Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire So who squirrel hunts?

It's starting to cool off a bit. My hunter's spirit is stirring once again. I grew up in Ohio, and squirrel season was the first thing to open up, usually around the second week of September. Squirrel hunting was a big deal down there. Mom and Dad expected me and my brother to put some meat on the table, especially in years when Dad's carpentry work was tight.

We saved squirrel tales and sold them to Mepps. A season's worth of squirrel tales bought all the .22 ammo I needed for the next season. I had started my hunting with a little Fox Model B 20 gauge, but found out it just couldn't consistently bring those bushytails down out of the tops of the huge beech trees on our family homestead. If you were standing in the bottom of one of the many ravines, and shooting into the top of the canopies, it might be 65 to 70 yards.

I haven't chased 'em in way too long. It's time to get back to basics. Who here hunts squirrels? I'm looking forward to doing it again this fall. The old Glenfield bolt guns sighted in and ready to go.

Sumbeaches will bug the [bleep] out of you when deer hunting. I've thought about squirrel hunting just to shut some up.

My first hunts were stalking squirrel with my great Uncle Donald, and a dog named Kate.



I miss it.

I see more squirrels deer hunting than I ever do squirrel hunting. Somehow they know.

Right as rain. They are smart little things, those tree rats.

Great photo for squirrel appreciation day!

I hunt them a few times a season, lotta fun.

I'd rather hunt squirrel than deer. The season is longer, the limits are generous, the ammo's cheaper, and they're far easier to pack out.

I live in SW Missouri, where the forests are mixed oak, walnut, and 50 other tree varieties, and squirrels are described by the conservation dept as "an underutilized resource". If I can get myself down to the woods, I hunt squirrels. In fact, since I had eye surgery last year, I'm even something of a threat to them again.

Marlin 39a is my favorite. Load 25 shorts and head out.

Works for me.

My weapon of choice:

Browning A5 12 ga
Winchester 9422 22 LR

Two good choices, there. My FIL liked to go out with a Sweet 16 and come back with his pockets full of quail, rabbits, squirrels, and maybe some walnuts. Persimmons he just ate on the spot.

My two favorite cartridges for squirrel hunting are the 22rimfire sub-sonic for early hunting when the leaves on the trees are pretty thick and the 17HM2 when the leaves have fallen and the shots are longer.

I take mostly head shots and get some delicious meat. And being in the woods at first light is a delight all of its own.

Steve

I damn near have a heart attack every time one of those 200 lbs. squirrels comes sneaking up on me when I'm on stand during deer season. I swear it's Buckzilla paying me a visit to get my pacemaker going!

Love squirrel hunting! These old bones can't sit for too long.Stalking tree rats is a hoot!

yep. i never miss the 1st day here in PA. when i was a kid i used grandpaps mod 12 and would get lots of limits. now i use the 77/22 for the long shots and a pre-18 s&w for the close shots. i try to get enough for one squirrel potpie for deer camp. but ya, its funny how you can hunt and not see one and hunt the same spot in deer season and them suckers are crawling on every tree. archery season has kind of cut into my squirrelin' lately but if i had to only hunt one thing the rest of my days, it would be squirrels in the late october PA woods.

Years ago (I was around 17) I was positive a big 'ole buck was sneaking up behind me, my heart was racing and I was in full anticipation mode, all of the sudden the buck started moving very fast and a freaking black squirrel ran across my legs!

I schit my pants!

What we have up here in northern Ohio is Fox Squirrels. Down in S.E. Ohio it's grays. Completely different critter. The Fox will sit for a scoped shot, that gray just keeps moving. I got got rid of the scope on the grays, open sights only.

I have a friend that runs a fiest on squirrels, he cleans up on them.

My father and his brothers grew up as subsistence hunters. In East Texas, squirrels were the primary target. I learned most of my outdoor (and survival) skills as a result of squirrel hunting and catfishing. Those skills are substantial, and while I don't hunt squirrels much anymore, the memories are fond.

Walks in the Missouri woods, flintlocks and squirrels were made for each other!

I got back into it with my grandson. Now I just need to figure out how to cook them so they're tender and edible. I think I'll try a pressure cooker this year. Anyone have good cooking tips? Our season open Sept.1.

Bob