Tips on squirrel hunting

[gt3944]

How's everyone doing, first I wanna say that this forum is pretty damn cool, very good insights and info..which brings me to my question...Im trying to reintroduce myself to hunting(last time i hunted i was 15)and introduce my 9 year old to hunting as well..we are due to go squirrel hunting on the 21st , do you guys have any tips that you could share with us we would really appreciate it..

 

[SCI]

gramps always told me to make a noise like an acorn

 

[birddog]

Pretend you're deer hunting. That's when I see easily shootable squirrels. During squirrel hunts, they are always going 90mph in the opposite direction.

But seriously, find some mature mast trees; oaks, beeches, etc; and set yourself down for an hour. The bushytails will come out of the woodwork.

 

[countertop]

Go out to the woods and sit still. The squirrels will see and hear you before you see them. Just og out and sit and don't move or talk for 30 minutes or so. THey will forget your there and eventually begin to come out.

Enjoy the peace and solitude and just soak up everything nature has to offer.

Also, bring a shotgun if you haven't gone in awhile.

 

[shermacman]

Pellet guns -- > Squirrel stew
M1 Garand -- > Less to clean up...

 

[Lennyjoe]

Roger that on sitting still. When they see you they will bail up a tree or hide on the other side of the trunk. Sit down, stay still and wait them out. They will loose interest soon enough and get back to work. Shotties work, as well as .22's. I prefer shotties due to hunting in urban wooded areas.

 

[Bill2k1]

A few things I have heard, and some I know work.

1) I have always heard that squirrels are like kids. If the neighborhood kids are out playing, then go out hunting. It has never worked for me.

2) Fall asleep, when you wake up there will be a million around you. Always works.

3) Go deer hunting, always works.

To be serious, go into some old growth area, sit down and don't talk for a while. Maybe 40 minutes at max. If you don't see anything, get up and move on. It will be hard to keep your nine year old entertained. Before you leave, be sure to lay out a soda can or something and get a few shots off at it (be safe). No matter how I did hunting, a few rounds out of the .22 made my day. Now I am older, and I shoot often enough I no longer do it, but it will be a chance for you to get your son into safe habits.

 

[M.E.Eldridge]

What's always worked for me:

1.Use a shotgun, its much easier to hit one, especially if you use a full choke 12 Gauge

2.Find a good spot beforehand. Places you have seens squirrels and their cuttings and areas around mature nut producing trees are good areas.

3. Hunt in the early and late times of the day.

4.Go after a light rain or mist has settled. This makes it easier to move to and from stands silently.

5.Sit still and stay silent. This is very important.

6.Look for movement in trees that shouldn't be there(i.e. a moving branch when there is no wind).

These are the rules I was taught by and use today. If I have time to sit for a whole day I usually reach my bag limit, but to truley enjoy squirrel hunting, find a spot, relax, and enjoy the woods. No game after a great time is better than a full bag after a miserable time.

 

[Newt]

I kept thinking I'd see it, but unless I overlooked it... Be sure to check the regulations on what you take with you. Here, you don't want to be caught out with a high-powered rifle or shotgun while squirrel hunting. Anything other than small game loads for your shotgun or a .22 wouldn't be good. It sure wouldn't make you want to go back out if you got a ticket your first time out in umpteen years. Good luck! Hope your young'un enjoys!

 

[Vern Humphrey]

I live on a 185-acre farm, in the middle of a few thousand acres, mostly all wooded, and can hunt all of it. In Arkansas we have two squirrel seasons -- from mid-September to the end of February, and from mid-May to mid-June. That's about 6 1/2 months of squirrel hunting, more or less. As you can imagine, I get in a lot of it.

1. Scout the habitat. Squirrels like big, mature hardwoods. Hickory and oak are good squirrel territory (although they eat lots of other stuff, too.)

2. Go out early. I often go out before first light, just to see the woods come alive.

3. Be patient. I have a folding stool with a shoulder strap. I sling that and go into the woods and set it up, so I can rest my back against a tree and just wait. In a good spot you can get several squirrels just sitting still. When you shoot one, mentally mark where he fell and sit still -- they'll be back out in a few minutes.

4. I use a .22 (a Model 82 Kimber with a 4X Burris mini-scope.) I practice a lot with that rifle and take advantage of a "lean" against a tree whenever I can.

5. When walking up squirrels, go slow. Take a step, look and listen.

6. Learn to shoot fast -- you'll often see a squirrel feeding on the ground. For fun, you can try to stalk him -- but for meat, jshoot as soon as you see him.

 

[JMusic]

This time of year the grays will be on the ground. Mostly around oaks. If you are a decent rifle shot and have the equipment set up on a ridge and use that. Shoot several before moving, the guys talking about sitting aren't kidding. I like to hunt with 22's and move. I find old logging roads or trails and move slowly and stop by cover. Use the wind, airplane or traffic noise when you move you actually will see more. With the nine year old the advise the other guys gave on this subject will probably be easier your first few times out. They have been spotty here this year, first time in years I have seen it like this in this area. Good luck
Jim

 

[danurve]

gt3944; Squirrel hunting is a great way to reintroduce yourself and a kid to the outdoors! Good choice. I would imagine the woods in Georgia stay on the heavy cover side but I still prefer a 22 or 22mag for tree rats. The Greys are good eating imo. Especially with Sweet Baby-Rays sauce. There's a few good threads on squirrel hunting ar rimfirecentral & marlinowners forum btw.
Alot of people are using the new 17's, I guess that's alright 'cept for the magnums. A chest shot on a bushytail from one of them might not leave much. Hollow Points & those balistic tips can rip em up. Belive it or not I like the 22mag. You can get solids or the Rem psp for 22wmr that works great for keepers.

http://huntny.us/images/013_13.jpg

Fox squirrels around here are bigger then greys, but when I hunted squirrels in Shawnee fox squirrels were almost 2x their size, and thougher. Red squirrels here are considered pests, unprotected. Squirrels like to think they are slick, they spot you and zip around to the other side of the tree or tuck into a brach elbow and hide. Take a red hankercheif with you, tie a small rock into it. When Mr. Bushytail zips around and freezes up, wait a few seconds and toss this around the other side and most of the time they will come back around. Be ready

Squirrel calls - `eh. On occasion I used a challenge barker as a locator before goin into the woods. They quickly wise up to it though.

If you can identify mast trees and their cycle I think that is 1/2 the battle. Of course that kinda knowledge is helpfull for Turkey & Whitetail too. I truly wish I knew more about trees, as I belive I would then be more sucessfull. Good luck & to good Hunting!

 

[Cosmoline]

First and foremost, listen. Squirrel hunting is mostly about your ears. Find a good stand of trees where there are squirrels and listen for them to chitter and bark at each other. They also make noise moving in the branches. Most of the barks are territorial, so when one fellow makes the cry you'll hear others in the distance. Zoom in with your ears to figure out where the nearest one is, then just wait for him to get careless and appear.

Dogs who know how to get squirrels will use a similar method of waiting perfectly still at the bottom of a tree until Mr. Squirrel no longer sees them and comes down. No need to wear camo. Squirrels don't seem to see you if you just stand still for long enough.

Also, in densely populated territory you may find after you kill one, two or mores others will wander into the area after he's dead and start fighting over the turf. So you can add them to your bag. I nailed a series of about six squirrels one morning just sitting there as new ones kept coming in to claim the turf.

One thing that gets overlooked these days is the utility of squirrel hides. They are VERY tough for small game. In the dark ages vikings used to nail squirrel hides on their shields because they can turn a blade. They're not bad for use as knee reinforcements or anti-thorn guards on your pants

 

[gt3944]

guys I appreciate all the help...Im mainly doing this to keep my kid away from the video games and more into the things I used to love doing as a child..I appreciate youlls help

 

[belton-deer-hunter]

here is a trick, Squirreles are very curious if they see you they "uselly go around a tree take two people and when he circles around,... you have one waiting to hit him. this trick has worked for me many times someone gets the Squirrel even if you dont that is still a good hunt right?

 

[Deer Hunter]

It seems the only time I see squirrels is when I'm not looking, and I'm on my tree stand with mty trusty 30-30. I could probably hit one with it, but I'm usually after bigger game. Just find a place with some hardwoords, or that you know they are, and wait. 45 minutes, and the forest will come out again.

 

[KaceCoyote]

Ignore headshots, They've got a real sweetspot between their shoulderblades.

 

[Vern Humphrey]

Ignore headshots, They've got a real sweetspot between their shoulderblades.

I know a lot of guys who only make headshots. I suspect they're related to the guy who shoots deer at a thousand yards -- running.

 

[el44vaquero]

+1 for finding a good spot to set and keep quiet

I have an old savage 22/410 combo that I use. Flick of the thumb and I'm ready for either.

 

[Vern Humphrey]

+1 for finding a good spot to set and keep quiet

I have an old savage 22/410 combo that I use. Flick of the thumb and I'm ready for either.

My cousin had one of those when I was a boy, and I envied him. One of these days I'm going to break down and buy one.

 

[mrb302]

here is a trick, Squirreles are very curious if they see you they "uselly go around a tree take two people and when he circles around,... you have one waiting to hit him.

This is a good technique if you have two people.

Squirels tend to run around the back side of a tree trunk when they see you. The way we do it is one person circles the tree at a distance while the other stands perfectly still. When the person circling gets around, the squirel will run to the other side of the tree to hide. The person standing still then has a good shot at a squirel that don't know the hunter's there.

Not fool proof, but you can usually bag a few this way.

If I'm by myself, the sit still method is usually the most productive.

 

[Cosmoline]

You've got to *BE* the squirrel, man

 

[Poodleshooter]

I'm considering using my treestand for some late season squirrel hunting.
I can move around and fidget more in it,yet still get away with it. I may just take a book and a 10/22, find a nice oak tree to set up in, and then shoot whatever bushytails pop up in the area.

 

[trickyasafox]

with 2 people have your 9 y/o bring a 20gauge if he can handle it with some small shot. then i would bring a 22 for the ones that are a touch further away. thats how me and my friends used to do it. we walked and tried to circle and catch em in the open, old hard woods near transitions always gave us the best results (ie: a patch of old hard woods by a field. just inside the woods we always found a lot of squirrels. i think they like this set up because they can see half the potential predators approaching from a distance.)

with a 9 year old its gonna be hard to sit still long enough to reap results. 30-45 minutes in the woods if you havent hunted before or in a while can seem like a very very long time. if its legal where you are, go the day before you want to hunt and spread some acorns or something so the squirrels start to think there is an easy meal around. that way when you first get there you might catch a few munchin away. shoot these or not, its always comforting to at least see something for motivation.

 

[Atticus]

Finding them and shooting them is the easy part. This "Mr. Squacks" video will help with the rest.

http://www.huntingfootage.com/showphoto.php?photo=377&sort=1&cat=523&page=1