A Gardeners Forum Forums Gardening Reference Gardening in 2006 squirrel abatement?

I have squirrels living in my yard now, I have black walnut trees. I don't mind the squirrels and my feeders, but my DOG hates them. It is driving me nuts! She watches and barks and barks and barks and will charge the door?

Is there anything I can do to remove the squirrels since its only natrual for my dog to hate them? The dog was there first.

PS. My yard is not fenced or I would let my dog go after the squirrels.

Can you put a l o n g run in the yard to tie your dog out so he can run and chase the squirrels but not get loose?

A run would not work, the dog spends all of the time in the house, and these trees are in the front of my house and it would just look weird. I have a historic home so there is not much I can do with fencing.

Ya know, Mrs. Spud, squirrel gravy is QUITE tasty, especially poured over a biscuit.

I really don't know how to make squirrel gravy. Should I be ashamed?

Could I trap them and relocate?

Trapping them might help. Use Hav-a-Hart or similar traps AFTER their young are full grown. Wouldn't want to starve the Young'uns ya know.

Here in the Southeast, Squirrel is a very popular meal with rural families. As a boy we lived near the country and I had dinner with some farmers' families. They would ALWAYS have squirrel, rabbit, deer, raccoon or other game at every meal. I have tried them all. They would fry squirrel and then mix the drippings with flour, milk, and black pepper to make a gravy like sausage gravy and pour it over biscuits. It has been well over 30 years since I have had squirrel gravy and although it was good, I don't miss it. (Tastes like chicken! )

Ever think about trying the invisible fence system. Its a lil work to bury the wire but well worth it and the dogs train quite quick. I know some people think its cruel, but my dog would dig right under a regular fence this I know for a fact. She is a 70+ lbs St. Bernard. She was vandalizing the flowers with her huge paws in the front. We had to come to a compromise, and I hate to keep her on a lead. I spent a whole day digging a trence and buring the wire it took a 1 week of 15 minutes a day and she wont even get near the boundary. She receives a warning beep 5 feet before she receives a shock. It has been working great. We also have a pond in the far back full of snakes. She was bit by a water snake and was in the hospital for 4 days to be treated for that. I was terrified of losing her. The only problem had so far was she realized that when I unplugged the system she could do as she pleased. I caught her trying to unplug it the other day. So I mounted the thing in a plexy glass box. She cant get to it now. She is so intelligent. She also tried to take the collar piece the one that shocks her. She carried it in her mouth after getting her collar off. My husband and I sat on the porch and watched her try to get close enough to the boundary to throw it away outside the parameter of the fence. It was so funny, she would drop it knock it around with her paws and try to throw it again and again. When I decided to go over there she walked off disappointed. Got her a leather collar its not gonna come off again. She is a smart one. If you had the fence you could just open the door and let him have at the critters and eventually maybe he would get tired of them and just forget them. Or they will learn to fear your yard.