Brother in law shooting grey squirrels

[NettleMania]

Is this an okay thing to do? AIBU to have a go if it's in his own garden?

I'm a bit conflicted as I have a live and let live attitude towards animals, but BIL swears it's not illegal to shoot them, that they're vermin and have chased off all our native red squirrels and that they're eating all the food he puts out for the birds.

He has tried other ways to get rid of them, but they are determined. My DS just shrugs and carries on with her knitting!

What is he shooting them with?

No it’s not illegal to shoot grey squirrels.

There was someone on a tv programme the other night saying they do the same, so I guess it’s not illegal

he could stop putting food out rather than murdering them? sounds like a psycho

It's not illegal (assuming he is using an air rifle)

They're vermin.
The back legs make good stew too.

They're vermin and as long as he had an appropriate firearms certificate...

It’s not illegal no, I think when it’s in yout own garden.

I know someone who does it too, and I don’t really like it but they do get over run with squirrels to be fair.

Just to clarify, he has an air rifle, legally bought.

It's not illegal but it's vile

But in defence of the squirrel...
The red squirrels have been gone a long long while.
I don't think the current batch of Grey's had anything to do with it

OMG that's disgusting & very hypocritical!! Murdering grey squirrels because they murder red squirrels? Ok 🤔

@LawnFever

There was someone on a tv programme the other night saying they do the same, so I guess it’s not illegal

Yeah that couple on Simon Reeve! The woman was collecting the pelts to make a waistcoat, and they use the meat in a curry...

Does he live in an area with red squirrels?

My understanding is that strictly speaking he is obliged to control vermin on his property. Just like if he had rats.

In practice he is less likely to be sued for damage from failure to control squirrels than rats but that is a cultural rather than legal thing.

There are some red squirrels left, but I have only ever seen one in my whole life.

That woman was a psycho too
Making the excuse that they are trying to save the red squirrels, erm too late - survival of the fittest and all that. It's a shame as the reds are native but killing the greys is not the answer.

Your BIL is disgusting.

It’s a quick humane way to kill them. They are an invasive species and more aggressive than the native red squirrels so are killing them off/replacing the red squirrels.

The same goes for black squirrels in UK which are really grey squirrels with a recent mutation. A grey squirrels each individual hair is banded in white and black and white, so they look grey. A recent mutation has switched off the white, so their hair only grows in black...thus the new black squirrels popping up. Though some will have a bit of grey on them like the tip of their tail.

Both of these are native to mainland Europe, so don’t worry. Even if your brother gets all of them, we have millions over here living unmolested. I don’t see any issue trying to keep British Isles a nature preserve for red squirrels otherwise they will eventually go extinct.

Loads of red squirrels where we are in Scotland but think they're not common elsewhere in the UK now.

They cause a huge amount of damage to trees. Blat away.

They are vermin and an invasive non-native species that has all but eradicated the native red squirrel in much of the country. They carry a disease that they seem to be immune to but which is lethal to red squirrels.
www.wildlifetrusts.org/saving-species/red-squirrels

Do people who thing this is disgusting also think trapping and poisoning rats/mice is disgusting?

Does he have a huge garden so that he is far enough away from the public highway to make the discharge of an air rifle legal? Moreover, does he not have neighbours where a shit shot could hit their children?

It's legal - actually required - to euthanise greys if they are accidentally trapped, as you can't release them. But taking potshots at them in a suburban garden certainly isn't.

I live in the Lakes and thanks to people like your bil we have seen a huge increase in Red Squirrels over recent years

Why dont they just use squirrel-proof bird feeders?