Seems like yesterday it was 6 1/2 mos. til next squirrel season. Don't know where the last 6 mos. have gone, but Indiana squirrel season opens Aug. 15. Man I can't wait! Picked up several more woods to hunt this coming year. Gonna try for 2-3 more. The next 30 days will go fast enough. I gotta get through my son's wedding, and Mama's birthday, and a family reunion..... Need to do one last scope check on my .22s, as soon as it cools down a bit. The oaks and hickories are full of nuts. We've had enough rain though to make the skeeters problematic... I'm down to one container of limb chicken chowder, and I'm gonna eat it the nite before I go hunting. Good luck to all you nimrods this season!


maddog

Squirrel season doesn't open here until October, I am frothing at the mouth in anticipation. Part of the problem is I have a new, for me, Marlin 39A I have been shooting every afternoon in the back 40. I can keep 10 shots on a golf ball at 50 yds with it and I am pumped.

Good luck to all of you and may all your shots be true.

Ours opened May 25th but either turkeys, crappie, walleye, or hot weather have prevented me from going. I'll get out as soon as they start cutting hickory nuts. I've got a new Lilja 17MachII barrel for the CZ but the '78 39A will get the nod for such early season endeavours.......

The MachII will not fill the stringer until after deer season when the leaves are gone.........Come on fall!!!


X-VERMINATOR

I see both you boys have a Marlin 39a, me too. I bought it new in 1974. The ole girl doesn't see as much action, today as in the past, because I got a new girlfriend.....H&R Sportster .22 single shot. I love huntin' them chickens with the little SS.


maddog

Here's a coupla pics, just to get things started....




My ole 39a, and a coupla squirrels from last season.




My new girlfriend, with some chowder ingredients.




My girlfriend with her new makeup on for the upcoming season.



maddog

ours doesn't start till Oct and we ate our last that we had in the freezer.
These "yard skwerls" are looking mighty good right now.

Maddog, what kind of carry strap is that hanging from the hind legs of those two critters? I think you have given me an idea for a little summertime project.

Thanks

Used to make my "carry strap" out of a piece of tree limb (read:stick). About a quarter inch round and about half inch longer than my back pants pocket was wide. Sharpen both ends.
Run knife through squirrels back foot, push stick through hole.
Insert stick at a downward angle into back pocket until both ends are inside then twist until both ends of stick are wedged in edge of pocket. It will stay put until you pull it out for next squirrel. Usually got four squirrels to the stick.

Used that method for many years until Game and Fish made "open carry" of game illegal.

This sounds like fun.. Haven't shot tree squirrels for 40 years.. Enjoy!!!

You suck....

"Open carry" of game is illegal? WTH! Unless it's for safety reasons. But I'd hate to have to conceal a deer when I'm dragging it in...

LOTB, it's a section off a metal fish stringer, attached to a wooden handle. Here's a better pic. It's awesome for carrying squirrels in the early season, when it's too hot for a vest. A guy in southern Indiana sent one to me. I was so impressed, I made one for my son. The wooden handle is a painted piece of dowel rod.





maddog

Hey Tom, you gonna start that same ole refrain this early??




maddog

I guess I shouldnt be so hard on you...I still have some squirrels in the freezer....

Maddog: What a neat idea. I'm gonna make mine out of some deer antler I have laying around doing nothing useful. I also have an old fish stringer I can rob the clips off. I might even make some as Christmas presents for some "buds" of mine.

Thanks again.

Yeah, safety thing. Somebody got shot in the a$$. Applied to small game only.

LOTB, here's another "gadget" I use during the season. It's a homemade walking/shooting stick. I have feet issues and it helps me walk. During the early season, when the leaves are on the trees, it doubles as a shooting stick when it's hard to find a tree to lean against AND see the squirrel!





maddog

I definitely plan on getting off my arse and after them this year! With all this moisture here in IN, we should have a good mast crop. Lots of miles will be put on the truck this fall chasing these things as I have no places to go within an hour of home...

That by gosh!!maddog.

Well, just got back from Indianapolis, got the boy married off this weekend. Get through Mama's birthday next weekend, then it's good-to-go limb chicken season! 25 1/2 days and counting....


maddog

MD, I need to make me one of those shooting/walking sticks. How long did you cut yours...

I never measured it exact, but I walked out in the garage and took a look. I'm 6' 3" tall, and the stick comes to the top of my head. The U hook is above that. I'd make it as tall/slightly taller than you are.


maddog

thanks, I've got a piece of bamboo I'll try

schoolmarm, all I did was go to one of my woods and cut a straight, skinny sapling, then bought a U hook hanger and screwed it into the top. I then took a can of rustoleum black and painted the U hook and the top of the sapling. Made 2 of them and keep them in the back of my pickup, for whenever I head to the woods.


maddog

I think I remember seeing some of those u-hook-hangers at walleyworld. Will check next time I'm there.
Thanks

The weather was absolutely beautiful, yesterday. Took the Sportster out for one final scope check. Hung up a squirrel target and put 10 in the head at 25 yds. Good enough. Come on "limb chicken" season! 22 days and counting.....


maddog

Yesterdays weather would be PERFECT for squirrel season. Unfortunately, it'll probably be 90+� come 8/15...

Dang it pointer....I know yer right but we can dream can't we?!


maddog

Dreaming is about all I have the time and money to do right now...

+1 on the hiking/shooting stick. Mine is just a plain piece of maple that is about 3" taller than me. It is a great portable rest to steady the rifle when a tree is not in the right place-and a lot of times they are not. It is also great for pushing aside weeds, spider webs, and retrieving downed squirrels where you don't want to reach in with your hand. It is under the rifle in this pic.

PH, you made a great shot on that limb rat, got a fine looking rifle, but that is the plainest looking stick. Heck pretty it up some.

Yeah it is real plain-sort of like me-lol. It does have a para cord lanyard loop on top- does that count?

Oh yeah, that made it better.

Here is a Booner! Eat your hearts out guys...




Actually, for sale on ebay (not me).

Looking at that picture, no wonder they call them tree rats.....


maddog

Brent that is too funny. Will be calling my taxidermist.

Squirrel season in Maryland opens on 7 September. Have 6 weeks until opening day.

Got out my notebook for my rifle(LH CZ 452) and checked out my ammo.

At this stage, I'm just getting ready to get ready.

The squirrel population in Maryland and West Virginia has been quite down for the last 4-5 years. This year looks better.

Doubt if I'll ever get tired of squirrel hunting with a 22 rifle.

And I'm 73.

Steve

Would be tempting to get one of each species ( subspecies??) mounted like that for a " Squirrel Slam"

dangit poobah, there goes some mo' money. A big fox squirrel with half his head white would look good.
BTW, how many kinds of skwerls do we have in USA.

You guys have seen this right?

http://www.fieldandstream.com/photo...2011/11/becoming?photo=4#node-1001458293

I've posted it before but it will be something to do in my first year of retirement.

I could get into something like that too...

Now that made me laff!

Was thinking about retiring next year, that may be my retirement gift to myself...

I have 3 rifles tuned up and ready to go for this season's hunt. I have my trusty BRNO #1 with 2-7x Leupy, and a couple "new" rifles to take out this year, Winchester model 67 single shot with 4x weaver scope and a Russian TO3-18 with 4x Kollmorgen scope.

The old Winchester was my Grandpa's and My Mom recently handed it down. With the help of a 24HR C'fire member I was able to find a mount to fit the D&T receiver and get it scoped as it once was.

I have a couple late model CZ rifles that I use occasionally in the field, but I am really into vintage rifles/scopes for hunting.

When it gets later-to-late in the season I switch over to a Browning Buckmark "Varmint Special" pistol in 22LR with a 3X T/C scope.

Looking forward to this year's season.

dave

You guys are killing me. Deer season opens in parts of SC in a couple of weeks. I can do that, but what does it say about me when I would rather be hunting B&C skwurls than early season white tails?

ingwe, here would be a good mount from your squirrel safari...just sayin...








maddog

This one might do it too......





maddog

And people accuse me of visiting 'strange' sites....

After seeing the above pic, I gotta say, "That is just nuts."

They've been tempting me out at camp in WV. Season there opens the 8th out there. I've seen more this year and suspect the massive mast crop and mild winter will make it a banner year.

Tasty looking critter.

Hope he has a lot of friends and relatives.

I'm looking forward to meeting and eating them.

Steve

Well boys, two weeks from tomorrow the season opens.....Can't wait.


maddog

yall suck. Still got to wait 2 months..

Got the CZ ready to rock!

Took 4 shots this evening, took 4 tree-rats home. We are at 100%!

Saw about 7, but just had clean shots at the 4 I took. They are cutting hickory nuts in my area.

dave

Good Deal!!

I suppose if a person like bark clingers. grin

Good for you! I gotta wait 2 more weeks. The weather, the last 10 days would have been perfect for squirrel hunting. I suppose when the 15th gets here, it will be 90+ degrees and 90% humidity....


maddog

Yep...

Heading out in a couple hrs. to go scout a big woods I just picked up to hunt. haven't been in the place since the early 70s, when I coon hunted it. As I remember, lots of big oaks. Gonna go see if the squirrels are working the nuts yet. I busted my butt since last year, and have picked up over 10 new woods to hunt squirrels in this next fall. If I get a chance, I'll take a few pics and post em.


maddog

By chance did see any rabbits just me on that.grin

Found some hickories being cut on yesterday...

The hickories were full, where I went scouting, however I didn't notice any cuttings yesterday. With 11 days to go before the season, I expect them to be hitting them, by then.


maddog

Mike...if you need any help on all that new property....

( I have Dec.14-Jan.14 off......)

IF you get back here....I got plenty of places to hunt! Picked up 10 new ones for this season, on top of the places I had last year!


maddog

I might haft make a special trip! Dont know what Im gonna do with all that time off....

just put a new scope on my little 77/22. REady for some limb rats

We always found them cutting on beech trees early in central Indiana and then Oaks later.

Pugs, up where I'm at in NW Indiana, there are very few beech trees where I hunt. I think they'll be in the hickories and oaks over the next 2 weeks.


maddog

Anyone use a dog to help the get.the squirrels on their side of the tree?

I have occasionally used Gus to move a squirrel for me. But mostly, dogs just chase squirrels into holes, so I don't find it works very well for me.

Interesting. I was south of Indy and hunted Morgan/Johnson and Monroe counties in my youth and we didn't have many hickories but there always seemed to be a couple good size beech around. I hunted a lot of bottom lands though which may have had something to do with that.

Being in the bottoms was part of the reason. The other part is the 'rough' part of the state where you were, maple and beech are historically the dominant trees. North of Indy, oaks and hickories are the dominants. I have a couple of big beeches on my property that I hope to be sitting under sometime in early Aug. Like you my grandpa says they'll hit the beeches first then on to the hickories/oaks.

Well boys, down to 4 days left before squirrel season opens. Seems like yesterday I was jonesing about 6 1/2 mos. til limb chicken time again.....


maddog

You suck....

My Dad taught his dog to respond to hand signals to turn the squirrels.

+1

Here's a good squirrel rifle. It's a 10-22 with Walther barrel, Clark and Volquartsen trigger parts used to create a great trigger, even has a trigger stop. It's one of the best 10-22 triggers I've ever felt. It has a 3-9 rimfire Leupold and a can. The most noise is the bolt closing and the bullet strike. I use Subsonic HP's. Air rifles make more noise than this one.

DF

10-22 is sighted in, opener is September 14th.

Even got the bait ready.

[quote=Dirtfarmer]Here's a good squirrel rifle. It's a 10-22 with Walther barrel, Clark and Volquartsen trigger parts used to create a great trigger, even has a trigger stop. It's one of the best 10-22 triggers I've ever felt. It has a 3-9 rimfire Leupold and a can. The most noise is the bolt closing and the bullet strike. I use Subsonic HP's. Air rifles make more noise than this one.

DF





[/quot





Dangit DF, you got more neat "toys" than anybody I know. One of these days I'm going to ease over your way and check them out. That's as fine of a limbrat getter as I've ever seen..

Come on over, Dude.

You probably gotta get a border pass to come into Louisiana, especially from Mississippi...

That notwithstanding, I'd enjoy showing you my toys, accumulated over many years...

I've met some Fire contributors, good guys all...

Hope to meet some more.

Df

DF- Though we can't use suppressors yet, I think it'll be legal by next year. That 10/22 would be an AWESOME squirrel getter! I may have to sell some things, like a kidney, to build one like that. Very well done.

maddog- Looks like the weather's gonna cooperate for you! I'll be chained to my desk and getting ready by looking up all day... Good luck!

yeah, after today, it's supposed to really cool off again. Forecast is about 51 at daylight, and a high of 75 degrees, and not much wind. I worked last Sat., so am bagging thurs. to go chase limb chickens! [before Ingwe says it], it sucks to be me!!


maddog

Gonna be out there at sun-up myself come Thursday morning. Good luck M-Dog!

Hey pointer and batchief, don't forget yer camera. Beginning thurs., we gotta start another marathon limb chicken hunting thread.....just ta get under Ingwe's skin....just sayin'....


maddog

Good luck and yes you suck!

I'll be carrying the camera, just not sure when I will get out. Was hoping to make a run down south this weekend, but life may get in the way...grrr!

Come on over, Dude.

You probably gotta get a border pass to come into Louisiana,
especially from Mississippi...

That notwithstanding, I'd enjoy showing you my toys, accumulated over many years...

I've met some Fire contributors, good guys all... :cool







Well Mr Smartey, I checked on a border pass and they said I could get one and stay as long as I want so long as I don't bring a .22mag and 6million CP flashlight.

You gonna stand out without the "right" stuff...

Cajuns can be a tad clannish and standoffish to strangers (foreigners from MS).

DF

Today is THE DAY!! Heading out the door in 45 min. for the 1st day of a 5 1/2 month season. Limb chickens beware!


maddog

good luck to you. Get a big mess of them.

Shoot straight and be careful.. Best of luck..

Good luck! Looks like you have PERFECT weather for it.