Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Small Game Just a Couple More Weeks

Our spring squirrel season opens here in Arkansas on May 8th, and runs for about a month. Don't usually have a great deal of success but man! it is fun just getting out in the woods again. I don't turkey hunt so it's been a long couple of months since the last hunting season closed Feb 15th.

With any kind of luck on the Sat morning opener, I'll be about 90 miles NE of home at one of our WMA's that usually has a pretty good population of bushytails (both grey and fox squirrels). It is about 17,000 acres of prime bottomland hardwoods, Beech, Ash, Hickory, Locust, Native & Bitter Pecans, and several varieties of Oak, crisscrossed with a number of small creeks, sloughs, ditches, etc., and bordered on two sides by the White and Little Red rivers.

I plan to go up on Friday afternoon with my little P/U camper, and be in the woods at daybreak Sat morning. There are a dozen or more lakes varying from a few acres to a couple hundred and the fishing is usually good <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />, so if the squirrel hunting fails, maybe I can catch a mess of fish <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />.

Following pic is my rig there on opening weekend last fall with results of two morning hunts (tails only, cleaned squirrels are in the ice chest). Probably won't do as well this trip but I always have a great time no matter what <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" /> .

Nobody,



Sound like a great time! I have never hunted greys. I would like to give it a try sometime. It must really be hard to have a season on the little things. The county that I hunt has no closed season.

Looks like you have a real nice setup with the camper and all.

I really like the stock you have on your rifle it has a great color to it. What model is it and what ammo and scope comb are you using?



I have been stuck a work myself sence the end of deer season. I am finely getting a break next weekend and will be taking my 4year old girl on her first hunting trip. Of all the thing that I could take her hunting for she wants to go after Squirrels <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />. Altough she will not be shooting on this trip (my wife says she is to young) it will be great to have her out in the woods with me. I dought we will have a hole lot of luck on the squirrels it will be a blast. I have not hunt squirrel for years and am really looking forward to it.

good luck

Sako

Sako,

I'm looking forward to taking my little girl squirrel hunting soon, too. True, she's not yet a year old, but you can't start 'em too early. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> Seriously though, she'll be ready in a couple of years, and as much as I enjoyed taking my cousins years ago, and taking the son of one of my wife's co-workers recently, I can't imagine what it'll be like when the little one tagging along and tagging their first is mine.

Keep us posted, will ya?

Oh, and if she likes it, you might look around for one of those little Chipmunk .22 singleshots. Those things are just about the perfect size for a half-pint and plenty accurate - and safe - enough for the little beginners. I'm getting one in the next year or so, just so I'm ready when she is.

VAnimrod,
Boy she is ready, She has been driving me nuts over it. The best part is she has been telling my wife that she is going to shoot and squirrel and we (her and my wife) can eat it for dinner. My wife has said that she draws the line on squirrels she will not eat one.
I have looked at the little chipmunks they are just about right. Last year at one of the gun shows there was a guy selling little rifles like the chipmunk. He had them in alkind of bright colors. I all but bought one that was hot pink with a stainless barrel. My wike would have shot me with it. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/shocked.gif" alt="" />

I will let you know how it goes. One week left!!!!!!! with any luck this time next friday we will be in the woods.
Sako

If that is what it would take, I would make her one. Anything to keep the sport going, especially for the females.

Thanks Sako for the kind words about my little camper. I purely love it! Wife and I use it for short trips and such, but it is primarily my huntin' `n fishin' rig <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" />. It is perfect for one person, and not bad for two (if you're pretty good friends that is <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" /> ). It's been all over the lower 48 on several hunting trips, and up the Alaska Hwy and back once. My hunting bud and I have things down to such a routine now that we can pull into a campsite, level up, and be set up in 10 min or so, and be away almost that fast next morning, after the coffee is ready <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />.

The rifle in the pic is one of my old Win model 320's. I have two and this is the better one, the other is pretty much a beater. I've since put this one in a factory new, 30-year old stock and put the pictured stock on the beater (its stock was pitiful <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crazy.gif" alt="" /> ). The new stock is somewhat darker walnut but has pretty grain. It wears an old B&L 2-7X32 Scopechief and with Win HV, Power Points, or DynaPoints, it'll keep 5 in less than a half inch if I do my part (don't always do that tho <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" /> ). All three types shoot to almost same POI and do real well on the bushytails. I'll probably take it this time, along with my recently completed 10/77-22 hybrid. That one shoots pretty well the same ammo, almost as well, and does great with Wolf Match Extra. May not do much good (never have done well in the spring) but I plan to have a great time!

Sounds like your daughter is ready <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />. Encourage her all you can and don't let anyone else (including the wife <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/ooo.gif" alt="" />) dampen her enthusiasm. I have a 21-year old grandaughter who was mine and her dad's best hunting buddy growing up. She has two little girls of her own now, and while they are still too young to be out much, she's getting them ready for the outdoors, animals, fishing, etc. They seem to take to it just as she did, and with any kind of luck, I'll be around long enough to teach them a few things as well.

I'd pitch in on a Barbie Blaster long gun myself.

Nobody,

You are very welcome. Sounds like you have seen and good part of the country.
I encourage my little girl all I can, my wife does not mind to much. My wife is not an outdoor person but she does understand my passion for it and has given her ok on letting my daugther start shooting in a couple of years. I think that I almost have my wife talked into dove hunting this coming year <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />. I hope that if I can get her out and have some fun she will let me go hunting more. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

I will get her into shooting even if I have to buy that barbie gun. She asked again this morning when I was taking her hunting, and I am sure she will ask every day this week until I can get her on the road friday. My aunt call yesterday from the ranch yesterday and said that she was waiting to cook up the squirrels for us this weekend. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />I think that I am almost exited as my little one is.

<img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" />It sure is hard to rise a kid in the city, there are a lot of tree and animal huggers around. I can't wait to get a place of my on in the country in a couple more years.
Sako

T Lee,
I am going to do what ever it takes. For the price of the "barbie gun" it will be a steal if my little one will like to go shooting half as much as I do. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />
Sako

T Lee, Grimel
I am going to do what ever it takes. For the price of the "barbie gun" it will be a steal if my little one will like to go shooting half as much as I do. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />
Sako

.

Ain't it the truth. I'm working on the grandkids now. IIRC, TLee has seen the "original" barbie blaster pistol bought by a regular on another board for her girl.