Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Small Game 22lr for Squirrel

Squirrel season is now, and always has been, my first hunts of the year. Never could get my head wrapped around spring turkey.

I've an old Marlin model 60 bought around 1985 that shoots any standard velocity solid leads so well that it's almost ridiculous. Head shots rule but if pickings are slim I'll take a body shot on rare occasions. They work but I hate losing any meat.

A lot of the "good squirrel woods" of my youth have houses in them now but, fortunately for me, I know exactly NO other squirrel hunters locally and it's a rare farmer that won't let me hunt. Season is Aug 15 so........the heat stops me from going more than anything. It's early morning on any cooler days or nothing.

Less than two months off. I need to pick up another scope for the Marlin. I took the old 4x off for some dumb reason and, for the life of me, don't recall what I did with it. IIRC.......someone "borrowed" it. LOL hmmmmm

Squirrel makes the best stew ever!

God Bless
Steve

Steve692, I agree with you. After all my big game hunting, including 2 trips to Africa, my favorite hunting now is squirrels. Like you, except for my son, nobody else hunts them in my neck of the woods. I got 20+ woods I can hunt in my area. I see yer in Indiana, where abouts? I'm in NW IN.

Gentlemen, this is WHY Ohio allows any rifle or shotgun for squirrels. It is not very popular anymore, and the risk of other hunters in the same woods is low, unlike when deer gun starts, and the entire orange army hits the woods at once. (As per ODNR)

I haven't read all of the posts. Like ingwe said, many times squirrels jump after being hit. I like the fact that he reports a shoulder shot would limit/prevent that. I know one time, I had a squirrel standing straight up, like a prairie dog, and I shot him square on the chest. He jumped straight up/down, three times, before dropping. It was...interesting, but as ingwe said, it probably scared off the rest. I have yet to shoot on with my 17 Mach 2

A head shot squirrel will occasionally flop around for a bit. In my neck of the woods, I don't find it is a distraction to the other game. My father taught me to shoot a squirrel in the nose and he will jump out of his hole in the side of a tree. I will warn you, if you are using a 17M2, only take head shots. You will not be impressed with the body/shoulder shot if you are planning on eating. It is a wonderful caliber and I love it dearly, but it is only regulated for late season squirrel hunts once the leaves have fallen and shots tend to be extended.

Squirrel season is my favorite. I've been using WW power points for a long time now with good results. Body shots don't damage much meat. The old tough ones make good dog or cat treats after frying in butter. If you are partial to Mepps lures, they buy squirrel tails.

No need to treat the animals, just fry them up and then either bake them on a covered cookie sheet in the over on a damp paper towel, or put a little water in the bottom of the crock pot and wrap them in foil with something underneath to keep them out of the water. Either way works and though not as good as browned right out of the skillet, they're still pretty close and tender with the fried flavor.

A set of shooting sticks helps a lot for those headshots.

This is what I use for a combo shooting/walking stick. I just went to the woods and cut a straight stick, and screwed the tool hanger into the top. It works great.

Since I hunt big woods, I'm always standing next to, or sitting against trees. Trees make good shooting aids.

What county are you in down there?

Reynolds & Shannon...

use to love it, then discovered deer hunting.

going back to it this fall

im in callaway co.

Used to love turkey hunting in Texas and Phelps counties. Need to get back down there and see if it has changed much.

Clever idea maddog!!!

Reynolds and Shannon should definitely have no shortage of squirrels OR room to shoot!!

rockchucker. I lived in the Jeff. City area for 25 years. Did a lot of work in Callaway and hit the rondy at Owl Creek for years. I think Owl Creek is right, been a while. Moved to Wyoming in 2000 but enough guilt to kill a mule brought me back to Mo. Came back to Phelps county, no regrets.

Just a note, while fishing the last couple weeks I noticed lots of hickory nuts on the trees. Haven't been able to spot acorns yet.

Remington Subsonic with a can.

Go stealth, kill'em quietly...

DF

Have killed my limit with a .22 mag. in under an hour while sitting in one spot way too many times to care about noise.

Don't think I'd take my .22 mag squirrel hunting. Never killed one with it. I think it may be a bit much, may mess up squirrels more than necessary.

What's your experience regarding that?

DF

The CCI 40 gr. FMJ's are very accurate in my mag. {dime size 50 yard groups} and don't do as much damage as mini mag hp's. I like the flatter trajectory of the mag when the leaves are down. The CCI 40 gr. hp's are just as accurate but will put half dollar size holes out the far side, sometimes silver dollar sized even. They do tend to drop squirrels instantly even with chest shots though. I really don't mind the damage and think most make a big deal out of it for nothing. I don't eat squirrel ribs and never met anybody that does. They will of course wreck the front legs if you hit them but even then it's what, two teaspoons of the toughest meat on the squirrel ? Big deal, I'll still eat the hind legs and backstraps and that's the best meat anyway. I usually shoot upwards of 100 squirrels a season so don't worry too much about a ruined front leg or two here and there.