• please note we the Owners and Admin of this site accept no responsibility for any content in any threads in this section.......... we do request you all adhere to your appropriate GL's......... if you see anything wrong please report it.......all posts with mention of / images of dispatched birds, must clearly mention the relevant GL. England GL's. Wales GL's. Scotland GL's. Northern Ireland GL's.
  • the Daily hi thread just say hi :)

Hunting Squirrel control using pine martens.

Yes an interesting idea to return a natural predator to our more significant woods.
I do wonder what other species they impact, they are not single food source selective, and obviously have no issues taking something the size of hens eggs.
That could make keeping chickens harder, by the introduction of another protected large mustelid.

They are also going to be less effective in grey strongholds like parks and urban landscapes.
 
mitch21 said:
As @Dr B pointed out a while back they will take Grey Squirrels but also Red ones ☹️☹️
Click to expand...
Did you miss that graph in the video, that claim seemed to be disputed.
No direct (negative) impact on red numbers from the introduction of martens.
--edit--
from about 5:08-5:25 in the video.
 
mitch21 said:
As @Dr B pointed out a while back they will take Grey Squirrels but also Red ones ☹️☹️
Click to expand...
I camped for many decades in the wilderness of Perthshire to Inverness. I've seen quite a few Pine Marten and Red Squirrels and once was lucky enough to see a Marten actually carrying a red squirrel. I think it's the balance of both species that allows them to live in harmony.
 
Pine martens will definitely predate red squirrels but they selectively take greys because they are larger (more worthwhile) and spend more time on the ground, though martens can hunt them in the trees. When red squirrels predominate then more will he taken, but they have co-evolved with this predator and are less vulnerable.

Pockets of martens must have survived because I vividly remember seeing one in Devon in the early 1970s.
 
It's not a criticism, but is the video one of those AI generated productions, do you think? I'm seeing more like these on the web lately, a voice-over with a series of sort of related images. Or sometimes not related images, such as 2nd world war images in videos of the first world war The voices in some are also AI. I did wonder when I heard 'Ches-SHIRE' on this. Just wondering.
 
Hard to say, but martens are definitely being released in the Forest of Dean and the info on squirrel predation is in line with published research.

Martens alone are not enough though. Further pressure is needed on the greys and even a few greys can still spread squirrel pox. Pressure is most important when numbers are low. Also, reds need to be actively reintroduced to newly grey-free areas because it will take a long time for populations to expand naturally, if it ever happens.
 
Like most human interventions in nature, to right the wrongs of other human interventions in nature, if not done properly, the outcome/ cure may well be as bad as the disease...
A Marten has a territory ( ours ( U.S.) is ~ 1 - 3 sq. miles/ animal). Add too many to a single area & one may end up like puttin' too many cattle on too little pasture - over grazed & spoiled...
 
OldStock said:
Yes an interesting idea to return a natural predator to our more significant woods.
I do wonder what other species they impact, they are not single food source selective, and obviously have no issues taking something the size of hens eggs.
That could make keeping chickens harder, by the introduction of another protected large mustelid.

They are also going to be less effective in grey strongholds like parks and urban landscapes.
Click to expand...
But if you could restrict the greys to parks and urban landscapes it gives the main forests and woodlands back to the reds. Balance pretty much restored?
 
Old Ironsights said:
It's not a criticism, but is the video one of those AI generated productions, do you think? I'm seeing more like these on the web lately, a voice-over with a series of sort of related images. Or sometimes not related images, such as 2nd world war images in videos of the first world war The voices in some are also AI. I did wonder when I heard 'Ches-SHIRE' on this. Just wondering.
Click to expand...
They're posh in Ches- shire don't ya know!
 
Some claim the Reds being smaller can go onto thinner branches to escape but the larger greys can't so they are caught more often .

It may be true or it may be BS .

We are almost Grey free in aberdeen city and there is Pine Martins been caught on camera a number of times in the area.

This one was caught on camera along with a Red Squirrel , birds and animals.

The park the camera was in had or still has a Red Squirrel assault course and viewing area . I have been to that bit of the park for a long time.


 
metalman said:
Yes, but we shoot the grey squirrels
Click to expand...
I think the point of the video is people aren’t shooting enough grey squirrels to put a dent in their population, so if you reintroduce a natural predator that has been shown to eradicate greys effectively then the reds will bounce back. But don’t worry there will still be plenty of rabbits you could shoot if the greys disappear 👍
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top