I think that some of you guys just use the fact that squirrels are pests as a excuse to shoot something live by calling them tree rats and vermin, if they are being such a pest to you why take so much pleasure in killing them instead of it being a unpleasant chore.

I'm not saying that they are not a pest but there are other way to control them.
The resurgence of the native pine marten could also swing the balance in favour of reds over greys. A conservation success story in itself, these ferret-like predators were recently spotted in England for the first time in more than a century. In areas of Ireland where pine martens are thriving, grey squirrels have almost disappeared, allowing reds to reestablish themselves.

Also the occurrence of pox-resistance within some red squirrel populations is also a reason for hope for red over grey. The development of an oral contraceptive for grey squirrels together with plans to bait them using Nutell.

I don’t want Britain to lose its native red squirrel. But neither do I take any joy from the thought of the tens of thousands of culled grey squirrels and the infinite number that we will have to kill if current plans are to continue in perpetuity.

We need to show a bit more respect to this highly successful species and there are alternative options to culling. We could start by managing forests to favour conifers (which reds prefer) over deciduous trees (the grey’s favourite).

Enjoying shooting tree rats is not the way I like the public to see us airgunners. Just my friendly opinion