The nutters are still coming!

[dk1677]

I saw 2 this morning down the road so I was keeping watch this afternoon and as I was watching the birds in my yard suddenly they all took off then I saw why, this guy was coming in. I loaded the Disco with a Kodiak and waited for him to stop. He was foraging around some leaves and came in to around 30 yards and sat up to look around . I put the cross-hairs on his upper chest and let the Kodiak go.  I could hear the pop and he fell back , there were a few leg twitches and he was gone.                                               

[bradyman1]

Yet another casualty to the Disco!! Nice shooting.

[dk1677]

Thanks bradyman !

[shadow]

You spraying the place down with nutter bait scent bro hehe. Great shooting and pic bro. Ed

[dk1677]

Thanks Brother Ed!

[1377x]

the D/K sure earns its keep
nice shooting!

[dk1677]

Thanks 1377!

[only1harry]

Good shooting Dave!  That squirrel factory nearby just keeps pumping them out for ya.  It's good none of them escape to warn the others  

[airiscool]

Good shooting Dave,

"... Good shooting Dave!  That squirrel factory nearby just keeps pumping them out for ya.  It's good none of them escape to warn the others  ...."

Harry,
I think maybe a few of those Grays may have migrated from here. Last year was a bumper crop. but NO nuts from any of the black walnuts around here this year. I'm having to put out "critter corn" just to get some Grays to come by to look at.

Well, maybe Starling season will be good

Paul.

[dk1677]

Thanks Harry and Paul! Had one pass though today and saw another in my neighbors yards picking up leaves and carrying them up in a tree ( must be setting up house keeping  )  I can see 7 nests in trees from my backyard ( one in the back of my property) but I think most are empty now 

[only1harry]

That stinks Paul.  I 'm sure the Grays are around.  Just keep putting that critter food out.  Sunflower seeds are good too, for when you want to eat some wild game   What happened to the ones from last year that escaped from my property and ran up to your place?  I think you 're holding out on me Paul!! You were supposed to have lots of yearlings running around by this time..  hehehe

Dave,
Same there.  Now that the leaves are down, like every year this time, I can see 3 big squirrel nests in my trees, all the way at the top.  I used to have one in almost every tall tree 2-3yrs ago (8-9 of them), but every year the # of nests goes down.  I was surprised I had 3.  I thought maybe 1 or 2.  But mine are empty too.  The airguns caught up to them eventually.  I still have a squirrel that lives in a hollow den in a tree that 's on my neighbor's side just a couple of feet from my property.  He is very cautious though.  He 'll just stick his head out for hours sunbathing and won't come out.  He is terrified of me.  If I walk outside or look out the window, no matter where he is, he 'll chatter while he runs like a bullet up that tree and into the den, which is a hole in the tree about 50ft up.  He must have quite a bit of food up there to last him a while, because he hardly forages.  He is too scared to come out while I 'm around, or too busy keeping an eye on me from 40+yds out just over my property line like he knows I can't touch him there.  He witnessed me shoot its mate - a female about a week or two ago.  But he 'll eventually travel back and forth and come into my sights.  I am just laying off him for now so he can comfortable and let his guard down.  He is a worthy adversary

[dk1677]

I bet he will slip up Harry one of these days  I guess we can be thankful they are not as smart as crows

[airiscool]

Harry,

"..........That stinks Paul.  I'm sure the Grays are around.  Just keep putting that critter food out.  Sunflower seeds are good too, for when you want to eat some wild game   What happened to the ones from last year that escaped from my property and ran up to your place?  I think you 're holding out on me Paul!! You were supposed to have lots of yearlings running around by this time..  hehehe  ............"

Yeah, I was over run with them last year. Got 21 Grays and 6 Reds.  This year, I've got one Red that comes through about once a week and a few Grays around, out of which may be your two. The critter corn is a mix of dried corn, sunflower seeds, peanuts and smells sweet like it's got honey mixed in it. As you said, the Grays love the Sunflower seeds. They also love the peanuts, but their so slow to get to where I dump the feed that the Blue Jays have made off with all the peanuts by the time they show up !!!  

After last year, I thought I'd be over run again, but with no black walnuts this year, I guess their too busy looking for food to think about, "looking for love"   

Last year, Dave was inviting you to my place, this year I may return him the favor and invite you and I up to his place !!!!  That is, if he hasn't got 'em all before we can get there.

Paul

[timegoat]

Nice shootin! My factories seem to be closed for hunting season. Either that or I'm just at the wrong window all day.

[dk1677]

Thanks Mark!  Almost Paul LOL did see one next door today

[only1harry]

You know Paul, now that you mention it, I didn't see hardly any of those round green nuts on the ground this year.  I heard this was a bad year for squirrels and nuts.  I wonder if it has anything to do with the Bees.  Whatever happened with that story?  I think maybe the government is not telling us everything.. like what they 've been dupming or spraying over populated areas..?? 

[dk1677]

Seem to be good here , my butternut tree had plenty ( now if I could only shoot where it is) and I have seen them running around with walnuts.

[airiscool]

Harry,
" ....
You know Paul, now that you mention it, I didn't see hardly any of those round green nuts on the ground this year.  ...."

Yeah I've grown to like the fresh ginger ale smell they have when their dropping off the trees, even if the can leave a heck of a dent in your car.. or noggin !!!

I was told that it's cyclical, and that after a realy good year, the next year will be so-so, or none.

Last year the many wild berry bushes I have here to feed the birds had nothing, so I put out a bird feeder for the first time in 15 years. But, we had one of our best years for black walnuts and black raspberrys in the 18 years I've been here. We picked more black raspberrys to can for jam than ever before !!!

This year, the wild berry bushes were thick with berrys, but we only got less than half of last years black raspberrys, and I saw a total of three black walnuts on two walnut saplings - not one nut on the many older walnuts here.

Dave,
Glad to hear you've got them up by you. Maybe we should work out a "surplus nut" swap the years the other one's place doesn't have any ?  

Hey this gets me thinkin' ... hey Harry, how many Grays ya take in trade for the 350 of yours ?  I get another good walnut year, hummmm ... Grays for something Condor-ish

Paul

[dk1677]

That's an idea Paul ! a Nut/nutter swap  On another note I missed 2 today within 5 minutes , I first I saw I was high but the second , I guess just getting old