The call of the wild

When tensions inevitably run high in lockdown, Mat Manning finds a slice of solitary squirrel control is the best way to relieve stress

- Mat Manning

The past year has been a testing time for all of us. I have always felt grateful for the opportunity to spend time in the countryside with an air rifle and, with the day-to-day grind of lockdown becoming increasingly repetitive, I have appreciated the escapism of my pest control rounds more than ever.

One of my woodland shooting permissions is a short stroll from my home. Having this little oasis right on my doorstep means I have been able to incorporate a bit of pest control into some of my daily exercise outings. The small wood is managed for pheasant shooting, not that the syndicate had much of a season. Nonetheless, the keeper has continued to tend to his birds and, as is always the case, grey squirrels are making a nuisance of themselves around the feeders.

This shoot is run on an absolute shoestring, so the last thing they want is grey squirrels feasting on their increasingly expensive feed supplies. I have no doubt that these opportunistic rodents also help themselves to eggs and chicks from precious wild clutches, so their impact on the shoot extends beyond pinching a bit of grub.

Add to that the destruction of trees and their predation on the nests of songbirds — not to mention the damage they cause to native species such as red squirrels and dormice — and there are plenty of reasons for doing all we can to keep grey squirrels in check. I certainly don’t need much encouragement to help with the task.

Hotspots