Squirrel Study

pedroeibar1

Taken from today’s Irish Times, this seems like a worthwhile study and deserves the support of the hunting community. The survey, link at the bottom takes just a few seconds.
Tnx
P.



FRANK McDONALD, Environment Editor
MEMBERS OF the public are being asked to report sightings of squirrels “dead or alive” on both sides of the river Shannon, as part of a survey focusing on the spread of grey squirrels to the west of Ireland.
Last year marked the 100th anniversary of the fateful introduction of grey squirrels to Ireland when six pairs were released in the Castleforbes estate in Co Longford. They have since become the greatest enemies of native red squirrels.
According to the mammal ecology group at NUI Galway, which is conducting the study, the distribution of grey squirrels has expanded in all directions except westwards, where the Shannon appears to be an obstacle.
As the populations of this non-native species have increased, there has been a marked decline and disappearance of Ireland’s native red squirrels, as both species compete for the same foods: tree seeds, nuts and pine cones.
“Studies haves shown that red squirrels can disappear from an area within a decade or two after the arrival of the grey squirrels. The grey squirrel also carries the squirrel pox virus, which is lethal to the native reds,” the group has said.
Recently, two cases of the virus were detected in Co Wicklow. The All-Ireland Squirrel Survey in 2007 found red squirrels had become extinct in some areas and were absent from Meath and Westmeath and very rare in Louth, Carlow and Kilkenny.
Not alone are grey squirrels causing the disappearance of one of Ireland’s much-loved native species, but they are causing damage to trees through “bark stripping”.

http://www.woodlandmammals.com/Survey.html

kildare.17hmr

The amount of them feckers in the pheonix park is mad you would imagine they would be trying to get rid of them by trapping or shooting at night

daithi55

curragh camp is full of them to

Tawny Owl

kildare.17hmr wrote: »

The amount of them feckers in the pheonix park is mad you would imagine they would be trying to get rid of them by trapping or shooting at night

daithi55 wrote: »

curragh camp is full of them to

Just like to say these are the first places to start then any other areas where there reported can permission be got in these places I know the Pheonix Park is probably out let the rangers do it but if its a case there busy why not give a special Licence to a group of Hunters to trap and distroy them the Hunters can be checked out not a hard task to do.

kildare.17hmr

Sure we are already checked out as gun owners! The rest of the post i agree with but to futher check lads out would be wrong imo

garv123

kildare.17hmr wrote: »

The amount of them feckers in the pheonix park is mad you would imagine they would be trying to get rid of them by trapping or shooting at night

Id imagine traps would be wrecked by some people who have no idea of the damage the grey squirrel is doing.

kildare.17hmr

They would just close the park like they do during the deer cull or part of it a least

Tawny Owl

kildare.17hmr wrote: »

Sure we are already checked out as gun owners! The rest of the post i agree with but to futher check lads out would be wrong imo

I agree did not mean to say we would need to be checked out again just that if it were to go ahead we are already known and character is sound

Grizzly 45

You know us ,PTB firearms and logic never is a sound mix in Ireland.:(

mecksimay

Also you can get involved with the survey through social media:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Squirrels-in-Ireland/129229040528770


Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/SquirrelsIRL

Tawny Owl

mecksimay wrote: »

Also you can get involved with the survey through social media:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Squirrels-in-Ireland/129229040528770


Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/SquirrelsIRL

Filled the survey out from the first poster comments Thanks.

4200fps

I often seen the red squirrel on many occasions in my area. Its mixed woodland.Never seen any grey before.

kildare.17hmr

4200fps wrote: »

I often seen the red squirrel on many occasions in my area. Its mixed woodland.Never seen any grey before.

Dont think they have got a foot hold your side of the shannon lad

4200fps

kildare.17hmr wrote: »

Dont think they have got a foot hold your side of the shannon lad

Dont understand what u mean? River Shannon is 5 miles away

4200fps

4200fps wrote: »

Dont understand what u mean? River Shannon is 5 miles away

Think i know what u mean now sorry.You mean the grey didn't get this side of shannon?

Tawny Owl

4200fps wrote: »

Dont understand what u mean? River Shannon is 5 miles away

These feckers can't swim thank God we have a stretch of water it's all that's keeping them back for a while yet anyway thats what the post is saying your lucky to be seeing the little Irish Red's if Greys get to your side of the Country the Reds won't have long before there replaced

kildare.17hmr

Tawny Owl wrote: »

4200fps wrote: »

Dont understand what u mean? River Shannon is 5 miles away

These feckers can't swim thank God we have a stretch of water it's all that's keeping them back for a while yet anyway thats what the post is saying your lucky to be seeing the little Irish Red's if Greys get to your side of the Country the Reds won't have long before there replaced

Yup thats what i was sayin

EastTyrone

instead of going to suuch lengths to reindtroduce once extinct animals to these islands would it not make more sense to work on animals that are in danger of going extinct

Birdnuts

EastTyrone wrote: »

instead of going to suuch lengths to reindtroduce once extinct animals to these islands would it not make more sense to work on animals that are in danger of going extinct

Most countries do both, its also a requirment under various EU and International biodiversity treaties where it has been deemed scientifically/practically feasible - in the case of Red Squirrels they have been re-introduced to areas West of the Shannon that are free from Greys such as Bellek Woods in Ballina. This is probably the best hope for the species until the "Grey" problem is dealt with in the East of the country.

4200fps

Lads on the 1st thread it says ''Last year marked the 100th anniversary of the fateful introduction of grey squirrels to Ireland when six pairs were released in the Castleforbes estate in Co Longford ''.
Thats only 15min drive from me and there's no grey's about as far as i can see or there's feck all water dividing Leitrim from Longford so its a wonder we dont have them and some of you do?

4200fps

Grey squirrels are spotted this side of the Shannon. When i was having my break this morning a guy was chating about the bounty on culling mink so i said there be soon a bounty on the grey squirrels that they are taking over killing the red's and so on and they fear they could end up this side of the Shannon. A man from Cloone Co.Leitrim said they are a few greys in the forest right beside the football pitch and this man would not bull****. He said he's certain they are grey and they are there a long time

kildare.17hmr

Iirc it can br hard to tell the differencs at certain times of the year, before ya go out to shoot em do your research

Birdnuts

kildare.17hmr wrote: »

Iirc it can br hard to tell the differencs at certain times of the year, before ya go out to shoot em do your research

THats true - especcially in autumn when Reds will put on alot of weight. I saw an enormous Red in a forest park North of Poullophuca back in October. It was so large I assumed it was a grey until I got closer and saw it had those distictive ear tufts that distinguishe it from a Grey. Its coat was quiet grey as well.

TriggerPL

4200fps wrote: »

Grey squirrels are spotted this side of the Shannon. When i was having my break this morning a guy was chating about the bounty on culling mink so i said there be soon a bounty on the grey squirrels that they are taking over killing the red's and so on and they fear they could end up this side of the Shannon. A man from Cloone Co.Leitrim said they are a few greys in the forest right beside the football pitch and this man would not bull****. He said he's certain they are grey and they are there a long time

Grays were spotted in lough rynn estate last year lad , but not plentyful as of yet