Squirrel Hunting Gun Help

[dagger dog]

"He who eats the most squirrel and dumplin's, eats the most hair and shot"

I can get out most of the shot, but it's all that hair that the shot pushes into the meat that's tough, but it all comes out in the end.

 

[Doc7]

I use a Mossberg 500 20 Gauge with #6 shot in a Modified Choke.

This is my first season. So far the squirrels I've harvested have only had one or two pellets stuck in them and they were against the skin on the far side, NOT in the meat.

 

[samort457]

To keep the hair out soak the whole squirrel in water before you skin it. It will be wet and the hair will stick to the the skin instead of the meat when you skin it.

 

[d2wing]

I would buy a .22lr.

 

[Doc7]

d2wing, depending on the state this may not be an option. I can't use a rifle on squirrels in NJ.

edit: In fact, in the original post on this thread OP states he can not use a rifle where he lives.

 

[Captain Capsize]

My favorite squirrel gun is this Savage model 24 .22 mag over 20 ga. It also came in handy when a flock of turkeys walked by while I was squirrel hunting.

 

[drcook]

I use a 16ga. For rabbits and squirrels. I use either #4's or #6's. For these big fox squirrels 4's seem better. Those are both Ithaca 37 16ga guns, just build date of the receiver is 22 yrs apart. The older Ithacas only weigh a little over 6lbs. You have the ease of carrying like a 20, and almost the power of a 12ga.

I have not had to toss one yet, but as you can see, these are big squirrels.

I have gotten these 6 over the last 2 weeks.

 

[buck460XVR]

"He who eats the most squirrel and dumplin's, eats the most hair and shot"

I can get out most of the shot, but it's all that hair that the shot pushes into the meat that's tough, but it all comes out in the end.

Over the years, I have bitten into too many shot pellets. Larger pellets are easier to find than small pellets. Small pellets are just as hard on teeth as large pellets. Most everything I shoot with a shotgun(other than Turkeys) gets the meat pounded out flat with a meat mallet before being cooked. Shot and shot trails are simple to find when the meat can be seen thru. Most pellets "bounce out" when the meat is pounded also. I've yet to be that hungry that I need to eat the "holes" also.

 

[Mike1234567]

Wouldn't a cheap mini metal detector help find the shot?