Why did I do it?

[Lost]

I am a hunter but have the same feelings about the squirrels and deer that live around my house.

After repairing house damage, the squirrels get a 50 yard perimeter, once inside that perimeter they are shot or trapped.
I live trapped dozens before the roof was fixed. I would drive them 3 miles away and spray paint their tails fluorescent orange before I released them. Any orange-tailed squirrel who made it back to my yard was shot. You have never seen a squirrel run like one that has just been spray painted!

[Skinard88]

I do shoot the tree rats in my backyard just to keep the population under control.  Every thing I shoot gets eaten though.  A red Fox comes by every night and checks the back corner of my yard where I put my kills.  Some nights he gets starlings or a crow, and then once every week or two he gets a yummy tree rat.  I left him a mole one night, He took a dump on it.  Yeah! I got that on my game cam.   

[FloridaBoy2]

We have a serious squirrel problem in my neighborhood.  They keep chewing through,among other things, my cable line.

I identify with the OP's feelings because I've had them myself at times; but my pangs of guilt don't last long.

I view it simply as home defense.  Filthy varmints.

Edit:  Except for Snowflake.

Maybe southern squirrels have better manners?   

No, southern squirrels are just as pesky. Here in SW FL they will hit mango and avocado trees and take one bite of each fruit on a tree.

[Smaug2]

Nice shot!

Here are a few opposing viewpoints:

• An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. My uncle had to spend a couple grand to repair the damage to his soffit from squirrels chewing in to make a home in his attic. He shoots them mercilessly now, and leaves them lay for the coyotes to dine on at night. So still, there's no waste.
• Squirrels eat baby birds, even native songbirds. Native songbirds are in a much worse position due to invasive birds than hardy squirrels are.
• When not eating them, they'll often chase off the songbirds
• If you haven't heard enough about songbirds, I'll add that since I killed 30+ squirrels in my back yard this year, I've helped the native cardinals, nuthatches and woodpeckers make a strong comeback. At least in my little area. Also saves a lot of bird seed.
• Eat them. Pressure cook them in soup; they're wonderful.
• It could be the hunting instinct that has been bred into us for the first 70,000 years of our existence too...

If all that fails, consider investing in a couple of squirrel-shaped field targets.