# Newbie in a police state



## squirrelhunter (Jul 17, 2009)

*Do you think it's wrong to shoot squirrels?*​
Yes, you're a sicko17.14%No, blow their furry little heads off1392.86%


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## squirrelhunter (Jul 17, 2009)

How's it goin folks? I just joined this little forum 'cuz I saw some comments on here about shooting squirrels with pellet guns. In the spring of this year I discovered an interest in hanging bird feeders and watching the birds eat breakfast with me in the morning when I was laid off from my truck delivery job. I was frustrated, then angry when I attracted more squirrels than birds at first. So-called "squirrel-repellent pouches" didn't work. So, I went to the local WalMart here in town and purchased a brand new Remington Airmaster 77 and some Crosman hollow point pellets. I quickly discovered that a mere six pumps to the forestock, raising my window, and taking aim at the little rodents anywhere from 10 yards + dispatches them quite nicely. This is the first "weapon" I've ever owned, and I treat it with the respect that one should treat any rifle. For instance, if there's ANYTHING else in front of me I don't want to hit, I don't take the shot. Little things like that. But, this new hobby has bitten me pretty hard, and I have a lot of fun plinking in the back yard with this beauty. My neighbor allowed me to try his Crosman Storm XT when I was target shooting the other day, and I think that'll be my next purchase. I'm also looking at the GAMO Viper express as it shoots unique "shotgun shells" as well as .22 pellets, although I've heard some bad things about GAMO. I'll end this post with a hopeful deterrent to all the REAL gun owners that are ready to attack; I live in Massachusetts. :evil:


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## blowgunner62 (Nov 23, 2008)

Move! :wink: But keep using that air gun. I own several firearms but still find great joy in shooting squirrels, rabbits, pigeons, and blackbirds with airguns. You'd be amazed at how good squirrel tastes.


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## squirrelhunter (Jul 17, 2009)

Unfortunately, I'd NEVER get what I owe for my house! This town is pretty laid back at least. I went to Tennessee two years ago on vacation and loved it. Would LOVE to move there if I could. I dunno if I could eat rodent, although I've eaten Chinese food before so maybe I already have!


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## bigbuck144 (Sep 9, 2007)

I would shoot them definately! I also enjoy watching the birds in the morning too!


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## squirrelhunter (Jul 17, 2009)

Well, thanks for the support. I actually zeroed in a new Daisy electronic dot sight on my cheapo little plastic air rifle today. I've maimed a few squirrels here & there instead of killing them, the last one was a paraplegic and rather disgusting. So I wanted to make sure that doesn't happen any more. It's an honor to receive support from a *real* hunter. I shot a 10-point whitetail when I was 16, many years ago. My counselor took me hunting in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. I didn't have to gut it, and I'm not sure I have the stomach for it now. But if my financial situation improves like I'm hoping it will I intend to get a hunting license. I'm kinda interested in bow hunting for venison though. Meanwhile, here's a pic of one of my visiting goldfinch couples.


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## squirrelhunter (Jul 17, 2009)

Well I did it. I bought a new Crosman Storm XT. The first victim:















I hadn't quite dialed in the scope, so he got hung up on the fence. I flipped him into my yard behind the fence and put one in his head. Then I buried him. The next victim was busily molesting my birdfeeder and ran down the fence when I opened the window. I chased him down:








The next one I'm rather proud of. He ran like the previous, halfway up a tree 20 yards away. And after holding onto my nifty little cedar birdhouse-feeder with his claws so rudely that he tore away splinters! I put the crosshairs of the scope on his head and squeezed:








I reloaded the rifle with a pointed Crosman .177 pellet just incase he was suffering, but no need. My shot had entered just behind his right ear, and took the left half of his head CLEAN OFF! I LOVE THIS RIFLE!


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## hunter121390 (Nov 7, 2006)

good job :beer: . keep killin em


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## squirrelhunter (Jul 17, 2009)

I Thank You Sir! Love the support from contributing members, hopefully I can contribute once I'm outta school. You wouldn't _believe_ how many people around here think I'm wrong for shooting "poor, cute little squirrels". I'll have to shoot a pic of the roof of my little bluebird house and post it here. There isn't any food in it, but this one little crafty squirrel delights in scratching at it and ripping splinters off for some reason! I think he's been hitting the feeders early, just before I get up. So, I'm getting up earlier tomorrow, putting on my BDUs and sitting real quiet just behind the fence. Hopefully I'll have his kill photo soon! Meanwhile here's hoisting one right back atchya, Thanks again. :beer:


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## spentwings (Apr 25, 2007)

I pasted this from the exploding pellet thread, which you may or may not have seen...the only word I changed was moral...ethical is less dramatic.

_No matter what anyone says, there are effective squirrel proof bird feeders available. I have several myself. 
So I'm curious, if you don't have to kill squirrels to protect your seed and you don't eat "rodents"...why kill them? :huh: 
I don't know about MA, but in ND, even if you're licensed and hunting in season...leaving any game animal to rot, ethical implications aside, is called wanton waste, and it's against the law._

So I guess that means you don't have everyone's support. :wink:


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## squirrelhunter (Jul 17, 2009)

:withstupid: Well, you should probably read THIS thread a little more closely before just spouting off :roll: . A few points I'll review to help you:
1. I am UNEMPLOYED. I've already purchased a so-called "squirrel proof" feeder that they've ravaged and beat the crap out of in the past before I moved it to a window hanger. They got the food out of it anyway, trust me. A friend got one of those spring-loaded ones that "close over" the feedholes when a squirrel or other heavy animal jumps on it. Smaller squirrels didn't engage the feature and ate his birdfood, if enough birds (even small ones) landed on it at once to cover each feed hole they DID engage it. I also don't feel I should have to forsake my pretty cedar gravity feeders for a couple of lousy squirrels.
2. I don't just leave my kills "to rot" as you suggested. I bury them. I'm glad that in ND squirrels are considered game, are mice too? 'Cause I trap mice in my toolshed & basement, in fact shot one about a month ago before it could get any further into my house and possibly give my young daughter hanta virus. I then threw it in a nice, deep hole with a little lime and buried it, just like the little bastard rodent squirrels I shoot. I live in a residential neighborhood with houses on either side of me, I would NEVER shoot a squirrel and leave it to rot attracting maggots and disease. I don't look down on folks that eat squirrel meat either, to each their own. Just not for me. Tell me, in ND, when someone runs a squirrel over with a car do they need to stop, scrape it up and take it with them or face prosecution?
3. Even if they didn't eat my birdfood, they do THIS:








Maybe the squirrels in YOUR neck of the woods are nice, cuddly, cute, furry little "game" animals. Here in suburban Massachusetts they are disgusting, germ-carrying, disease-spreading, vandalous little rodents, and there's millions of them. I've found PLENTY of folks, both on this forum and elsewhere, that don't NEED a reason to shoot a squirrel other than the fact that they make a great moving target. :sniper: I enjoy shooting them now, as do these folks apparently:http://www.shootingsquirrels.com/. 
So, I hope that's cleared up some things for you. I'll post this entire rant over at the exploding pellet thread, too.


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## squirrelhunter (Jul 17, 2009)

spentwings said:


> *I pasted this from the exploding pellet thread, which you may or may not have seen*...the only word I changed was moral...ethical is less dramatic.
> 
> _No matter what anyone says, there are effective squirrel proof bird feeders available. I have several myself.
> So I'm curious, if you don't have to kill squirrels to protect your seed and you don't eat "rodents"...why kill them? :huh:
> ...


 :lame: I went and checked all my posts, and you're full of crap. Of *course* I saw the "eploeding pellet" thread, I posted there. :eyeroll: If you want to debate me, have the intestinal fortitude to admit it. :down:


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## spentwings (Apr 25, 2007)

Actually you didn't clear up anything. 
Shooting edible game animals/birds and not utilizing the flesh...is wanton waste.

BTW...squirrels are listed as game animals in MA with an established season and a hunting license requirement.
Blowing squirrels off your feeders isn't hunting, it's killing. Maybe you should change your moniker to squirrelkiller.

It's your Poll...but obviously you didn't want a dissenting opinion. :wink:


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## squirrelhunter (Jul 17, 2009)

spentwings said:


> Actually you didn't clear up anything.
> Shooting edible game animals/birds and not utilizing the flesh...is wanton waste.
> 
> BTW...squirrels are listed as game animals in MA with an established season and a hunting license requirement.
> ...


Not at all. If you had made your opinion openly instead of pretending to copy & paste someone else's I'd have more respect for it. I would, however, still make my points above in discussion. Since you took the time to look up the Massachusetts Fish & Wildlife game sheets (which I'm well aware of) why not look up the definition of "squirrel"? The first sentence is "A Squirrel is a *rodent*.....", in other words, a disease-carrying pest. I do NOT go out in the woods, or anywhere else, and randomly pick-off squirrels like a lot of people do. The ones I shoot _every once in awhile_ are viscious, vandalous little bastards that scare away the birds I want to feed, watch and listen to and destroy their houses and feeders I put up. Again, once shot & killed, I bury them in the woods behind my house. If I WERE to try eating squirrel, I would pin my license to my BDUs and go into the woods to shoot an actual GAME one, not kill myself by eating one of the trash-raiding disease bags around here. 
You also assume that I just started blowing squirrels away one day. Maybe that's my fault. I should have mentioned in the introduction post that I _OF COURSE checked with my local police before commiting such an act._ I was told that as long as I wasn't using a firearm (a no-no in a residential neighborhood), it was safe to take the shot, and it's on my property then it's pest control. 
I looked into your suggestion of changing my name to squirrelkiller, I actually like it better. Doesn't look like I can though. :roll:


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## spentwings (Apr 25, 2007)

I posted my opinion initially on the exploding pellet thread then deleted it after pasting here...sorry for the confusion. :-?

As for your reasons for killing squirrels, maybe I feel less inclined to be critical, if you didn't waste the meat. As it is...my opinion hasn't changed.


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## squirrelhunter (Jul 17, 2009)

Hey, that's cool. Always up for some engaging discussion. I see by your profile you're a duck hunter, which is neat. I don't think I could do it, I love 'em too much. I used to feed the mothers & ducklings when I lived on a lake when I was first married. I do recognize the preservation of them by controlled hunting, however. Just like deer. I'm actually interested in deer hunting, just really can't in my current financial situation. 
The one squirrel that's been coming around lately has gotten a pardon from me, as I don't know if she's either pregnant or nursing. But it's definitely a she, you've never seen a set like on this thing. So I just scare her off. I'm like that, I exterminate the larger house mice & occasional rats I get on my property, but on the other hand discovered a small, cute little field mouse suckling a litter in my shed one day and just carefully moved them out to the woods. But it is fun to ventilate a squirrel's head when it's a big, bushy, and most importantly VANDALOUS little rodent, at least to me. That damage to the bluebird house you see above was caused by this one particularly smart, crafty and MALEVOLENT little jerk that keeps coming back and taunting me. I'll get him eventually. You make a valid point about wasting the remains though, I'll ask around and see if there's anyone that would rather take them when I get them.


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