new to squirrel hunting

[Blue68f100]

I use a chair blind, set it up and stay put. I'm disable so doing a lot of walking is out of the question. I use the quarters and a Knight & Hale caller. With the quarters I kept dropping them so I made a holder that work real good. With the caller I can get squirrels to come or start from running after a shot. I use to practice where there were a lot of hawks around. If I did the calling right they would show up. There are several calls you need to know, the bark (all clear or ok) and the baby cry. The baby cry will bring them out of the wood work and have them on the ground heading to you. It works in pouring down rain, too. I did it while setting on the back porch because it pouring down big time. I tried it just to see how effective it was. Believe it works like no others. With the quarters there are basic to type of calls you can make. Both are related to a squirrel eating. One is the scratching sound like cutting on a nut the other is the nut falling and hitting the ground. I find the scratching call to be the most effective of the 2.

Here is photo of my quarter setup. I go tired of dropping and loosing the quarters ever time I shot. It also will allow you to wear gloves on the cold days. Each side of the quarters make a little different sound, and you need to find a quarter with a good edge. The new quarters do not make the same sound as the older ones do.



btw. A shotgun going off sends them to the next county, where a 22 does not bother them that much. It does make the look up a look but if you do a call soon after they ignore it in the most part.

 

[kingcheese]

expecially if you use sub sonics in your 22

 

[TwoWheelFiend]

two words........ bird seed

 

[shiftyer1]

I'll pass on to you what my grandfather told me, if you want to catch a squirrel just sneak up on him and sprinkle some table salt on his tale he'll freeze and you can just reach down and grab him.

For six months my mom couldn't figure out why the salt shaker was missing all the time.....fast foward 25 years, mom called me laughing after she realized why her salt shaker was always missing when my boys came for the weekend. lol

From my experience most people using shotguns just kinda wonder around and take shots the appear. They cover alot of ground. I've always used a .22 choosing to wait them out.

 

[glockgod]

If it's a windy day stay home. Early in the season watch for the branches to shake as squirrels move about. I've done the best hunting the first few hours of daylight. Look for oak,walnut,and hickory. Squirrels can't resist hickory nuts and will concentrate on them while the nuts last. Beech trees offer squirrels den sites as well as a food source. Hunt slow and use your ears as well as your eyes. I figure that if I'm not going into the woods while it's still dark with a maglite I've slept in horribly. Shotgun or .22 ? It's your call-I use both from time to time.If you hunt the same woods from year to year you will learn the den trees and the good mast trees. Been hunting squirrels for over 40 years now-God willing I'll hunt 40 more. I'm hoping Heaven has a nice squirrel woods.

 

[Clipper]

The ONLY reason I have a scope on my new Browning BL-22 is for head shots on squirrels at 50+ yards. Squirrels are nature's short attention span posterchildren. Find an area of activity and sit still. They'll soon forget all about you and go back to their normal fooling around. I have shot several from the same spot. That's OK, since they're generally flea ridden, just mark 'em down and pick 'em up when you leave and the fleas will (mostly) leave the body as it cools.

Don't worry about nests, as they don't always build them where they eat, and one squirrel may build several houses, and rotate among them, moving as they get too flea-ridden and returning at a later date. Look for food trees.

 

[RevolvingGarbage]

In my experience chasing grey squirrels around little patches of woods down here in FL, all you really have to do is sit still and do your best squirrel chatter impersonation.

Not only will the squirrels come bounding through the trees from all directions, but more than once I've had 4-5 medium sized deer come out of the woodwork less than 20 feet from me while doing this!

 

[308win]

Hunt the edge of wood lots preferably where they abutt a corn field. You will get squirrels. If you are moving a lot of the time they will simply freeze and let you walk past. This time of year the mast has dropped so they will be on the ground.

 

[Harrod]

Ohio here too, NW. This is my first year hunting and i go with a partner who is showing me the ropes. So far we have seen only 2 and had a shot at 1, mainly due to poor hunting areas with few nut trees and short trees. It's hard to find hunting out here that isn't already claimed.

I am hoping for some spots after deer season is over that some co-workers will show me, I wouldn't dream of stepping in their grounds during their season. Luckily they are perfectly willing to show me the squirrel hunting in their favorite deer spots.

 

[.45Guy]

My squirrel woods here in lake county are full of beech trees. I like to sit under one of them, as tree rats stand out against the smooth grey bark. Walking the tree line next to a brushhogged corn field is usually pretty productive as well.