# Best way to attract squirrels?



## TJ8

What is the cheapest and fastest way to attract squirrels to my backyard? I've tried a lot of things such as peanut butter, bird seed, and gerbil food. None of these have worked. It also keeps snowing and melting here if that plays a role. Any ideas? What about rabbits?


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## Nicholson

One of my neighbors uses corn or popcorn, That's what he uses anyway, he just likes them hangin around his home. I think when it keeps melting and freezing it's usually pretty hard on the game around here anyway.


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## Berkshire bred

we have bird feeders in our garden with peanuts in and we get quite a few going to that.


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## Charles

In my experience, roasted peanuts (not raw) in the shell are good to attract squirrels.

For trapping rabbits, I used to use chunks of parsnip. Unlike apple and other baits, the parsnip does not dry out as quickly and continues to give off an odor that attracts rabbits.

Cheers ..... Charles


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## Tentacle Toast

I second Charles with regards to parsnip & rabbits, & in general, roasted nuts works better than raw, but one sure-fire way to lure squirrels is with walnuts aka squirrel crack...they love em'. I throw a few on my balcony, & within minutes they're there...


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## chico

Walnuts....crack for squirrels? I gotta try that out, thanks for the tip.


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## TJ8

Tentacle Toast said:


> I second Charles with regards to parsnip & rabbits, & in general, roasted nuts works better than raw, but one sure-fire way to lure squirrels is with walnuts aka squirrel crack...they love em'. I throw a few on my balcony, & within minutes they're there...


 roasted not in the shell?


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## Incomudro

Climb a tree and act like a nut.

Sorry, I had too...

Peanut Butter works.


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## VillageSniper

Corn works great and is cheap, at least if you live near a field. Corn on the cob, like the hard dry kind harvested, not the sweet corn. It is bright and visible from afar and can be attached to a board via nail or screw and then to a tree or post. Many squirrels have been taken off of corn.


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## GHT

if you have a smart phone there are some great apps with various animal calls, squirrels included .


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## Knotty

Never had a bird feeder with sunflower seed in it that failed to attract squirrels.


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## tradspirit

Sunflower seeds or corn. Last time I overloaded the feeders with corn I had 16 turkeys on my deck and no squirrels!


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## Charles

tradspirit said:


> Sunflower seeds or corn. Last time I overloaded the feeders with corn I had 16 turkeys on my deck and no squirrels!


Head shot takes a turkey ....

Cheers ...... Charles


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## tradspirit

I have certainly given that fact some consideration...8^)


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## chuckduster01

Field corn is truly a-maize-ing and around here it is free. I just walk the fields after harvest and pick up what I need.


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## CornDawg

Put new insulation in your attic. Guaranteed.


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## treefork

If all else fails you can use what has attracted the male of all species from the beginning of time . 


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## StretchandEat

If you want to attract squirrels.. just go deer hunting.. I guarantee you'll see plenty of squirrel. .


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## gabeb

This is probably too late but I say walnuts.


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## Henry the Hermit

The most effective way I've found is to put up a squirrel-proof (yeah, right) bird feeder.


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## Oneproudmeximan

Marshmallow I promise


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## SmilingFury

TJ8 said:


> What is the cheapest and fastest way to attract squirrels to my backyard? I've tried a lot of things such as peanut butter, bird seed, and gerbil food. None of these have worked. It also keeps snowing and melting here if that plays a role. Any ideas? What about rabbits?


Hey, you can always show them your nuts!


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## RevKillj0y

Any have experience using a smartphone based "call" app? I've got a handful of bluetooth speakers, all giveaways from trade shows. Thinking about setting one up near some peanuts and seeing well how it does


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## Jolly Roger

For cottontail rabbits, I build a brush pile for them to live in. I saw about six of them in my front yard this morning. I also put out water for them.


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## Cjw

How is baiting squirrels hunting? Why not just put a bird feeder on your porch and pick them off when they come to feed. And call it hunting. Next time I go deer hunting I'll just throw a bunch of food around the cabin and I can just shoot them from the porch save me from trekking through the woods.

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## Viper010

Cjw said:


> How is baiting squirrels hunting? Why not just put a bird feeder on your porch and pick them off when they come to feed. And call it hunting. Next time I go deer hunting I'll just throw a bunch of food around the cabin and I can just shoot them from the porch save me from trekking through the woods.
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


You got your terminology wrong bro... Shootn em off the bird feeder is called "pest control", or at least that's what I seem to remember from some past posts about "starling hunting". And ain't nutn wrong or illegal about scattering some last supper around for your honored bushy tailed dinner "guests" *cough* (ingredients) it's just what a good host does.... And veeeeeeeeeery sportsman like, of course.


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## Cjw

Might as well fish out of the aquarium. It's not hunting let's call it what it is. Live animal target shooting. I've got nothing against hunting, I just don't believe in baiting animals to me that's not real hunting.

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## Jolly Roger

Gotta be smarter than the critters you're hunting. I have heard that in East Texas they hunt from a tower with the bait below. But they begin baiting a couple weeks before the hunt starts so they're already coming in. And there are those who are no longer physically able to hike through the woods all day but they certainly can sit in a tower and play cards till the game shows up. Either way, both but meat on the dinner table.


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## mattwalt

Cjw - this old conversation again 

Walk and stalk is the way to go IMO (I enjoy the outdoors as much as shooting). However most hunters will go to where game are likely (water holes, salt licks, feeding stations...) and if that fails baiting... Its such a huge industry - the promise of a kill. Also I think game 'farms' are pressured into guaranteeing successes, so they'll make it as easy as possible. There is still the chase in these cases.

Also its such a grey area - decoys, calls, camouflage... all technically do the same thing. Lure animals in.... Think coming up with a solid classification of 'hunt' or 'hunter' is always going to be difficult.

Just look at the great pheasant hunts - animals are bred like chickens (are about the dumbest quarry ever as a result) then herded towards a line of folks pumping away with shotguns. and the guns pay insane amounts of cash to join in the 'hunt'...

And you should come do some angling in the UK - its pretty much all glorified fish ponds... I was horrified - the fish take bait as if its feeding time. Their mouths are shredded from countless catch and releases...

Think its the word 'sportsmanship' you need to be discussing... people all have it at different levels. If you go out with a pocket of ammo and a shooter and walk the land thats awesome - if you check in at feeding stations along the way (or hang around an oak tree) then are you no longer hunting...


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## Cjw

I'm sorry but to me it's like fishing at the trout farm. There's no sport. What's the sport if you put a bunch of deer in a fenced area and shoot them. Am I really a hunter or hunting? Or just like killing things.

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## mattwalt

Look Cjw - I totally agree (I'm a Hemingway guy). For me its the wild thats the big attraction - catch trout in a actual stream. Use actual skills to locate and bag game.

But even in biggest wildest Africa the game are fenced in (assuming you're hunting at a game farm or wildlife reserve). And chances are you'll be escorted around to where the game frequent (fed and watered) and pretty much shoot from the vehicle. Granted you may miss game some days - but chances are you'll get your quota. Between working farms game have a lot more freedom and you may need to do some real hunting.

I think the romantic days of hunting are becoming rarer. Its just a big old shoot. Unless you own large private land to hunt on or have access to it...


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## Henry the Hermit

RevKillj0y said:


> Any have experience using a smartphone based "call" app? I've got a handful of bluetooth speakers, all giveaways from trade shows. Thinking about setting one up near some peanuts and seeing well how it does


Be careful about what call you use. Most of the sounds squirrels make are warning or distress sounds. While those are useful for locating squirrels, if you want to call them to you, they aren't so good. There are lots of videos about squirrel calls on Youtube. I particularly like the one about calling them by rubbing two coins together, making the sound of gnawing a nut.


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## zdrak

Seems a resurrected post but people still seem curious. *Sunflower Seeds are the way to go if you want squirrels*. I experimented in my yard this year with a small variety of things. They get into my bird feeders sometimes and will throw out all of the seed to get the few sunflower seeds in the mix. Also attracts pretty cardinals well(don't shoot these though) and a variety of other pretty and fun to watch birds. In my experience they only seem to eat one bite out of the corn and would not recommend it.


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## MikmaqWarrior

Walnuts...Gray squirrels absolutely love walnuts, and if you can get them fresh when they drop from the tree (with the sweet smelling thick outter skin still on) then it's even better.

Peanuts in the shell and dried corn is another favorite of grays...

And when you fill the feeder, take a shovel and dig up some fresh dirt right below the feeder...the smell of fresh earth seems to attract them...

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## Jolly Roger

I lived in the Southwestern United States for 17 years and had many occasions to be around American Indians. Most spent near the Apache. However diverse their languages seem to be, all tribes be it Apache, Tohono Odoham, Navajo, etc. they all use the same word for one who is a piss poor hunter who never comes home with game. He is called a vegetarian.


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## Henry the Hermit

I envy you guys who are still young enough and physically fit. In my younger days, I still-hunted squirrels, but at almost 75 (Dec) with diabetes damaged feet and legs going up and down these steep hills is no longer within my ability. Just getting to my stand 1/4 mile from the house is sometimes painful. So, y'all forgive me if I put out corn for the deer and pigs, and peanuts for the squirrels.

Here's a picture of a kill from a few years ago.


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## BushpotChef

Treefork pretty much nailed it lol.

But seriously, I make little balls (about 1") of crunchy peanut butter mixed with sunflower seeds and place them along the fence tops in my backyard that the tree rats use as their highways. If it gets a touch messy, coat in a few pinches of flour to make them easier to handle and place. Use plenty, the idea here isn't to be stingy. If you put out about 10 around a large backyard (maybe 150'x75) in high traffic areas, it's just a matter of not killing the first one that shows up. Let them take the first batch without being shot at, then reset and head out. It helps to walk around unarmed or doing some other yard work while they eat the first batch so as to make yourself look like you're no threat. Sorry if that was a touch wordy, hope it helps & good luck!


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## jamudio

I haven't tried this yet but I think it has potential.


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## Henry the Hermit

I saw this a few weeks ago, and found that, for me, quarters were hard to hold properly. Half dollars are a lot easier to use and a bit louder.


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## Jolly Roger

All these suggestions ???? Has anyone tried a tree squirrel call???? I remember many moons ago calling rabbits, quail, deer, etc. with a mouth call. We even had contests. Seem that slingshot shooting is a prime opportunity to hone ones calling expertise.


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