It starts today. Everything is ready. Out the door in about an hour. Hope everyone has a great season. I'll report back later.....


maddog

you suck

Yes I do! It was a fabulous morning in the woods. Temp was 48 at 7am. Went to the first of 3 woods, I hit this am. Got in and set down under an oak tree, and waited for the woods to come alive. About 15 min. later, look what showed up.





Five half grown coons.

Hunted this woods for 2 hrs., and only saw one squirrel, at a distance. Walked around, and didn't see any cuttings, and the trees didn't seem to have many nuts on them. Left at 9am, and headed north to a little patch, that is loaded with hickories. No more than stepped in the woods, and found cuttings, and a fox squirrel barked at me. Snuck up behind a tree, put the sights on him, squeezed the trigger, and mmmmmissed! Seems like the first squirrel, every season, goes that way[at least for the last 3 yrs.]


Move on and heard another one cutting. Got up behind a tree, and this time I DIDN'T miss!




The season is officially started! Hunted for another hr., and things slowed up. I was heading back to the truck, and caught one on the ground. He jumped up on the side of a tree, and I free handed him, and got a head shot.





Went to the truck, took this pic, and cleaned the squirrels. Ah, kinda like missing the first squirrel, well cleaning the first on, I broke the tail off....which makes for a tad bit more effort in the cleaning process......sometimes it sux to be me....


Got them cleaned and decided to hit one more patch, before calling it a day. Walked in, and stood behind an oak for 15-20 mins. Directly, i heard a fox squirrel barking, and he was giving me quite a cussing. Got up behind another oak, and took a 60 yd. shot. DRT!




This ole boy is definately limb chicken chowder material.





See what I mean?


Well, mama's going out with the girls tonight, so in honor of opening day, I'm frying me a squirrel, making some gravy, and following up with a ripe ole mater.


maddog

well done.

save the pics for S.A.D.

Way to get it done!

Cool beans Mike! Im gonna hafta invest in a second 'squirrel motel' this year as Im stepping up urban trapping operations

Today is going to be an "interesting" hunt. About an hr. or so from now, I'm taking Dexter[aka: Butthead] squirrel hunting with me. He's our 2 yr. old mini pins. Mama finally relented and said ok. He's treed a couple of squirrels in the backyard, so I want to see him in the woods. May not even get a squirrel, but the laughs oughta be great! Yes, I'll have my camera with me. I'll report back, later today.


maddog

Well, no interesting stories or pics. Got to the woods, and it got dark overcast. Got into an area of tall hickories, and could hear them cutting, but it was almost impossible to pick them out of the leafy cover. Dexter and i hunted 2 hrs., then it started to rain. I did get a very hasty shot at one, but missed him. Oh well, maybe tomorrow.


maddog

Man, I'm jealous. Season doesn't open here until Oct 1st.

(And I'll probably have to muzzleloading some venison before I get to squirrel hunt.)

They're eating pecans all around the neighborhood.

Ella

You guys are killing me I have to wait till Aug 30th

Gonna give it a shot this am, since I need to get back to work, tomorrow. Stepped out the door, and the temp is in the mid 60s, but the humidity must be 90%. Gonna head out to one of my favorite patches, a little after sunrise. Later.


maddog

Well, for the second day in a row, dark overcast. Got to the woods, and didn't hear a peep for over an hr. Finally saw one running through the trees. Only way I could see him, because he was sky lined. Heard 2 others fussing with each other, so I moved toward them. About that time it started to rain, so I headed for home. To heck with it, not going again unless the sun is shining.


maddog

Well, a morning squirrel hunting in the rain would make my week. Don't worry, there's plenty of season left!

What kind of area you hunting in?

Ella

Ella, it's mostly farm country with woodlots of 4-40 acres. With all the rain and mild temps this summer, the weeds/briars are huge, in the majority of the woods I hunt. This pic will give you some idea.




This woods, the weeds/briars are actually shorter than the other five woods I've hit so far. There's no shortage of squirrels, I've seen/heard them in every woods I've hit so far, it's been the weather the last 2 days. Been so dark in the morning, with the overcast, ya need a spotlight so ya can jacklight them way up in a hickory! Back to work today, but it's foggier than h**l here, this am.


maddog

Sounds like a fun place to hunt in the early fall. Scope might brighten things?

Enjoy. Green with envy.

Ella

Sorta glad I'm not hunting yet. Heat index has been 100+. Had to some tractor work on our duck lease and sweated so bad I nearly slipped out of the seat. A lady that lives down south of us killed a rattler that over 6ft. 17 rattles and a button. Would hate to sit down next to him while skwerl hunting..

Had a 2-7x nikon prostaff on the sportster, and it was still dark up in them leaves. If the sun is shining Wed. am, I'm going to give it a shot.


maddog

Shucks up here , heck there are rabbits would eat the wellps and never have gas..

Went this morning, because it may be the last decent day until Sun. Got in the woods, about 7:30 am. We had a helluva thunderstorm, last night, and the trees were dripping pretty heavy. Spotted one up a tall oak, fired and missed.... Watched him move thru the trees, and eased on up to another oak. Spotted him up in a crotch. Cranked up the scope and put the crosshairs on him, POP. He falls straight to the ground. It's over a slight knoll. I walk over to where he thumped the ground, and no squirrel! Evidently I barked him, and when he hit the ground, he hauled azz. Never did find him .

Moved on east, and saw one shaking branches up a pig nut hickory. I tried to get a shot for over 1/2 hr., moving 3 times. Finally spotted him, and shot. This time it was straight down, and he didn't go anywhere. Picked him up and put him on the stringer, and moved maybe 50 ft. About that time two fox squirrels started giving me a cussing. I saw one go up a tree and in a hole. Meantime I hear two more up on tree giving me hell. I line up on the 1st one, and head popped him, straight down. The other one moved out on a bare limb, tail flapping as he went. One more shot, and straight down, right next to the other one. kinda felt like I redeemed myself, from the first one.





Went on hunting, but didn't see another squirrel, so about 11 am, I headed to the truck to clean them. It was geeting pretty warm/humid. All three were males, and two had some age on em. Musta interupted a batchelor party.





maddog

Congrats! Still haven't been out yet. Next week will hopefully be another story.

Maddog what gun are you using?

It's a H&R Sportster single shot .22 rimfire, with a 2-7x nikon prostaff mounted to it.


maddog

That sounds like a satisfying hunt. I love the sneaking and strategizing.

You saving them for stew or frying them as they come in?


Ella

Four are old, two young. Everything getting frozen so far. Somehow in the next week or so, gotta get me a youngin for frying. As I'm typing this, it's puoring like a cow pizzin on a flat rock outside.


maddog

Just checked my rain gauge. Since last night, I've dumped 5 3/4" of rain out of the gauge, and it's not over yet.


maddog

You guys got hammered last night!

Congrats on the good eats! I'm hoping to give it a go on a piece of public ground possibly this weekend. Mostly want to hit the free gun range there with the eldest, but may sneak into the woods to look for a squirrel. They're tough to get there as the place gets ALOT of pressure. I was #22 on the sign in sheet on opening day at 4pm and not everyone follows the rules and signs in. Really wish I could hunt one of the properties I was at for work this week. Very little undergrowth and quite a few big white oaks and hickories, right on the Tippecanoe...

The way the weather sounds, don't think I'll get back out til thurs., when my son is coming up for a hunt.


maddog

Forecast is calling for 97-98 deg highs in my area for a few days...makes for a tough hunt..

Gonna have to face the heat if I get out in this soup!

Dave

Just got hammered again, about an hr. ago. Over 2 1/4" in about 40 minutes. That makes 8", since thurs. evening, and about 10" for August. This sucks.....


maddog

Got caught up with work, so took off this morning, but couldn't get away until 9 am. Didn't hear much cutting, but across the woods I saw two running on the ground. Moved in on them, when I heard one bark off to the right. Eased over there, and all was quiet for about 45 mins. I saw him flapping his tail, high in an oake tree. One shot red head. By this time it was 11 am., and getting pretty warm, so I bagged it for the day. My son is hopefully coming up tomorrow, predicated on the weather.





maddog

My son made it up this am. This was the most beautiful day, since Aug. 15th. Long story short, we hit two woods, and he got two, and I got one. If both of us had been shooting straight, he shoulda had four, and me two. Pics.












maddog

Rain, rain, rain..... Just dumped another 1 1/4" out of the rain gauge. Was hoping to do a lot of hunting over Labor Day weekend. Not looking good. I was batching it last night, so i fried me up a youngster that I had soaking in the fridge. Along with gravy and a ripe mater, me and ole Dex ate good last night.


maddog

Congrats to you and your son! It doesn't get much better than that. I feel your pain on the rain. I still haven't been out due to work and the weather.

Gonna make a call here in a little while to secure a date for doves. May as well get out and get the stink blowed off and the cobwebs outta the scatterguns.

been about 2 weeks since I have been out.. too long to be away from the woods!

Hope to get out tomorrow evening.. got too much on my plate here lately.

They are still cutting hickory around my place, and am waiting for the pecans to fall prey to them..but that hasnt happened yet. Crows and jays have been picking some off though.

dave

was running a bushhog on my deer lease and came by some big pine trees that had bushels of cuttings under them. Will check that area out next month..

got out this am. Cloudy and pretty windy. May be more storms coming this pm. Long story short, I got two, from two different pignut hickories. You had to see them, cause you couldn't hear them cutting, in the wind.







The second was a young female. Proud of that one, cause I shot her free hand. Head shot to boot! Not bad for an old geezer!


maddog

Good shooting.

I can't wait. They're going nuts on the pecans around here....

Ella

great shootin' ol' geezer

Going out early tomorrow morning...to bust a couple tree rats and to say a few words to my hunting partner who passed too soon at the age of 49.

BC909, sorry to hear about your friend.

I took a buddy hunting, yesterday. Saw a ton of squirrels, but between the skeeters, and the overhead foliage, plus the fact that none of them set still, I couldn't get a shot at any of them. The skeeters were the worst I have experienced in years. Came home and found a headnet that I have never used. It's going with me this weekend.


maddog

Thanks, Mdog....took 2 grays and a red this morning. They weren't moving much in this heat. I got them almost cleaned and remembered that I didn't get a pic. Not quite finished yet,,,,but does this count??

..sure hate to hear you lost a buddy. Let the good times and good memories keep you strong.

dave

Got another 2 1/2" of rain, last night, in a little over an hr. That brings us up to 14 1/2-15" of rain, since the first of Aug., with most of it coming since the 20th of Aug. May be a while before I get any more hunting done.


maddog

Going for doves in the morning.

Got done sweeping up water in the basement, and since it was such a beautiful morning, I hauled my butt to the woods. Man it was nice out, and the skeeters not too bad. Got in, and set up near a pignut hickory that they were cutting on. Saw one moving around up in the hickory. Lined up and shot him. Went to pick him up, and saw another in the top of a big oak, and red headed him with a 40 yd. shot.





Moved on deeper in the woods, and saw one up another hickory. No way to get closer, so I took the shot. Out she flopped, thumping the ground. I stepped it off, and it was 60 yds. to the base of the tree. Didn't know I had it in me.....




Went on, and found another one up an oak, and red headed that lil booger. Time to head for the truck.





Ended up with 4 for the day.


maddog

Well.....time to see how much rain we get today. Hasn't started, yet, but it's about on top of us. Just about got the basement wall dried up, but depending on the intensity, I may be back at it for the next few days. My son is coming up tomorrow, hope we can get a squirrel hunt in, in the morning.


maddog

Jealous here Mike...

Gonna bag the hunt with my son, today. We had almost 2" of rain, again yesterday. That makes about 16" in the last 20 days. Was up three times last night sweeping up water seepage, in my basement. This last three weeks has been a PITA for hunting.....


maddog

temps falling here, supposed to be around 50 degrees Sat morning....squirrel cutting pecans in the orchard, will be there Sat morning to get after them.

quite a bit of wind this morning, so made them tough to spot, but my son & i drilled 2 each..

Congrats! Nice pic!


maddog

Well, between the basement water sweeping, I got out today. Really cool, and kind of windy. Saw two, and managed to re head one.









maddog

Good going! Out once so far..planning on one day this week.

Back out this am. Got to the woods about 9 am, and hunted til noon. Ended up with two, but both younguns[fryers, yeah!].





maddog

You suck�.

^^^^this^^^^
16 mo' days and I'll try to catch up..

We just had our first frost so my urban squirrel trapping, transitioning, and relocation program is about to begin�..

Dexter the wonder dog and I batched it this weekend. In honor of the weekend, I had fried squirrels and gravy Fri. nite, cold fried squirrel for lunch and dinner on Sat., and two bowls of limb chicken chowder on Sun.......whew! What a weekend.


maddog

Which barrel are you using on the walking stick of yours?

22 LR, 17HM2 ?

.22 LR. I shoot CCI SV LR for my squirrel hunting.


maddog

Went out yesterday am. It was absolutely beautiful out. For some reason, the squirrels weren't moving much. It got a little breezy, but I did dumb into one. By 11 am, I bagged it, the skeeters were gittin rammy!





maddog

Got back out this am. Thought it was going to be a great morning. I nailed this one in the first 15 mins. However, the wind picked up, and everything pretty much shut down. Didn't see another squirrel.





maddog

Eleven days to go here in Alabama. Big anticipation, hope it isn't a letdown like opening day of dove season was.

Hope you have a great season down there! I've hunted pretty hard up here, but the weather hasn't been too cooperative. We've had over 17" of rain, at my place, since Aug. 21. Got more last night, although I'm not sure how much. Gonna hit it a couple more times this next week, because our bow season opens up on Oct. 1. You have to do a little different timing wise, when they're in the woods.


maddog

Ain't it the truth. The only thing worse was the teal season. Saw more gators and cottonmouths than teal..

Dove opener was the crummiest I've ever experienced. I only fired 8 rounds, killing 2 birds, and the blasted fire ants got them. It was scorching hot and I sunburned badly in spite of how I was dressed. The place I went to was Swan Creek WMA near Decatur AL, which is heavily attended on opening day, and everyone that I spoke to afterwards was highly disappointed. The fields looked great, prepared as well as they've ever been, but only a few sporadic flights of birds showed up. I was going to stay until dark in hopes of some late birds, but a thunderstorm with some seriously heavy lightning rolled in, and I left around 5:30. I want to go back at least once before the season ends, but fuel money is as sparse as the birdies were! The field on our property and neighbors adjoining field is planted in soybeans, and they're turning brown quickly, I hope I can at least have an opportunity to try my hand a few times around here before season's ending.

All the beans and corn has been cut here. Lots of birds but scattered. I'm concentrating on shooting my crossbow and .22s. May shoot a few skwerls with a pistol this year. Been a long time..

Hardly anything has been harvested up in my area[later planting, cool summer, TOO much RAIN]. May be some beans go, in the next few days, as soon as the ground dries up. I've had almost 17 1/2" of rain, since Aug. 21st. Harvest is going to be way late, this year, compared to most. Won't effect the squirrel hunting, but may play hell with deer season.


maddog

Decided to bag work and go hunting, this am. Hit a new place i could finally drive to. On the way in, i saw 5 does and 3 turkeys.
Got in, and squirrels were barking all over the place. Unfortunately, they were on the other side of a creek i couldn't cross. Net result, saw three, shot at two, and nailed one. i intend to hunt that place again. Our bow season opens Oct. 1, and there are stands all over. I'll have to change up, and hunt during the week, in the middle of the day.





maddog

Maddog you'd better put up your recipe for squirrel.

I'm thinking to go out and zing some now!!
Nice pic's.

I managed to bag 2 out of the 3 I saw Monday morning.

Decided to head out this morning and give it a go, before it got too warm. Hit a woods I hadn't been in, yet, this year. Hadn't been in the woods, more than 10 minutes, when I saw one scurry around a big white oak. Shot him at about 15 yds. Stayed put, and saw another, barking at me. Red headed another one, for the skillet. Moved on and heard 2-3 barking. Was watching one, and another came running down the tree I was leaning against. POW! THUD! It was on the ground, in some briars. I bent over to pick him up, and the lil booger run about 2 ft. The briars were thick, so tried to put another shot into his head. Ever try to shot a squirrel at 3 ft with a scoped .22? Not easy. I didn't want to try and step on him, and have him get away[although, after looking at him, he wasn't going far]. Sooo....three shots later, I had him in the bag. So, I got three on the stringer now, and I start heading back to the truck. Stoped to take this pic.....




....and looked up, and saw another one up a near by oak. I eased over and red headed the dude. By this time I'm heading to the truck, with four.




Looked up from the tail gate of the pickup, and saw another one up another big oak. Indiana's limit is 5/day, and this would have been my first opportunity at a limit, this year. So, I sneak up on him, and took a free hand shot....and missed! Dimmit!......


So I cleaned the four, and headed for home. Didn't know you could shoot that many shells through a single shot, in one outing.


maddog

Congrats man! I wish we had more fox squirrels down here!

Cool beans Mike!

You are giving that Sportster a workout!

I normally use one of my CZ or vintage BRNO rifles for my squirrel/rabbit hunting...but you are getting me itchy to take my Sportster out in the woods again!

I did some trigger work on it about 2 years ago and it really help a bunch reducing my group sizes.

dave

Well it's nearly here, skwerl season that is. Opens Wed but I got to go teach some rugrats. 3:00 I'm outta there and headed to the woods. Will hunt my woodlot behind my house first.
My son was in the Miss Delta this weekend teal hunting and saw some black squirrels. Will head over there and try a few of them this fall.

You need to retire.

Well, get your Sportster out and bloody the dang thing!

The Sportster gets a few more outings, and maybe the 39a, but I'm itching to get my 10/22 out with the peep sights and give it a workout. Need to get more leaves dropped, before I'll be much good with the 10/22.


maddog

schoolmarm, will be anxiously waiting for some pics, come about thurs........


maddog

Man you said a mouthful. Got an app on my phone that clicks off the seconds.

Retire, go find some of those black squirrels and I will come down and help you shoot them.

Our public land squirrel season opens Wednesday too. Same day as WT muzzle loader. I'm torn. Maybe throw the .22 in the truck and swap out at noon? Hate to waste a day on deer, but it'd be nice to top off the freezer.

Ella

It's on only if you'll shoot any hogs that come by. And for Gods sake don't shoot a bear. The possum police get bad shook up over it.

My son will be here in a few minutes. Only our second outing together. Gonna hit a big 80 acre woods, that I haven't hunted in a long time. Looks like a beautiful morning. Today is the opening of Bow Season for deer, but nobody is bowhunting this particular woods.

Good luck to you boys whose season opens today. schoolmarm and Phil in Alabama, I expect to see some pics from you boys in the next couple days.


maddog

OMG! Dan and I had an awesome hunt together, this am. We both got our limit[5 a piece] this morning. First time in 3 yrs., for me. We had 4 each, by 10:30 am. We met at the truck, and decided to go out and hunt for another 45 min. He wasn't gone 10 min., and I heard him shoot. I hunted another 35 min., and caught one coming down the side of a pignut hickory. That made a limit for both of us. I was particularly proud of myself, 6 shots, and 5 dead limb chickens!





Dan before we each got our last one.





A pic of me with the whole enchilada!!


maddog

Cool beans Mike!

I just opened the Bates Squirrel Motel today to help combat an invasive species for the fine people of Montana. Our second client today just checked in, and I processed it...

Season opened today in Alabama. I walked around my woods in the morning and saw none but late afternoon I managed to see one.

Phil, you need a rain. I'll gladly send you some of what we been getting, up here in NW Indiana!


maddog

Forecast is saying rain this weekend then cooler temps next week, boy I hope so! It's been hot and dry for weeks now around here.

I went for an early woods walk this morning and found this one around 7:30; my loads of 1-1/8 of #5's seem to work very well for knocking squirrels down, found four pellets under the off side hide.

Beautiful 2row Phillip. What is it? Gonna use my old M11 Rem 16ga this evening after school.

It's a Grulla Armas 209E, 12 gauge. Spanish and built in 1986 according to the date stamp on the action.

I like hunting with a shotgun, but somehow feel a bit naked without some optics, I'm used to shooting a scoped rifle and using binoculars.

How long does it take ya to git a limit?


maddog

Well just drill and tap the rib and put an Aimpoint on it.

They are considered an invasive specie. There is no limit......

But three in a day is a good day.

Ahhhhh, much better. Not as good as hunting with family, but a damm sight better than much else I can think of. Four today and I felt pretty good about that with all the leaves still up.

I'm thinking I could open a hotel and do some BIG batches of chowder....




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Got one this afternoon. It was nice out after the rain last night, quiet walking and quite a bit cooler. I'd hope to see more than just one, but that was it for the day. The wind had died down from the thunderstorms that came through before dawn, so I used the Kimber Hunter 22 instead of the shotgun.

Great shooting and a fine rifle Phillip. Gonna exercise one of my old shotguns tomorrow. Bad thick where I'll be going. Will break out a .22 later in the season.

Had another client check into the Bates Squirrel Motel. I had to offer up room service via the Daisy 880.....


4 in the freezer...

Tom, I should send you a box of organic limb chicken legs!

Getting ready to fire up the pressure cooker and do about 17-18 old ones I had bagged up in the freezer. When I get them done and boned out, I'm gonna re freeze the meat for future chowder, and I'm gonna try a recipe for "limb chicken pot pie"


maddog

My plans exactly Mike. I haven't gotten any old ones yet, but when they check in, it will be crock pot/pot pie!

Well, I pressure cooked 17 of the old rascals. I let them cool and went to boning them out. There was one in there that after 30 minutes and 10 lbs. of pressure, you still couldn't get the meat off the bone. He went in the waste basket! Coulda made shoe soles outa that ole bastid!


maddog

I soften the older ones separate sometimes. One went three hours once before it gave in and tendered up.

We got some cold weather, but decided to do something different than the Maddog chowder this time.

First squirrels of '14:

That looks good, what is the recipe?

I'll second that, it looks good.

maddog

And I'll second it again. Ended up with 8 gray squirrels Sat. Hoping I can get a few more this week..

Get after em schoolmarm! I hope to get out at least once this week, with my peep sighted 10/22. The weather doesn't look too cooperative.


maddog

Thanks. It turned out pretty good, but it�s no maddog chowder. Don�t really have a recipe, kinda put it together by taste. Simmered the squirrels until they were softening up but not too tender. Took the meat off the bone. Strained the broth, kept about � and added some stock we�d made from turkeys we shot last spring. Put the deboned meat back in the pot, added a little wine, salt, pepper, garlic. Some mini-taters went in about � hour before the end. Onions and mushrooms added for the last 10 minutes or so. And rosemary and thyme from the yard.

8 beats my all time record for a day.

Ella

Ella that sure looks and sounds just too good. Will try that.
Sat, I saw/heard at least 35 squirrels. May not do that well next Sat, will be taking my 4yr old grandson.

I'm jealous of all you all who have your kids to take hunting.

Them limb chickens are definitely in high gear. When I went out this past weekend, you could hear em all gnawing at the pecans and beech nuts, sounded like locusts. Nutshells raining down everywhere. But getting eyes and sights on them was a challenge.

Good luck Sat.

Got these two this morning before 7. It hadn't been daylight enough to see for but around fifteen minutes before spotting them, both males, both in the same tree. They took off running, and each caught a few #5's from my 1 ounce loads.

Grulla 209E 12 gauge

Went hunting this morning. It was beautiful in the woods, although a little breezy. I decided to take my peep sighted 10/22 for it's first run of the year. Hadn't been in the woods more than 15 min., and saw my first one. Took a bit, but I finally got the peep on him. One shot and a red head to boot!




Pretty proud of my self, until I went on and missed two....


Went on, and finally found a barker setting low in a tree. He's a red head too, although it took more than one shot. If I'd taken my scoped Sportster, I'd prolly shot a limit...oh well.

Two for the morning.






maddog

Dagnabbitt, you and Ella killing squirrels and having fun. I get to give 9weeks tests. Last year fo' sho'.

Great squirrel hunting morning. Rained Fri night, quit just before we got in the woods. Very little wind and the limb rats were out in piles. Still too many leaves for .22s, so my son and I carried shotguns. My old trusty m11 Rem 16 came through again. I got 8 grays and my son got 6 grays. Didn't see any fox squirrels. Got back home before 10:00. Next Sat is my sons Bday and he wants Squirrel and Dumplings. Done deal. Leaves are starting to turn and a few falling so I'll be breaking out a .22 soon.

Bah! All these happy hunts and good pictures.

The only good thing to come of this am is this tale. So I figure I might as well share it.

It was the first day of regular gun season for deer on public land, so I thought I�d kill two beasts with two stones and garner a mixed bag. I set up in a spot I figured other hunters would push deer into, had a .22 for squirrels and a .45 colt Blackhawk for the deer. Given how thick the area is and how frequently shots are fast and short range, I�ve done as well with the pistol as a rifle out there the last couple of seasons. I was feeling pretty smug about my upcoming double dip, clever even.

Of course, after an hour and a half of gunshots going off way down the valley and nothing coming my way but a couple dozen scampering squirrels intent on raining beechnut and acorn shells on me, my temper and my equipment, I figured heck, holstered the sidearm and chambered a round in the .22.

At the snick of the bolt snapping back, every squirrel�even that fat little rascal that had been scampering around the tree I was sitting against, at one point giving me the eye from 10 feet away�every squirrel disappears into the thick leaves at the tops of the oaks.

I ease up and start sneaking over to a spot where I have a better view of and a clear shot at the treetops, and a couple of does and a nice little buck come charging out of the bushes about 30 yards downwind of me. They skid to stop. I�m frozen standing in the open with the .22 in my hands. As they wheel around, I try to get the pistol out and on �em. No such luck. I drop the .22 and go charging across the ridge to cut them off but get there only in time to see their white tails disappearing into the heavy thicket along the creek.

Needless to say, the squirrels never reappeared. I stuck around for a couple of hours and spent another hour slow-hunting back to the truck. I got one long shot at a limb chicken way up in a pecan tree and missed.

The moral is something about a squirrel in the hand or venison in the freezer or. Think I�ll start my own Laurel and Hardy show.

Well, bow season is open, but gun season is about 5 weeks away. Took a buddy hunting with me today. He got a free hand shot at one, and missed. I dumbed around and heard five, saw five shot at three, and got two, both head shots. Shoulda had the third, but I shot too quick. Fun day!





maddog

Nice shooting. We don't get those orange colored ones down here. They look like a couple pounds of eating each.

Ella

Went out for a couple of hours this morning. The skinny fryer showed up as I was getting out of the truck. Took four shots to finally get his little noggin. Got the big stew boar in a stand of pecans and beech nuts. Saw a couple of others, but it was gusting wind, and I couldn't keep them in sight to get a shot.

Ive been in and out a lot, so I didn't set the trap.....errrrr I mean the Norman Bates Squirrel Motel until this afternoon. Had one client check in already. That makes five in the freezer....

Ella, nice shootin'

Tom, keep going to get enough for some fall LC chowder!


Been raining here the last 3 days. puts me over 23" of rain since Aug. 21st. Fall harvest is way behind. May not get to hunt til sometime next week.


maddog

Went this am. It was a little breezy, but decided to go and take my little buddy Dexter[aka butthead]. Saw 2 and got one. No Dex didn't tree it, but he was VERY interested, and the gun shots didn't bother him a bit.





Big ole male, old enough to draw social security.





See what I mean


maddog

you're gonna have to boil that joker twice. The first water will be tough.
Going out for a bit in the morning. Gonna tote my old Sav 24 20/.22. Haven't exercised it in awhile.

schoolmarm, that ole savage sounds neat. Had a stevens .22/.410, back when I was a teen, but ended up selling it[mistake]. Would love to have a .22/20 ga., just don't want to pay what they are asking for them, these days. Get a chance, post a pic of that gun.


maddog

got to get one of my kids over here to teach me how to do pictures. Got a bunch of ol' junkers.
The skwerls weren't moving. Son got 2, me 0.

I too sold a 24 in 22/410 indeed I killed my first squirrel with it. Shoulda never sold that one....

Wow, i missed two today with a SHOTGUN Got one, but i missed two which is beyond my ability to comprehend....

Swooft lil' bastids can outrun #6s. Had it happen before.

Marty, have you got fox squirrels over there?

These were grey squirrels. The one we got was a BIG one tho. I am not sure if we have fox squirrels. We have some little reddish ones, and lots of chipmunks.

California Grays?

Check your cell phone...

Got it dude!

Yep thats a California Gray. They were protected when I lived in WA.



Tasty though.....

The regs say western greys.

Veddy yummy.

Yeah, and they are every bit as big as a fox squirrel. Whats the limit on them?

5

When you make your first million you'll have to meet me in Arizona for an Aberts Squirrel hunt!

I'm in.

How about a pic of them big grays?


maddog

MD,

Is your dog that small, or is that fox squoil that BIG!?

Thats the biggest squoil I ever done saw.

Was he on "the clear", or "the cream"?? And do you think he couldve hit a baseball?

Ole Dex weighs about 13-14 lbs. Yes, that was a huge fox squirrel. Just guessing, somewhere over 3 lbs.

Not sure what you meant about "the clear" or "the cream".


maddog

Just alittle steroid, baseball, Barry Bonds joke

No matter. Id of thought he weighed at least 5lbs.

Man, nice one, none the less.

Ahh, now I get it. Yes that ole dude coulda been onsteroids, cept his thingy hadn't shrunk....just sayin'....



maddog

Prolly got that big from pumpin' big hickory nuts....


maddog

Speaking of BIG fox squirrels, here is some pics of some of the biggest I've shot in the last three years. Every one of these would be over 3 lbs.




















[img]http://i264.photobucket.com/al...RRELHUNTING2014005_zpsa23a2ce0.jpg[/img]


Glad they aren't any bigger, or I'd have to get a power winch to load em in the truck!


maddog

Didn't weigh it, but we got one when I was a kid that measured 21 inches from nose to base of tail. The tail added another 10 inches for a SOAL of 31 inches.
Biggest one I can remember till I got to Ga. and shot a couple Giant Fox Squirrels.
Theres a reason they are nicknamed 'cat squirrels'.

dang MD, them are some bigguns. Heck, even the gravy would be tough.

It is, unless ya pressure cook it......


maddog

Heading out the door, in a few minutes, with ole Dexter, for a frosty am adventure looking for limb chickens..... Will report back later. ps: he's excited!


maddog

Well, Dex and I had quite a morning, just no squirrels in the bag. he actually did tree one, and I saw it go up the tree. Time I got to the area for a shot, he'd gotten in a hole.

Then, he saw a big buck trotting thru the woods, and site ran the hell out of him. Couple minutes later he was back at my side. Thank gawd, mama woulda shot me if her little baby got lost...


maddog

Lord, you got tree hogs. Limb bacon is more like.

Try doing them up pulled pork style?

Got out for a couple hours this am. Shot two fryers and a stewer out of one pecan and got another stewer and fryer a half hour later.

Lots of pecans and beechnuts but real small acorn crop down here. It's
throwing off the deer patterns.

Ella

You need a good collar system. Get in touch if you want one.
Son, wifey, and I are headed out after the squirrels this morn. First time for her this year. Got a 870 28g that's poison on squirrels.

Good luck today, schoolmarm. As far as ole Dex is concerned, he's our house dog, and I'm not serious in making him a squirrel dog. It's just fun to take him to the woods once in a while, mostly for the laughs! He's just a house dog, but fun to be with.


maddog

we ended up with 7. Maw got her first one. Weren't moving too good. Headed to the Mississippi river delta lease for black squirrels this weekend.

Get pics! Im jealous of the black squirrels!


Just got my first crock pot squirrel this morning! One more and it'll be time for Pot Pies!

Ran across two guys from Arkansas today up here in the Missouri Ozark's squirrel hunting with dogs. Evidently they make the trip every year. They had about a dozen in the sack, needed eight more for a limit here.

Maddog, i have a picture of my son with the tree rat, but its on my phone. I dont know how to make it go to my PC from the phone. Let me call the Tech and see if she can make it work.

Here ya go Maddog. My little guy LOVING the bushytail hunting.

[img]https://scontent-a-sjc.xx.fbcdn.net...03114b21e75c1963f88f8215&oe=54B59E5E[/img]

SWEET! Way cool pic


maddog

Well, went this am, to a place I hadn't been to all season. It has both fox and gray squirrels. Dumbed around, and got one. My first gray of the year. Woulda shot straighter, shoulda had two more......








I'll say one thing, them little grays are a dang site easier to clean than those fox squirrels. If I can, gonna hit it a lick tomorrow.


maddog

Sweet picture. The little guy looks delighted.

Only squirrel we got this am was in this guy's belly. (Didn't get a pic on account of the stink.) Had 8 rattles.

You're gonna eat that???

Yeah, we were getting the skin and figured we'll throw some in with the fishfry. We're on a kick cooking oddball stuff this fall. Had raccoon last weekend. Recipe out of the 1973 Joy of Cooking.

Ella

My best pard loved the stuff, but I vowed to never eat anything that smelled like that!


Seriously, how was the raccoon?

The raccoon occasioned considerable trepidation, but turned surprisingly edible, a lot like wild turkey. Recipe called for stuffing with apples and sweet taters and baking. Bottom line, there's not much meat on one, and it's not worth the trouble.

I'd swap a raccoon for any one of those big fox squirrels mdog is bringing down.

Thanks. Ive heard they taste like wild turkey...

Hoping to whack a couple this fall.

Took a buddy with me today. I managed to get one[couldn't hit a bull in the azz with a base fiddle].






My buddy, on the other hand whacked um and stacked um, with his new 10/22.





Beautiful day in the woods.

Probably it for a week or so. My daughter is getting married this coming weekend, so lots to do.


maddog

No luck with the black squirrels. Didn't start moving early and we had to leave early to put up a duck blind I built. Had to fight off the moccasins and gators but were able to get it in the swamp with the help of a Yamaha side by side. Tough machine.
Going back in a couple of weeks to try the squirrels and pigs.

schoolmarm, the fox squirrels up here aren't moving real early either. We saw more between 10-11:30 am, than at daylight. Them squirrels are like me, wait til things warm up, then get active.


maddog

Mike, years ago when I was a kid living back there I noticed a tendency with fox squirrels to like to lay in the sunshine on a warmish day.....


Cost a few of them....

Client #7 has checked into the Norman Bates Squirrel Motel.......

Tom, keep up the good work.....



maddog

Client #8 checked in yesterday too.


Got a couple 'stewers' so Im gonna crock pot them,pull the meat and make pot pie!

dagnabbitt, just wait on next year. I'll be out there with you retards.

I went out yesterday am but got side tracked. Should be back on the squirrels tomorrow.




I want to see one of those Mississippi black squirrels.

Where are you planning on landing?

Not teaching chilluns. Gonna be hunting squirrels, deer, and fishing. May even make a trip out west.

Client #9 checked into the Norman Bates Squirrel Motel this morning....another one for the crock pot...

dang man, you're going to wear that trap out. Finally getting some cool weather down here. Gonna break out a .22 of some description.

No more hunting for me, until mid/late next week. Heading for Indy tomorrow. My daughter is getting married Sat. When we come back on Sun., we're bringing her dog back to baby sit for 2 wks., while they are on their honeymoon. My house should be a three ring circus between Bela and ole Dexter!

Hope to get 2-3 more squirrel hunts in before Nov. 15, when our firearm deer season opens. Who knows what the weather is gonna be this Dec./Jan.......


maddog

Congrats on the marriage. Had to dawg sit a few times also.
My sons Lab is easy but had there been two there at a time doubt it.
Saw a Squirrel Skinner on line for sale so I've got one of my students making one. Hoping to try it out Sat.

Let me know how that skinner works. Im still doing it old school, and haven't tried the youtube version of how to skin a squirrel...

Will report back. Right now I know it was some great "busy work" to keep a youngun out of what little hair I've got left.

Well, my squirrel season hasn't worked out like I'd hoped. I've only made it out twice and once was on the opener with my 4 yo. Needless to say we didn't see any squirrels...

Made it out last Saturday to a public land spot I've not been too. I saw 6, but only got a shot at 2. One I missed as it ran through the tree tops. The one I got still had milk on his lips! May try to get a few during the first weekend of gun season, but we'll see.

I just had client #10 check into the Norman Bates squirrel Motel. This one was a big one..destined for the crock pot and pot pie!

Love em', fine eats.

I havent been out after limb chickens for nearly 3 weeks! Cars breaking down, relatives moving, yada yada yada.. sure hope things slow up some and I can get back out in the woods.

Gun season for deer coming up soon around me, so lots of hunters are staying out of the woods till after gun deer season is over.

Leaves really falling off the trees now around me..wont be long and I will get the Browning Varmint special out for some handgun squirrel hunting.

dave

Meant to go today. Durn wind was blowing 20-25 mph. Not even the yard squirrels were out. Refinished a rifle for a buddy.

Limb chickens in the crock pot! Gonna bone the meat for pot pie tonite!

Client #11 checked into the norman Bates squirrel Motel.


Not near as much as hunting them...but it gets them in the freezer!

2 gray squirrels in their natural state, cream of squirrel chowder...

DOOOOOOOD!!!!!!


Squirrel pot pies are in the oven as we speak...the crock pot method is sure THE way to get the meat off the bones of the tough ones...

Stupid easy to make. Just stew the squirrels and remove the bones, melt a half a stick of butter into a pot then add equal parts squirrel meat, sweet corn and shredded taters(both grown in my garden ). add milk until its about an inch or so over the rest of the stuff, stir in about some diced farmers cheese(about 1/3 cup per squirrel). Season to taste with onion, garlic, salt and pepper, throw it in the oven at 375 until it's good and hot stir in some flour to thicken and put it back into the oven until the taters are done.

Man I haven't thought about squirrel pot pies in a long time. Got to make amends. Worked on a deer stand and checked cameras. Got a bunch of bucks with one huge 10pt. Gonna have to get busy with the skwerls.

Well, I got my beautiful daughter married off, this last weekend. She married a great guy. A fantastic time was had by all!
When They get it to me, I have a great pic to share with you guys...and a funny story.

Now, back to squirrel hunting , a couple more times, before our firearm deer season opens. Weather isn't cooperating too well, windy/rainy. Stay tuned.....


maddog

Beautiful weather here in Alabama, but I am not having any luck with the squirrels. I've seen a grand total of eight since the season opened October 1st. Hopefully I'll find more when most of the leaves are down.

Phillip, what part of Bama do you hunt. We're in NE Miss.



BTW MD, hope you got back with you check book intact. I know how it was when my daughter got married.

Well, been watching the weather, and it's going to be cloudy, cold, and windy, for the next few days. Don't know if I'm going to get back out for another squirrel hunt, before our firearm deer season opens, next Sat.


maddog

Well, the squirrel hunting is on hold til after thanksgiving. Our firearm season opens tomorrow, and it's going to be colder than a well diggers azz in January.

Going to my buddies place to hunt. My son will be coming up to hunt Mon. and Tues. Think I'm heading to Wally World to buy some of them chemical hand and foot warmers.....


maddog

Breaking out the .45/70 or .357 single shot as our "primative" season has started. Got to shoot does only this season so that makes it freezer filling time.
Will be out after the bushey tails after that gets done. Fi nally enough leaves off that I can start using a .22.

Missed this post, sorry didn't mean to ignore the question. I live in Cullman county and do the biggest part of my hunting here in county. I used to hunt more in National Forest and WMA land but can't afford the gas and have too many health issues to get around much anymore. I went for a walk on my property yesterday but it was cold and windy so I didn't see anything.

I got this one last weekend, wish there were more around here.

Not far from one of my favorite places, Smith Lake. Beautiful country there. We fish the Tenn at Wheeler Lake.

Phillip, really nice pic.

schoolmarm, nailed a nice 100 lb. field dressed doe this am. My son gets home for a couple day hunt Mon./Tues. If I get one more, that will be more than enough for me and mama. Then, back to the limb chickens.....

BTW, I almost froze my azz plum off this am.


Here's a pic of the doe i took today. Gun was a CVA Scout, 44 mag. Load was Hornady FTX, one shot, bang/flop.





maddog

Got a doe Fri evening about the same size. .45/70 Browning 1885, 300gr hp with a teacup of Re7 behind it. 2 more and I'm back to the fun stuff.

Congrats on getting some bulk for the freezer. Now you can go do some real hunting.

Buddy wanted venison, so I dropped him off, hiked a couple hills over and got pot pie fillings. Gotta find a recipe.

And learn to make elegant photos.



4-8 on shots, 3 clean redheads, and one I twitched the right way and hit the spine.

Ella

Good going Ella.


maddog

That is a very elegant photo. A good mess of stew-makers..

Well, my son showed up at the butt crack of dawn to go deer hunting. It was COLD and windy. He had his mountain climbing/cold weather gear and was prepared for it. I wisely stayed in the truck. 2 1/2 hrs. after he got out there[9 am], I heard one lone shot. He got his meat deer for the yr. About 135 lb. field dressed, basket racked 9 pt.[if ya count every bump on it's antlers ]. I was proud as hell of him for taking the cold. We did a 2 man push on a couple other woods, to no avail. Think I'm done deer hunting for the year. Too dam*ed cold for this old man to set out.




One shot from his H&R handi rifle, 44 mag.

Side note, between the two of us, we saw 10-12 limb chickens moving around. I had one come down to within 3 ft. of me while I was standing behind a tree, on one of the two man drives. Gonna clean up my 44 mag, and break out the 10/22, soon as this weather warms up a bit.


maddog

very nice deer and a fun time with your son. What's not to like? Our rifle deer season opens Sat and the whole HeeHaw gang will be here. Need to get 2 more "freezer" deer before Sat. Will have to dress for the weather Sat, 70deg.
One more time, what's that white stuff? hehe

as ingwe would say...."you suck"!


maddog

Got one this morning about 6:45 with the Grulla double.

Sweet! Nice shotgun.


maddog

^^^^^this^^^^^

Grulla strikes again this morning early

Looking great, what time's the cooking?

Soon, veddy veddy soon. Wish the flash hadn't glared off of the receiver, spoiled both pics.

I was going to go back out into the woods, but it keeps coming rain showers ahead of a big front with some thunderstorms in it, so that's probably it for me today. BUT it was a great morning nonetheless!

Your shotgun pictures make me want to grab my 1968 Belgian Browning A5 20 gauge and hit the woods! As a kid I thought dads A5 was the most wonderful gun in the world and could never miss. And in dads hands it seldom did!

raining hard here also. Hasn't bothered the squirrels. They've been feeding like everything out of my wifes bird feeders. They may have to go into the pot..

Sure wish the weather would straighten up, here at home. i'm ready to go shoot some limb chickens again.


maddog

PN has the nicest squirrel shooters no doubt.

Weather has been crazy. Down to 20 then today up to 60 with rain. Wanted one more meat deer for the freezer but settled for a fryer.

I had big plans to hunt some yesterday at the inlaws before Thanksgiving dinner, but I was too sick to get up and out. Health issues are kicking my heinie lately.

PN, hate to hear you're feeling bad, just getting over it myself. Just to help you out, I'll run over and get that nice looking double to keep it in practice. Wouldn't do that for just anybody..

Had a good hunt Friday mornin. And a nice meal Friday night.

Good for you southern boys. Went hunting Sat. Saw 3 got shots at 2, and nailed one. Unfortunately he fell in a mess of bull briars, higher than my head and I couldn't find him.


maddog

After a holiday, I'm exhausted. So I took the morning off. Got to the woods at 7 and was home by noon.



7-8 on shots, all but one a clean head shot. My best day in SC ever.

I see pot pies coming this Sunday.

(PN, I hope you're better and back at em.)

Ella

It was another fine morning. (This weekend's pie is getting bigger.)

EXCELLENT boys! Got out about noon today. The sun was shining, but it was windy. Went up north of town, and hit two woods. Saw one in each, but only got a shot at one. Used the 10/22 with the fiber optic/peep sight, and nailed him at about 35 yds., right in the head! I'm a happy camper, tonight.






maddog

Before I went blind, I had that sight set up on my .22. 35 yard headshot on a squirrel with a peep is some dead eye shootin'. Nicely done.

Ella

Ella, don't get me wrong. I've worn glasses/bi-focals for almost 30 yrs. I just get tickled when I hit with the fiber optic peep, as well as I do with a scope...... geezer and proud of it!



maddog

Well, I hit the woods about noon. It was partly sunny, and a little breezy. Hunted the first woods for an hr., and didn't see nada. Moved on to another place. Heard one giving me hell, almost as soon as I stepped out of the truck. Never could find him. Moved on, and saw one working through the briars. Lil bastid saw me before I could get on him, and hauled butt. Looked around and saw another one on the ground. He moved up low in a tree, and was looking right at me. Wrong move.....





Headed toward the truck, and caught another one out, up a big oak. Shot at him twice, and missed. I moved in closer, and he moved up the tree. Looked for him for almost 15 mins. Finally saw him way up the tree, with his head sticking out of a small nest. Took a shot, and heard it hit. then he got to running around the tree, and I went ballistic with the remaining shots in the magazine, head shooting him on the final shot. He was a big ole male, with the longest fur I'd seen on one, for a long time.





Both of them were big ole males. Look at their length next to the 10/22. May try to hit it a lick, before next weekend.



maddog

Thinking about some squirrel stew... Need squirrels! Killed nine today...



Usually use a .22LR of some sort but I recently bought this unfired mint '68 Belgian Browning Auto Five 20 gauge. Guns are made to be used... my first two shots were a double on this pair chasing each other down a fallen tree.

Is it just me or are those pictures upside down?

Pics look fine. BTW very cool shotgun.


maddog

Put a fox squirrel on the 452 Saturday morning...might try to get out today if I get my shed built fast enough...New(used) squirrel gun on the way this week...gonna have to test it out Sunday morning...

Fun thread to keep up with. Nice shotty and nice shooting.

Here's where my last bags went.







The second I set it on the table, the piranhas surged. Had to snap a quick pic while there was something left to show.

Here it is nearly lunch time and there are pictures of delicious looking food! argh!
I didn't get out much last week, only killed one little squirrel Monday. I have ups and downs with some mean health issues and last week was definitely a downer.

Thanks mad dog and Ella. My dad used an Auto Five and I thought that gun was magical. This sorta keeps me connected with dad, loving the little A5.

Phillip,
Sorry to hear of your health issues. Hoping for the best for you...

Ella,
That looks great! What is your recipe?

Ya know what boys, this thread, over the last three yrs., has been awesome. I've hunted deer, hogs, bear all over the US. Been fortunate to do two African safaris, with my son. My bucket list is full. If I get 1-2 deer a year for the freezer, some bluegills in the spring, and can go chase limb chickens, all fall, life is good. At 63 yo., and change, it's all I need.

You boys keep posting pics of limb chickens, and FOOD!! It's all good!


maddog

PN, hope this week finds you better and able to hit the woods.

MOGC, I based it on a link Fieldgrade posted in the cooking area. But we didn't have any carrots in the house, and I added sherry and mushrooms. You just make a stew and put in a pie. Kinda bunch of fiddling around, but limb chicken pie is my new favorite. (I wonder if some thickened Mad Dog stew between a couple crusts would work.)

maddog, bluegill and squirrel hunting is just like being a kid. No pressure, but lots of upside. Good thread you started.

Bluegills in the spring?????


Tell me more.....

Bluegills are yankee Bream (brim). Add a flyrod or pole with crickets and you bee's near heaven.
BTW, the skwerl cooking looks great. Killed 5 in the front yard one morning last week. Looked out there today and the yard was full again.
Thanks Maddog for getting this thread started..

Catching bluegills is one of my all time fave things. Ive even been known to eat them!

+1

Think spring[after 7 1/2 wks. of limb chicken hunting]














Helps wile away the winter....


maddog

YOU SUCK!!!!

That's the way to do it, MD.

Ingwe, do they have panfish in MT?

From last Spring:



But dang it, I'm trying not to get distracted. (And turkey season is in there somewhere. Turkeys are pretty laid back.)

That looks like what we used to call a Warmouth...

Might could be.

I submit a dredging of seasoned flour renders academic all distinctions between bluegills/bream/sunfish/panfish and their interbreedings.

Tasty is the common denominator. They're all pondchickens.

Is that the same as a Goggle Eye?

I think so....


We caught more of them in moving water, like creeks , and more bluegills in still water.

We catch Goggle Eye in creeks and rivers around root wads, logs or brushy cover, occasionally rock formations, ect. I've heard them called "Warmouth" and sometimes "Big Mouth Pond Perch." Green Sunfish and Longear Sunfish are also creek and river brim fish. Bluegill and Redear are pond/lake brim around here for the most part. Crappie too of course. All fun and good eating!

Went 4 for 4 this am.



And one of the house fool getting her hearts.

unless you're from the far south, then it's Gargle-eye.

Man you giving them limb chickens a hit this year..

Ella, good going! Keep up the good work. All this blue gill, brim goggle eye BS, is cause nobody wants 3 mos. of winter... . Let's keep huntin' them limb chickens for the next 2-3 mos.....


maddog

Work, weather and everything worked out well for me this season. It's been a good one already. And there's plenty more to go.

Gonna be a nice weekend. Wanted to go hunting, but too much Christmas stuff going on. Hope I can get out this next week.


maddog

Killed a big 8 point Fri eve. Nearly through with my deer hunting and back to the fun stuff. .45/70 came through again.

Fried squirrel with pierogies covered with squirrel gravy last night....


MMMMmmmmmm....

...after getting skunked for only the 2nd time in my decades of deer hunting.. I got out today and got back in the Squirrel/Rabbit game.

Two shots, two Squirrels, soaking in the fridge. Sure felt good to press that trigger and bring some game home.

Dave

It's good to get the deer hunting out of the way early.



Got 4 of these out of one tree. They just kept forgetting I was there.

Ella, neat pic. Keep em coming. I hope to get out, toward the weekend.


maddog

Went midday, yesterday. Saw about 6-7 squirrels, all too far away to shoot at, and flighty as hell. I'll see what the weather does today. If I don't get out, later on today, it will be after Christmas before I'll get another chance.


maddog

Well, I decided to go for a couple hrs., late morning and took ole Dex with me. Dex site ran this dude down a deer path, and up a tree. I red headed him, and he fell in some briars. Dex didn't bark on the tree, but stayed there til I shot. then he came to see what I was up to. We both went to look for the squirrel, and he found it for me under some briars. The lil butthead won't ever make a real squirrel dog, but man I was proud of the little schit!




Ole Dex lickin' the blood off his nose.




limb chicken #40 for the season, and still have til the end of January.




Another pic of ole Dex with the squirrel.


maddog

Got two late yesterday afternoon over at the inlaws property. Could have got more if I had carried the Kimber 22. Last weekend I went on the land behind the inlaws house, this weekend I decided to go across the road over to the brother in laws property. The land behind the inlaws is thick and brushy, and the squirrels I spotted last weekend were running all over the place, never stopping and never offering a shot I could possibly make with a rifle, so I decided to take the shotgun yesterday. Then, I walked over to the bro in laws, where the land is a big open descending gulley, with little brush, hedges and vines and taller trees spread further apart. Wrong gun again, this time the squirrels would be sitting still at 45 yards to further than I could see down across the gulley. I would have been much better off this time with rifle and binoculars. Nearly four decades hunting squirrels and still messing up! Oh well, smarter next trip. It was getting very dark by the time I got back over to the wife's parents house, and there I learned another lesson, finally: game shears are the only way to go when skinning and gutting these little tree rodents. I love knives and have quite a few and have tried dozens of different styles and shapes over the years, still finding nothing that works nearly as well as the plain old pair of game shears. MUCH faster, easier and little chance of cutting yourself trying to dress out and cut up critters in poor light.

I use game shears to snip off the feet and head then after they are field dressed I use the shears to separate the pieces (back legs, back and then front legs). Not using my knife on all those bones saves the edge tremendously.

What brand of game shears do you guys recommend? After viewing this thread I'm looking to get back into squirrel hunting. These sound ideal for cleaning squirrels.

I used a pair from Gerber for years, finally breaking the plastic handles off as they were injection molded over stubs; bought a newer and they were made in China, the proverbial screaming junk. I've gotten two since, one from Outdoor Edge and one from Kershaw. Both are very good and metal all of the way through the grips.

Mine are Gerbers...

I've been using fiskars. You can get them at Walmart for about $10.


maddog

Hunted some this afternoon down behind the inlaws house. Made three great shots with the Kimber 22 killing three squirrels, then had a very hard time locating them. Too much hedgebush, wild grapevines and sawbriars, my legs are ate up even with tough Carhartt hunting pants on.

Good job... Very pretty rifle. What knife is laying over there?

It's a Queen #74 Rabbit Hunter, in the old white carved stag bone, D2. Thin bladed and extremely sharp! The blade's a tad long though. About like a trapper folder, not too bad really. I used it to make the initial slit through the tail where it joins the body and then the Kershaw shears for the rest, seemed to work very well. I can't decide whether I like the Kershaw or Outdoor Edge shears best, they're very differently shaped and constructed, but both seem fine, with maybe both being a little bit too long bladed, not enough leverage to snip through the tailbone with the blade tips. The bone notches work well on both pairs, and the blades of each seem to work well slipping beneath the leg skin to make the flap for pulling off the hide and then snipping through the body cavity from neck to anus without cutting the guts.

Phillip, hadn't tried to use the shears to do the saddle cut down the back legs, I always used the knife, after I cut thru the tail. Gonna give that a shot, on the next outing.


maddog

Queen carbon steel? Or D2? Either way it looks like a dandy. I usually use a small folder but really like a small fixed blade best. I've used a Dozier Canoe Knife for years for squirrels and it is just about perfect in size. Easy to clean up too. My shears don't come into play until the hide is pulled.

It's D2, and ground more thinly than many Queens in D2 usually are. I've always thought the Dozier Canoe was a dandy small gamer; he makes two more very interesting knives, a Small Game Skinner and a Squirrel Skinner. I used to scoff at smaller knives with shorter blades, but in the last few years have decided that blades longer than 3" are just too much for good handling when you're trying to cut up squirrels.

I blew too much money over the years looking for the "perfect" knife, should have gotten something simple like a Buck Woodsman or AG Russell Woodswalker and kept the $$$$$.

Yeah, I have a strong preference for a small game knife of a blade somewhere around 2 3/4" give or take a smidge. I've used Dozier's Sweetwater and Semi-Skinner on squirrels also. I like the Canoe model the best of those three. Menefee makes a small fixed blade "Bird & Squirrel" that looks like an excellent choice also.

Haven't been on in a couple of days. Been tied up with Christmas, grand daughter birthday, and traveling. In Jafrica yesterday and stopped by Academy Sports. Saw a Yildiz .410 double that was begging to come home with me. Skwerls beware. Only shot with AA8s so far but handles like a dream. Will pattern with 6s today. Has screw in chokes..

schoolmarm, how about a pic of that shotgun, sounds cool.


maddog

Well, too blasted cold to do anything outside, so I spent the morning making a huge batch of limb chicken chowder. Just ate two bowls full. Mmmmmmmmm


maddog

You suck.

Yup, I had to settle for deer tenderloin, gravy, and cathead biscuits..

I made nachos....

Wonder how "limb chicken" nachos would taste......



maddog

Woah, the holidays were busy. And my annual NC squirrel camp got canceled on account of everybody else had the flu.

Best of luck to all at the start of the new year. PN, nice to hear you got out amongst them. I lost one this morning. Must have spent half an hour clambering around looking for it. I�m still scratching my head over where it got to.

MD, no kidding, squirrel nachos from a year or so back:



And the fruit of this morning�s outing:

Didn't get in a lot of hunting this afternoon, the rain came on in sooner than I had thought it would. Good thing I had a waterproof jacket on. BUT I did manage to get one. I spotted it and estimated the range to be around 35 yards or so, fired one shot and dropped it; then I headed over to where it had fallen, and it was much further than I'd guessed, over 50 yards and I was fortunate that I didn't miss it being off that far guessing distance. Had to place the bullet between two limbs, as all that was exposed was the frontal half of the body, so the bullet struck the spine just behind and over the front legs, instant death. This batch of CCI Minimags has been excellent, I'm well pleased with them. It would have been nice to get a case instead of a brick, but things ain't like dat no mo', ammo is where it is and money is when it is too. Money and ammo availability happened to coincide happily.

I got to try out something new: having been using game shears with moderate success, I was thinking that something with shorter blades would be better, to get more leverage so that the tip of the snips would be able to cut through the tailbone, negating the need to do the initial slit through the base of the tail and tailbone with a knife. These new snips worked superbly, never even got a knife out of my pocket. These are Wiss shears that I found at Marvin's Building Supply locally. There is a notch area nearer the hinge identical to typical game shears for cutting through the leg bones, and the shorter and slimmer blades slide easily between skin and flesh to do the tail flap. Quick pull, zip, hide off, rip hide off the back legs with finger pulls and then snip snip snip snip, snip, feet and head gone, flip over and start lower blade into the neck opening, slide quickly to the pelvic bones, snip, insert finger above the diaphragm, rake out guts and done. Fastest and easiest I have ever done a squirrel skin and gut. The shears were less than ten bucks too. I've stumbled onto a few things over the years that happened to turn out working very well for me, these go on the "good" list. :t

Phillip...is that a Weaver 3-9xAO on the Kimber?

nice sized gray squirrel by the way, looks as big as some of our fox squirrels.

Yerp, it's that Weaver; a really nice rimfire rifle scope. I've still had bad thoughts of swapping scopes again. All of the rifle squirrel kills I've done this year, the scope has been on 4x/50 yards AO. A Leupold M-8 or FX2 4x 33mm would work fine for the majority of my squirrel hunting.

Squirrel sizes around here vary quite a bit, I'd guess depending upon the food available around where they are living. I've not killed many fox squirrels over the years. The biggest one I ever shot was this one:

Phillip, all I have in the majority of the ground I hunt, is fox squirrels. I've shot a bunch of really big ones, this season. Out of 40 squirrels, I only shot 1 gray.


maddog

Got out a few times, shot four one day and got skunked yesterday AM. Only squirrel I saw was up a tree four feet from its den hole and closing fast. I didn't even get a shot off.

Wish we had more of those big squirrels around here. Though the little grays are tender and tasty, it takes a few to get full.

Ella

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In Oklahoma we can hunt them until January 31, so this past Saturday I decided to try a new place my father gained permission to hunt. It is a papershell pecan grove with a band of mix hardwood thick cover on the west side. I hunted the border of the pecans and the mixed hardwood. I was happy to find this bit of woods holds both greys and reds. The greys were mostly on the ground or moving fast through the trees, but I managed to catch a few when they paused. The rifle is a 20 year old Ruger 77/22 with a Weaver 3x9AO. I was shooting Winchester subsonic hollow points and they worked great. My longest shot was about 50 yards on one of the greys I had missed with the first shot and my closest was about 10 feet. I carried them on an Arkansas squirrel stringer in the way my dad taught me many years ago. Strip the toes on a back foot and feed a sharpened hickory stick under the tendons. Then slip the stick through a belt loop. Makes for bloody pants, but I wear it as a badge of a successful hunt.

Perry

PWN, nice pic. Keep up the good work. Same to Ella and Phillip, and schoolmarm. You boys keep after it. Our Indiana season ends Jan. 31. Tonight it's 2 degrees with a 15-20 mph wind. If it don't warm up, my season may be over with.


maddog

I hunted at the inlaws over the weekend, and didn't see any. Went yesterday to hunt on some TVA land in Morgan County that is floodland reserve around Flint Creek. It was flooded. SUPRISE! Guess I should have known better after all the rain we got. I left there and went up the Swan Creek WMA north of Decatur and the Tennessee River and walked around for a while, saw no squirrels or rabbits. Flushed a whitetail doe, she was a biggun! Came boiling out of a hedgerow between big fields, and she skeedaddled out of there very quickly. If I was deer hunting I'd probably have seen squirrels! Talked to the game warden, he told me about a couple of good spots for squirrels at another location on the WMA, so next time I get up that way I'll have to check them out. I was very very tired and in a lot of pain from that much walking, so I didn't try today. It was 25 degrees with strong winds, so probably would have been a waste of time anyways.

Maddog, I'm sending this yankee weather back up to yall. A couple days ago was hunting in shorts and tshirt. 9 friggin degree windchill. Going this weekend, got to get some shooting time with my new .410.

Ok, which one of youse guys are huntin' squills with this ole boy?.........






maddog

Aw Man, been needing a new hound.

I think he looks dapper in the bubba buddy.....just saying.....



maddog

Oh yeah, for those of you who may be tired of limb chicken chowder.....









maddog

Well, it's 40 degrees outside and sunny. A bit breezy, but not too bad. I'm sittin' here eating cold fried limb chicken legs, and getting ready to go hunting. Haven't been out since dec. 21. Our season closes in two weeks. Gonna give it a shot. Later......


maddog

Got to hunt a new woods. Ran into a buddy on the backroads, and he said go hit his woods, a few needed to be shot!

So I did, and ended up with two. The male is so old, he goes into the pressure cooker for limb chicken chowder.....






maddog

Cool beans Mike. I thawed out a young one, and its fried squirrel tonite!

Sean, Pugs, and I dropped 4 in honor of Squirrel Appreciation Day.

No pics.

Thats OK...those people don't like you.

Busted these two this afternoon with the Grulla SxS:

Did that thurs. nite, while mama went to a basketball game.





Plus cornbread!





maddog

Went squirrel hunting yesterday morning. Squirrels weren't active and I only managed three total. The first one with my old M39A with Williams peep and a Menefee Trapper...

Two of these dudes crossed away from me down the holler and the M39 did its thing. The "kiss of death" brought them around to me. One got in a brush pile and I couldn't dig it out but it's dead as Madonna's viginity. The other one posed...

MOGC, those are really cool pics. Nice rifle, too.


maddog

Today is going to be a really nice day[for january], sunny, mid 30s, and no wind. Gonna go in an hr. or so. Today and maybe one more is prolly gonna be it for the season. Later.


maddog

It's a beautiful day here in Alabama, mid 50's with a gentle breeze. I'm sitting in the woods next to a small watering hole that was dug by my grandfather and his first cousin in the 1940's. I haven't seen any squirrels yet, but it's such a great day that I don't care, just happy to be alive. And have enough pain meds to enable getting out of the house for some fresh air.

Well, I went yesterday. Hunted 2 1/2 hrs. The snow was loud and crunchy. Only saw 2 squirrels, both at a distance, running about mach 9! The fat lady is starting to warm up. Only have about 1 1/2 wks., before this season is history. It's been a good one despite the weather, for me, early. May try to get out 1 more time, before it's a wrap.


maddog

Crap. I think ours ends end of the month too. I gotta check again.

Forgot to take pics last couple of trips, but I think this new box of minimags is a good one. Went 3-4 today, and all shots were pretty long, >40 yards? I get an extra piece of pie for good shooting.



PN, I hope you're doing well and out at em again soon. I'm glad it warmed up here, for sure. There was a week or two I didn't see a single squirrel moving, even in the neighborhood.

Here ya go, boys. For those of you not following the "Squirrel Appreciation Day" thread posted in the campfire section.....





maddog

This is a really cool thread !




















Despite Ingwe's dumb ramblings.

Nailed one today with the Grulla double just before dark. It started raining on me as I was trying to take a picture and only one came out focused well enough to use.

That looks like one for the pressure cooker, PN. That is a pretty shooter.

Down here this weekend looks windy. Should get out at least once.

Keep the topical graphics coming, MD.

DB

Ella, for you......

Amen to that !

I can think of a couple I'd sooner leave off the table. But a lot of them are darn tasty!

That poster needs a squirrel pot pie right smack in the middle of it.

Ella

AMEN!!!



maddog

Our season closes this coming Sat. Decided to hit it one more day. First woods, say zero, in 1 1/2 hrs. Decided to hit one more, about noon. No more than got out of the truck, and saw two, high tailing it for a den tree hole. Walked around for 1/2 hr. and saw this one. Turned out to be a well furred young female, that is soaking, as we speak, that will get eaten, Fri. night, in honor of a helluva fun season!





maddog

We've got February to go here in Alabama. Hope to pop a few more; haven't seen squat the last few days.

We've got about 4 weeks left in Illinois. I hope to make it out a few more times and put some more meat away till next August!

dave

Yup, our deer season finally ends Sat. All Feb to get back to important stuff like skwerl hunting. My wifes front yard limbrats are looking mighty tasty. Got several squirrel guns needing exercise..

I wish Indiana would do like Illinois, and run our season until Feb. 28. If they did that, they could skip a month long spring season that's being hashed about.


maddog

They should just do both!

This squirrel season is closing on me with the same regret I had as last year. Great intentions of getting out more, but drew too many tags and in filling those burnt up a lot of kitchen passes. I did get my oldest out a few times, but trying to get a 7yo to get a bead on a squirrel... Last day of deer season we had a red squirrel in a tree about 35 yards out. Like he'd done for the previous two days, "Dad, can I shoot it!". He got a different answer this time. A 357 Mag rifle shooting 158gr XTPs will kill a squirrel if you put it through the base of the ears like he did! He was proud as punch of the shot and the fact he's no killed a squirrel species I haven't. I'll try to get pics of this weekend.

Classic! Tell the little man I said congrats! . Pointer, how old is he now? You may have to look into a youth model .22 or a single shot 410 for the little "dead eye"


maddog

Will do! He's 7. He shoots my 10/22 pretty well with a stock I cut down for him, which is what we took with us on a day the squirrels didn't cooperate. His 357 is an H&R so I am strongly considering have a shotgun barrel fitted for it. I do have a feeling that come his birthday in June that a .22 will be ready for him! And maybe a .243 if they pass the rifle rule here.

Congrats Pointer, working with my 4yr old grandson right now. Looking at some of the "lil guns". Found a slightly used Cricket for $90 I'm pobably gonna get.

That'll work! I need to find him a size appropriate lefty. The 10/22 works, but he's been burned a few time by the brass and had his thumb/hand whacked by the bolt.

On suggestion, think about a Caldwell Fieldpod for the little guy. I found it works great for kids. They can shoot standing up yet are very steady. For us, it works almost as well as a bench and opens up lots of different places to shoot.

Never heard of the Field Pod, will check it out.

Yup on getting something else for the lil' lefty. A whack or 2 and a burn will set up a flinch that'll be hard to break..

I'm lefty and shoot a 10/22. It works but a bolt might be less to worry about.

MD, congrats on your season. I went out yesterday--cold, wind gusts at 20mph--and saw nothing in 3 hrs of sitting and walking around. Buddy claims he saw one but I tend to think he's lying. 'Least our season runs through Feb.

Ella

Could have gone this am, but busy around the house getting things done before the blizzard hits tonite/tomorrow. Decided to clean up both of my .22s that I used this season, and am washing the hunting clothes as we speak. Man, this squirrel season was a lot of fun, and I'm already looking forward to Aug. 15, 2015 , and it's a Sat. to boot. Fried me a squirrel for din din, last night, along with gravy and cornbread. Tonight, I thawed out a bowl of limb chicken chowder for a fitting end to a helluva season !


maddog

Md, this is my last year to work.. Retiring in June. Plan on easing down this way next Feb and we'll hunt the whole month. Got many 1000s of acres to roam and hunt..

Now that's a helluva idea! Suppose we could get ole ingwe to join in.....



maddog

Yup, no problem. Sure looking forward to retirement. Wifey's got me a trip planned. Driving to Maine and points beyond.

SIGN ME UP!!!!!!

Well, it's been snowing since about 9 pm, last night. Light, wet and straight down. Think I'm dodging the Chicago blizzard, but won't know for sure til tomorrow morning. Have to see what the wind does tonight. Sooo, in honor of all that, I put together a limb chicken pot pie. My first one, so I'll have to see how big a mess I make. Lucky for me, Mama is up seeing her kids, in Ft. Wayne, so it's just me and ole Dexter.



maddog

The squirrel pot pie turned out excellent! Plus it was super simple. Pie crust, can of mixed veggies, can of cream of mushroom soup, 1TBLSP minced onions, 1TBLSP of garlic pepper, and a qt. baggy of boned out squirrel meat. Dump in pie crust, cover the top with crust. Shove in the oven at 375 degrees for 45-50 mins. or until the crust is golden brown. Make sure you slit the top crust so steam can escape before baking. It's uber good!








maddog

My man, that looks great. Telling mawsquaw to make us one..

Looks awesome!

My squeeze makes a heck of a squirrel pot-pie too! She usually makes a couple large casserole dishes full, for plenty of leftovers and lunches for my work bucket.

It's an especially useful dish for the some of the older/tougher squirrels that can be a bit chewy cooked otherwise.

dave

That's a double AMEN on the older/tougher limb chickens!

I'm eating a bowl of it for lunch, as I type this.


maddog

Dang, MD, I just ate and now I'm hungry again.

I've been making mine in a big rectangular baking dish, but I think a bunch of one serving round ones would be cool. Wonder if you could make em, freeze em, and bake em?

When I was a kid, mom used to send me and my sisters to school with little meat pies she'd baked out of a stash she'd made and froze. She always made sure we ate good.

Ella

FWIW Ive made the pot pies, froze them already baked, and when thawed just nuke them in the microwave...

Before I make any more pot pies, I gotta pressure cook me some more old limb chickens and bone em out.....



maddog

okay boys, where do you get the small individual pie crusts [ie like marie calendar size chicken pot pies]? I'm no good at making the crust, nor do I have those small individual pie pans.



maddog

Mike, I never found the little;e crusts for sale, always use Marie Callendars in the full size, let them cool and set up pretty well, then cut out a wedge!

My wife just told me the same thing. Next time I make one, I'll cut into 6 wedges and freeze to wedges in tupperware bowls, to go along with the limb chicken chowder that's already in the freezer.

Oh yeah, the last two pieces I heated up from above said pot pie, I topped it off with some Sweet Baby Ray's bbq. DAAUUMMM. that was good!


maddog

Bake, wedge, freeze, got it.

I wish I had time to do up a batch tonight. I got a bag of old tough guys that need softening.

And I'd still like to find a stack of those little one serving sizes. I like a lot of crust with the gravy.

Ella

Took two shots and missed both on Friday afternoon. Saw a bunch of those raccoon looking fox squirrels, but they're not legal to shot on that WMA. Their behavior is distinct from the legal grays. They like to stay high up traveling, but they're not as flighty as the grays have gotten lately. That's two trips in a row with nothing to show.

Ella

I've been sick and couldn't go hunting; made it out this afternoon for a while but didn't find any. Still great to finally be able to get out and get some fresh air, gorgeous afternoon here in Alabama.

It's been pretty down here too. Snuck out this evening for a couple hours and got one, but there's not much moving. Real quiet in the woods.

Ella

You boys down south, keep after em. Sure is boring not being able to go limb chicken hunting. Come on Aug.15th!


maddog

Missouri season closes February 15th and stays closed until the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend. Doesn't bother me after killing a big fox squirrel years back that was pregnant with a bunch of well developed babies that I discovered when I field dressed her. I suppose that could happen at other times of the year also but it never has other than this one time and I didn't care for it.

Between work and getting sick the skwills have gotten off lucky. Sat morning, they gonna pay..

Seeing none again this afternoon. They seem to be extirpated from my pieceof ground. Got to try again tnis weekend at the in-laws place.

I work on a golf course. I run the grounds department. Spring, summer, fall, my Black Mouth Cur goes nuts over all the squirrels on the course. Winter comes and I go out with the pellet gun to shoot some of the thousand squirrels down to him and.......not a damn squirrel to be found anywhere......
talk about frustrating. come April when the snow melts, it warms up and season is closed, they will be EVERYWHERE!!!!

Well boys, it's off season. Mama went to a basketball game tonight. I'm home with ole Dex[aka butthead], and in honor of the evening I just ate two bowls full of Limb chicken chowder. It don't get no finer than that, in Feb.


maddog

My youngest son and I are going early in the morn to a place that hasn't been hunted this year. Owner said they;re feeding heavy on Bradford pears. Maybe some fresh chowder would be good. Gonna try my new .410 SxS.

Cold front moved through last night, and it didn't warm up until afternoon, so I snuck out for a few hours this pm. They were moving around but skittish and keeping to cover. Ended up with three but emptied the 10 round mag to get them. I confess to some poor shooting. One egregious shot through the spine I blame on deflection....

Here's the first one.



Good luck, schoolmarm.

Ella

geez you guys, 20 mile per hour winds, single digits and 2 feet + of snow. Haven't seen a squirrel in weeks

Well, we've got too much wind for squirrel hunting, but I just took this of the edge of my driveway....

The hunting was awesome.. The killing was bad. Anytime you can spend with your son is great. Squirrels weren't out. Never saw 1. Blueberries are starting to bud, Bradford budding, spring is in the air.

Spring is in the air here too. The dog poop in the back yard thawed out enough for me to pick it up.

I lead an exciting life.

Cold, gloomy here in NW Indiana. We missed the big storm that went south of us[thank gawd]. Sooo in honor of all this, I fried me a limb chicken last night, with some gravy, and am cooking a "mini" pot pie with some left over limb chicken mix, from last week. can't do anything else, eat limb chickens and consume so beer......


maddog

I had gotten out Saturday afternoon at the inlaws place and managed to find and kill one squirrel. Better than none I guess. Sat at a good vantage point scanning the woods with binoculars, finally spotted one. It was a loooooooooong shot too. I guestimated around 85 yards, held over two inches, and missed. I saw the bullet zing by just over the head and to the left. Guessed too far, it was more like 75; held over one inch for the second shot and into the wind an inch, CRACK CCI Minimag away, pop off in the distance, squirrel tumbles off limb. It was getting dark and had to get back to the house, so I gave up after the one. Then Saturday night I came down sick again, and spent until today in bed. Damned virus infection second round, bout to put me in the freakin' hospital! Felt enough better this afternoon to get up shave and bathe, was getting ripe..........:o

Congrats on the limb chicken! I gotta wait til next Aug.



maddog

Hurry up and shake that crap. It had us down for a while. Tried to die..

I was sick as a puking buzzard for nearly two weeks, got better, then it got me in its grip again. Now we're getting crappy weather. Just ruining the last few weeks of squirrel season for me.

PN, Hope you get out some more before the season ends though that'd be a heck of a shot to end it with. Nice rifle as always.

Weather got bad again, but we might get a good Friday pm. Cold but sunny and little wind.

Those sound like good eats, MD.

Ella

Forecast looks crappy next few days. Last year was a great squirrel hunting time, this year nowhere near as good. Too much cold rainy weather, and I'm too susceptible to sickness to take being out in it.

I rediscovered a magazine app on my iPad lastnight. It's called Hunter's Journal. It contains old articles from hunting magazines. Pretty cool magazine. The first issue I downloaded had an article about squirrel hunting! Thought of the folks on this thread when I read it. Here's a link to the article:

http://www.epagepub.com//display_article.php?id=1086887

pointer, that was a really neat read. If I read right, it was 1957, I was 6 yo., didn't go squirrel hunting, for another 7 yrs. Where does the time go......


maddog

great old article. Enjoyed the read..

Yep, a lot of the articles in that issue were from 1957. My dad was 7 at that time. It'd be another 21yrs before I came to be...

Well boys, mama's going to a girls basketball tourney today, so me and ole Dex are batching it. Decided to thaw out all my old squirrels and pressure cook em for future use in pot pies and chowder. Waiting for mama to get out of the kitchen so i can get this show on the road......


maddog

Pointer, I very much enjoyed the read and forwarded it on. I think that's as solid a discussion of squirrel hunting tactics as I've ever read. I noticed there's not a single instance of product placement.


I missed one at 15 yards last night. But my buddy and his kid did better. The kid has sat in a couple of spots for deer, but I think this was his first squirrel hunt.



One week to go, and then we'll see if we can't get an assembly line for frozen pot pies going.

Hope everyone's staying warm.

Nice pick. Is today the last day of squirrel season, for you boys in the south?


maddog

Yup, wound us up. My buddy hunted hard yesterday and saw ZERO. Heck, yard squirrels ain't showing up. Tomorrow starts diller season, those bastards are tearing up the geenstrips. Got a Martini .222Mag that will blow the hull off them.
Did some work on turkey gun today, trying some new ammo. Come on Turkey season..

Yep, last day of Alabama season, now we wait until October. It was a crappy day here, wind blasting, everything moving, impossible to see a squirrel if there was one present.

That’s a wrap for us too.

I added one more on 1-6 shooting and missed his head. Weather was alright, but they were zipping around at warp speed.



Gotto get tonight’s squirrel nachos started.



’14 was a good season.

Ella

Well boys, to wile away the time before next season, and the fact that I'm bored outta my mind, I went and made a purchase, last week. Been wanting another .22 handgun to carry squirrel hunting and pond fishing. The Ruger single sixes were just too expensive for a knock around gun, so I decided to try a Heritage Rough Rider. Don't know how it's gonna shoot, but i couldn't turn down the new-in-box price of $139!




Gonna get a cheap holster for it, and put some laquer bright orange paint on the fixed sights, so I can see em[no wise cracks ingwe]

Come on Spring!!!


maddog

That must be what they mean by a 'pre-emptive' strike.....

If it shoots, are you taking it to Africa?

Ella, Africa is over for this ole man. Only safaris I'm going on from here on out is limb chicken safaris.....



maddog

I love that warthog pic I saw of yours.

Squirrel nachos turned out tasty.





We didn’t quite finish the 2nd one:



My buddy is into Argentinian cooking. This is his “pickled squirrel.” It’ll sit in the fridge for a week and then get sampled.



Update on that one forthcoming.

I'm curious how that Heritage shoots and holds up.

I just made teriyaki chicken wings last night and figured Id put a layer of squirrel under them, so the chicken fat would keep it from drying out. It worked.Mighty tasty, I must say!

You boys keep this up, and we're gonna havta open a posh redneck eatery.......but ya gotta come up with some kinda dessert like "limb chicken a la mode'........



maddog

Acorn cobbler?

I like it! . Along with Hickory Nut pot pie....



maddog

I had acorn cobbler once at some kind of WVA hoedown. It wasn't bad.

Pecan pie!

My mother made Hicker Nut Pies. I remember well , I had to crack and clean out them hard little jokers. Very similar to Pecan Pies, just better..

That I'd like to sink my teeth into. I love some pecan pie.

I'm thinking two pie courses for a squirrel banquet...cept I can't bake a pie worth a hoot and hate to think of the work a hickory specimen would involve. Wonder if there's someone around here I could recruit.

This thread got quiet fast. I guess till next season....

Ella

Be durned, we had tooo much fun with it. Spring season won't be too far off.

You all have a spring squirrel season?!
All we have is turkey.

Got me a big gobbler opening day. can't wait for our first spring squirrel season.

I wish we had a spring squirrel season.


maddog

Me too. Or an open season like I think Missouri. Our turkey doesn't open for a couple more weeks.

Ella

Look on the bright side......we're almost 1/4 of the way thru 2015. Limb chicken season will be back, before we know it.


maddog

You working out that heritage revolver in the meantime?

Ella

Missouri's season closed February 15th and opens again the Saturday of Memorial Weekend.

Yeah, best I can. Kinda tough when yer left handed and right eye dominant.....


maddog

Hey MOGC to copy an Ingwe phrase.....you suck!



maddog

It's lonely at the top...

I have the exact opposite problem. Left eye dominant.

Turkey opens Wednesday, not quite limb chickens but better than a tin can. They do cook up alright.

I might need to move to Missouri.

Ella

Oh crap, Spring season will be May 15-June 1. Mess up my bream fishing. Oh well, I'll just have to double up..

Poor baby.........


maddog

Life is tough.

You can do both at once from a canoe. Play the fish and watch the trees that overhand the water.

That's my notion of heaven. What's hiring down in Missouri these days?


Ella

Ferguson Police Department probably has jobs? Out here in the sticks maybe a sawmill.

Or maybe I could live cheap, write articles for reader's digest. Eat a lotta limb chicken.

Yeah, that sounds like an even better plan.

Here ya go boys. Desert after limb chicken dinner.....





maddog

Lots of jobs in SW MO, not many good jobs. Lots of lakes, rivers, and oak woods though, and the Mark Twain National Forest isn't posted.

They look tasty but the packaging is strong stuff.

Wow, it's less than 7 weeks until opening day in the Show-Me state. I gotta get my guns ready!

My guns are OK, but the shooter needs some work. The cataract surgery is set for May 15, but then we'll do the other eye, so I may not be up for the opener. Not that the opener is a big deal in an 8-nonth season

Maybe I'll just use the .410 pistol (T/C) until I can see rifle sights again. If I can see the squirrel.

Two of my buddies kept complaining about your same condition. After surgery, they have been giving a run for my money! I agree with you about our liberal season. I hunt until I killed enough for awhile, then switch to bluegill fishing,then back at it again. Life is good!

Missouri squirrel season is the only liberal thing I have ever liked. When I can see to do it, I'll get out Grandpa's target rifle and cap a few. I like to shoot that old rifle once in a while for old time's sake - and because any misses are on me.

Turkey hunting got rained out. Tomorrow's my night to cook, so I figured I'd get started on some taco meat...


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6ish hours at 250 F and they're pretty tender, tasty and juicy. I'm thinking this beats stewing in salsa. They've got some nice roasted flavor.

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Five months until season opens.

Ella

That looks YUMMY, Ella.


maddog

For sure. Getting closer to opening day of our first spring season. Leaves are thick enough, I may have to carry a shotgun..

shotgun......hrruummph......


maddog

hrruuummph indeed!

HEHEHE, knew I'd get a response. Joking, got enough different .22s to use a different one everyday.
Come on retirement, 26 more days. Got an app one my phone that clicks off the seconds..

26 more days!


Let me know when you are headed this way!

Wife's got a trip to Maine and parts beyond. Big road trip. We'll come whuppin up yo' way next year..

Maine is the wrong direction!

Damn GPS done messed me up again.

Dang, dang, dang. Been waiting on our first spring skwill season and nowI've got a cast on my left leg all the way to my knee. Will have to be on till June 1.
Guess I'll have to get wifie to ease me around on my golf cart stalking them. Damn Tendonitus..

GOOD LUCK ALL!! Be safe.Kawi

Well boys, this is the closest to hunting anything, I've done in a while. Mama and I went to Ft. Wayne, for Mother's Day to see her kids. My step daughter's boy friend took me shroom hunting, out at his deer hunting woods. we had a nice Saturday afternoon. we didn't find a ton of em, but most of them were huge!










I fried them up with seasoned flour and butter, in a cast iron skillet. YUMMY!


maddog