BOXING CLEVER FOR GREYS
Today, I’m shooting on an estate that’s managed for pheasant shooting, wildlife conservation, timber production and farming. It’s mixed ground with grassland, a river, and about 40 acres of mostly deciduous woodland. The woods have been badly hit by grey squirrels, which have impacted on the estate’s business and conservation activities.
The worst financial damage caused by the squirrels here results from their habit of stripping bark from trees. This causes deformed and stunted trees, and can even kill them. One particular area that was planted with mixed hardwood trees about 20 years ago has been almost completely destroyed by squirrels. Apart from damaging trees, the squirrels here also cause problems by munching through the grain that is put out for pheasants during the autumn and winter months. If that’s not bad enough, they will also eat the eggs and chicks of gamebirds and songbirds during the spring and summer, and outcompete native mammals such as dormice by monopolising natural food sources.
Most of the shooting I do on this permission revolves around the control of grey squirrels. It’s not unusual for me to account for well over 200 in a year, and although this makes a big difference, it’s
