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Hunting Squirrel feed

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joniship

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Hopfully some experienced squirrel hunters on here can help with my question. I recently put a squirrel feeder on a new perm using peanuts that i was using last winter. They have been stored in their original package in my house in normal conditions. I mixed some aniseed oil into some of them when i last used them and i cant remember if the nuts i filled the feeder with are the old ones from last season with the aniseed oil in them. Could these peanuts be "OFF " and thats the reason that ive had no visits to the feeder in 10 days. And is the rest of the bag, without any aniseed oil, ok to use or should they be binned as well. Thanks for any advice on this.
 
Just for general reference - here you go Buddy - from the sticky section above.

Dr B

Hunting Thread 'What Squirrel Feed? What the Science Says....'

You will often see people having very heated debates on what type of ‘feed’ to put in their squirrel feeders. I’ll be honest, it often makes me smile. To truly understand the way forward here we need to consult the science and not some FaceTube numpty – who may well be enjoying some success, but alas is far from optimised in their approach. You can see this when they boast about how many they cull on every session, year after year, which begs the serious question as to why the numbers are not coming down! :oops: Now, I’m not arguing against success, and every grey counts, but most of us...
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joniship said:
Hopfully some experienced squirrel hunters on here can help with my question. I recently put a squirrel feeder on a new perm using peanuts that i was using last winter. They have been stored in their original package in my house in normal conditions. I mixed some aniseed oil into some of them when i last used them and i cant remember if the nuts i filled the feeder with are the old ones from last season with the aniseed oil in them. Could these peanuts be "OFF " and thats the reason that ive had no visits to the feeder in 10 days. And is the rest of the bag, without any aniseed oil, ok to use or should they be binned as well. Thanks for any advice on this.
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If they have gone mouldy or soft, yes, they can go off and no, they wont touch them. Im not saying that's what's happening to you, just that yes its a possibility. The real trick is knowing where to place the feeder, as their spatial memory (of their foraging areas and fav eating areas) are also important along with smell. Hence, always try and put the feeder on or near a highway or low way in the woods. (y)
 
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I think keeping any bait dry is the key, I have got and tried the aniseed oil but put that outside my feeder (not convinced it works that well). If the peanuts are still hard dont think their age will put off a hungry squirrel, mouldy soft and smelly probably would.
 
Dr B said:
Just for general reference - here you go Buddy - from the sticky section above.

Dr B

Hunting Thread 'What Squirrel Feed? What the Science Says....'

You will often see people having very heated debates on what type of ‘feed’ to put in their squirrel feeders. I’ll be honest, it often makes me smile. To truly understand the way forward here we need to consult the science and not some FaceTube numpty – who may well be enjoying some success, but alas is far from optimised in their approach. You can see this when they boast about how many they cull on every session, year after year, which begs the serious question as to why the numbers are not coming down! :oops: Now, I’m not arguing against success, and every grey counts, but most of us...
  • Like
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Click to expand...
Dr B

Hunting Thread 'What Squirrel Feed? What the Science Says....'

You will often see people having very heated debates on what type of ‘feed’ to put in their squirrel feeders. I’ll be honest, it often makes me smile. To truly understand the way forward here we need to consult the science and not some FaceTube numpty – who may well be enjoying some success, but alas is far from optimised in their approach. You can see this when they boast about how many they cull on every session, year after year, which begs the serious question as to why the numbers are not coming down! :oops: Now, I’m not arguing against success, and every grey counts, but most of us...
  • Like
  • Love
Dr B said:
Just for general reference - here you go Buddy - from the sticky section above.

Dr B

Hunting Thread 'What Squirrel Feed? What the Science Says....'

You will often see people having very heated debates on what type of ‘feed’ to put in their squirrel feeders. I’ll be honest, it often makes me smile. To truly understand the way forward here we need to consult the science and not some FaceTube numpty – who may well be enjoying some success, but alas is far from optimised in their approach. You can see this when they boast about how many they cull on every session, year after year, which begs the serious question as to why the numbers are not coming down! :oops: Now, I’m not arguing against success, and every grey counts, but most of us...
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Thanks Dr B, interesting read. My peanuts should be bringing them in if there are any about then. Just a niggling that the bait could be off. I will get over there this weekend and put fresh peanuts in the feeder just to get rid of any doubt. If nothing in another week then will move the feeder. Had a new bag delivered today after getting some info and discount through the forum so plenty of bait. Was disappinting not getting any pings on my phone from the trail cam but i did get 1 tonight when it caught a fox walking by. Things can only get better ☺️
 
gazza 1961 said:
I think keeping any bait dry is the key, I have got and tried the aniseed oil but put that outside my feeder (not convinced it works that well). If the peanuts are still hard dont think their age will put off a hungry squirrel, mouldy soft and smelly probably would.
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I agree my friend. The way to use aniseed, so it does not make things mouldy, is just spray a tad in a freezer bag. Then fill with nuts and roll them around inside the bag. You end up with an extremely mild coating. Nuts still last a couple of weeks but can now give off smell. I only ever use an additional scent attractant (Nutella smeared into tree bark / Aniseed on the feed) when establishing a feeder. Once the greys find it, no need for any more - just use the feed as their spatial memory will bring them back with no more encouragement needed other than the feed itself. (y)
 
Remember - maximum efficiency if you put the feeder in an area they are already keen on! Look for interconnected tree canopy routes and watch their behaviour on the ground. Where are they coming from? Where are they going? Then just intercept that route (mediated by safety and shooting position / cover etc). Best of luck!
 
Dr B said:
Remember - maximum efficiency if you put the feeder in an area they are already keen on! Look for interconnected tree canopy routes and watch their behaviour on the ground. Where are they coming from? Where are they going? Then just intercept that route (mediated by safety and shooting position / cover etc). Best of luck!
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Ive not been in this area of trees before so not seen any squirrel activity. The farmer offered me this area when i asked him if i could put up a feeder. Most of the trees look old and some look dead even so maybe not the best surroundings for squirrels. There are some evergreens other side of a track about 60yds from my feeder position. Will refill and use above tips mentioned and try another week before moving on. Thanks everyone.
 
joniship said:
Ive not been in this area of trees before so not seen any squirrel activity. The farmer offered me this area when i asked him if i could put up a feeder. Most of the trees look old and some look dead even so maybe not the best surroundings for squirrels. There are some evergreens other side of a track about 60yds from my feeder position. Will refill and use above tips mentioned and try another week before moving on. Thanks everyone.
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Never underestimate the importance of the reccy mate - best of luck!!!!
 
I only have a garden feeder and place fat balls in a small round cage on top of the feeder and then put mixed bird seed into the feeder, was very quiet for the past 10 months but this last week they have started to arrive again from the local park I would say as the Dreys at the back of the garden have now gone , if its edible they always come for a look around I find, I have a fence line that's runs along the back of the gardens to the park area which is there main highway
 
Why waste money on anything else other than natural stuff they eat normally .. peanuts or any form of nuts . The nuts are expensive enough without adding stuff .,
 
Went to the feeder today and still full. Replaced everything, including the feeder, put fresh peanuts in and sprayed some aniseed oil around the area. The old peanuts still felt and looked ok but decided to start again. Trail cam is working ok so will wait and see. Will clean out the first feeder to get rid of any old smells or contamination and use on another perm which i known there is squirrel activity. Just a waiting game now.
 
joniship said:
Went to the feeder today and still full. Replaced everything, including the feeder, put fresh peanuts in and sprayed some aniseed oil around the area. The old peanuts still felt and looked ok but decided to start again. Trail cam is working ok so will wait and see. Will clean out the first feeder to get rid of any old smells or contamination and use on another perm which i known there is squirrel activity. Just a waiting game now.
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But have you placed the feeder on or near their current foraging areas? Their highways and low ways through the woods?
 
To be honest I'd never been to this wood before I was offered it so don't really know if there is any squirrel activity around there.
 
Another perm belongs to a friend who only shoots fac rifles and has asked me to put a metal feeder up as his wooden one got chewed. I know there are squirrels on that perm as I've worked near to that wood and seen them about and he has put down some pheasant feeders too which should bring them in.
As you've said earlier it pays to do some homework before putting up a feeder anywhere to find some activity , will save me a lot of time wasting (y)
 
Well my trail Cam pinged yesterday morning and captured a squirrel on my feeder :giggle:
Nothing today but the weather has been atrocious last 2 days so not disheartened yet. Hopefully it's the start of something productive 🤞
 
joniship said:
Well my trail Cam pinged yesterday morning and captured a squirrel on my feeder :giggle:
Nothing today but the weather has been atrocious last 2 days so not disheartened yet. Hopefully it's the start of something productive 🤞
Click to expand...
Another thing is we have had a good natural harvest this year so there might still be plenty of wild feed about ---i used to gather hazel nuts-conkers-acorns and keep them stored dry ready to mix in with cheap cereals from the shops ie muesli-cornflakes- mixed with nuts--maze and cheap winter mix pigeon corn etc all great for bulking out a feeder
 
Checked the feeder today and still full. The one squirrel ping on the trail cam must of been a very lost soul with no friends :LOL: Spoke to the landlady today and she said that she has seen squirrels in the wood closer to the main house so will move the feeder to there.
Off to Canary Islands in a few hours so moving the feeder will have to wait for a week or so :cool:
 
It can also be at the edge of territory, and if there is not normally much to eat there, they take a while to find it.

As per @Dr B if there is traffic, a regular path, they should be on it quickly.

I find at my feeders (in one wood) I can see one regular visitor on camera, take that one, then a few days later another single one arrives, it is like the first was keeping the second at bay.
Frustrating, as there is only ever one or two seen now, but often replaced within a week.

Also feed the birds, maybe not peanuts, but get some activity to the feeder to draw attention.
Also make sure the feeder has a path to it, with some sort of cover, and is not overlooked by birds of prey.
One spot I picked was like that, buzzard a few branches across, at every visit.
 
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