They make a really nice meal and are underappreciated as a food.
Always on the look out for Brum / Venom - Webley Longbow / Tommie rifles and parts.
Our houses back on to a decent sized wood and unfortunately there is a growing squirrel population in it.
I say unfortunately because they chew through our wheelie bins to raid for food and sometimes scatter food scraps all over the gardens,
which leads to another problem rats, because the next street over has a big problem with them and my neighbours and I are worried the food will draw the rats.
We have a lot of cats around our street and they are always in the small grassed area between the houses and the woods hunting mice so I think (hope) they also keep the rats away.
Either way to us squirrels are destructive vermin and although I have a bird box squirrel trap from squirrel management uk, I have no issues destroying them on sight.
I too would rather watch them than shoot them, but they have cost me money by twice chewing through the wiring to the ABS sensors on my van and once chewing through CCTV cable. The CCTV cable was clipped to a steel catenary wire strung right across an industrial estate yard, the squirrels chewed it into foot long lengths right across the yard.
My old mother,sister and niece wonder why no small birds use the garden table anymore.
Those bushy tailed critters have chased them away.
I'm aware that they 'may' carry a few things and thats like a few other animal's we interact with or eat such as rabies 'thankfully not an issue here' and Lyme disease.
At the end of the day intensively farmed animals are full of drugs and can carry and spread all sorts. I'll take my chances eating the odd healthy rabbit or grey squirrel and venison etc that are as near organic as your going to get.
It doesn't surprise me most people aren't keen on trying them but they make really good eating.
Always on the look out for Brum / Venom - Webley Longbow / Tommie rifles and parts.