to my favorite farms in northern calif. that normally have thousands of squirrels only to find almost none. Come to find out that some outfit came in and poisoned hundreds and hundreds of acres on several farms using poisoned cabbage. I talked to 5 different farmers and they were very excited about this new method of control. If they hadn’t already had it done they were on the list to have it done.
Today I went out 30 miles east of K falls in Oregon to one of my best hotspots an when I approached the fields, the fields looked like they were moving with so many squirrels . When I pulled into the headquarters driveway , there it was. The old yellow school bus and about a dozen guys out in the field with buckets full of cabbage spreading it around the mounds. After talking with several other farmers, it appears that a lot of them are going this route. $ 65.00 per acre gets you a 95% kill. Not only are the squirrel devastated, so am I . If this trend keeps spreading, there won't be much left. I hate to have to start knocking on doors again. If there is any left when these guys get finished.

Yeah I hear ya. I had some good shoots but the farmers were planning the same treatments. Maybe drop a dime to PETA? LOL

I know that it will make us squirrel shooters unhappy and sad, but I can also understand the farmers
reasons for doing it. In some of the fields I shoot, they, squirrels, have almost wiped out the entire field.
The farmers land and his crops provide his lively hood.

I totally agree varmint shooter. Not only do they destroy crops but their mounds tear the heck out of farm equipment and create excessive dust in bales of hay which lowers its value. I would do the same if I had the problem.
My wife got tired of hearing me whine so thought I would whine to you guys.
Dan

Hey Dan, sounds like this is the end to the very last thing I can still do for fun. Glad I seen your post!

I hope it isn't a sign of the time...I too would hate to see it come to this.

heck, that's bad news. Understandable from the ranchers' point of view. I have an organic field I shoot, wonder how that will play out?