Do Squirrel Calls Actually Work?

[Swifty Morgan]

I am trying to figure squirrels out. It doesn't seem to matter what time of day I look for them. Sometimes they're out in the morning, and sometimes they're out at noon or 5 p.m. I can't figure out whether I need camo or a blind. Sometimes I can't find them at all, and other times, I can walk right by them, 20 feet away, and they will ignore me. They are very annoying.

I got myself a Primos squirrel call. I had read that calling could bring squirrels out of hiding. I tried it today, making various noises I heard about on Youtube or read about on the packaging.

During an hour of hunting, a grand total of 2 squirrels appeared, and that could have been random. On the other hand, a huge crowd of crows gathered maybe 75 yards away and raised hell. I think I called crows instead of squirrels.

My question: do squirrel calls actually work, or do people just think they work because squirrels happen to come by when they're using them?

The Primos call sounds almost nothing like the squirrels in my area. I know they're stupid, but are they THAT stupid?

 

[Patocazador]

I don't know what the Primos call sounds like but one that works when young/baby squirrels are around is an aluminum disk that looks like a metal Life Saver candy. It gives off a piercing whistle which is a distress cry.
The mommas come out to see whose baby is getting eaten by a hawk. Then you pick them off.

 

[WestKentucky]

Most squirrel calls do exactly what they were intended to do...separate the hunter from a little bit of cash. Of all the people I know who have tried them, they are all about as effective as banging nuts together to imitate the noise of a squirrel cutting a nut open.

 

[Swifty Morgan]

Most squirrel calls do exactly what they were intended to do...separate the hunter from a little bit of cash. Of all the people I know who have tried them, they are all about as effective as banging nuts together to imitate the noise of a squirrel cutting a nut open.

Sounds likely. On the other hand, your handle is WestKentucky, and you live in Tennessee, so I'm not sure I can trust you.

 

[WestKentucky]

Sounds likely. On the other hand, your handle is WestKentucky, and you live in Tennessee, so I'm not sure I can trust you.

Grew up in Ky and will go back. Call it sightseeing via paycheck.

 

[Fine Figure of a Man]

Squirrel calls have worked for me. You need to be careful that they don't see your hand movement. My Grandpa use to take a cat with him and just let it walk around in the timber. Squirrels hate cats and will focus there attention on and bark at them.

 

[JeeperCreeper]

Sounds likely. On the other hand, your handle is WestKentucky, and you live in Tennessee, so I'm not sure I can trust you.

You can trust him, but with him being from Kentucky and living in Tennessee, just don't ask him to do math or spell

But I agree with above, I've never had luck with any calls.

 

[22250Rem]

Bought a squirrel call that was hand made locally but haven't taken it out hunting yet. Wanted to practice on all the squirrels living in the woods next to me but they don't seem too impressed. Maybe it's me because I have zero experience with squirrel calling. Probably wind up googling something on squirrel calling and see if I can learn some of the finer points.

 

[WestKentucky]

You can trust him, but with him being from Kentucky and living in Tennessee, just don't ask him to do math or spell

But I agree with above, I've never had luck with any calls.

I’m good with math. I can count to 20 without taking anything off

 

[WestKentucky]

One serious thing to add on this thread, squirrels are naturally very curious but wary of motion. I have had really good luck with squirrels simply by carrying a blaze orange hat or glove inside a bag. If the squirrels are not moving well then toss that orange item out 20 or 30 yards away from you. They will bark at it and creep up on it to check it out. Kinda like the post above about the cat, just with less cat to put up with. Just don’t let them get so close you shoot your hat or glove to get the squirrel. Flourescent color bandanas all work too, I think they just stand out better than standard colors and draw their attention better.

 

[Saddlebag Preacher]

Old trick, take a couple of quarters and rub them together between the thumb and forefinger. A little practice and it will sound like a squirrel cutting. That will draw in curious ones or territorial ones and not the crows.

 

[Duster340]

I use several calls and have good luck bagging squirrels. Often times they get the wary squirrels nosey enough to peek around the tree to present a head shot.

 

[Swifty Morgan]

What about blinds?

 

[Patocazador]

What about blinds?

Just sit real still. It works fine.

A blind hinders your ability to move through the woods if you use commercial products that someone may steal. I've never built one or used one but a branch with leaves could lay across your lap and block out some of your outline. Squirrels have 3D vision therefore they can see colors so wear camo.

 

[Blue68f100]

I liked the Knight & Hale caller better than the Primos. The K&H seamed to be better tuned, not as high pitch. It comes with a CD giving you demos on what sounds to make. It does take some practice for it to work very good. Another trick is using 2 quarters. You can make them sound like a squirrel cutting on a nut. This brings them in close, also the hawks will show up too looking for lunch if your doing it right. You use the serrated edge of one against the marking on the other, the old quarters work better for this. It takes some practice but works better than most callers. The distress bay squirrel works when nothing else does. I used one evening setting on the back porch watching the rain poor down, very heavy. I started the distress call and within a few minutes here comes a squirrel coming down the tree headed straight for me. He looked like a drowned rat it was raining that hard.

 

[jmorris]

They do. This time of the year if I look out through the trees and can’t see one moving around I can bark a few times and generally get one coming. Once they see it’s me, the game is over though.

I am not “in the woods”, rather my house is 70-100 yards from the tress around it. Gives me an advantage, in deep woods they may be more likely to see you before you see them, so it would make it seem the call is less effective.

I use the Primos squirrel buster the most.

 

[jmorris]

Blinds also work great for squirrels, even better if there is a deer feeder throwing corn out. It’s not uncommon to see more squirrels than deer...

 

[Swifty Morgan]

I tried the Squirrel Buster again this week, and absolutely nothing happened. I really think it drives squirrels away.

I used it under trees where I knew squirrels were hiding, to make them show themselves. They didn't come out. I decided to sit quietly instead, and maybe 20 minutes later, they ran down the tree, and I shot one. My guess is that if I had kept calling, they would stayed out of sight.

Maybe it only works on certain types of squirrels? All I have are small grey squirrels.

 

[MCgunner]

Never worked for me, not in 55 years of squirrel hunting. I just go out early and sit and wait.