Connie  --  Youâre quite right.  Unfortunately, here in what I call the âplastic worldâ of the east coast, the lead solution is forbidden.   The .410 shotgun would be the ideal solution, but even slingshots are outlawed in Fairfax County.  The animal rights people rule!  The result is that we are overrun with squirrels, deer and, even, now, coyotes!  If only we could get the coyotes to develop a taste for squirrels!

 

Take a look at this excerpt from the Fairfax County website:   âFairfax County is home to a diverse range of wildlife species . . . This information is intended to serve as a resource to educate and empower the human residents of Fairfax County with knowledge about our wild neighbors.â  This replaces earlier wording which instructed residents that we must live in âpeaceful coexistenceâ (yes, really!) with our animal neighbors, including the skunks which dug a den under your patio.  (Youâre still not allowed to disturb the skunks.)  --  Griff