New Jersey Man Shoots Squirrels With BB Gun and Hangs Them on Backyard Fence

A New Jersey man frustrated with squirrels sneaking into his home through a hole he continually patched shot the squirrels with a BB gun and hung them on his fence. The six squirrels presumably hanging on the wooden fence as a warning to other furry creatures to stay away landed Richard Baird in hot water with local law enforcement, The Blaze reports.

Additional squirrels were found dead on the ground when police officers arrived at Baird’s Linden, New Jersey home.

Baird now faces moderate fines and six months in jail due to local animal cruelty laws. FoxNY reports that Baird lured the squirrels to his backyard by smearing peanut butter on a tree. He stood ready with his handy BB gun and shot the squirrels as they ventured into the open to lick the peanut butter.

Baird’s legal troubles began after a concerned neighbor called the local board of health with an animal cruelty complaint. Baird told police officers that he repeatedly tried to keep the hole which led into his home covered with a piece of metal, but the squirrels kept getting inside, so he shot them with his BB gun.

Linden Police Lt. James Sarnicki told New Jersey News the entire incident was “bizarre.” Initially police officers thought the dead squirrels hanging from the fence were the result of juvenile mischief until Baird admitted he was the culprit.

If convicted when he appears in the Linden Municipal Court later this month, the judge can levy a fine, jail time and 30 days of community service at an animal shelter against Baird for shooting the squirrels with his BB gun.