Squirrel hunting anyone ?

[charlie sherrill]

I still like to hunt them and rabbits, I just do it a little slower than I used to. I usually see them the most when I'm up in the deer stand. If I kill it I eat it. Right now I'm waiting for a little cooler weather and for the bots fly larva to leave the squirrels.

 

[Fishinfool]

Been out at least one day each week since the season opened last month here in PA. Tree rat in a crock pot is a favorite. Got a couple with the scoped 617, most with a full stock 10/22. Carried my Winchester model 52 target rifle out the other day - It did the job, but the 10/22 is a lot lighter to carry.

TIP if you are a predator hunter - A squirrel tail hung with monofilament fishing line from a branch or twig in the breeze makes an excellent attractant. Coyote and fox will key in on the tail's movement, taking their attention maybe off you. Killer when combined with an electric caller.

Larry

 

[Greyman50]

LOL, 20 years ago when hunting in mountains of Va. was in deer stand several times when tree rats would climb the tree and find me. They would start their “ cussing chatter” and scurry down and go to next tree. One time had a coon start up the tree. That would have been real interesting.

 

[Farmer17]

My dad grew up very poor and use to love shooting them for food just like he did growing up in Tulsa. He was crack shot with his Remington M12 .22 pump and also very good with his other gun, a Winchester M12 16 gauge and he thought the pump action firearm was the only kind to own, no others were needed. I tasted one once and never had the desire again.

 

[lihpster]

LOL, 20 years ago when hunting in mountains of Va. was in deer stand several times when tree rats would climb the tree and find me. They would start their “ cussing chatter” and scurry down and go to next tree. One time had a coon start up the tree. That would have been real interesting.

Dad was on a deer hunt, sitting at the base of a tree, watching a meadow. Suddenly he hears something and sees movement out of the corner of his eye. A porcupine that was in the tree somewhere decided to go a foraging. He crawled down the tree, crawled right over my dad and went on his way. Never knew he was there.

 

[llowry61]

LOL, 20 years ago when hunting in mountains of Va. was in deer stand several times when tree rats would climb the tree and find me. They would start their “ cussing chatter” and scurry down and go to next tree. One time had a coon start up the tree. That would have been real interesting.

Never had a squirrel in the same tree, but I did have a small flying squirrel come screaming through the trees at first light and almost land on me. It startled him as much as it did me. I jumped so hard almost fell out of the stand. Till then I had never even seen a flying squirrel. They are little squirts a bit bigger than a chipmunk.

 

[Skeet 028]

Grew up on the Eastern Shore of Md. Money was scarce. My mother and her sisters grew up in the depression era. So I did the squirrel rabbit and anything else hunting. Caught squabs for my grandmother. Started squirrel in 1957..at 10.. go squirrel hunting before school...I got a lot of squirrels sitting in my favorite pieces of woods. I'd ride my bike out early. One place was just run over with 'em. Every mornin when I came out of the woods I'd have at least 4...Darn game warden waiting too. He said boy...how in hell do you get so many skwerls?? Well we ate 'em...and it was good to have 'em. My secret to getting so many squirrels. I had an 8 ft 2x8 back in there..put big ol nails in it and stick an ear of corn on em...It was legal for squirrels. Weren't supposed to feed the ducks though. Once I started to have to ride the bus to high school...I had to quit.. not nuff time fore the bus. Hunted them on the farm in the 70s-80s bought 3 Rem 513 Ts from DCM for cheap. Cut one down. put a 2x7 Redfield on it. never missed one with it. Gave it away when we moved here

 

[pharman]

Got one with my truck...IT was delicious...

I absolutely enjoy pan fried squirrel...ONLY one thing better than a pan fried squirrel are 2 pan fried squirrels...one day last year I was driving into town and a big fat fox squirrel ran out into the road ahead of me...I swerved to miss it BUT did not...I could see that I hit it in my rear view mirror...so I stopped to get it and as my luck would have it that squirrel was not hardly damaged at all...took it home and skinned it and ate it the next day...absolutely delicious...my Daughter found out about it and said "Dad I can NOT believe you ate that "road kill" squirrel...I told her what difference does it matter how you kill it, why let it go to the vultures...yes squirrel is my favorite wild game...Roger

 

[Faulkner]

Never had a squirrel in the same tree, but I did have a small flying squirrel come screaming through the trees at first light and almost land on me. It startled him as much as it did me. I jumped so hard almost fell out of the stand. Till then I had never even seen a flying squirrel. They are little squirts a bit bigger than a chipmunk.

That's funny. I had a similar experience in the big woods of south Arkansas a few years back. I was all camouflaged up and leaning against a big beech tree at sunup with a .410 side by side and a Ruger MKII in a holster waiting on the fox squirrels to come out of their nests to feed. In another huge beech tree in front of my I noticed several small squirrels, which I eventually identified as flying squirrels, were scampering about. After few minutes I noticed one of them jump out of the tree from way up and sail off to my left and land on the ground and start scrounging around for acorns. I looked back up and another one bailed out in my direction. I was fascinated as it sailed down in slow motion in my direction . . . until that sucker came in and landed squarely on my chest. Now, I'm a deep water Baptist and we don't dance but I had some pretty impressive moves that morning as I was flailing around trying to that critter off me that seemed determined to cling on for the ride.

After the full 8 second ride with me waving around and trying to pull it off it finally, of it's own accord, bailed off me onto the tree I was standing next to and scurried up out of sight. After catching my breath I took stock of the situation and found my shotgun laying on the ground about 15 feet away and I had drawn my Ruger pistol. What I intended to do with the pistol I have no idea as shooting it off my chest probably wasn't an option unless it started to crawl up towards my face. Took a good 10 minutes for my heart rate to return to normal.

 

[alwslate]

I used to love to squirrel hunt when I was in my teens. Loved it but as I got older all I wanted to do was deer hunt. As mentioned above I found the easiest way to kill squirrels was from a tree stand during Deer season with my Ruger std model .22 auto.

 

[Skeet 028]

I'm going to tell on myself...I was once deer Huning with my bow Early morning..about 15 feet up a tree in my stand..About 35-40 feet away a big ol squirrel was coming down the tree. He saw me move or something. upside down squalling at me making one heck of a racket. Went on for about 5-6 minutes. LOUD...wasn't anything gonna get close to that part of the woods... so...I drew the bow and shot the darn thing. He was about as high as I was too. . Stuck to the tree...with my arrow...the expensive arrow...the 5 dollar broadhead on the arrow.. Felt a bit like the idiot that I was...but he just wouldn't leave or shut up.. ...so I had to climb back down the tree...move my stand...Go to the truck...get a saw to cut some limbs off the squirrel tree...get back on the stand..xlimb up...saw limb...climb up some more cut limb get up tree to arrow.. unscrew the shaft from 5 dollar broadhead...well ya'll know where this is going...took almost an hour to get my now 2 dollar broadhead out of the tree...and when I ate that squirrel he was one of the toughest darn things I ever ate. The only thing I think I thought about was he sounded about like my 1st wife when she was fired up...Red headed women.