Who squirrel hunts?

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I like shooting them much more than cleaning them or eating them, so I don't shoot them. My back yard if full of them, always stealing the seed from Mrs. FL-NC's bird feeders. The fun part is her destined-for-failure Wile E Coyote schemes to stop the seed theft, which the squirrels always figure out and adapt to.
 
Shoot reds.
They not considered game species here.
Open year round.

They chewed into my buds' FIL house and also got the wiring on his truck.
Asked us to come over, any time.....and wage war.

Problem is.........deer flies and skeeters are absolutely horrible.
 
I have been hunting squirrels since I was 12. Started out using a borrowed .22 single shot. then i bought my first .22 rifle, a Savage 65. I still have it and it still kills squirrels, but it has been taking up space in the gun safe now for quite a few years. When I turned 28, I felt hunting squirrels with a .22 rifle was getting too easy. I started hunting with a .22 Ruger Mark I. For several years, that gun took a lot of squirrels. I then moved on to a .22 revolver, a S&W Model 18. I felt this was more challenging. Didn't last long, I moved on to a Contender .22 feeling a single shot was more demanding. Then in the late 80's I switched to a .32 caliber percussion black powder rifle with iron sites. Now this was really challenging, but after a few years it too got too easy. Now I am at the end of my progression I think and getting on in years, I now use a .32 caliber Flintlock. Take my share of squirrels every season and enjoy the hunt even more. In the early days it was all about quantity, now it is about the quality of the hunt. I used to take limits (8 squirrels) quite regularly, now I am happy if I get shots at a few and take home one or two.
 
I like shooting them much more than cleaning them or eating them, so I don't shoot them. My back yard if full of them, always stealing the seed from Mrs. FL-NC's bird feeders. The fun part is her destined-for-failure Wile E Coyote schemes to stop the seed theft, which the squirrels always figure out and adapt to.
I'm with ya on the cleaning and eating them, so the only time I hunt them is when I go with two buddies who like to clean and eat them. I just say here, these belong to you and they get all happy because its more for them to eat. I don't mind cleaning them except for they are small and hard to do, but not a fan of eating them. I know some may frown upon this, but they aren't going to waste.
 
Picked up this fun little Marlin No47 to hunt squirrels at our place up north. Not pretty at all, but shoots straight and is like a toy to carry. I find something about hunting with old guns very satisfying. Think it makes the squirrels and rabbits taste better. ;)

I agree. Old guns OR old style guns...

Squirrels Feb 2019.jpg

LD
 
Debating on trying to find an old single shot 410 or 28ga to drag around the squirrel woods. I went hiking at my hunting area a few weekends ago and its getting populated. What's your preference on a squirrel shotgun?
 
Debating on trying to find an old single shot 410 or 28ga to drag around the squirrel woods. I went hiking at my hunting area a few weekends ago and its getting populated. What's your preference on a squirrel shotgun?

I squirrel hunt quite a bit and have a lot of fun in the woods. I prefer a 22lr/.410 over/under. More precise for longer shots with the 22 and yet still have a shotgun for the early season when the trees still have leaves. I use a chippa double badger. If it wasn't using that I would go for a .410 single shot

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I too have used the combo gun of .22lr and 410 in a Savage model 24. The rifle for longer, more open shots, and the 410 with #5 shot for early squirrels in the leafed out trees where visibility is minimum. I now hunt them almost exclusively with a .32 muzzleloader, but I cheat alittel in the early season when the leaves are out and use my .28 guage Renegade muzzleloader with #6 shot.
 
I squirrel hunt quite a bit and have a lot of fun in the woods. I prefer a 22lr/.410 over/under. More precise for longer shots with the 22 and yet still have a shotgun for the early season when the trees still have leaves. I use a chippa double badger. If it wasn't using that I would go for a .410 single shot

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I would love to find an older O/U 22LR-410. How well does the 22lr on that Chiappa shoot? I am even thinking about buying a Rossi or used NEF 410 and breaking it down and carrying in my backpack. We usually park and walk several miles, so it would make sense to have two different types for different woods. I wish NEF was still around and I could get a 410 barrel for my 44mag handi rifle.
 
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I would love to find an older O/U 22LR-410. How well does the 22lr on that Chiappa shoot? I am even thinking about buying a Rossi or used NEF 410 and breaking it down and carrying in my backpack. We usually park and walk several miles, so it would make sense to have two different types for different woods. I wish NEF was still around and I could get a 410 barrel for my 44mag handi rifle.

The 22 barrel shoots very good, quarter-ish sized groups at 35 yards. The shotgun under barrel isn't regulated to the 22 barrel so I have to aim about a foot low with the 410 barrel
 
Prefer it to deer hunting, actually. I absolutely love taking them with a handgun(got a scoped 22/45, a Single Six, and a Crickett pistol), but this year I plan on trying and airgun.
 
Prefer it to deer hunting, actually. I absolutely love taking them with a handgun(got a scoped 22/45, a Single Six, and a Crickett pistol), but this year I plan on trying and airgun.
You guys using revolver, are you using a scope too?
 
I love squirrel hunting. I had access to a 100 acre stand of oak in central Iowa. It was thick with squirrel! I would go in with a Browning trap gun and sit quietly. What fun!
I would quarter them then dredge them flour and brown them in butter, then fricassee them with white wine. Great eating.
 
Squirrel hunting brings out the boy in all of us. Maybe that's why we like it. Makes us feel younger.
 
I love squirrel & squirrel hunting. 2 good sized squirrels browned in a skillet makes a darn nice sammich. Dipped in batter & fried. Heck just deep fried. YOWZA! My wife used to like them but thinks they're too much bother.

I've hunted 'em with a Browning SA-22, Glenfield 60, Benjamin Sheridan 5mm (20 cal) pellet gun and my 12 ga Browning Auto 5. And after 35 years of hunting them I'm STILL learning how to skin them quickly.
 
My preferred method to skinning a squirrel is to do it right after they hit the ground. I place the squirrel on its stomack, lift up the tail and cut down at the base of the tail and sever the tail bone. Then I flip the squirrel over, place my foot on the tail as close to the body as possible, and gently pull up on the hind legs peeling the skinoff like a glove up to the neck. Then I grap the sking on each rear leg and pull it off to the ankles. Cut the rear legs off at the ankles, and the head. Proceed to gut the squirrel, and you are done. If you head shot the squirrel, and you did everything right, there is little blood to deal with. I keep a paper towel square and a small spray bottle of white vinegar to wipe any hair that gets on the body off, put the cleaned squirrel in a plastic bread bag and store in my game pouch that has a few cold packs in it to keep the squirrels cool till I get home.
 
My preferred method to skinning a squirrel is to do it right after they hit the ground. I place the squirrel on its stomack, lift up the tail and cut down at the base of the tail and sever the tail bone. Then I flip the squirrel over, place my foot on the tail as close to the body as possible, and gently pull up on the hind legs peeling the skinoff like a glove up to the neck. Then I grap the sking on each rear leg and pull it off to the ankles. Cut the rear legs off at the ankles, and the head. Proceed to gut the squirrel, and you are done. If you head shot the squirrel, and you did everything right, there is little blood to deal with. I keep a paper towel square and a small spray bottle of white vinegar to wipe any hair that gets on the body off, put the cleaned squirrel in a plastic bread bag and store in my game pouch that has a few cold packs in it to keep the squirrels cool till I get home.
I'm going to have to try that. I learned to skin the same way but do it when I got home and what a PITA.
 
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