Who squirrel hunts?
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MCgunner
Member
I did have a 2x scope on my Ruger Mk 2, but put a red dot on it a while back that probably isn't as ideal for squirrel hunting. I do have, however, a 2x scope on a .22LR barrel for my Contender which took a lot of squirrel before I got my Ruger. 
I have a trip setup for this Sunday with my new Savage Mark II 22lr wearing a Bushnell 3-12-40 SF rimfire specific scope shooting cci standard velocity ammo. I plan to take a tripod chair, shooting stick and sit and watch the oak flats. Hopefully with it being 40 degree in the morning and temp dropping with snow in the late afternoon we do good.
MCgunner
Member
I'm POSITIVE you'll have fun.
I love (and my 10/22 does) CCI standard velocity, cheap match grade ammo. 
So just a quick write up!
We arrived to a large state forest that allows hunting. We haven't hunted there for maybe 5-6yrs. We parked and two fox squirrel chase each other into a den tree. We couldn't find them so moved on. I found a couple big oaks with nests all around so i sat down and waited. 45min goes by and I hear one barking in the distance and something is walking the dried up creek bed in front of me and makes the squirrel go crazy. The walking stopped so i decided to put the stalk on the squirrel barking. I didn't find him so we made our way onto a ridge top with several large oaks and nests. I got sat down watching a couple fallen oaks and larger ones with nests all around and dozed off. I am then awaken by leaves rustling and there is a fox squirrel sitting on the fallen oak. I get the gun ready on my shooting stick and it makes noise and the squirrel is gone! Now, I haven't been in the woods but 3 times this season so im a little rusty. That squirrel actually gave me buck fever! lol I never shook before when trying to shoot squirrels.
We decided to head to lunch and try another spot. We arrive to this spot we have only been to maybe 2 times and its nothing but pine trees as far as the eye can see. I get discouraged but its 230pm so I figure I'll just walk around. I walked for about 1/4mile and pull up the map to see how big this section is and its named Hickory Ridge! I thought oh yeah!! I hike in some more and start seeing the hickories. I make my stalk down the path and get sat down and I hear squirrel's off in the distance barking and the crows fire up and I hear walking just over the ridge in front of me. We have Bobcat and Coyote so i figured there is a predator in the area and its not me. I heard 3-4 different squirrel and a bunch of crow so i figured i would get up and move around incase a crafty feline decided it wanted to have me for dinner!
I hear my buddy shoot a couple hundred yards away and then shoot 3 more times. He's got a little Rossi single shot he uses so I'm thinking he's shooting at a coyote. 4 shots in less than a minute so I text him "Ammo waster!!!" He replies there are squirrel everywhere down here! "I just shot a grey and another one but its stuck in the crotch of the tree". I then hear barking so I make my stalk nice and quit through the woods. I get within 20ft of 3 pine trees and there goes a black one! I turned my attention to another one barking in the opposite direction and hear him running in the leaves in the little hollow. I sneak down to a tree and find him in my crosshairs about 50yards out and fire. He flips around and then runs onto a log and I fire again and he drops. I wait about 10min to see if his buddies come out and they didn't. I make my way down to him and poke it with the gun and its dead. I pick him up by the tail and as I'm walking i hear him moan. Now, I hate doing this but i wacked his head against after he took a CCI standard velocity to the head and he screams out and starts moving. Instead of getting bit or scratched I just shot him again. I start walking and hear several more squirrel barking and two fighting so I make my stalk through the woods. I crest the ridge and 2 greys take off up the tree barking at me some 50yards out. I stand next to a tree for maybe 10min and they settled down and came back out. I took aim and got my 2nd one of the day with a clean 40-50yard headshot. We called it a day at 5pm with 3 greys and the 4th stuck in the tree.
I had a lot of fun and we plan to go again maybe Saturday!
We arrived to a large state forest that allows hunting. We haven't hunted there for maybe 5-6yrs. We parked and two fox squirrel chase each other into a den tree. We couldn't find them so moved on. I found a couple big oaks with nests all around so i sat down and waited. 45min goes by and I hear one barking in the distance and something is walking the dried up creek bed in front of me and makes the squirrel go crazy. The walking stopped so i decided to put the stalk on the squirrel barking. I didn't find him so we made our way onto a ridge top with several large oaks and nests. I got sat down watching a couple fallen oaks and larger ones with nests all around and dozed off. I am then awaken by leaves rustling and there is a fox squirrel sitting on the fallen oak. I get the gun ready on my shooting stick and it makes noise and the squirrel is gone! Now, I haven't been in the woods but 3 times this season so im a little rusty. That squirrel actually gave me buck fever! lol I never shook before when trying to shoot squirrels.
We decided to head to lunch and try another spot. We arrive to this spot we have only been to maybe 2 times and its nothing but pine trees as far as the eye can see. I get discouraged but its 230pm so I figure I'll just walk around. I walked for about 1/4mile and pull up the map to see how big this section is and its named Hickory Ridge! I thought oh yeah!! I hike in some more and start seeing the hickories. I make my stalk down the path and get sat down and I hear squirrel's off in the distance barking and the crows fire up and I hear walking just over the ridge in front of me. We have Bobcat and Coyote so i figured there is a predator in the area and its not me. I heard 3-4 different squirrel and a bunch of crow so i figured i would get up and move around incase a crafty feline decided it wanted to have me for dinner!
I hear my buddy shoot a couple hundred yards away and then shoot 3 more times. He's got a little Rossi single shot he uses so I'm thinking he's shooting at a coyote. 4 shots in less than a minute so I text him "Ammo waster!!!" He replies there are squirrel everywhere down here! "I just shot a grey and another one but its stuck in the crotch of the tree". I then hear barking so I make my stalk nice and quit through the woods. I get within 20ft of 3 pine trees and there goes a black one! I turned my attention to another one barking in the opposite direction and hear him running in the leaves in the little hollow. I sneak down to a tree and find him in my crosshairs about 50yards out and fire. He flips around and then runs onto a log and I fire again and he drops. I wait about 10min to see if his buddies come out and they didn't. I make my way down to him and poke it with the gun and its dead. I pick him up by the tail and as I'm walking i hear him moan. Now, I hate doing this but i wacked his head against after he took a CCI standard velocity to the head and he screams out and starts moving. Instead of getting bit or scratched I just shot him again. I start walking and hear several more squirrel barking and two fighting so I make my stalk through the woods. I crest the ridge and 2 greys take off up the tree barking at me some 50yards out. I stand next to a tree for maybe 10min and they settled down and came back out. I took aim and got my 2nd one of the day with a clean 40-50yard headshot. We called it a day at 5pm with 3 greys and the 4th stuck in the tree.
I had a lot of fun and we plan to go again maybe Saturday!
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Thanks for the story. Gets my juices flowing and I plan to be out later this week; hopefully with the new gun Santa brings me. We have 2 more months of squirrel season here in Kansas. Between that and coyote calling I plan to be busy.. Also plan to call crows next week.
Our season ends Jan 31 and Rabbit ends Feb 28th. Deer Muzzloader is next weekend and i plan to partake and then ill probably do one more squirrel hunt and a rabbit hunt if the crew is available and then its coyote calling. I wanted to call a little bit yesterday morning but we got there too late.
Legionnaire
Contributing Member
Man, that sounds fun. I'm going to have to explore some public land here in TX.
My deer spot is loaded w squirrels. About half of them reds (can shoot yr round on them).
No greys, but plenty of fox squirrels too.
My eyes suck so no more pistol hunting them.
Got a CZ455 to zero in, CCI quiet.
10/22 target build does .4 for five shots at 50 yards. But it's heavy and I can't tolerate a vertical grip in the field.
Bench it seems OK.
No greys, but plenty of fox squirrels too.
My eyes suck so no more pistol hunting them.
Got a CZ455 to zero in, CCI quiet.
10/22 target build does .4 for five shots at 50 yards. But it's heavy and I can't tolerate a vertical grip in the field.
Bench it seems OK.
cheygriz
member
I was an avid squirrel hunter at one time.
But today, I get more enjoyment out of watching them play in the trees, and laughing at their antics than shooting them.
But today, I get more enjoyment out of watching them play in the trees, and laughing at their antics than shooting them.
Robbins290
Member
I do every year. I use a 20 gauge because there are alot house in the area i hunt and i shoot them from tree's. All i do is slow cook them in salad dressing over rice.
MCgunner
Member
One good area...."Alabama Creek WMA". Haven't been there in years, but it had some major good squirrel habitat/hunting on the Neches river bottom.
Well today was a bust!
Morning hunt in oaks produced one very fast and warry fox squirrel that eluded me. A gray squirrel barking down in a hollow I wouldn't shoot a deer in and go get let alone a squirrel. After lunch I headed to my best spot for some grays actions and immediately got barked at by 2 walking in. I sat down and the barking continued. 3 fox squirrel in a huge oak but a lot of vines and such so I didn't have a shot. I got up and stalked the oak from 75yards away and one fox squirrel was sitting on the limb eating and when it came time to pickup the rifle he was gone! I went home empty handed but still had fun.
Morning hunt in oaks produced one very fast and warry fox squirrel that eluded me. A gray squirrel barking down in a hollow I wouldn't shoot a deer in and go get let alone a squirrel. After lunch I headed to my best spot for some grays actions and immediately got barked at by 2 walking in. I sat down and the barking continued. 3 fox squirrel in a huge oak but a lot of vines and such so I didn't have a shot. I got up and stalked the oak from 75yards away and one fox squirrel was sitting on the limb eating and when it came time to pickup the rifle he was gone! I went home empty handed but still had fun.
Well just a little write up of yesterdays hunt. We got in sort of late 930am because our best spots were taken by people. I walked in and sat down in a large area of black walnut, oaks and hickories. I can hear a gray squirrel barking across the hollow and I wanted so bad to stalk it but the hillside was just too steep for me and I forgot my walking pole in the truck. I listed to him and another bark for probably 10min and them chasing each other. I had some nests and hollow trees to my right, but I was focused on the area the grays were in. 45min goes by and I hear movement and look over my shoulder to see a fox squirrel bouncing along the deadfalls. I couldn't shoot left handed so i attempted to slowly stand up to see over all the limbs but he busted me! I tried to stalk over the hillside where he ran to but he eluded me. We packed up and headed to lunch and then to our best spot which is a mix of hardwoods and pines.
2pm we get settled in and I know there is a big den tree and several nests around so I sit next to a tree watching the hillside. I hear a gray barking but cant find him and then a fox squirrel starts barking and I cant find him either. I finally catch the fox squirrel moving some 70yards away on top of the oak branches but there is vines everywhere so no shot. I am sitting on the side of the hill with the hill on my left, i lean my left leg up for a rest to shoot on and next thing i know myself and my nylon butt pad are sliding down the hill! I was able to catch myself and the squirrel bolted. I gave it 20min and I could hear them chasing each other in the trees so I began my stalk! I glassed the tree from 40-50yards away on the opposite side of the vines and spot a fox squirrel eating something on top of an oak branch. I reach from my rifle and rest against the tree and he's gone! I wait for probably 15min, motionless against the tree and they are gone! I make my way around the horseshoe foot path I've saw grays in before and I can hear them just over the hill running through the leaves but glassing for 5min i couldn't spot them. I could sure hear them but couldn't find them. I inch further down the hill for a better look and the noise stops. I wait for 10min or so and make my way back around to the big den tree and I can hear them running the next shelf on the hillside. I guess the figured if they got further below me i couldn't get them. I could hear squirrel chattering and running around just below me for the next hour but no sightings or shots.
I have to say i get a slight adrenaline rush when one comes out of hiding.
2pm we get settled in and I know there is a big den tree and several nests around so I sit next to a tree watching the hillside. I hear a gray barking but cant find him and then a fox squirrel starts barking and I cant find him either. I finally catch the fox squirrel moving some 70yards away on top of the oak branches but there is vines everywhere so no shot. I am sitting on the side of the hill with the hill on my left, i lean my left leg up for a rest to shoot on and next thing i know myself and my nylon butt pad are sliding down the hill! I was able to catch myself and the squirrel bolted. I gave it 20min and I could hear them chasing each other in the trees so I began my stalk! I glassed the tree from 40-50yards away on the opposite side of the vines and spot a fox squirrel eating something on top of an oak branch. I reach from my rifle and rest against the tree and he's gone! I wait for probably 15min, motionless against the tree and they are gone! I make my way around the horseshoe foot path I've saw grays in before and I can hear them just over the hill running through the leaves but glassing for 5min i couldn't spot them. I could sure hear them but couldn't find them. I inch further down the hill for a better look and the noise stops. I wait for 10min or so and make my way back around to the big den tree and I can hear them running the next shelf on the hillside. I guess the figured if they got further below me i couldn't get them. I could hear squirrel chattering and running around just below me for the next hour but no sightings or shots.
I have to say i get a slight adrenaline rush when one comes out of hiding.
red rick
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I cook them in a pressure cooker for about 25 min. and then flour them in seasoned flour and brown them on both sides in a cast iron frying pan . They are also good if you make them like chicken & dumplings , squirrel & dumplings . I still would parboil or pressure cook them first and remove the bones add at the end .
I cut them up and soak them in salt water overnight. Then rinse drain and pat dry with paper towel. Season with salt, pepper, and granulated garlic. They have been soaking in salt water so go easy on the salt. Dredge the squirrel pieces in flour, shaking off excess flour. Heat an oven safe skillet to medium heat and brown squirrel on both sides. Add heated soup stock....chicken or beef...or bring it to a simmer. The amount of liquid should not quite cover the squirrel about 1/2 to 3/4. Then remove from heat, cover with good lid, and place in a 350 degree oven for 60-90 minutes. 60 minutes usually does the trick unless you have some old tough squirrels, then go for 90. Check the pan about 45 minutes in and add more stock if needed. It will come out falling off the bone tender. Remove pieces of squirrel then thicken the remaining cooking liquid for a tasty gravy. Some thicken with corn starch, but I prefer making a rue with flour...like mom always did. It is best with mashed taters.. Of course the taters should be mashed with salt, black pepper, butter and cream (I use canned milk). And never add garlic to mashed potatoes...that's the mistake lots of fancy-pants restaurants make because they don't know any better! This method is fool proof and delicious.
Charliefrank
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- Nov 10, 2017
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I love squirrel hunting. Always carry a few stones slightly smaller than a golf ball in your pocket. That way when you spook a squirrel and he runs around to the opposite side of the tree you just give him a minute or two to calm down and toss one of those stones on the ground on his side of the tree. He'll have forgotten and scurry right around to your side of the tree offering a shot.
Do to health reasons, my deer hunting days are history, so squirrel hunting is about all I do. I loved it as a kid and still do. The pace is slower, and more relaxing, and enjoyable even if I return empty-handed. Early in the season when oaks and hickory mast and leaves are thick and shots are closer one of my CZ 452 22's get the call. Late season when leaves have fallen is by far my favorite time of year. Longer shots are the norm and it's time to break out The CZ American 17Mach2 w/ Weaver V16...my favorite and most accurate rig by far. 50 to 70 yd. shots are very doable with a decent rest.
Bayourambler
Member
Here in central Louisiana opening weekend of squirrel season was such a big deal, all of the local high schools would schedule the football games on Thursday night because no one would show up on Fridays!! (Players included) Everyone was headed into the woods for opening day of hunting season! This was 20 some odd years ago when I was a kid, today its not such a big deal and squirrel hunting has faded. Many of the older people around here still hunt squirrels and is the favorite hunt for many of them. I still make 2-3 hunts a year and pick off a few in the yard now and then, they are my absolute favorite game to eat.
Grousefeather
Member
Its my favorite hunting these days. Along with trout fishing and turkey hunting, it provides the most fun you can have. You can shoot one deer and your done, or hunt every day for months and take 5 or 7 squirrels depending on where you are.
newfalguy101
Member
Not as often as I used to...life got in the way...
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