I was approached by a campus that wanted the Grey Squirrel population reduced on around 40 acres. There is a large population there and they are causing a lot of problems in various ways such as frying transformers etc. I pre-baited around 30 areas with sunflower seeds at the base of large oaks. After several days I set more than 30 cage traps with maybe seven different kinds of bait. In 9 days I never caught a single squirrel. There are tons of Water Oak acorns there and they are happily eating those with no interest in my bait. I pulled all traps and declined any payment for my efforts. At present my game plan is to return in a couple of months and hope that the acorns are out of the picture.

Any suggestions?

Just lately I haven't been able to catch a squirrel of any kind. I don't know what is but it comes and goes. Maybe when I start catching them, so will you. I expect that Jonesie will have some words of wisdom on this subject.

Even though they are spread out over forty acres they are actually using only about 5% of that area.

You have to identify the dens, travel routes and exactly where they are feeding (and on what).

Try to think of it as "specific" squirrel trapping rather than "general".

It sounds like your traps were just in the wrong spots.

"Campus"??? Do you have helpfull anti students releasing and/or spraying crap on the traps to repell the varmints?

Actually I did all of this! Traps were not randomly scattered over thee 40 acres but very specifically in feeding areas. Every time I checked traps there were squirrels very near the traps but happily munching on acorns with no regards to my traps or bait.

This would not be a problem on this campus....plus traps were not tripped or bait disturbed other than a few Chipmunks and birds that were caught.

You would think that after eating acorns for 6 months they would be ready for a change!

Did they eat the sunflower seeds ?

Not that I could tell. Of course birds got into them in short order but no evidence of squirrels eating them. I spent a fair amount of time sitting in the truck observing them. There are squirrels running everywhere but they ignored everything I threw at them!

Maybe they just love their acorns? Like me, I'm a meat and taters guy and stick with what works! If acorns is what you've been watching them eat while they were feet from your traps, that is what I would try. Heck, change it up a bit and try some good white oak acorns instead of water oak acorns as well. Never know what works till you try.

When nothing else works I buy shelled pecans. Expensive by the bag at the grocery store, but like crack cocaine for my local addict squirrels.

well I only use paste baits for the most part, but have in the past used seeds, and still will as a eye attractor on a few occasions, matter fact if you look at my 2 top squirrel baits you will see seeds.

It sounds like the problems I and other people will have at bird feeders and in the fall. When a person is using whole seed or nuts, adding a lure really helps in drawing the squirrel, even at the draw stations. Taking something like apple juice, adding a bonding base to keep it from drying out and holding it on the bait will work great to get the squirrels to the station. also if it is a taste lure and applied to the seed or nuts, will aid in them taking the bait a lot of times. Even adding salt will help. once they find it they will keep coming. I have taken my deer stuff 2 which is a deer powder attractant and used that.

This behavior I many see in the fall when the acorns and beechnuts are falling, and as I stated at bird feeders. here in my area after a long hard winter the acorns on the ground that is left are not a real draw, if another fresher food source is given. they will go for it, I do know what shape your acorns are in. but you have to get their attention. I really hate doing population reduction. I would rather trap at the hole. reason being is. at the hole the squirrels coming in and out knows what is there, den territory, so when I put the trap by the hole they notice it. if the bait and or lure is good to the taste and presented right, they will at least eat the safest bait, but when I am setting traps in what I call natural area,( any and many squirrels from different territories) they don't seem to see the trap. or better put notice it. I will a lot of the time cover the trap with duct tape, or hang a white or black ribbon by the trap. to catch their eye. also a big slice of bread with lure and paste bait on it out in front of the trap, this calls birds really bad LOL or a piece of white cardboard with lure and paste bait in front of the trap. I view squirrel trapping the same as I would any other critter. Get to their senses, eyes, nose and mouth. with eyes being the number 1 sense in this case, sound trumps all other sense's but in this case not used here to often. I have a saying 90% is easy 10% will make you go grey when it comes to squirrels. Look what it did to paul

For those of you that have never met me, take a good look. I got better looking as I grew older.

Hey Jonesie....pm sent.

Peanut Butter.

A large percentage of the traps I set were peanut butter with sunflower seeds.

Sounds just awful. I have used corn on the cob hanging from the top of the trap with peanut butter and liquid peanuts. Sometime put peanut butter with shelled walnuts stuck on it. They are eating the apples on my porch now. Caught 6 grays at the neighbors, but the 7th seems to have no interest in anything now. Have had kids turn squirrels loose at a college. Got 69 once but they released 14 more. Caught a girl lifting a trap getting ready to do the deed. For some reason, ESP, I passed on the other traps and drove right to where she was, very lucky. If I got there a minute later... She got hollered at. They let a chuck go another time. Used to get mad, but it is job security.

Falconry.

I did see a red tail get a gray last year while I was checking.

I'd use good bait on a Koro trap (x about 100); on 40 acres, them free-ranging tree rats probably have everything they need, and I wouldn't waste much time with cages.
BTW, what the ... is an "anti student"?

Dave, an anti-student is the opposite of a pro-student. A pro-student is a good looking female that is paying her way through college by working in a strip club.

Paul appears to be full of jokes!