When I was a ranger at Live oak Park in Fallbrook,CA. we had a massive ground squirrel infestation. They undermined everything and were loaded with fleas. We had poison bait boxes in the park,but when my supervisor loaded the boxes at the wrong time and ended up killing 3 barn owlets,I'd had enough.
I took the front end loader and removed all the bait boxes. My supervisor wanted to know what I was going to do now. I bought some sub-sonic .22 ammo and loaded up my target rifle. Quieter than an airgun.
Went out every afternoon after the park closed and nailed those suckers.Pretty soon I had a Red Shoulder Hawk pouncing on the carcasses as soon as they were shot. It got to the point that when I left the house with the rifle,the hawk would land in the oak tree over my head,give a little whistle, then follw me as I drove the truck around, ready to ponce on his next catered meal.
To be fair and to tie in the music,I usually sang Tom Lehrer's"Poisoning Pigeons in the Park" as I went my appointed rounds.
rr