NJ Man Faces 6 Months in Prison for...Shooting Squirrels in Backyard With BB Gun

A New Jersey man was having problems with squirrels entering his Linden home through a hole. In order to stop them, he killed a few with his BB gun and hung them on his fence, like a warning to pirates entering a port.

Now Richard Baird is facing $250 to $1,000 in fines and up to six months in jail under animal cruelty charges.

According to MyFoxNY, police say the 49-year-old man baited the squirrels by putting peanut butter on his tree, at which point he shot them when they approached it. Police are unsure exactly why Baird hung the squirells on his fence. Six squirrels were found hanging, while a few others were on the ground.

Baird told the authorities he had tried to cover the hole into his house but it wasn't effective at keeping the critters out.

NewJersy.com reports Baird's court summons is issued for June 26.

[H/t CBS Local]