Squirrel Hunting

My favorite small game quarry is squirrel.

In my state,the season is long from Sept 1st to the last day of February. 8 for the daily bag limit and 40 for the season.

Hunter orange required to be worn.

My go to gun for that game is my old (very) Savage Model 24 22lr/410 O/U

Anyone else here hunt squirrels???

Wayne

Hi Wayne, I used to get about 35-40 squirrels a year. I lost my white walnuts 2 years ago so I only see 10-15 a year now. I still have Chestnut trees so I'm expecting them soon. I use an air rifle with a scope as I'm close to the road. Air rifles are a challenge as you need a head shot or a fall out of a tall tree to kill cleanly. It does sharpen the rifle skills. I was going to try a muzzle loader but I wanted a traditional squirrel rifle in a flintlock. After being jerked around by Dixie Gunworks I gave up. Good luck, Mike

Wayne:

Like I said earlier, I have plenty of squirrels right now but it’s still a little warm to walk through the woods. It got to 99 today.

I’ve got several Bois ‘d Arc trees around close and the squirrels have been tearing into the horse apples.

I use the exact same gun you do. Model 24 .22lr/.410 over & under. It belonged to my Grandfather.

Coach

Mike,
Are you anywhere near The Beast of Bray Road is in Elk Horn,Wisconsin? Better watch out for it while squirrel hunting!!!!!

Coach,
It is amazing that those old single shot configurations just keep on going through generations of hunters.

Simple as can be and rock solid. I have seen some that I swear have ridden in the truck beds of pick ups and they still work no matter how banged up they may be.

Wayne

Wayne:

I remember this model 24 riding in my grandfather’s 1949 Ford pickup 60 years ago right next to the gear shift stick. It never got scratched up. It is still in good shape.

Coach

there appears to be a lot of squirrel hunters out there!!1
How about some of your favorite recipes??


:-)Rocky

I fry the cat squirrels like chicken.

I make a stew with the fox squirrels.

Coach...

A local restaurant was put out of business some years back because the health department discovered they were making some dishes with cats....

Larry

^ Ever notice that certain restaurants are always near a pet store?

I truly enjoy squirrel hunting. I used to have a cat who enjoyed the same. He would hunt with me.

Mindelsee,
Ummm,that cat.......does it point and retrieve???

From what I understand,grey squirrels are pretty much underharvested,at least in my area.

I am probably the only one still hunting squirrels (or anything for that matter) in February..
i do know that the ladies down south know how to really prepare squirrel and I understand that squirrel gray is really great.

Wayne

That cat is long dead. It was the best hunter, ever. It was an outside cat. It hunted with me. I loved that cat. It loved me.

We have red and grey squirrels, in Ohio.

One takes, what one gets.

I will say this,..I have never seen anyone else ever state, say, post, that they ever hunted with a cat. Lilly, yes that was his name, was the best hunter I have ever known. He took down full size rabbits, and pheasants, on his own. He would always bring them to us. RIP, Lilly.

I have 2 Savage 24V in 222/20ga, the kind that turkey hunters like, but will definitely kill a deer as well. I had my gunsmith replace the Buckhorn sights with a Skinner peep sight and with my aging eyesight,made a huge difference. I also have a couple of Savage 720 shotguns where Savage used the Browning A5 patent. The Savage 720 in 16 and 12 Guage are possibly even better than the Belgium made Brownings. Made in Utica NY.

Pap

A first for me and it reminds of the Johnny Cash classic A boy named Sue

Welcome to the forum.
You are a fascinating addition!

I had a female cat when I lived in McCall, a totally outside cat, that twice, brought me a full size grouse. She was something else. When my 2 dogs would smell dog pee on my truck tire, they would pee on my tire, and then the cat did too. She slept in the dog house with my younger border collie. Great cat.

Pap

Cats are natural born hunters,always on the prowl for what ever.

I have several feral cats that hang around outside that I feed twice a day.

They know exactly what time I come out to put out their food.

Wayne

I was just talking with neighbors yesterday that are in the process of cleaning out her 90 grandfather's house after he vacated the place to live in an assisted living setup.

They are feeding feral cats outside of the place so that the cats hang around to keep the rodents at bay.

Squirrel Hunting is one of the most UNDERATED activities in the world!!!!

thought we were talking about cats....

:-)Rocky

Re: "...thought we were talking about squirrel hunting."

It is a mixed conversation!

Notice that the cat lovers are not talking about hunting cats.

[Not that I would, and, yes, we have had a couple of super cats in the family.]

Larry

99 here today on August 52nd.

I’ve got 4 squirrels out in the yard but I’m afraid they would spoil before I could dress ‘em!

I've been forced lately, to keep my squirrel hunting local....

:-)Rocky

Rocky,
That looks to be a nice harvest. How do you cook them??

Wayne

I let the Opossums figure that out....they typically like a 2 day rest before removal...
I've got no use for them....they however, appear to fancy my attic....therefore I retire as many as I possibly can...I will drive off the road, if I think I have a chance of running one over!!

:-)Rocky

Rocky,
Squirrels tend to like attics and crawl spaces. Close off the openings and that should,hopefully,take care of the problem.

Squirrels are excellent table fare and if you get enough of them and collect their tails,you can send the tails to Mepps Lure Company as they use the tail fur in their lures.

Wayne

well darn....I could have helped make 1,000's of lures...


:-)Rocky

Geeee Wayne....why didn't I think of that......DUH....I've been doing that for 25 years....I even had an enclosed gutter system installed....I've gone through a new roof....I've shot them as they emerged from my house, I've shot them(head shot) as they peek out of my gutters(prior to the new) I simply kill every one I see....still doesn't work....I received flying squirrels a few years back....as they are nocturnal, I have no recourse for them...I would be willing to bet, that if you removed EVERY squirrel within a one square mile area around my house, I'd have them back in my attic within a month...I had to start using a noise machine to cover their noise...I would have to say, that in the past 10 years(maybe more)...I've killed way over 100....probably closer to 200...My daily record is 5...the photo, with 2 in it....that's the exact way they fell.....shot 1, then a few minuets later another climbed up the same tree, on the same limb....blamo!!! I killed 4 that day...
sorry for the sarcasm...sometimes I get a little testy on this matter

:-)Rocky

Rocky,
No sarcasm there,it seems that you have a very serious problem.

Gosh! I wish there were that many squirrels in the forest where I hunt them!!

I have a number on my property and see many on the way to the forest,but nary a one in the forest!!!

Maybe they all moved out to your place???

Hope all goes well with your problem.

Wayne

Wayne:

I've had the same thing happen. At any given time, there are 2-3 squirrels on the ground in my yard. I have seen over a dozen before.

If I go out into the woods, there are not near as many, sometimes I dont see any. Go figure!

Coach

Coach,
After squirrel season,I then change my game to hunting coyotes (open season all year here).

No sooner do I sit down on my special stand (flat rock with a small LL Bean inflatable cushion) in less than 15 minutes squirrels all over the place.

I am certain that the squirrels have the game manual that lists the season dates.

Last week while I was out on my squirrel safari,the woods were dead still which indicated to me that some predators were on the prowl near by.

I did not see any coyotes and we do have a SERIOUS coyote problem here. Wed do have a rabbit season here but they are few and far between due to the coyotes.

Wayne

I'm in a squirrel vortex!!!
I have killed and killed and killed, and they just keep coming....

:-)Rocky

Rocky,
For some reason there has to be SOMETHING that is attracting those varmits into your area.
OK,you have sealed up your house and they still get in. I am sure you did this,but those critters can get through the smallest opening but double or triple check just in case.

Are there any safe squirrel repellents available? Ones that will not harm your children or pets?

Did you check with your state wildlife agency to see if they have any solutions??

Just some thoughts to help you out.

I only wish I had those problems with those squirrels in the woods.

Wayne

I think they lay down a scent that others can follow....I'm not into all the additional work you refer to.....AND It's of course in my bedroom area that they enter....I just kill kill kill....that's about it...it's me against them....one thing that has disappeared are their nests....they do no build them within shooting distance anymore...in the past, I've shot them in the nest, only to have them die, hanging over the side....a beautiful experience....I have little else to do, so I think that if they were not here, I'd suffer a depression....AND...I'm used to my sound machine...

:-)Rocky

Rocky,
It seems to me that you are experiencing something like the Road Runner VS Wiley Coyote.

You come up with something,they counter it.

Well,I guess some folks need a hobby.

I prefer to hunt my squirrels in the woods and they do a great job avoiding me.

Wayne

My son and I are going squirrel hunting this Friday night. I was getting things together for the hunt and realized that I am taking an 8-4 'trout and bird' knife with me.

Honestly! Isn't it about time us squirrel hunters had a specific, Randall Made, "Squirrel Knife?"

Well,..I have an idea about that. Perhaps a trout and bird style knife with a slightly thinner blade? I would want a lower hilt....

Anyone else up for this...

A thinner bladed knife like a 7, but shorter (4") blade like an 8, with a single hilt and finger grooves?....Maybe an old style trout and bird, with a hilt? I am just throwing this out there,...

Personally, I think the Model 8 is the perfect squirrel or small game knife. Use the sharpened back part of the blade to cut bones and joints and save the main blade for flesh.

Pap

sounds like good info form a prudent squirrel processer!!

:-)Rocky

Well stated Rocky! And Pappy!
Walker

BTW.....took out another one yesterday.....
I'm confident that I could live on the protein from squirrels alone, and never leave my 3/4 acre lot...I wouldn't have squirrel every day BUT I'm confident I'd have it 3x week

:-)Rocky

I have both the old Model 8 and the newer Model 8. I prefer the older model as it has a thinner blade.

Although this is not a Randall Knife,check out the A G Russell Woodswalker. With the back pocket sheath it is a very handy item.

I was going to go on a squrrel safri this morning but it is a heavy,steady rain so I cancelled.

No sense in going out when all the critters will be hunkered down.

Wayne

It was very dark, and cold, early in the day, yesterday. We had about 2 hours of hunting before sunset...cold-40's- and the sun came out late. Nothing was moving. We never scared anything up. We did find a great set of hickory trees, though. Nuts everywhere, on the ground. Including lots of sign of squirrel activity. We are going to set up there next week.

I must say, though, a bad evening hunting, with my son, beats almost anything. His comment was that a bad day hunting squirrel beats being hunted by Taliban, in the hills of Afghanistan.

I, too, have a bunch of hickories, with one right close to my front porch that is at least 200 yrs. old and the squirrels have been cutting since Aug. My home was built sometime in the 1800s, no one seems to know when. Last fall, I picked up over 30 gallons out of the hull and the squirrels got everyone is less than 2 months off my front porch.

Sidney,
Sounds like the squirrels know where to get their food.

Everytime I pass through Virginia,I cannot help but look at all those hills and think what great squirrel hunting must be there!!!

Seems that every week I go out on my "squirrel safari",there are more squirrels in my front yard than they forest!!!

Maybe if I close my eyes...they won't see me???

Wayne

Wayne

I have 3 big pear trees. They were loaded this year. Between the squirrels, ‘coons, possums, and deer, they cleaned them out in a week.

Coach,
Looks like they know just where to go for the good stuff!!!

Wayne

They like peaches too!

We had an episode out here today. We were sitting on the porch and saw it all.

A Red tailed hawk caught a squirrel out of a nest. The squirrel put up a fight and the hawk had to go to the ground with it.

Ole Ricky saw it and took off on a dead run. There was a big tussle when he got there. Evidently, the hawk didn’t want to give up the squirrel but Ricky was too much for the hawk. Ricky came trotting up in a minute with the squirrel and enjoyed him for dinner.

The hawk lit in a close by tree and we got a good long look at him which was a treat. The hawk flew off when Ricky finished off the squirrel.

Now that would be a sight to see for sure.
Walker

Coach,
May I take Ricky squirrel hunting with me?? He is a darn sight better at it than I am!!!!

That incident had to be something else!!!!

Wayne

He'll eat your squirrels!!

:-)Rocky