Squirrel hunting- 44 days!

[Skillet]

Anybody else out there looking forward to squirrel season? Even with all the other game we have to hunt, squirrel is still my favorite.  Weather is great, and game is everywhere.  I hunt in Naples, Ontario county.  Favorite gun is my Ruger 77/22 with a 4X Tasco.  Squirrel stew!!

[Dave]

Anybody else out there looking forward to squirrel season? Even with all the other game we have to hunt, squirrel is still my favorite.  Weather is great, and game is everywhere.  I hunt in Naples, Ontario county.  Favorite gun is my Ruger 77/22 with a 4X Tasco.  Squirrel stew!!

Love to find a good place to squirrel hunt. I hunt in 4W and didn't see a squirrel last season not even during deer season.

Dave

[Elmo]

]Love to find a good place to squirrel hunt. I hunt in 4W and didn't see a squirrel last season not even during deer season.

Dave

At least I'm glad I'm not the only one.  I can't walk 10 feet without a squirrel running right pass me on my way to work in the city but when I head to the closest public state hunting land, I won't see a single one all day.

I shoot with the Ruger 10/22.

[Pygmy]

I love squirrel hunting..Still have a couple dozen in the freezer from last year that I need to use up..I disjoint and freeze them in ziplocs with water to avoid freezer burn. They are just as succulent out of the freezer after a year as they are fresh.

Locating squirrels is all about food sources. In my area ( early season) food sources mean Shagbark hickory ( NUMBER ONE) beech (sporadic) pignut ( or pig hickory) and then oak (acorns) in that order.

Some years, the first three choices don't produce well, and then oak is number one right from the get go.

Once you find what the squirrels are feeding on, you must sit patiently near the food sources and wait for the squirrels to come to you, OR stillhunt PAINFULLY slowly through areas with good feed sources. Most beginner squirel hunters move MUCH too fast through the woods..If you walk at a normal SLOW pace, you may never see a squirrel.

Proper stillhunting pace would be to take 10 or 12 steps and then stand quietly, looking and listening, for 10 minutes or so. Then repeat. If you are doing it right, it will take you an hour or more to cover 100 yards. This is not as boring as it sounds. While doing this, you will be seeing deer, turkeys , songbirds and other interesting critters..Last season I stood motionless against a tree trunk and had 17 turkeys feed past me within 20 yards. Another time I sat on a stump fence with a few squirrels at my feet, preparing to clean them and a mink came slinking up the stump fence and attempted to make off with my squirrels. How cool is THAT !!

Use your ears more than your eyes. In early season, it is fruitless to hunt when there is wind, because the wind rustling the leaves covers up whatever sounds the squirrels make. Hunt EXTREMELY slowly, and listen constantly for the sounds of squirrels rustling leaves in the treetops, nuts dropping or whatever. Also when foliage is dense you can often see leaves and treetops moving at considerable distances in the woods, and then slowly and carefully stalk in that direction.

Hope this helps.

[YoungBucksTasteBetter]

Looking forward to it...oldest youngster is finally old enough to hunt in NY!!!

Anyone try for them with a .17 HMR?  (and if so, are all the stories of lost meat true?)

[nyantler]

One of my favorite things to do with my recurve and a blunt tip arrow... great practice for deer season and you get to eat your target 

[Pygmy]

Looking forward to it...oldest youngster is finally old enough to hunt in NY!!!

Anyone try for them with a .17 HMR?  (and if so, are all the stories of lost meat true?)

[/quote

Yes, I've shot lots of squirrels with the .17 HMR. Incredibly accurate and flat shooting beyond the ranges you would shoot at a squirrel. Does it tear up some meat..YES, but if you shoot the ribs or the head, it's no big deal.  tears up a hindquarter or front quarter if you happen to hit them there, but a .22 ruins some meat also with similar hits.. It's a little gross if you center one..Guts hanging out..

I think it is a viable squirrel rifle, especialy if you want to shoot at longer ranges. defintely has minute of squirrel head accuracy and trajectory out to 100 yards and beyond.

I just picked up a NEA handirifle in .17 MachII. I'm hoping it will shoot basically as flat as the HMR out to 100 yards and be a little bit gentler on the eating meat.

[RobC]

i've all but given up on the .22lr since i've got the .17hmr. I shot a squirrel at 100yards with it. as far as losing meat they're so accurate that a head shot is all but too easy. I've got the sweet 17 scope and always aims true for me.

[jusputtn]

It's tough trying to get a 100 yd shot at a squirrel in hardwoods.  They don't like to sit still on the ground and the trees have a tendency to get in the way.  Where I hunt I'd have to pass on most shots up in the trees with a 22.  A shotgun or air rifle remedies that.

Squirrels tend to be more active at first and last light.  In the early fall I'll bring a firearm when I hang my stands.  The squirrels will be all around until I'm done with the stands and ready to hunt them.  Then they seem to disappear.  Need to remember that this fall and hunt a little first.

In the winter the greys like to hang near pines.  I expect for shelter from the wind and hawks.  They're also more likely to be active during the warmest part of the day then.

[WNYBuckHunter]

I plan on doing a bit of squirrel hunting this year. Ill be using my new air rifle, which should do just fine on them, and no shot to pick out of the meat.

[Doc]

I've got a .22 hornet which also requires a head-shot to save any meat. But that is what I think I'll be using this year. Normally I would be using a shotgun, but I want to up the challenge a bit this year.

[apertureguy]

Looking forward to it.

[bowslinger]

cant wait im itching too use my browning sweet 16 on a few plus my bow

[papabear]

  going to use my daughter 20 gage Winchester with a 30 inch barrel going to make pot pies this year

papabear

[13BVET]

Definitely the air rifle. Loads of fun that way. A .410 is nice for them also.

[Skillet]

OK guys, 14 days and a wake up to go!  Saw a nice black running around the woods @ camp last weekend.  I'd like to get a crack at him, don't see too many black ones around there.  Just put a new scope on my Ruger.

[Paula]

Good Luck !

[Elmo]

I know it's over 2 weeks into the season but I haven't had the chance to head out into the woods all month. Bummer! Plus I'll be in Cali next weekend so I probably won't get a chance to go till Oct. I did sight my .22 in this weekend so at least I'll be ready when I do get the chance. (5 shot groups at 50 yards. 1st one was 1st shot of the day. 2nd one was last group of the day after sight adjustment and I don't have the patience to let the barrel cool down.)

Edited September 19, 2011 by Elmo

[Paula]

i have been out 3 times and yesterday was the first time i have seen Squirrel. got 3, one was a red one and i didn't want it because they are small but that thing went up the tree above me a screamed for almost 5 min. and they are loud! couldn't take so i took it. second one i hit up a tree also but got caught up on a branch dead, so i had to shoot it to get it down. seen 2 deer and heard one that seen me before i heard it with in 20 min of being out there. I wish so so bad i could hunt out there

[WNYBuckHunter]

I havent had the time to get out at all yet. Been too busy getting things ready for bow season.

[16. ga hunter]

went out saturday and came home with 2 got busted by a few that hauled with no chance of a shot. met a guy that was out with a treeing cur that had limited out the past two days with 5 in hand while i talked to him quite interesting.

Edited September 20, 2011 by 16. ga hunter

[Paula]

do you clean them right then or wait? i try and clean right then and the red one was so easy but had trouble with the greys, can anyone explain how to do it that might make it easier for me.

[Elmo]

There's a few video's on youtube on skinning a squirrel. I was told from people on this forum to go with the slicing across the mid-section version rather than the cutting the tail and pulling version because northeastern greys hide is much tougher than other varieties. I had ones innards burst out from me pulling on the skin. Since their hide is relatively tough while the rest of their bodies are relatively delicate, I recommend using a razor blade or a mini box cutter. Makes it so much easier.

http://www.gandermountain.com/modperl/product/details.cgi?i=430133&pdesc=Team_Realtree_Locking_Razor_Blade_Utility_Knife&str=razor&merchID=4005

[Paula]

i am going to look, i am thinking like a bull head cut the head and pull down to get skin and some or most of the guts in one yank. yes the inner skin is soft, my thumb went in and pushed guts out.

[16. ga hunter]

usually gut then but depends where i am skin at home just make a slice big enough to clean out in the woods when i do skin if not keeping i slice the length of the back from head to tail the pull each side down over feet and cut off at joint