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Author Topic: How many here do hunt squirrels with a Sportster?  (Read 1992 times)

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Offline Mad Dog

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How many here do hunt squirrels with a Sportster?
« on: March 30, 2013, 02:15:13 AM »
All the different threads[including mine] about the Sportster, got me to thinking[dangerous ;D ].  How many that lurk/post here do hunt squirrels with one?  Surely there's more than a 1/2 doz. of us.  I'd like to see more pics of the guns/game.  You boys need to get your Sportsters and cameras ready for next fall, so we can have a BIG thread about huntin', shootin', cleanin', and eatin' them limb chickens!!


Mad Dog
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Offline quickdtoo

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Re: How many here do hunt squirrels with a Sportster?
« Reply #1 on: March 30, 2013, 04:48:44 AM »
Eatin squirrels are protected here, so count me out for them, but I hunt ground squirrels with the 17s on open ground, my longest shot was just shy of 160yds, that would be a tough shot with a .22. I've been asked about eatin em here before, wouldn't touch em, they're known to carry plague bacteria(and the fleas that transmit it) :(.

Tim
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Offline geezerbiker

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Re: How many here do hunt squirrels with a Sportster?
« Reply #2 on: March 30, 2013, 08:10:52 AM »
Quote from: quickdtoo on March 30, 2013, 04:48:44 AM
Eatin squirrels are protected here, so count me out for them,
Tim

There's no fox squirrels up north in Washington sate?  Someone transplanted them here in Oregon and now they're all over the place.  Oregon fish and game department has issued a statement that they're not going to try to eradicate this invasive species but they're OK to shoot all the time...  I haven't learnt to identify them yet 100% so I haven't gone hunting for them but I sure plan too.  I'm planting filbert trees in my yard with the hopes of attracting them later on...

Tony
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Offline quickdtoo

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Re: How many here do hunt squirrels with a Sportster?
« Reply #3 on: March 30, 2013, 08:21:46 AM »
We have tree squirrels, western grays included, but there's no open season, they're all classified as  protected wildlife as I said.  :-\

Tim
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Offline abolt-fan

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Re: How many here do hunt squirrels with a Sportster?
« Reply #4 on: March 30, 2013, 08:21:50 AM »
I always try and get in a couple of squirrel hunts every year if for no other reason than remembering hunting them as a kid.

Late this past year I bought two NIB sportsters chambered in 17M2.  I kept one and gave one to my brother.  Next winter while I'm in Mississippi we're going to take a break from deer hunting and get after the squirrels with the new 17s.  He's got a friend running mt. curs in the hardwood bottoms along the MS. river.  I believe the 17s will be the cat's meow for squirrels.
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Offline Sourdough

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Re: How many here do hunt squirrels with a Sportster?
« Reply #5 on: March 30, 2013, 08:30:52 AM »
I use the .17HMR Sportster.  We have tiny Red Squirrels that are too small to eat.  Guess you could take a bunch of them and make a stew, but they are the size of Chipmunks. 

I was at my buddies house showing him my new .17 HMR.  He has a problem with Red Squirrels getting to his bird feeder.  He had refilled it and it was still sitting on the rail around his deck.  A squirrel came up and was heading to the feeder.  When it was 10 ft away Norm yelled for me to shoot it.  too close to look thru the scope, I just pointed and fired.  The tail was the only thing left intact.

The real reason Norm had the feeder on the deck for refilling was, he had came out and a squirrel was sitting on the feeder.  It is the type that has two glass panels, angled in as they go down.  leaving a small area for the birds to sit on.  Squirrels like sitting there too.  Norm shot the squirrel, and took out both panels of glass.  He had to replace the glass.     
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Offline YRUpunting?

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Re: How many here do hunt squirrels with a Sportster?
« Reply #6 on: March 30, 2013, 08:44:11 AM »
Quote from: geezerbiker on March 30, 2013, 08:10:52 AM
Quote from: quickdtoo on March 30, 2013, 04:48:44 AM
Eatin squirrels are protected here, so count me out for them,
Tim

There's no fox squirrels up north in Washington sate?  Someone transplanted them here in Oregon and now they're all over the place.  Oregon fish and game department has issued a statement that they're not going to try to eradicate this invasive species but they're OK to shoot all the time...  I haven't learnt to identify them yet 100% so I haven't gone hunting for them but I sure plan too.  I'm planting filbert trees in my yard with the hopes of attracting them later on...

Tony

Geezerbiker here you go for identification.  These are Indiana fox squirrels for the most part, I think there's a couple of grays too.  Fox squirrels here can be huge.  The ones pictured are about what I see in my deer hunting spot.  But if you get to a place like Indiana Universities campus where they have no predators and it's covered in mature nut trees they grow by about 50%.  I've seen a few that look like house cats.

http://www.gboreloaded.com/forums/index.php/topic,263158.0.html
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Offline geezerbiker

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Re: How many here do hunt squirrels with a Sportster?
« Reply #7 on: March 30, 2013, 09:56:49 AM »
The ones I've been seeing here are that size but their coat is grayer but the same color on the belly.  They're about half again larger than the native gray squirrels here.  I dispatched a couple in my back yard in Beaverton before I moved west.  I didn't know they were eatable or I wouldn't have buried them near the strawberry plants they were decimating...

The "silver gray" squirrels that are native here are about house cat sized and there's a limited season on them but I've never gotten around to hunting them.  The guys that know where to find them aren't talking and I've only seen one.

Tony
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Offline quickdtoo

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Re: How many here do hunt squirrels with a Sportster?
« Reply #8 on: March 30, 2013, 11:01:03 AM »
Maybe they aren't talkin cuz they're poaching them, gray squirrels are only legal during specific seasons in Oregon which aren't now and then only in certain areas.

I've have about a dozen western grays in my back yard, can't shoot a rifle in most of the county at all, and certainly not here in the city limits, they're not much of a problem tho since I screened all the access areas to the house and electrified the bird feeders with a small animal fencer, ya only get one show tho, once they get zapped, they don't try it again!  ;D

Tim

http://www.dfw.state.or.us/resources/hunting/big_game/regulations/docs/2012_big_game_regs_081.pdf

Quote
open season : Aug. 25 - Nov. 7
bag limit : 5 squirrels daily.
possession limit : 15 in possession.
open area : All units west of the eastern boundary of the Santiam, McKenzie, Indigo, Sprague and
Interstate units. Exception: No bag limit or closed season in that part of the Rogue Unit south of Rogue Rvr and S Fork Rogue Rvr and north of Hwy 140

Quote
Open season : Sept. 8 - Oct. 14
Bag limit : 3 squirrels daily.
Possession limit : 6 in possession.
open area : White Rvr and Hood units.
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Offline jpshaw

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Re: How many here do hunt squirrels with a Sportster?
« Reply #9 on: April 27, 2013, 02:47:18 AM »
From what I've seen the .17 seems to be too explosive in any small animal you plan to eat.  Now they seem to be just perfect for varmint irradication within its range.  A crow looks like it blows up when hit with one but I'll use the .22 LR or even the magnum for squirrels for the pot.
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Offline HWB13

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Re: How many here do hunt squirrels with a Sportster?
« Reply #10 on: April 29, 2013, 11:46:22 AM »
Restrictions restrictions restrictions, That is the name of the game here. The people's republic of Mass.  Where i hunt grays can only be taken with shotgun.  But reds can be taken all year round.  I would take my 17Mach2 and my remington model 12.  the model 12 is loaded with cb caps for the close shots and the Mach2 for the long shots.  This year if I get out the new 22 lr barrel will make it a one gun trip.  Ya it takes alot of reds for a meal, but bread them and serve them with biscuits and gravy, great breakfast.
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Handi's:17 Mach2, 17 HMR,17 WSM, 22LR, 22 Win Mag, 204 Ruger, 22 Hornet UV, 22-250 UV, 25-06, 30-30, 35 Whelen, 30-06, 20gaX2, 20GA ultra Slug, 12ga ultra slug, 12 ga Turkey, H&W 45-70 BC X2, 45 LC CC, 44 Mag, 500 S&W and 140+ non-H&R types

If you have to shoot more than once you should not have shot the first time.

Offline J. Plate

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Re: How many here do hunt squirrels with a Sportster?
« Reply #11 on: May 10, 2013, 02:18:26 AM »
I've shot a ton of squirrels with my .17HMR.   We have grey's and red's.  Grey's are open September 1 - February 28th @ 6 / day.  Red's are open year 'round with no limit.   I have always used the ballistic tips and either gone for head shots or center punched them.   The HMR dispatches them quickly, and doesn't ruin the meat if you shoot one of those two areas.     I will be trying out the CCI 20 gr. FMJ's this coming season.   Bought 2 boxes of them because they were the only thing available in this ammo shortage.  If the FMJ is as accurate and can punch them without blowing up, would be a great round for the pot. 
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Offline Mad Dog

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Re: How many here do hunt squirrels with a Sportster?
« Reply #12 on: June 23, 2013, 05:08:49 AM »
53 days until Indiana squirrel season opens.  I can't wait.  Been shooting my little .22 Sportster, a little bit.  As fast as this year seems to be going, it will be here before I know it.


Mad Dog
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Offline upnut

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Re: How many here do hunt squirrels with a Sportster?
« Reply #13 on: June 23, 2013, 08:23:42 AM »
No squirrels, but have picked off a couple woodchucks with the WMR Sportster:

40 grain Winchester jhp does the job!
Scott B.
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Offline greg916

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Re: How many here do hunt squirrels with a Sportster?
« Reply #14 on: June 23, 2013, 09:33:44 AM »
i use a versa-pack. does that count?
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Offline ironglow

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Re: How many here do hunt squirrels with a Sportster?
« Reply #15 on: June 23, 2013, 10:02:09 AM »
  Like many here, I have numerous guns to choose from.  I could use my Sportster or Versa-pak, but I already have a Savage 64 as a dedicated squirrel rifle... along with a CZ 452 my gunsmith/Grandson cut to about a16 1/2 inch barrel.
  I sometimes use the Sportster in .22 mag or .17 HMR for woodchucks...with the .22 LR in both Sportster & Versa being used with subsonics for "close in" work on chucks.
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Offline quickdtoo

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Re: How many here do hunt squirrels with a Sportster?
« Reply #16 on: June 23, 2013, 10:04:54 AM »
Tree squirrels are protected here, but been ground squirrel huntin 2-3 times a week for the last month or so, between my huntin partner and I we've killed over 60 of the varmints, all with 17hmrs.  8)

Tim
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