Time for some squirrel hunting.

[Faulkner]

Did a test run with my new stealth squirrel rifle this morning and it did just fine. First time I've hunted with a suppressed firearm and I can tell you that the squirrels paid almost no attention to it. I had been deer hunting with no luck so I went back to the truck and cased my Ruger M77 MKII .30-06 pulled out my new .22 rifle. I slipped back down into some hardwood bottoms where I'd seen several fox and gray squirrels feeding in the oak trees.

Being decked out in hunter orange I knew I had to find a place to sit a spell so they'd kind of get used to me, so I picked two large oak trees covered in acorns and moved off about 30 yards and squatted down by a big hickory tree. After about 15 minutes I started to see some movement in the tree tops, there still being a good deal of leaves on the trees in the Ozarks I didn't have a clear view of the tops. I noticed a fox squirrel first, he was way up in the top shaking loose some acorns and I figured he'd head down the tree eventually and pick 'em up off the ground. Sure enough, after a bit he started working his way down. About half way down he pounced out on a limb next to the tree truck and I was ready for him. With a light "pop" from the suppressed rifle I could here the sub-sonic round when it hit the squirrel in the head . . . the impact of the bullet was actually louder that the report from the .22 rifle. The squirrel dropped straight to the ground.

As soon as the first one hit the ground it seemed the woods were alive with other squirrels barking and chattering and running about. Within 10-15 seconds I put the crosshairs on one gray and dropped it, then shifted targets and took down another one. I got in a hurry and fired at another gray as it was running down a limb but I missed, it jumped to another tree and I saw it run in a hole. Just a few seconds later I heard something on the ground behind me and I eased around the tree and put the crosshairs on yet another gray and squeezed the trigger. Again, there was a slight "pop" from the suppressed round and a louder "thump" as the round hit the squirrel.

At this point, in less than a minute I had four squirrels down and that's about all I wanted to skin this morning. I stood up and could still see several more that were in the tree tops out of range. I'm thinking normally, with an unsuppressed .22 rifle, they all would have been hunkered down by then. I went to gather my game and could only locate three of the four. I found blood where it hit the ground but search as I may I never could find it, no telling where it crawled off to.

Ruger 10/22 Takedown LITE with Barska 3-9x40 scope and a HTA Guardian SS suppressor, using Remington sub-sonic hollow points.

 

[Ozark Marine]

Great set up you have. I have been shooting them all summer in my back yard with a Daisy .177 pellet pump rifle. Only good for about 50 ft, but fun to wack them tree rats.

 

[shouldazagged]

MAN, I miss squirrel hunting! And rabbit hunting, and dove shoots, and varmints, and...

Just not physically able anymore. But I remember one foggy morning taking a limit of six aquirrels from one huge old beech tree, with a non-suppressed Marlin 39A and high-velocity ammo, in a little over half an hour. It seemed the fog damped the report of the rifle--it had an oddly flat sound.

I hadn't thought about that in years, Faulkner, thanks.

 

[pharman]

Questions please

Congrats on the nice squirrels...my favorite wild game. Two questions on your rifle set-up:

1) does the semi-auto 10/22 cycle OK with the subsonic ammo?

2) why do you need subsonic ammo if you have a suppressor?

Just curious please...Thanks

 

[Faulkner]

Shouldazagged, I rather hunt squirrels than any other game, but I don't seem to get out and do it as much as I used to.

One of my favorite squirrel hunts was with my Browning BL-22 lever gun and taking a limit of 8 fox squirrels in short order on the side of hill in a hard wood stand of trees. It must have been an old home place years ago because there was a huge pecan tree at the in the middle of the trees and it was covered in squirrels. I remember it was the first time I hunted with CCI Stingers and they were putting down the squirrels.

 

[Faulkner]

Congrats on the nice squirrels...my favorite wild game. Two questions on your rifle set-up:

1) does the semi-auto 10/22 cycle OK with the subsonic ammo?

2) why do you need subsonic ammo if you have a suppressor?

Just curious please...Thanks

Yes, most semi-auto .22's work just fine with subsonic ammo unless you use the real slow stuff like CCI Quiet. I've used CCI, Remington, Winchester, and Gemtech subsonic .22 LR ammo in both of my 10/22's and my half dozen .22 semi auto pistols and I've never had a problem.

Although a suppressor will reduce the dB of high velocity and hyper velocity ammo, being super sonic you still get a bit of a "crack" when the bullet leaves the barrel. To get the most out of a .22 suppressor using subsonic will eliminate the sonic "crack". I notice when I use subsonic ammo the bolt cycling and the bullet hitting the target is usually louder than the report.

 

[S&W ucla]

why do you need subsonic ammo if you have a suppressor?

If the bullet is supersonic when it leaves the barrel (over~1040 fps), you get the sonic crack of the bullet as it goes downrange. Nothing any suppressor can do about that. It helps with muzzle blast but not with crack. With subsonic ammo, you don't have that crack, and properly setup- VERY QUIET!

Faulkner, you beat me with a reply because I was typing subsonically! LOL Nice rig you have there, squirrels are great fun in the autumn woods!

 

[charlie sherrill]

Skin them, cut them in half, roll them in flout, fry them like you would chicken. Pour off a bunch of the cooking oil leaving only a small covering in the bottom of the skillet and sprinkle about a half cup of flour into the oil to start the gravy. Stir constantly until it browns. Add about 3 1/2 cups of water (keep stirring) and whatever seasoning you like and one can of mushroom soup. When it looks good and tastes good put the fried squirrels in a crock pot, pressure cooker, or stock pot and tenderize. Accessorize (cooked separately) with green beans, whole kernel corn, greens, English peas, etc. Cook a pot of rice, preferably Basmatic. Biscuits, preferably homemade cat head. Wash down with your favorite libation. Eat yourself into a coma.

 

[shouldazagged]

Shouldazagged, I rather hunt squirrels than any other game, but I don't seem to get out and do it as much as I used to.

One of my favorite squirrel hunts was with my Browning BL-22 lever gun and taking a limit of 8 fox squirrels in short order on the side of hill in a hard wood stand of trees. It must have been an old home place years ago because there was a huge pecan tree at the in the middle of the trees and it was covered in squirrels. I remember it was the first time I hunted with CCI Stingers and they were putting down the squirrels.

It was my favorite too, though I loved it all and lived for the opening of dove season. I always went into the woods before first light, wearing full camouflage, and started off sitting in a place I knew had bushytails. I've had a chipmunk hop up on the toe of my boot and look me over, and chickadees perch a foot and a half from my head. Once a huge, very old skunk, so old he was rusty brown and his face was white, came ambling straight toward me. He obviously didn't see me, so I wondered what would happen if he stepped on me; but at the last minute he veered off and trudged away.

Faulkner, you've put me into some very pleasant (but probably boring to other people) time travel.

The peace, watching the woods come to life as the light dawned, was medicine for my spirit.

 

[SC_Mike]

When my buddy and I squirrel hunt we come back with more stories than meat.

I guess that's the way it should be.

 

[Faulkner]

My lovely wife fixed up one of my favorite meals after church today. She pressure cooked the squirrel meat to get it tender then she pan fried 'em. We had mashed potatoes, a tossed salad, some of my parents canned bread 'n butter pickles, homemade biscuits, and sweet iced tea.

 

[Lt JL]

I use a Ruger Mark III Target with a GemTech can on it, and CCI subsonic to protect my bird feeders. It's harder with the pistol, and a little louder, and I have to be closer, of course. Now, when I open the back slider, those tree rats scatter. I don't even get a shot anymore. I think they moved down the road to my neighbor's feeders. If they just stay in my oak trees I don't bother them.

 

[Jessie]

Yes sir, I agree with shouldazagged.
It spurred memories.
My first hunts were with my Dad and Grandpa hunting squirrels.
I developed a love of hunting them with a good .22.
Some of my best days were spent doing that.
I intend to do some more of it now that I've been reminded of what fun it was. Thanks!
Faulkner, that's a tasty looking plate!

 

[CajunBass]

I think of all the hunting I ever did, squirrel hunting was my favorite. A lot of times, it was "catch and release." I'd get them in my sights, think "BANG" and lower the rifle. No skinning that way.

When we lived up in Spottsylvania, I could just walk out back and be hunting in one minute. I did have sort of a sanctuary around the house that was off limits, but once outside that, it was game on.

At church one Sunday morning my wife said something about fixing squirrel. A young woman from California asked her, "Where do you buy squirrels?" My wife (and I) looked at her like she was from Mars. "You don't buy squirrels," my wife explained. "You shoot them." Confused look on Cali Girls face..."But who inspects the meat?" I spoke up up.."I do." Cali girls husband then said, "Oh, don't pay any attention to her. She won't even eat chicken that has bones in it."

To her credit, Cali Girl took the ribbing pretty well. She knew we all thought she was a bit silly, but loved her anyway. She drew herself up, sort of stamped her foot, and said, "WELL...I'll just come down there, run through the woods yelling RUN LITTLE SQUIRRELS...RUN!!." I looked up and said, "Oh, don't that. They'll just die tired."

The room cracked up with laughter, including Cali Girl.

I think I got a couple of pictures.





Rifle is a Ruger 77/22.

 

[Faulkner]

What does squirrel meat taste like? I've always wanted to try it!

Tastes like, well, squirrel. It's dark meat, kind of reminds me of eating a turkey drumstick. Like any wild game you need to know what you're doing to prepare it. My wife likes to pressure cook squirrel first to tenderize the meat, usually seasons it then with a little salt and crushed black pepper. Then you batter it like fried chicken and pan fry it and I sprinkle a bit of Cajun seasoning on it right out of the frying pan.

My grandmother used to make squirrel & dumplings. It was all the rage at any family or church pot luck but I never cared for it, but then, I don't care for chicken & dumplings either.

 

[model70hunter]

I've eaten them both with and without the pressure cooker. Pressure them. You are talking a woods olympic gymnast, lots of tree climbing in shape muscle.

reading Charlie's post was like watching mom cook dinner except we had smashed taters and a veggie from the root cellar she had canned.

 

[David LaPell]

I can't wait to get pack to small game hunting, squirrels, rabbits, and hoping grouse.
I have a 10/22 Ruger but that's the wife gun, my squirrel and small game rifle is my old Remington Model 33 single shot. I got it back in 1999-2000 or so and since then this thing has killed more furry critters than the local highway. I imagine squirrels are nearing triple digits.

I originally had a Weaver 3/4 inch tube that was a fixed 4x but then I found a Weaver 3/4 inch scope that's a 3-6 power that had a wider reticle and has been on it ever since. I tend to use standard velocity .22 LR ammo for squirrels and they do the job really well. It's taken everything up to a nice sized woodchuck but that was using a CCI Minimag.







Last year I bagged one too a little unconventionally, I got this one while before deer season with my Model 39.