# I feel bad I didn’t kill it



## Tennessee (Feb 1, 2014)

As some of you know I’ve been trapping ground squirrels and taking them off. Eleven so far. Yesterday I was harvesting my first tomatoes and I notice a few that are close to the ground had bits taken out of them. I try to be kind but when you start taking food out of my family’s mouth you just got on my bad side. So yesterday I set out a rat trap inside the garden area along with my live trap.

Well today when I got up and looked out the window and notice that I had an animal in my live trap #12 ground squirrel. 

When I got to the garden to see if the rat trap had tripped. The rat trap was gone! Whatever tripped it was big enough to carry off the rat trap. I’m thinking it was a raccoon or a possum. The rat trap should be strong enough to kill most small animals. I looked around my yard and the neighbors but could not find the trap. I guess whatever it was the trap had a hold of it. In hindsight I should have secured the trap but I was not thinking I would attract such a large animal with such a small amount of bait. Well maybe this will teach whatever it was not to come around my garden again. But I hate the thoughts that I may have wounded an animal instead of killing it.


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## James m (Mar 11, 2014)

Yes I think you are supposed to tie those down. Nature is usually bigger than a mouse. But then you have the ones that will chew their own arm off to be free from the trap.


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## AquaHull (Jun 10, 2012)

Cats can and do pull themselves out of rats traps that are secured. I imagine a '**** would too


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## Slippy (Nov 14, 2013)

Maybe the little thieving bastard will limp his wounded ass back to his other animal buddies and warn them to stay away from my boy, Mr. Tennessee, by gawd!

(or he limps on back to his buddies and they get organized and attack your ass at dawn?)

Another option is to look at a miniature Slippy-Made Pike...nothing says "Stay out of my garden" like a freakin severed Rabbit, Squirrel or Racoon Head sitting atop a Gen-U-Wine Slippy-Made Pike!!!


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## bigwheel (Sep 22, 2014)

Sound like too many weird critters running around at your house. You best follow the illustrious foot steps or of our mutual pal named Davvy Crockett. He say..."All yall can go to heck...I am going to Texas." (rough paraphrase on that). I got kin in the Border Patrol and maybe can sneak you in sorta painless. Let me know.


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## bigwheel (Sep 22, 2014)




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## bigwheel (Sep 22, 2014)

Whata guy! I still have my **** skin cap around here somewhere.


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## TacticalCanuck (Aug 5, 2014)

My son, of all things, wants a **** skin cap....


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## bigwheel (Sep 22, 2014)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coonskin_cap


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## BagLady (Feb 3, 2014)

The same thing is happening to our tomato's in the big garden!! Never had this happen before. We're not sure what it is, so we put up the game camera this evening.
The bite mark looks like it could have been a crow, but possibly a squirrel. 
Will let you know tomorrow, if we get any pics.


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## paraquack (Mar 1, 2013)

My tomatoes were attacked by a Gila Woodpecker. He also likes the sugar water in the humming bird feeder. I had to net the tomatoes to keep him (as far as I can tell it is only one) out.


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## Boss Dog (Feb 8, 2013)

You got a night scope? Sounds like a need for some twilight target practice! 
.
.


TacticalCanuck said:


> My son, of all things, wants a **** skin cap....


So get him one!


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## Tennessee (Feb 1, 2014)

Slippy said:


> Maybe the little thieving bastard will limp his wounded ass back to his other animal buddies and warn them to stay away from my boy, Mr. Tennessee, by gawd!
> 
> (or he limps on back to his buddies and they get organized and attack your ass at dawn?)
> 
> Another option is to look at a miniature Slippy-Made Pike...nothing says "Stay out of my garden" like a freakin severed Rabbit, Squirrel or Racoon Head sitting atop a Gen-U-Wine Slippy-Made Pike!!!


I like the way you think. Got some new traps coming!


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## Tennessee (Feb 1, 2014)

BagLady said:


> The same thing is happening to our tomato's in the big garden!! Never had this happen before. We're not sure what it is, so we put up the game camera this evening.
> The bite mark looks like it could have been a crow, but possibly a squirrel.
> Will let you know tomorrow, if we get any pics.


I was thinking it was a small animal because only the tomatoes that are close to the ground and in the middle of the plants were eaten. I would be interested in what you find out.


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## Tennessee (Feb 1, 2014)

bigwheel said:


> Sound like too many weird critters running around at your house. You best follow the illustrious foot steps or of our mutual pal named Davvy Crockett. He say..."All yall can go to heck...I am going to Texas." (rough paraphrase on that). I got kin in the Border Patrol and maybe can sneak you in sorta painless. Let me know.


Just your normal squirrels.


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## Chipper (Dec 22, 2012)

Pellet rifle????


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## PaulS (Mar 11, 2013)

Tennessee said:


> Just your normal squirrels.
> 
> View attachment 11769


A 12 ga with silver shot and wooden toothpicks!


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## bigwheel (Sep 22, 2014)

That squirrel looks a little abnormal. How far do yall live from the nuclear plant?


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## PaulS (Mar 11, 2013)

Way far away - a good 200 yards maybe 210.


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## BagLady (Feb 3, 2014)

We didnt have time to check the camera today. Will do it Sat.
We do have woodpeckers here...if that's the culprit, that will be one pecker I'll be glad to get my hands on!!


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## bigwheel (Sep 22, 2014)

Ok..our woodpeckers like to peck on wood or eat from the suet basket. I aint never heard of wood pecker who eat tomaters. Are we sure about this? Now Mockingbirds can knock a hole in apples and pears real easy. They guard the trees from interlopers. I am dropping off a short note to Marlin Perkins about this.


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## BagLady (Feb 3, 2014)

Animals do strange things when it's really hot outside.
We get coyotes, birds, deer, *****, dogs, etc...eating our watermelons when it's hot.


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## bigwheel (Sep 22, 2014)

Ok..knowed Coyotes like cats and watermelons better than anything..good point. Admire your bravery to grow melons.


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