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Squirrel Hunting SOS

BullzeyeBullzeye Member Posts: 3,560
edited February 2002 in General Discussion
I'm starting to lose my patience here.I've been out for the last two days trying for squirrels, but I've come up with just about jack.I think I've maybe seen one or two both days. Never got a shot off either time.I'm being reeeealllly quiet, and I'm usually there from like 11-3 or so.I know the little rodents are there (lord knows I hit em with my car enough), but am I doing something wrong here?If anyone's got any sage advice to offer, I'd be very grateful.
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Comments

  • badboybobbadboybob Member Posts: 1,658 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    11 to 3? You need to find the feeding times of your local squirrels. Where I am they're all taking a siesta then.
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  • sandman2234sandman2234 Member Posts: 894 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    Just before the sun starts down till right at dark around here, the squirrels are driving my dogs crazy. Shortcut is thru the backyard, and it is a challenge for them to get home without getting eaten by man's best friend. Good luck.
    Have Gun, will travel
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  • Judge DreadJudge Dread Member Posts: 2,372 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Just have an "expert" prepare you a batch ofnitro iodine (wet state ) dose some nuts with it and put on hollow tree were the vermin usualy roam about (be sure area isinaccesible to humans or pets )and properlytagged with warning sings , watch the critersblow up to heavens (Usualy nothing left to worry about) (be sure to fill out class IIIforms and papers ) Remember the FEDS. A lot of work but fun to watch !
    I judge Thee!, Not for what you are , but for what you say !
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  • gunnutgunnut Member Posts: 724 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    get up before sunrise, slip into the woods with that trusty ol' 22 with a handful of your favorite fodder. Find a nice tree and have a seat. The will come alive alittle after sunrise. I have found it best to shoot them, and remember where they fell and pick up several at one time vrs getting up and walking to them after each shot.Hope this helps
    ~Secret Select Society Of Suave Stylish Smoking Jackets~
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  • RosieRosie Member Posts: 14,525 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Now gunnut knows how to hunt squirrels! If you hunt with anything other than a .22 hand gun though it's not very sporting. Rosie
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  • arthur wellingarthur welling Member Posts: 66 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    I agrre with the rest of them... early morn end later evening are best, just like when hunting deer.A word of advice.... it can take a bit of sitting to wait out the squirrels.I allow 30 minutes of sitting there without twitching, waiting for the squirrels to come out in force, before I will give up on a spot and move.Chances are good they saw you arrive and hid. Now you have to wait them out, wait for them to forget about you.
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  • gunnutgunnut Member Posts: 724 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Yep, rosie's right huntin the big rats with a pistol is a hoot. Ruger makes several models that are fine squril pistolas, However I tend to favor my Browning for the task. Opps left out the High Standards fine,fine,fine,
    ~Secret Select Society Of Suave Stylish Smoking Jackets~
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  • robsgunsrobsguns Member Posts: 4,581 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    Yep, everyone above is correct, 'cept they left just one thing out, tell everyone that cares youre going deer hunting, and take your favorite deer gun along, just to fool the squirrels, and when you have everyone convinced that you're actually out there hunting deer, the squirrels will practically be running you over in no time at all.
    SSgt Ryan E. Roberts, USMC
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  • 7mm_ultra_mag_is_king7mm_ultra_mag_is_king Member Posts: 676 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    little lesson I learned from bow hunting big brown squirrels with fuzzy white tails(wink wink) dress in full blown forest floor head to toe and use a face mask, you need a good .22 and sneak. a buddy of mine sits and watches trees for hours. I take a 1 hour walk and got my limit. Just sneak nice and quiet, when you see them freeze they don't know what you are and will go about their business. and then POP!
    when all else fails........................[This message has been edited by 7mm_ultra_mag_is_king (edited 11-23-2001).]
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  • travelortravelor Member Posts: 442 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Gunnut's right....some where I posted a storry explaining how a hillbilly taught me to squirel hunt. Don't move after the first drops, just mark the spot, and watch...Pretty soon, all his buddies will pop their heads out to see what the ruckus was....Bang! you got another...
    keep lots of extra uppers for your ar..you can change often enough to keep the thing from over heating...what ever caliber fits the moment..~Secret Select Society of Suave Stylish Smoking Jackets~
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  • alledanalledan Member Posts: 19,541
    edited November -1
    I always carry about fifty feet of strong twine or nylon cord [small diameter] with me when I go out huntin for them.I got tired of chasing the squirrel around the tree when he sees me and goes to the other side. I take the twine/cord and tie it to a bush or sapling and go to the other side of the tree. When the critter goes to the side where i have tied off I tug on the twine/cord a few good hard jerks. When the squirrel runs from all the noise back to my side I blast him. This saves a lot of moving about.But recently the squirrel hunting around here has been tainted.When I see this sneaky little * I go to an area far away to hunt.
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  • He DogHe Dog Member Posts: 51,447 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    The old fellow that taught me squirrel hunting also hunted in the early morning. He used an old iron sighted .22 single shot. He said you have to shoot them through the eye, because otherwise you waste meant, and they haven't got a lot to waste.
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  • Matt45Matt45 Member Posts: 3,185
    edited November -1
    Ain't allowed to shoot no Squirrily critters up here in WA State. Tried one once though, shoot him on the basis of he was in my attic.(This ain't no critter motel!) and the dang thing tasted like a pine tree...YECCHH.When I was down South though..I gotta agree, a 10/22 and early in the morn always limited me out.
    Reserving my Right to Arm Bears!!!!
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  • CAndres35CAndres35 Member Posts: 453 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    thge first lesson you must learn is that when you go sit in the woods to plink a squirrel is that you need to make a noise like a hickory nut!!!! I have nailed 65 so for this year with my trustee 10/22. we have both the grey and fox and i usually get a few more greys than fox squirrels. this is my favorite hunting,even better than deer hunting and the season lasts a lot longer.
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  • sig-mansig-man Member Posts: 591 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Accidentally leave some peanut butter on a stump or tree, you should have your limit in no time...
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  • BullzeyeBullzeye Member Posts: 3,560
    edited November -1
    Thanks for the advice, guys.I finally got one the other day. It was only one though, largely because it was a lousy shot on my part.I winged him in the right rear leg and he jumped off the tree and started twisting about and hissing to beat the band. I figured he was going to crawl away unless I did something so I ran to him and put him away for good.By then, of course, every other squirrel in the woods had seen me get up. It was almost 9:00 by then anyway, so I called it a day.Some other quick questions though: Is camo really important when squirrel hunting? Is there any real point in using .22 hollowpoints or small-sized bird shot? (I've heard of people using both.)P.S- One other thing!! If anyone's got any ideas on how to preserve a squirrel tail without taking it to a taxidermist, I'd love to know.[This message has been edited by Bullzeye (edited 11-25-2001).]
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  • LightningLightning Member Posts: 945 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    The best way I know to preserve a tail is pull the bone carefully out and let it dry.
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  • songdogsongdog Member Posts: 355 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Bullzeye-After pulling the tail out put a thick coat of borax on the tail for about a month. This should do the trick. Another thing that i read some where, maybe some one can verify this for me. I heard that Mepps is paying $.40 store credit for squirrel tails. Another way to KILL squirrels is to use 4-6 shot out of a shotgun and blow the nest out of the tree. Notice I emphasized the word kill. This is really good while they are sleeping.
    Be bold in what you stand for and careful in what you fall for.
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  • badboybobbadboybob Member Posts: 1,658 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Why are ya'll using such heavy artillery? I use an air rifle. It's quiet, accurate and gets the job done. One in the ear is all it takes for Mr. Bushy tail.
    So many guns to buy. So little money.
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  • travelortravelor Member Posts: 442 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I got one with a 30-30, using pre split hollow points....I decided not to eat that one...
    keep lots of extra uppers for your ar..you can change often enough to keep the thing from over heating...what ever caliber fits the moment..~Secret Select Society of Suave Stylish Smoking Jackets~
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  • Judge DreadJudge Dread Member Posts: 2,372 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    HeY ! alledan I bet my formula is the best one for the "nutty" one HE HE HE!
    I judge Thee!, Not for what you are , but for what you say !
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  • Captain GunbrokerCaptain Gunbroker Member Posts: 29
    edited November -1
    you shunt have a problem yound laddy.resemble the prey you seek hahaha
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  • ndbillyndbilly Member Posts: 1,573 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Not that anyone asked...1 qt. boiling water to which 1 tsp of salt has been added.I only bother with the hindquarters but put whatever parts in you wish.Boil for 25 minutes.Saute the boiled meat in garlic and butter until brown on all sides. Outstanding.
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  • Judge DreadJudge Dread Member Posts: 2,372 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Maybe it's your squirels have ESP,you need to use a tin-foil hat to prevent your "assasin" mental waves from reaching their little nutty brains so they dont sense you there. Thats the reason you hit them with your car"Faraday shielding" they don't sense you comming ,maybe you can try shooting them from your car.LOL ! JD
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  • JustCJustC Member Posts: 16,056 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    one 50lb bag of corn placed in a big pile. They will be so thick you won't beleive it. I can usually get between 6-12 head shots in 2 hrs.
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  • v35v35 Member Posts: 12,710 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I wouldn't take that Faraday cage idea so lightly. Ever notice how people(not just blondes) in cars will turn around and look at you when you stare at them? The perception could very well be electrical brain activity.
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  • muleskinnermuleskinner Member Posts: 3 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    It never ceases to amaze me how many nut cases there are who think they're hunters. Nest shooting and house cats are the ruin of many a squirrel woods. Anyone who would nest shoot, blow up squirrels, or use poison on game should be shunned by any real sportsmen, let alone their hunting priviledges revoked.
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  • whiteclouderwhiteclouder Member Posts: 10,574 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    JustC:That same method works with a bird feeder. Stock it up with thistle seed, suet and cracked corn and you get all kinds: nuthatch, grosbeak, lazuli, oriole, tanager, you name it. One 12 Ga. blast of 11 1/2 and I have enough flytieing feathers for a couple years. And the cats love it.Clouder..
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  • JustCJustC Member Posts: 16,056 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Whiteclouder,we need to get together for some of that, my friend. The guys and I have a little bet every year, he who has the most head shots with the least rounds used is the winner on any given day. And we are all counting each others shots, no way to lie about it. The woods will echo the truth. What a blast!!! I like that almost as much as the deer season we sit through watching those noisy critters running all around everywhere coming to the corn pile. We always wait until all firearms is over for whitetail, a respect thing. Don't mess up your buddy's hunt by 7 magging a grey squirrel. HEHEHE. Ok sometimes they get the best of me. BOOOOOM, quit scarin my deer away. LOL
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  • timberbeasttimberbeast Member Posts: 1,738 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    I thought nest shooting was illegal. It is where I live, should be everywhere else. I'd no sooner shoot a squirrel nest than I would shoot a pheasant or grouse on the ground, unless I was starving. Anyone fish with dynamite?? Sheesh!
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  • beachmaster73beachmaster73 Member Posts: 3,011 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    This thread gets my vote for best thread of the last two weeks!!! Lots of real good information and a lot of humor added as an aside. No wonder I like this place so much. Beach
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  • bhayes420bhayes420 Member Posts: 1,314 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Nest shoothing is illegal in KY, as well it should be. I use a Marlin 60 for the fall season, but here in KY we have a late spring early summer season also. REAL challenge to bag those buggers with a 22 with all the leaves on the trees, and with all the mast still in the trees, very seldom get a squirrel on the ground. So out comes the old Savage 24 with 22 over 20. Works like a charm! Have to take most shots with the 20, but the 22 as backup in case one gets stupid and runs out in the open. FUN FUN FUN!
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