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Squirrel Hunting......

204targetman204targetman Member Posts: 3,493
edited September 2017 in General Discussion
anyone else still go. I lived for squirrel season when I was a teenager. quit for a really long time. now I'm getting back into it the last few years. I use a savage .22 bolt gun with a rimfire leupold on top.

Comments

  • SCOUT5SCOUT5 Member Posts: 16,182 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I'm getting the hankering to start back up. When I was a kid August 15th was a bigger day for me than Christmas.
  • 204targetman204targetman Member Posts: 3,493
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by SCOUT5
    I'm getting the hankering to start back up. When I was a kid August 15th was a bigger day for me than Christmas.

    opened last Saturday here in ky. I don't like to go until it cools down a bit. but when I was younger, I didn't care how hot it was. I was going
  • asopasop Member Posts: 8,898 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Used to do a lot of squirrel hunting. "HAD" the best territory in the world. Anyway, I miss it and the prep., cooking and eating. All grays by the way.
  • 204targetman204targetman Member Posts: 3,493
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by asop
    Used to do a lot of squirrel hunting. "HAD" the best territory in the world. Anyway, I miss it and the prep., cooking and eating. All grays by the way.

    was all grays for me too. ive never shot a fox squirrel. wasn't any around my area
  • TfloggerTflogger Member Posts: 3,277 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Ruger mk2 target or .410, I'll skip deer before I'll give up squirrel.
  • 204targetman204targetman Member Posts: 3,493
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by Tflogger
    Ruger mk2 target or .410, I'll skip deer before I'll give up squirrel.

    I have a ruger mk II. have thought about using it. is yours scoped, and if it is. what do you have on it.
  • mnrivrat48mnrivrat48 Member Posts: 1,711 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    I grew up the youngest son of a share cropper. I had a used single shot .22 RF rifle acquired for $7.50 at the local hardware store. The Web gas station at the edge of town sold .22 RF ammo by the ea. so if you couldn't afford a whole box at 49 cent you could still get a few cartridges.

    Tree rats were plentiful and that little .22 put them on the table on a regular basis. I always preferred rabbits as they tasted less gammy to me. I don't miss eating them. I always enjoyed hunting them however , but stopped when I no longer had to eat them.
  • bearman49709bearman49709 Member Posts: 503
    edited November -1
    Hunted them all my life.
    Never saw a grey until I was 25, then I shot two out of the same tree the same evening in the same woods I had hunted for years. Never saw another in the next 13 years I hunted there.
    Now I live 3 hours north and mostly see grays and blacks maybe a fox every 2-3 years.

    Before I retired I always took opening day off.
  • 204targetman204targetman Member Posts: 3,493
    edited November -1
    it would open on Saturday. but I took off school the following Monday in observance. I did my book report in junior high on squirrel hunting. the teacher said I seemed a little obsessed with it. she was right.
  • jimdeerejimdeere Member, Moderator Posts: 25,583 ******
    edited November -1
    Yep, got my license today, opens Saturday. I have a few .22's, but my go-to is an old single shot Sears with .22 shorts.
    Can't wait!
    Edit:
    Well, opening day was a bust. Windy and foggy. Saw some cutting and nuts, not one single squirrel. May go back out this eve.
  • arraflipperarraflipper Member Posts: 1,247 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I used to go opening day and one day of the weekend if at all possible. Still go every so often, quite often just to enjoy the woods.
  • 204targetman204targetman Member Posts: 3,493
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by arraflipper
    I used to go opening day and one day of the weekend if at all possible. Still go every so often, quite often just to enjoy the woods.


    yeah, I don't really care if I get anything or not. its just the being out there. brings back good memories.
  • Old-ColtsOld-Colts Member Posts: 22,700 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I used to live for squirrel season also, but I haven't gone squirrel hunting for a long time. I've hunted them with shotguns, 22 rifles, and 22 pistols; 22 pistols were the most fun and most challenging!!!!

    If you can't feel the music; it's only pink noise!

  • hillbillehillbille Member Posts: 14,120 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I usually go more to scout out the situation for deer season, any squirrells are a bonus.
  • pwilliepwillie Member Posts: 20,253 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    ..always shot my squirrels with 22 short HP...Will not hunt until first frost...
  • SCOUT5SCOUT5 Member Posts: 16,182 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by 204targetman
    quote:Originally posted by asop
    Used to do a lot of squirrel hunting. "HAD" the best territory in the world. Anyway, I miss it and the prep., cooking and eating. All grays by the way.

    was all grays for me too. ive never shot a fox squirrel. wasn't any around my area


    Mostly grays where I grew up, but I would shoot a few fox squirrels every year. Be in a good hickory stand before daylight when the gray squirrels were working it and it doesn't get much funner than that.
  • 204targetman204targetman Member Posts: 3,493
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by pwillie
    ..always shot my squirrels with 22 short HP...Will not hunt until first frost...

    yeah, they sometimes get a little wormy
  • 204targetman204targetman Member Posts: 3,493
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by SCOUT5
    quote:Originally posted by 204targetman
    quote:Originally posted by asop
    Used to do a lot of squirrel hunting. "HAD" the best territory in the world. Anyway, I miss it and the prep., cooking and eating. All grays by the way.

    was all grays for me too. ive never shot a fox squirrel. wasn't any around my area


    Mostly grays where I grew up, but I would shoot a few fox squirrels every year. Be in a good hickory stand before daylight when the gray squirrels were working it and it doesn't get much funner than that.

    nothing like hearing a gray cutting a hickory nut. can hear that from a way off
  • Smitty500magSmitty500mag Member Posts: 13,603 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I lived to squirrel and dove hunt when I was a kid. I would be in the woods before daylight and I've gotten my limit on squirrels before the school bus ran in the morning a lot of times. I would drop the squirrels off on Mrs. Burnett's back porch on my way back home to catch the bus. The Burnett's had 7 kids and appreciated the meat.

    I remember Mrs. Burnett telling my Mom one time that Earl, her husband, had eaten so many squirrels that year that he had started climbing trees.

    I always stayed out of school on opening day of hunting season. I usually didn't sleep very much the night before from being excited about going hunting on opening day.

    I remember slipping into the woods before daylight on dew soaked wet leaves being as quiet as I could and then finding a spot to sit down and wait. Then the old heart rate would go up when you hear the squirrels start stirring around as the sun came up and you could hear the dew falling off of the tree limbs. Yep those were the good old days.
  • remingtonoaksremingtonoaks Member Posts: 26,251 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Squirrels in Utah are too small to eat, so I don't see a reason of going and the hunting them.
  • Okie743Okie743 Member Posts: 2,580 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Squirrel hunting, yes and fried squirrels.

    Hunted squirrels with both dogs and still hunting without dogs.

    Fox squirrels got eventually replaced by Grays in this area.

    Some of my favorite squirrel woods in Oklahoma to get a limit fast now do not have any at all. Very few Hickory trees even produce nuts, lots of Hawks and Owls, rough mother nature life out there for squirrels in this neck of the woods now days. Squirrels have went away with the wild Honey Bees. Have not seen a bee tree in the woods in several years. (and no one seems to give a rats * about Honey Bees and Squirrels going away)[:(]

    I have a very accurate lo power scoped rifle over 12 gauge that is deadly on squirrels, shotgun for the jumpy grays and rifle for the fox squirrels.
  • Henry0ReillyHenry0Reilly Member Posts: 10,878 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Haven't been in years. Never cared much for them as food and the old feller I gave 'em to passed away quite some time ago.

    I thought about going this year but my lady friend is adamantly opposed to it.
    I used to recruit for the NRA until they sold us down the river (again!) in Heller v. DC. See my auctions (if any) under username henryreilly
  • 44pinshooter44pinshooter Member Posts: 1,048 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    YES.......I hunt them, not just for the meat, but being in the woods.
    da' wife makes a great pot pie or boil them up, debone and then fry in batter.

    Opens here in a few weeks. I wait until the frost and most of the leaves have fallen.

    Walking, I carry my father-in-laws old H&R .410. It takes me back to being a kid.

    Go in before sun up. Find a place to sit, that is where I use a suppressed .22. Best run to date is 4 in 20 minutes.
  • BrookwoodBrookwood Member, Moderator Posts: 13,280 ******
    edited November -1
    Around here, all I see are those dang little red squirrels! They are pretty high in numbers and have driven all of the larger game squirrels out of the territory. (Tough little bastages) I do hunt them just to stay in practice and now days use one of my high power pellet rifles that is scoped.

    They are a real nuisance, as they sneak their way into my garage and eat my stored chicken feed. When I first moved here I thought that if I killed them off, the good game squirrels would move back in.
    Not only was I wrong in my assumptions, but it seems that for every red squirrel that I kill, another dozen come in and take their place![:(!]
  • bigoutsidebigoutside Member Posts: 19,443
    edited November -1
    Never have.
    Would love to try it though.
  • He DogHe Dog Member Posts: 50,947 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Still hunt squirrels and rabbits, cottontail and jack. Mostly use .17, and .22 pistol.
  • montanajoemontanajoe Forums Admins, Member, Moderator Posts: 57,892 ******
    edited November -1
    miss me some fried squirrel,,[:p][:p][:p][:p]
  • jimdeerejimdeere Member, Moderator Posts: 25,583 ******
    edited November -1
    Got three with 3 shots this morning. One old boar that had a set of ---s as big as mine. I'll bet he'll be tough.
  • pwilliepwillie Member Posts: 20,253 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by jimdeere
    Got three with 3 shots this morning. One old boar that had a set of ---s as big as mine. I'll bet he'll be tough.
    Skin him, boil him and then put him in a slow dark rouex..simmer for 40 minutes...until meat falls off bone,,...
  • Okie743Okie743 Member Posts: 2,580 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by pwillie
    quote:Originally posted by jimdeere
    Got three with 3 shots this morning. One old boar that had a set of ---s as big as mine. I'll bet he'll be tough.
    Skin him, boil him and then put him in a slow dark rouex..simmer for 40 minutes...until meat falls off bone,,...


    Do as above and make squirrel and dumplings.[;)]
  • perry shooterperry shooter Member Posts: 17,390
    edited November -1
    Back in the day I used to hunt them a lot never really liked the taste
    but had number of older people that loved to eat them.we could get limit of 75 per hunting season I would skin and clean them in the woods
    and try to only head shoot them then deliver to my older friends the most fun I ever had was one year I hunted with a repro colt 1860 army

    The 44cal round ball would blow them right off the tree limb but would not really ruin any meat because of slow velocity it would just leave a hole the size of your finger. and it was lethal any where as I was not good enough to get head shots very often
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