Lucky The Squirrel

[FC]

We have a cedar-sided home with steep angled roof sections. Squirrels like to chew, so as much as I like squirrels, they are a problem.

 

One of my dogs, a silky terrier, is adept at catching squirrels, but one squirrel, which I've named Lucky, never got caught. Since we've moved here two years ago we have heard chewing going on up in the attic area, but haven't seen damage up there. Well, watching Lucky one day I saw why; there was a small hole under the corner of an eave. The squirrel was living between the siding and the inner wall. Lucky got his name after surviving three shots at him running amongst the braches of the pine and oak trees. I boarded up the hole. I saw him looking bewildered outside the hole, and let him live. We heard the crunching sound of chewing in our bedroom. I went outside and saw a chewed area, plus a hole under the peak of the roof! Little booger was at it again. Can't say as I blame him, but that was the end. I really don't like killing critters anymore, but I needed this to stop, and didn't want to board him in there to die. Trapping was iffy.

 

I saw him/her way up in the pine tree and got the .410. Shooting through the needles, I think I wounded him (not good). He could still run around up there. I got the Henry scoped .22 lever action, trying to figure out where he was, which was tough. I finally saw a shape where a branch met the trunk that didn't look right and shot- it was Lucky. He fell and still moved a little, so I finished him off. I felt pretty crummy about it. I let the dogs sniff him, then gave him a decent burial.

 

Not ten minutes later I saw two loose dogs in the front yard. What a target rich environment! Since I'm not going to have any more dead chickens, I got the Winchester 94 out. Figures, but the dogs took off. They live a half mile down the road in the poor, black area. Those dogs are loose every day down there while kids wait for the bus.

[FC]

Update today- I saw the same two uncollared pit bulls in the front yard. I got my Winchester 94 .30-30 and got up to about 50 yards from them. First shot went through the lower chest of one, and into the head of the other! I thought the black one was a pup, but it was mostly grown. The brown and white one raised its head up so I had to polish it off. That makes four dead dogs now. I'm not going to have dogs wandering the property and threatening my birds, especially pit bulls.

 

 

[pacrat]

Update today- I saw the same two uncollared pit bulls in the front yard. I got my Winchester 94 .30-30 and got up to about 50 yards from them. First shot went through the lower chest of one, and into the head of the other! I thought the black one was a pup, but it was mostly grown. The brown and white one raised its head up so I had to polish it off. That makes four dead dogs now. I'm not going to have dogs wandering the property and threatening my birds, especially pit bulls.

 

 

Some people accept no responsibility for pets and have no respect for their neighbors or their property. That's when the proverbial 3 Ss come into play. SHOOT-SHOVEL-SHHH.

[AzRednek]

I got a lesson in how stupid people can be after being attacked by three Pitbulls this past Sunday.

 

I put my elderly aunt into assisted living and am just starting to fix the place up to rent it. I was wondering around the back yard and through the neighbor's fence came three charging Pitts. Using the training and experience of years of delivering mail. I waived my arms, (it is supposed to make one appear larger to an animal)started yelling as loud as I could and took a step in their direction. Two withdrew but one, the apparent leader of the pack decided to stand his ground. Averaging 1-3 bites per year as a mailman I immediately recognized the body language. He was coming in for a bite. I had no choice and pulled my 38. Not wanting to deal with the legalities if I killed him. I put a shot into the ground, lined up the sights and prepared to shoot him. The noise, flying dirt and dust scared him off. All three went back into their yard.

 

I then discovered how stupid people can be. Curious neighbors started gathering in their front yards. With all the people in their front yards. I thought it was a matter of time before police showed up but they never arrived. I assumed with so many on-lookers somebody would have called 911 to report a gunshot in the city. I just find it very hard to believe that people hearing a gunshot come outside, a few with kids to satisfy their curiosity. If I heard a near by gunshot. I would have immediately dialed 911 and moved all occupants including myself to a safe location. With all the drive-bys in certain parts of Phoenix I now know why there are often victims of stray bullets.

[FC]

There was a guy showing the power of the .30-30. It far outshone the 7.62x39, which surprised me.

 

AZ, wow, you sure got bit a lot!

[ken98k]

FC,

I can sympathize with you on both your problem species. I’ve had a couple different red squirrels over the last few years that I was able to hand feed in my back yard. One would actually sit on my lap and eat peanuts. After a while they would be waiting for me to come home from work and seemed happy to greet me.

Unfortunately, they began to figure out where I kept the food and started trying to get into the house.

In two instances I’ve had to kill the little boogers. This usually means also killing several of his friends (or family) that quickly move in to take over the newly vacant territory.

 

Stray pit bulls get NO sympathy from me.

[Dr.Hess]

Update today- I saw the same two uncollared pit bulls in the front yard. I got my Winchester 94 .30-30 and got up to about 50 yards from them. First shot went through the lower chest of one, and into the head of the other! I thought the black one was a pup, but it was mostly grown. The brown and white one raised its head up so I had to polish it off. That makes four dead dogs now. I'm not going to have dogs wandering the property and threatening my birds, especially pit bulls.

 

That's called a "Quigley."

[FC]

Quigley did that? Yeah, I was surprised when neither one of them lit off when I shot. I was using gas-checked lead bullets and H4895. The Winchester is a 1951 with a peep sight.

 

Too bad about those squirrels getting into your house. I love the little boogers. We had a squirrel, "Peanut" that loved peanuts in the shell. He got pretty fat. One time he went up my leg, and boy, those claws are sharp!

[gun nutty]

One time he went up my leg, and boy, those claws are sharp!

 

But the fact that something was among us

was plain to see.

As the choir sang "I Surrender All"

the squirrel ran up Harv Newlan's coveralls

Harv leaped to his feet and said,

"Somethin's got a hold on me!"

[Rojelio]

One time a mouse ran up my grandpa's pants (he wore big baggy pants). He grabbed the mouse through his pants and pulled him out away from his leg and with his other hand got out his pocketknife and cut a big chunk out of his pants to get rid of the mouse. I guess he wasn't taking any chances.

[AzRednek]

 

AZ, wow, you sure got bit a lot!

 

It came with the territory. Most bites weren't that serious. There was one dog that got me three times. The last bite I made the patron pay. She had to get a PO box and no longer got home delivery. She lived in a cul-de-sac. I cut delivery off for the entire area for about 30 days. Hoping pressure from neighbors furious that they had to come to the PO, wait in line to get their mail. Would force her to get rid of the dog. I deliberately ran up the ER bill knowing that worker's comp would bill her. I claimed I was startled and had being feeling chest pains from the scare. When the ER Doc asked about anti-biotics I told him I had good results with one in particular. The name escapes me at the moment but the RX bottle is labeled to avoid sunlight. It got me off the street for a few days and she was also billed for the lost work days.

 

 

It has been apx 10 years since I retired from the PO. Although it has been several years. When the Pitts attacked, in that brief moment of flight or fight confusion. I caught myself instinctively but strangely reaching for the PO issued pepper spray. If it had been my 92 year old aunt in the back yard those dogs would have likely killed her. The multiple, heavily tattooed bimbo and her black live-in companion finally repaired the fence.

 

Every mailman/woman always has their share of dog stories. After the Post Office and other govt agencies had to hire female employees to apx 50% of the workforce. The PO really got tough on dogs. The young attractive women could run up mega bux having plastic surgery if their were any scars. With worker's comp footing the cost, dog owners and/or their home owner's insurance began reimbursing the govt.

[ken98k]

With worker's comp footing the cost, dog owners and/or their home owner's insurance began reimbursing the govt.

 

When I bought my present home, 8 years ago, my insurance company gave me a list of dogs that are known biters, and they will not cover. Evidently if you have one of the black listed dogs and it bites someone, you could lose your home in court.

Interestingly, cocker spaniels were on the list.

[AzRednek]

When I bought my present home, 8 years ago, my insurance company gave me a list of dogs that are known biters, and they will not cover. Evidently if you have one of the black listed dogs and it bites someone, you could lose your home in court.

Interestingly, cocker spaniels were on the list.

 

If I remember correctly Cockers were fear biters. I had one co-worker that got in excess of 6 figures over a dog bite. From what I was told the home owner was forced to sell his house after the award exceeded his policy limits. The PO has many employees with useless college degrees, she was one of them. She had visions of being an actress and majored in drama. My feeling is she faked the whole scenario by literally freaking out over hearing a distant dog's bark. She racked up big bux in shrink bills. Interesting thing about the gal. While stationed in Viet Nam. She personally greased a VC with a medical scalpel.

[FC]

What? Are you serious about her killing him?

 

Amazing that Cocker Spaniels are on the list. They are the dumbest dogs I've ever seen too.

 

BTW, the stench from those two dogs is horrible! The buzzards better eat faster!

[tinkerfive]

My cousin had a paper route and one German Shepard always ran up to the fence barking and growling keeping him from getting to the front porch. One day he took his female Weimaraner.

She was trailing him until she heard the Shepard start to bark, then she was over the fence staring down the Shepard until the paper was delivered to the porch. Of course he did that anticipating something of the sort would happen after an earlier incident when my brother was out in the field hunting with the Weimaraner and another Shepard was making a bee-line for my

brother and the Weimaraner cut the Shepard off taking it by the throat and shaking it till it was lifeless. My brother had to pull the Weimaraner off before the Shepard was actually dead.

[AzRednek]

What? Are you serious about her killing him?

 

 

The story as I heard it. The VC were silently sneaking into tents and cutting a throat or two and leaving undetected. My co-worker along with other enlisted female medical personnel's tent got a visit. Her and another woman after hearing a scream attacked the VC and put him out of his misery. She claimed he was dead before their Marine guard showed up. She said something about their male guards were ordered to keep a certain distance away from female sleeping areas.

 

brother and the Weimaraner cut the Shepard off taking it by the throat and shaking it till it was lifeless. My brother had to pull the Weimaraner off before the Shepard was actually dead.

 

When I was a kid we had to put a Weimaraner down. He had grown so protective he would attack anybody or anything except myself, brother and mother. He wasn't two years old and had bitten several people.

[tinkerfive]

When I was a kid we had to put a Weimaraner down. He had grown so protective he would attack anybody or anything except myself, brother and mother. He wasn't two years old and had bitten several people.

 

So you are suggesting that there is something to the breed.

I thought that it was unusual for a Weimaraner ( a bird dog )to be protective. I thought that it was because 'Lady' was a female and protective mother instincts.

[AzRednek]

When I was a kid we had to put a Weimaraner down. He had grown so protective he would attack anybody or anything except myself, brother and mother. He wasn't two years old and had bitten several people.

 

So you are suggesting that there is something to the breed.

I thought that it was unusual for a Weimaraner ( a bird dog )to be protective. I thought that it was because 'Lady' was a female and protective mother instincts.

 

I don't know if it is the breed. I do know the one we had was out of control and dangerous. The Weimaraner would attack wild birds, and even insects in our yard. He recognized our cats, left them alone but would viciously attack any other cat that came into our yard. It was partially the fault of my brother and I. After my parents split we had problems for about 2-3 years with a peeping tom. I was about 12, my brother 10. We had trained the dog to attack with a ssssikem command and turned him loose on the peeping tom. At 12 or 13 I nearly got into a bunch of trouble for shooting a shotshell loaded with rock salt at the peeping tom.

 

Back in the 50 and 60's most everyone in Phoenix relied on evaporative cooling with their windows open. Somebody could be up late at night reading. All of a sudden there would be a very loud blahh or a Speedy Gonzales sounding "arriba ondalay FU FU" though the window. There were also some orgasmic groans as he watched women while playing with himself. The peeping tom was lightning fast and could go over a 6 foot fence like a bird. We do know our dog got him at least once. The peeping tom used sheets hanging on our clothes line to wipe blood from his wound. Not our house but the next door neighbor. The weirdo liked to take a dump often leaving his stool on the patio table. He then used sheets, pillow cases or what ever white garments on their clothes line to wipe his butt or smear his turd on the table top. My neighbor's wife had previously taken a shot at him and missed. The mess was the pay back.

[FC]

What a freak!

[AzRednek]

What a freak!

 

Far as I know he was never caught. The police narrowed it down to, two suspects and questioned both. Best I recall it stopped after the police put an effort into it and assigned it to a detective.

[dirtyjim]

this squirrel was pretty lucky, after his momma got run over i found him trying to eat a watermelon rind that the chickens had just about finished off.

he nursed a bottle for about a month then switched to nuts and fruit. he spent all winter in a extra chicken coupe and was released the following spring.

he knew what time i got home from work and would be waiting for his grapes and apple treats every couple days for about the first two months. then i would maybe see him once a month or so for the next 6 months. after about a year and a half in the wild i spotted him friday, he has a very noticable scar on his cheek from running up to a wild squirrl on his first day out. it was realy cool to know he's made it this long.