Author Topic: SQUIRREL HUNTERS.....THE TREE KIND! (Read 40675 times)

DaveH · « **Reply #120 on:** November 20, 2006, 01:30:47 PM »

SQUACKS,

I went the other way this evening. Had a few hours to spend in the woods and took the Mossberg 500 .410 pump. I sit up on a ridge and jusr waited and listened/watched. Lots of mass on the ground so I sit quitly and waited. As soon as the woods forgot I was there the greys started moving. Shot the first one in about 15-20 minutes and that it seems they were coming out of the wood work. Seems like every place I looked that squirrels in it.

Good hunt this evening.

LUck

SQUACKS · « **Reply #121 on:** November 21, 2006, 12:13:25 PM »

Daveh:

great! sittin in the woods is bettern sittin at home all the time. one of the great things bout squirrel hunting is you can go for a few hours, shoot a few if you want and clean them all up in 30 minutes or so.

i have a Rem. 870 deluxe in .410 bore. i rarely use it but keep it for sentimental reasons. i may use it on rabbits later this season.

i am on my way down into the shawnee nat. forest again this weekend to meet some friends from all over the country. we will be hunting squirrels with a wide range of weaponry.

i can't wait hear the quiet again......

luck!

.308 Win. · « **Reply #122 on:** November 21, 2006, 03:30:02 PM »

I have a question regarding squirrels. I don't hunt them much anymore but think I might just start back. In my youth, my folks wouldn't buy me a .22 so I cut tobacco and bought an old recurve bow. That's what I learned to hunt with. When skinning a squirrel, I find a thin transparent membrane that is nearly impossible to get off. Does anybody have a way to get this membrane off the back legs?

SQUACKS · « **Reply #123 on:** November 28, 2006, 05:19:12 PM »

.308 Win:

i think i remember seeing what you mentioned on some older squirrels. if pinching your finger under it and pulling it off doesn't work, maybe you could try parboiling them before you cook them however you like them.

i usually boil them until i can stick a fork into the meat easily and then slow cook them in bbq sauce until tender. after boiling, the membrane may be gone or at least easier to remove before finish cooking.

howdy all:

got down into s. illinois squirrel hunting and camping with some good friends for a very short period over thanksgiving. the weather was glorious for november and the company was outstanding. we killed few squirrels and nobody cared! lol!

we ate a bunch, played some good old time tunes and drank a little apple jack. we did hunt but squirrels were moving only for short periods of time during the day. they are also grouped up into pockets and if you weren't standing where they were when they were moving, you sure aint gonna get any! lol!

we'll get em next time! you bet!

luck!

SQUACKS · « **Reply #124 on:** January 02, 2007, 12:43:08 PM »

howdy all!

made it up into north western wisconsin for a couple of days over the new year holiday. the weather was terrible for squirrel hunting as it was windy and raining. i went out anyways as i had a rifle to try. i used a remmy 541s with a 4x12 ao simmons prohunter on top.

it is a noggin shooter too. only got to shoot at a few but got 3 and all head shot. it was pretty miserable hunting wet in jan. but a feller can stand sitting around for only so long!

hope to get out again this weekend.

if anybody is interested in the 6th annual shawnee squirrel hunt coming up this sept., let me know and i'll post up the particulars.

luck!

Sarge · « **Reply #125 on:** January 13, 2007, 12:58:53 PM »

Hey Squacks,
There's lots of good squirrel hunters here on GBO, but we haven't had anyone from here show up. C'mon squirrel hunters, make plans to attend that shawnee hunt. It's a great time.

Nixter · « **Reply #126 on:** January 13, 2007, 07:58:29 PM »

I just ordered up a shoulder holster for my Single-Six, perhaps by September, I'll have enough practice to join you guys in Shawnee.

Still have the rest of January to hunt, I might get out yet.

Chipmunks are taking over the areas I hunt. Maybe they are there for practice? Little reds have a large population as well.

I need to re-read this thread from the start...

Nixter

SQUACKS · « **Reply #127 on:** January 14, 2007, 06:21:45 AM »

nixter:

you would be welcome at the shawnee hunt for sure. i have a single six i hunt with some times but don't forget a close shooting scoped rifle if you are serious about getting squirrels. the timber down there is tall and iron sighted rifles are going to be a challenge to take squirrels with.

since you were interested, i will post up the hunt particulars.

luck!

SQUACKS · « **Reply #128 on:** January 14, 2007, 06:32:00 AM »

sarge:

i see you wander about just like me. i check here everyday for posts to this thread and sometimes there are a few.

you are right that nobody from this site has ever made it down to the shawnee hunt. a few have been interested. maybe this will be the year!

a deer season is in again in wisconsin so i stayed home this weekend. it is in again also in illinois.

i hope to get out at least once more before the squirrel season closes.

as the squirrels are rutting now, they will all be ganged up someplace and if you find one, you may find the entire population! lol!

the season here in illinois has been extended to mid-feb. but i seriously doubt i will hunt them then as there is bound to be a lot of pregnant squirrels at that time.

luck!

Nixter · « **Reply #129 on:** January 14, 2007, 12:02:57 PM »

Hey Squacks, thanks for the invite. I remember when you organized the First Shawnee Squirrel hunt on the Marlin Owners site.

I'll put in for vacation and see what happens.

One request though. You guys show me first hand what I've been trying to learn in the video you made. And how to cook them afterwards...

Reading some of your posts, I bet you've hunted not to far from here in Waukesha. I'm not far from Eagle or Whitewater... There are some good woods between here and there.

Nixter

PS. I've got plenty of hardware for shooting squirrels, it's the id'ing of suitable mast trees that I need to work on.

Sarge · « **Reply #130 on:** January 14, 2007, 01:15:57 PM »

Squacks,
I haven't got out squirrel hunting for quite some time now. I did get another deer during the doe season that turned out to be a buck that had already dropped it's horns. I've got a new scope on my hm2 that I am anxious to try out. I usually stop hunting squirrels about the middle of Jan because of the breeding cycle even though the season here is open untill the last day of Feb. I hope you are able to get out after them before you decide to lay off for the winter.

Nixter,
You show up this Sep and we can definately show you how to skin squirrels like Squacks video. Don't forget to bring an acoustical musical instrument if you play one and also bring your thick skin, there's a lot of joking goes on there.

SQUACKS · « **Reply #131 on:** January 20, 2007, 07:12:41 AM »

howdy all:

had planned a squirrel/grouse hunting trip for the weekend but a whopping head cold made me think better of it. sleeping out in the cold in central wisconsin probably not a great idea if you are already sick.

i do plan on making a day trip tomorrow if i am no worse. it will have to be a squirrel / rabbit trip though as there are few grouse in the closer area we have to hunt.

in most states the squirrel seasons have closed are about to soon. hope you all had a good hunting season this year.

if you are planning to hunt next year, make plans to include a young person if they are interested. the future of our shooting sports depend on the involvement of young people.

luck!

Sarge · « **Reply #132 on:** January 20, 2007, 07:41:55 AM »

Hope you get to felling better Squacks and I also hope you're able to get out tomorrow. Big snow storm going on here now. I don't know if I will be able to make it home from work.

SQUACKS · « **Reply #133 on:** February 11, 2007, 12:09:20 PM »

howdy all!

got out into western illinois this weekend and even though it was pretty cold, i found squirrels on the south facing hills. they were cutting walnuts.

i ended up getting 3 both days and only hunted about 2.5 hours each day. all the squirrels taken were male so that should not have effected next years population at all.

was good to get out into the timber kickin around for 1 last squirrel hunt of the 2006 season.

luck!

SQUACKS · « **Reply #134 on:** February 12, 2007, 04:27:48 PM »

i was just pondering on hunting squirrels in the rain. not that it is going to rain around here anytime too soon, but i did hunt them back in january in a steady shower.

i have a lot of squirrels around my backyard and they are safe from me as long as they don't go to gnawin on the house. i watch them regular trying to see what i can learn of their habits which comes right handy if you are a squirrel hunter.

i have noticed over the years that if it is an overcast day where it rains steady all day, at some point squirrels come out and feed. of course, i am not talking about raining cats and dogs with thunder crashing all around but one of those gentle rains where you are going to get plenty wet in 30 minutes or so.

most times i drive a long way to hunt squirrels with a rifle. it is neccesary. a steady rain like the one previously described is not going to keep me out of the timber. i generally wait a while after daylight to slip into the woods as on those low days it takes a good bit longer to get light enough to see or for squirrels to show.

generally, i find grey squirrels are moving already by the time you can make out bark on a treetrunk good. on a rainy day, i like to stay dry as long as possible and wait until i think squirrels are going to be active before i slip in. the wet ground is going to make slippin easy and the noise of the rain is going to hide most any noise you could make.

i don't relish the idea of hunting in the rain but knowing that squirrels are going to be active sometime in the day and i have a chance of getting even a few can save the hunt and make the long drive worth while.

luck!

SQUACKS · « **Reply #135 on:** February 18, 2007, 07:25:28 AM »

well:

the 2006 illinois squirrel season has closed for this year. it wasn't a bad season for me either. there were mornings when i saw a great many squirrels.

in shawnee this season, there were very few, if any, hickory nuts in any of the places i hunted. there were, however, lots of beech and pin oak acorns. there were walnuts on some of the trees too.

i have written down(it never happened if you don't write it down) a few changes i intend to make to a couple of my squirrels rifles over the warmer months while the season is closed. like swapping scopes between rifles to more suit what i use the rifle for.

hope you all had a good 2006 season and good memories to ponder over.

luck!

SQUACKS · « **Reply #136 on:** April 24, 2007, 12:45:44 PM »

howdy all!

with that late freeze down in the southern states, it promises to be a really bad year for mast production in those affected areas.

i think that from central illinois up, we might be ok as the leaves and buds had not got started.

there seems to be lots of squirrels around this area at this time. squirrels will probably be fine until sometime early next winter. the outlook could be bleak for the following season.

luck!

SQUACKS · « **Reply #137 on:** May 30, 2007, 12:47:10 PM »

howdy all!

i am headed out to western Missouri this weekend for my first ever spring squirrel hunt. going to meet a bunch of folks from several states.

i expect to learn something new about squirrel hunting this trip.

i never ate Missouri squirrel! i wonder if they taste different? lol!

luck!

Sarge · « **Reply #138 on:** June 08, 2007, 07:21:36 AM »

Quote from: SQUACKS on May 30, 2007, 12:47:10 PM

i expect to learn something new about squirrel hunting this trip.

luck!

Hey Squacks,
What did you learn?

I learned that I can't tell time and that there's a lot of skeeters in Missouri.

SQUACKS · « **Reply #139 on:** June 08, 2007, 11:35:29 AM »

and seed ticks! lets not forget about those! i still itch like a hound from the varmints.

i enjoyed myself over there even if i did not get but one squirrel......that would be some very expensive squirrel meat if i figured the cost per ounce! lol!

did you get that flat tire fixed before you got home?

took me bout 11 hours to get home from there and i only stopped 2 times and made it quick!

luck!

Sarge · « **Reply #140 on:** June 09, 2007, 10:22:02 AM »

Nope, didn't get the tire fixed until I got home. I didn't get any ticks or chiggers cause I was wearing the ryno skin. Corey was chewed up with seed ticks and chiggers. Says he's for sure going to get some ryno skin. It was a good time. Can't wait for Sep.

SQUACKS · « **Reply #141 on:** June 10, 2007, 06:39:58 AM »

i meant to mention this about the spring hunt in mo. and it slipped my mind. the last evening there, i ran into a tree with 3 young squirrels up in it which were obviously knocking something out of it.

when i got close enough to identify the tree it turned out to be a hickory. those young squirrels were eating those tiny yet to be formed hickory nuts. guess that could be one of the reasons that in the fall some trees fail to have nuts while others are loaded.

luck!

Ozarks · « **Reply #142 on:** July 05, 2007, 09:27:03 PM »

SQUACKS I really enjoy reading all of your stories on Squirrel Hunting and find them very informative.
How about a story about your first ever spring squirrel hunt

DalesCarpentry · « **Reply #143 on:** July 06, 2007, 02:37:35 PM »

I live in Sw Pa and have never really hunted Squeals here. I just ran across this thread and is going to take some time to read. Thanks for the info Squaks.

SQUACKS · « **Reply #144 on:** August 07, 2007, 12:52:13 PM »

howdy all!

the squirrel season opened here Aug. 1 but i have yet to get out. it will be a couple of week before i will be able to. by that time squirrels will be well into the hickory nuts!

have a new to me rem. 541s that i aim to make good use of this season. only got to use it a couple of times last season so i still consider it new. lol!

hope you all have a great and safe season.

will check in soon with the newest of this seasons tall tales!

can we link hunting pictures on this site?

luck!

Sarge · « **Reply #145 on:** August 22, 2007, 07:24:30 AM »

I haven't got out yet either. Anytime I get a chance to go it's either blowing a hurricane or someone seems to think I should be doing something else. I may not get to hunt till I get to shawnee.

Ranger J · « **Reply #146 on:** August 22, 2007, 11:01:25 AM »

I don't have to get out to find them. They have me under siege! The late frost and freeze killed off most the oak bloom and thus no acorns. The two previous years we had record acorn production and the population of squirrels reacted accordingly. Now the woods are full of squirrels and there is practically nothing for them to eat. The result is that my garden has become the pantry of choice for numerous tree rats. I have around fifty tomato plants out and am lucky to get enough tomatoes to eat with hamburgers. They not only eat my tomatoes but are eating the half ripe buckeyes and black walnuts. Last year they wouldn't even touch the walnuts. It's going to be a long hungry winter for the squirrels, deer, turkey and other critters that depend on acorns .

RJ

SQUACKS · « **Reply #147 on:** August 25, 2007, 12:06:11 PM »

that late freeze at Easter this spring really hurt a lot of places that had the trees and shrubs leaved out and buds set! there is very spotty mast in a lot of states. the southern part of Illinois was hit hard by it.

i live on the northern part of the state and the trees had not got that far along. this year we have one of the biggest mast crops i can remember. the swamp oaks in my yard have covered the ground with acorns. the hickory limbs are bent with nuts and the walnut trees are loaded.

in places where the mast is spotty, a feller will find most of the squirrels wherever there is mast at the start of the season. in large expanses of timber where the mast is scarce look for squirrels to be on the move. they can move great distances in search of a good food supply.

the last year we lost the majority of the mast here, the pin oak timber had lot of acorns. they may set buds later but i am not sure of the reason. these trees were growing in low wet ground. every squirrel for long distances around were found in that timber and it made hunting actually too easy. you did not even have to hunt really. if you can't find mast in the trees you normally hunt look at different types of habitat for mast that you may not know of or overlooked. you may find them piled up there!

luck!

Dee · « **Reply #148 on:** August 25, 2007, 04:25:10 PM »

I have been huntin squirrels for over 50 years now, and still do. Have to hunt'em by myself though, as the boys are grown and gone, and not many around here hunt them anymore. I feel like a dinosaur. Just found the thread, and haven't had time to read it all. I hunt with a Model 92 Winchester clone, in 357 mag. Have been casting and reloading for over 30 years now, and shoot cast bullet with an extremely light charge in a 38 special case. It won't shoot very far at all ( not near as far as a 22 short), and is not very loud, but it drills a nice neat hole in a squirrel's head.
Haven't had time to read all the posts here but, heard mention of a annual squirrel but, didn't catch were. I live in North Central Texas, down by Sherman.

SQUACKS · « **Reply #149 on:** August 26, 2007, 06:15:18 AM »

Dee:

the Shawnee 2007 hunt is listed just below this topic. It is less than 1 month away. there will be at least one Texan there and he has been there for 4 of the last 5 hunts. this hunt is also listed on 3 other hunting forums. last 3 years there have been between 30 and 40 hunters show up.

Feel free to come. there will be squirrel hunters there from many states and Great Britain. Be sure to read the invitation good. If you have any questions feel free to ask or contact me.

luck!