There are thousands of people across the country that control grey squirrels for free not just game keepers , but ordinary people, and there would be more if they had permissions to be able to do it on. There is the same problem that deer stalkers have, no where to go. Please give these people the credit they deserve.
I glad Neil you bought up this. I was watching and thinking it is not gamekeepers but chaps like me and my neighbour who make sure that any around here taste a bit of lead. The squirrels are not just in managed woodland, and even if they were cleared there, it would still be a big population waiting in the wings to come back. Best Dave
Landowners need to start giving out more permissions to the hundreds of volunteers who are licenced, insured, and ready to kick the tires and light the fires when it comes to squirrel hunting! I dont think genetics or hormones are the way to go, we have enough problems with forever chemicals and god knows what else is in the environment.
There are 1000's of volunteers waiting to help, but when you live in a place like Hampshire and the County Council and Borough council either say stupid things like "Grey Squirrels are not a problem" or the other pathetic excuse of "It's not worth us doing control if no one else is" WHAT'S UP WITH BEING FIRST and LEADING THE WAY !!!!!! I just find it so frustrating
Plus they basically single handedly ruined hawfinch populations in Britain ! I know those who find the nests and have seen the devastation. Anyone whose anti killing gray squirrels should be band from walking in any British woodland!
The basic problem we face here is that the general public are rather thick. They don't see the difference between red and grey squirrels, and they actually quite like greys, which habituate to humans very easily indeed. What I'd suggest as an answer is two lots of gene modification. Firstly, we want enhanced genetic resistance to squirrel pox in the red squirrel genome, so that they aren't exterminated by the mere presence of greys in the environment. Secondly introducing gene drives into the grey squirrel population so that the offspring of the modified animals are all male would do a very good job of clobbering the population of greys ahead of allowing reds to expand their range once more.
Come on please, pine martins will kill the young chicks and eggs the same as the squirel. Do you not remember the issues on wildlife when mink were let out of farms in the Oxford area. They decimated all wildfowl and local bird life. I saw it as I fished a beautiful stretch of the river Cherwell, sadly after the release, no ducks, morehens, voles, a barren river system which only came back after the mink were erradicated.
But Pine Martens are native and Minx aren’t. Our native wildlife has lived along side them for millennia. Our red squirrels do better in areas where pine martens are.
@@spencersanderson1894 If they are confined to woodland. Field sports channel has just announced pine martins have been seen in the new forest and are the most predacious of nestiing and ground nesting birds. So red squirels may do better but birds will be decimated worse than by the grey squirel.
There is a national breeding program British wildlife centre and I believe Guildford uni are part of it. The monks on caldey gave their permission for reds to be released on the island. The next big drive will be to clear Cornwall ready for introductions.
Unless local authorities get on board, the battle is futile. The problem stemmed from small populations but we now have huge, widespread populations on public spaces that will never be hunted. These areas need some sort of genetic intervention otherwise they will just repopulate the places that are controlled.
@@spencersanderson1894 Pine Martens are going to eat anything they come across, red squirrels in their dreys at night, birds eggs, chicks just about anything that walks crawls or fly's
They’re native which means they have existed without problems in then country for centuries as long as they don’t release them by ground nesting bird sights
@@spencersanderson1894 Yes they do, any squirrel, but most of their food will be mice, voles, etc, plus birds including their eggs and chicks as they are easy to get, and it does not involve burning valuable time and energy chasing a squirrel around and around a tree for 20 minutes ( just search youtube for videos)
@@spencersanderson1894 Because they won't just eat squirrels, They will predate on whatever is available.Songbirds nests , ground nesting birds etc etc.
@@ThePhil543 Yes I know but that’s how an ecosystem works. It will only have a negative effect if the ecosystem is already out of whack. Our native wildlife has evolved alongside the Pine Marten, unlike the greys which they easily pick off. They native wildlife will benefit from a predator being around as it will help reduce the number of sick and old animals and only the strongest and fittest will survive. How it’s meant to be.
@@spencersanderson1894 Our ecosystem is out of wack,We live in a small island with some 68 million people.Every square inch of town and country is influenced by Our presence.The countryside needs the hand of man to try to save and balance what is left.Whilst Pine Martens are native they are also a top predator.What I'm saying is species that are already struggling will not be helped by yet another predator.
It’s about time the government made it law for landowners to control grey squirrels.
As much as I’d like to agree I can’t see how that would change anything, they don’t enforce rabbit control as it is
There are thousands of people across the country that control grey squirrels for free not just game keepers , but ordinary people, and there would be more if they had permissions to be able to do it on. There is the same problem that deer stalkers have, no where to go. Please give these people the credit they deserve.
invaded by immigrants
I glad Neil you bought up this. I was watching and thinking it is not gamekeepers but chaps like me and my neighbour who make sure that any around here taste a bit of lead. The squirrels are not just in managed woodland, and even if they were cleared there, it would still be a big population waiting in the wings to come back. Best Dave
Everyone who watches this needs to share it and get it out there. Great product thank you.
invaded by immigrants
Landowners need to start giving out more permissions to the hundreds of volunteers who are licenced, insured, and ready to kick the tires and light the fires when it comes to squirrel hunting!
I dont think genetics or hormones are the way to go, we have enough problems with forever chemicals and god knows what else is in the environment.
Imagine affecting the natural squirrel population. Don't need genetic interfering.
Can you still get 2/6p for taking a squirrel tail to the Police station?
There are 1000's of volunteers waiting to help, but when you live in a place like Hampshire and the County Council and Borough council either say stupid things like "Grey Squirrels are not a problem" or the other pathetic excuse of "It's not worth us doing control if no one else is" WHAT'S UP WITH BEING FIRST and LEADING THE WAY !!!!!! I just find it so frustrating
invaded by immigrants
Plus they basically single handedly ruined hawfinch populations in Britain ! I know those who find the nests and have seen the devastation. Anyone whose anti killing gray squirrels should be band from walking in any British woodland!
The basic problem we face here is that the general public are rather thick. They don't see the difference between red and grey squirrels, and they actually quite like greys, which habituate to humans very easily indeed.
What I'd suggest as an answer is two lots of gene modification. Firstly, we want enhanced genetic resistance to squirrel pox in the red squirrel genome, so that they aren't exterminated by the mere presence of greys in the environment. Secondly introducing gene drives into the grey squirrel population so that the offspring of the modified animals are all male would do a very good job of clobbering the population of greys ahead of allowing reds to expand their range once more.
I hate these greys with a passion. Literally everywhere you go now you're almost guaranteed to see them. Well and truly out of control.
Very Interesting '' Great Video 💯💥💥💥💥💥💥💥
Come on please, pine martins will kill the young chicks and eggs the same as the squirel. Do you not remember the issues on wildlife when mink were let out of farms in the Oxford area. They decimated all wildfowl and local bird life. I saw it as I fished a beautiful stretch of the river Cherwell, sadly after the release, no ducks, morehens, voles, a barren river system which only came back after the mink were erradicated.
But Pine Martens are native and Minx aren’t. Our native wildlife has lived along side them for millennia. Our red squirrels do better in areas where pine martens are.
@@spencersanderson1894 Best place for Pine Martens is were it is hard to control greys, like London Parks, in fact all big park around the country
@@spencersanderson1894 If they are confined to woodland. Field sports channel has just announced pine martins have been seen in the new forest and are the most predacious of nestiing and ground nesting birds. So red squirels may do better but birds will be decimated worse than by the grey squirel.
We need a few breeding islands (literally surrounded with lots of water) to get red numbers up again.
There is a national breeding program British wildlife centre and I believe Guildford uni are part of it. The monks on caldey gave their permission for reds to be released on the island. The next big drive will be to clear Cornwall ready for introductions.
@@mikeheasman2594 Excellent, though there's already enough Gingers in Cornwall 🤣🤣🤣
we are now g invaded by immigrants
@@ddoherty5956 we are been invaded by immigrants leave the squirrels alone
We've got it at Brownsea Island. When I was a kid I remember seeing Reds in the Winter Gardens in Bournemouth. Best Dave
Being invaded not just by grey squirrels.
What is happening to the red squirrel is happening to the native English
No, no it's not. Get your head out of your arse and look at a bit of history.
@@brendandor Really, my home town is unrecognisable.
@@brendandorperhaps you should wake up and travel a bit of the UK and read up on abit of history, say the last 20-30 years.
Unless local authorities get on board, the battle is futile. The problem stemmed from small populations but we now have huge, widespread populations on public spaces that will never be hunted. These areas need some sort of genetic intervention otherwise they will just repopulate the places that are controlled.
Rat with a perm
Pity they are as concerned about Cormarants too.
Pine martens are not a valid solution, what are their natural predators?
Foxes. Pine Martens are native and have lived alongside our native Wildlife for millennia. Red squirrels do better where there are pine martens.
Pine martens would target mammals more than birds unless they’re introduced on a ground nesting bird sight then you shouldn’t leave them there
@@spencersanderson1894 Pine Martens are going to eat anything they come across, red squirrels in their dreys at night, birds eggs, chicks just about anything that walks crawls or fly's
Please don't introduce pine Martens unless it's males only. They will kill every thing at ground level and above.
It’s the green idiots next idea.
They are native and our native wildlife has lived along side them for millennia. They will do more good than damage.
They’re native which means they have existed without problems in then country for centuries as long as they don’t release them by ground nesting bird sights
@@XtraOrdinar-y ground nesting birds don’t just live on sites. They are everywhere.
They are omnivores so have a very varied diet.
Introducing Pine Martins just replaces one problem with another
How? Pine martens eat the squirrels.
@@spencersanderson1894 Yes they do, any squirrel, but most of their food will be mice, voles, etc, plus birds including their eggs and chicks as they are easy to get, and it does not involve burning valuable time and energy chasing a squirrel around and around a tree for 20 minutes ( just search youtube for videos)
@@spencersanderson1894 Because they won't just eat squirrels, They will predate on whatever is available.Songbirds nests , ground nesting birds etc etc.
@@ThePhil543 Yes I know but that’s how an ecosystem works. It will only have a negative effect if the ecosystem is already out of whack. Our native wildlife has evolved alongside the Pine Marten, unlike the greys which they easily pick off. They native wildlife will benefit from a predator being around as it will help reduce the number of sick and old animals and only the strongest and fittest will survive. How it’s meant to be.
@@spencersanderson1894 Our ecosystem is out of wack,We live in a small island with some 68 million people.Every square inch of town and country is influenced by Our presence.The countryside needs the hand of man to try to save and balance what is left.Whilst Pine Martens are native they are also a top predator.What I'm saying is species that are already struggling will not be helped by yet another predator.
use genedrive technology - painless and incredibly humane
just get on with it they take egg take all young birds thats one of reasons bird population ihas gone down to
Perhaps part of the answer is getting a squirrel pox vaccine for the reds.
Not a complete solution, Greys will always out compete Reds in the same environment.
Humans have multiplied to 8 billion, but the rights of squirrels to live free and safe lives should be limited? Why not limit yourself?
Feel the same about rats?