Winter rabbit and squirrel hunting

My Grandson and I saw so many squirrels during rifle season I told him we MUST go try to thin the ranks after Christmas!

I love jump shooting rabbits. Tromp around the swales, fencerows, and Christmas trees and see how many rounds it takes to connect.

My arm of choice has always been a 20 ga double with open chokes and high brass 6 shot. Back then it was a Western Field (Stevens 311). Now its a Browning Citori Upland.

Once in a while I would stalk slower on days with fresh snow with my Remington 572.

My buddy has a rabbit dog thats hit or miss when it comes to hunting. One day he is great and the next not so much. He also has a squirrel dog too. After this weekend we will both be focused on squirrel and rabbit hunting. I usually take an hour-1.5hr drive south to a state forest and do some squirrel hunting with my best friend. We sit on the hillsides and wait for them to come out and shoot down into the little valleys. Grays and fox squirrel are the main game around there.

With snow on the ground, I like to still hunt with my .36 caliber BP muzzleloader for rabbits. I also like to get out into the squirrel woods to thin out the noisy buggers that like to mess up my deer hunting.

troy fairweather said:

Are deer mz season ends today so I'll try to get out tomorrow. Never hunted this state land by me, but at least I'll get some scouting done. Wish we had fish squirrels close, there like rabbit size. How do you like cooking them.

My dad has a Jack Russel but she is not good off the leash, may bring her out when I go up state. Seen lots of squirrels up there.

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To be honest I usually just give the rabbits and squirrel away to buddies who I am hunting with because they usually get more than me when we go out. If I only shoot one rabbit or squirrel and they shoot 2-3 I just give them mine. My buddy pressure cooks squirrel and makes pot pie and rabbit I believe is slow cooked. I wouldn't take a dog who fleas into a large wooded area because you may never find it again. My other buddy let his elk hound loose in the state forest and we spent a good hour trying to find him. My buddy with the squirrel dog has a mountain cur that will tree a limit of squirrel in about 2-3hrs.

earlthegoat2 said:

I love jump shooting rabbits. Tromp around the swales, fencerows, and Christmas trees and see how many rounds it takes to connect.

My arm of choice has always been a 20 ga double with open chokes and high brass 6 shot. Back then it was a Western Field (Stevens 311). Now its a Browning Citori Upland.

Once in a while I would stalk slower on days with fresh snow with my Remington 572.

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Same guns I used, except the 311 was a 16ga. With squirrels and the scoped 572, I'd walk in to a patch of woods I knew was rife with squirrel from deer hunting there, then sit down. The squirrels would start coming out about 15 minutes after I sat down and got still then it was sniping time. I only shot them on the ground, or with a tree trunk for a backstop, never on the side of the tree or up high. For rabbits with the 311, I'd jump or climb onto deadfall piles and the usual hangouts you mention, and be ready to shoot.

Dogs are so crazy loving especially hunting dogs that I have seen but I've never really wondered about them tearing off into the woods and not coming back until I read something here. That would be a heart break. For all.

troy fairweather said:

I hope to have that 410 muzzleloader fixed by new hear. That would be fun to use.

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During the very early squirrel season here in CT (Sept) I sometimes use my .56 caliber smooth bore (28 gauge) with #5 shot to get the tree rats that are up in the trees eating acorns or hickory nuts, whatever is in abundance at the time. You don't get many opportunities to shoot them with a rifle during this time, besides it is not good policy to shoot up into the tops of the trees cause a miss means that ball is going to come down somewhere and that could be bad news.

I've got 5 giant oaks in my front yard, squirrels like crazy all the time. Go hunting, rarely see one except if I was hunting for deer. lol

troy fairweather said:

So anyone get out when there's snow

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I've seen snow here 3 times in 48 years so I wouldn't get much hunting in if I waited for it.
Not many rabbits here but plenty of squirrels which I only hunt with a SxS muzzleloading shotgun.

I would go out about an hour before dark and sit near a brush pile for rabbits. I’ve also successfully went out in the morning before sunrise. In either case my my favorite gun is a Ruger 10/22 with a cheap scope.

Patocazador said:

I've seen snow here 3 times in 48 years so I wouldn't get much hunting in if I waited for it.
Not many rabbits here but plenty of squirrels which I only hunt with a SxS muzzleloading shotgun.

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Lots of rabbits here. Too many, probably. I live in dread fear that our dog will actually catch one and then I will have to deal with the mess. DItto to the no snow.

troy fairweather said:

I lived in Alabama for 2 years 06-07 we got like 4 inches. Everything shut down for like 3 days. Best 3 days I ever had on the road lol. We had rabbit's and squirrels in the yard down there, I shot a few. Best was the careless farm across the street. I told them twice if I see that pig again in the front yard it's dinner. After I shot it they called the cops, cop ended up coming to are cook out 2days later lol.

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Pig roast BBQ sounds great. Good luck in the woods tomorrow.

I rabbit hunt with beagles and a 20ga. . I also like to still hunt squirrels with a .22 rifle . I like hearing the dogs run more than shooting the rabbit . I went Sunday and let the rabbit go by me 6 times before I shot it . I am going to eat rabbit tonight . I boiled it last night until tender and I will flour and fry it tonight .

Man that rabbit was some kind of tender and good .

WHEN there's no law against baiting deer, you can bait squirrels too if you wish...
Put a dollop of creamy peanut butter on a tree trunk about shoulder high, and the chipmunks won't be getting to it, and squirrels will come to it if they smell it. Also acts as a marker in an area where you're not sure if there are squirrels around..., If you make a slow loop through the woods, and it's gone when you come back around..., something was after it...could be squirrels (yay) or could be birds (aw rats)…. IF it's deer you will see their tracks.

LD

Loyalist Dave said:

Put a dollop of creamy peanut butter on a tree trunk about shoulder high

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Take the lid off the peanut butter and screw it to the tree upside down then screw the jar back onto the lid and drill a hole in the bottom. Works good too until a bear decides to ruin the fun for everyone and steals the jar.

Growing up we were the brush jumpers. We would just take turns climbing up on the brush piles and jumping around to run out the rabbits.

After a good ice storm you can find a rabbit under most every pine tree as the branches from the bottom broke off and piled up around the trunk

I too am ready to get out and chase some tree rats.
I sat in my deer stand and saw more than I've ever seen.
I think on Christmas Eve, I'm going to go sit in my deer stand with a .22 or 20 gauge and thin some out.
I've been having a hankerin for some squirrel and dumplings.