Who still squirrel hunts?

[Quavodus]

Does anybody on here  squirrel hunt anymore? I've really slacked off the last 10 years or so. I'm thinking I'll get back into it this year.

[gunwhatgun]

I do from time to time.

[Dolomite_supafly]

Seems they have pretty much dried up around here despite the fact no one has hunted the woods where I live in close to two decades. I can remember when I could sit on my porch and count a dozen, or more, squirrels running around. Now I will go days without seeing a single squirrel despite having plenty of nut trees around. They would congregate in the largest tree but that tree hasn't had a single squirrel this year.

[Wingshooter]

I don't really hunt them anymore. I just don't like hunting anything when it's really warm. And if it's colder, then deer season is usually open. There are 2 huge fox squirrels that live near one of my deer stands though. They're beautiful, and one has a black head with white face. Fun to watch, and I've thought about taking my DSLR camera to shoot them with.

[Omega]

3 hours ago, Dolomite_supafly said:

Seems they have pretty much dried up around here despite the fact no one has hunted the woods where I live in close to two decades. I can remember when I could sit on my porch and count a dozen, or more, squirrels running around. Now I will go days without seeing a single squirrel despite having plenty of nut trees around. They would congregate in the largest tree but that tree hasn't had a single squirrel this year.

They all moved to my backyard.  I haven't hunted squirrels in quite some time, but I may have to cull a few out back.  I have two large black walnut trees, one in the back and one out front, the squirrels leave a mess everywhere with the nuts.  I have to get me a good air rifle, while there is no law against shooting here, I don't want any issues.

[bersaguy]

Quote

 

I have not hunted Squirrels in probably 20+ years. I used to always have a couple dozen in the freezer but moved inside the city and can't hunt them and son lives to far away now for me to go and hunt his place for them. I do have a bunch of them all around my house and yard and it was kind of funny. When I first moved here almost 18 years ago I only had 1 very small gray squirrel that would come out in back yard out of fence row and lokk and dig trying to find food. Once day while at TSC I saw a squirrel feeder on sale so I bought it and some squirrel mix and put it up in back yard on a tree. It took the little squirrel to get on it and I watched him and I busted out laughing when I realized he was to small to open the lid and get a piece of food out of it. He was a determind but finally gave up.  That night after sun went down I made a small platform and attached it to the tree and put some food on it. The next morning I was drinking coffee and here came the little squirrel up the tree and onto that platform. He ate about every thing on it.  Evidently he told a friend cause next day I had two show up. 1 bigger one that could open the lid and the little one that ate on the platform. Those 2 was all I had that winter. The following Fall was a lot different. I think they must have called all their kin folks cause I could not keep the feeder and platform full as they would empty it in a day. I went back up to TSC and got 2 more feeders and another bag of food. That bag of food lasted about 10 days. I did some research and learned that squirrels were corn eaters also so I bought a 50 pound bag of whole kernel corn and came home and dumped it in a big plastic trash can I bought for the food. The little critters ate a hole in the can lid and we getting inside eating the corm. We to TSC and bought to metal trash cans. Filled one with squirrel food and 1 with bird seed and put up 5 hanging bird feeders and today I have a total of 8 bird feeders and 5 Squirrel feeders that I will begin putting food in come fall after I take the Hummingbird feeders down..............LOL I get a lot of enjoyment now just watching all the wild life I have here.  

[Quavodus]

20 hours ago, Wingshooter said:

I don't really hunt them anymore. I just don't like hunting anything when it's really warm. And if it's colder, then deer season is usually open. There are 2 huge fox squirrels that live near one of my deer stands though. They're beautiful, and one has a black head with white face. Fun to watch, and I've thought about taking my DSLR camera to shoot them with.

That sounds a lot like  my situation. I work a lot of consecutive days now and usually don't like to be out in the woods when its hot. I take the turkey and deer seasons pretty serious though.

[Sidewinder]

On 8/19/2017 at 7:15 AM, Dolomite_supafly said:

Seems they have pretty much dried up around here despite the fact no one has hunted the woods where I live in close to two decades. I can remember when I could sit on my porch and count a dozen, or more, squirrels running around. Now I will go days without seeing a single squirrel despite having plenty of nut trees around. They would congregate in the largest tree but that tree hasn't had a single squirrel this year.

Any idea what is going on with them, Dolomite? Got lots of hawks there?

[DaveS]

I love to hunt squirrels! I got 2 yesterday, going again tomorrow. My biggest joy comes from taking my Grandsons and watching them harvest Tree Rats. Good stuff indeed!

 

[Tngrouser]

 Now that I have grown old and can't chase grouse around anymore, as if there were any to chase, I have started to hunt squirrels again. Its a fine way to get our youg ones started, and I love shooting my Kimber 82.

[bersaguy]

My 11 year old Grandson has asked me to do some Tree Rat hunting with him this year. It's been a very long time since I have been hunting them but I have been considering going with him just to be able to spend some time with him. I have a Marlin 60 w/ scope that I sighten is for 50 yards and can take down poker chips at that range with every shot. Once I got it all sighted in I ran 25 out of 25. I might be able to hit one of those critters. Might be nice to have some in the freezer again. I told him I won't go until the leaves are off the trees and He said thats fine with him. I know I will need to get some bug spray with deet in it to keep the ticks in check. I hate them little critters!!!!  

[mikegideon]

I haven't in a few decades. But I just finished up a helluva squirrel gun. This may be the year

[mikegideon]

On 8/19/2017 at 7:15 AM, Dolomite_supafly said:

Seems they have pretty much dried up around here despite the fact no one has hunted the woods where I live in close to two decades. I can remember when I could sit on my porch and count a dozen, or more, squirrels running around. Now I will go days without seeing a single squirrel despite having plenty of nut trees around. They would congregate in the largest tree but that tree hasn't had a single squirrel this year.

They may be hiding from that crazy man with all those guns and weird colored bullets  

[MemHeli]

so I think I'm going to hunt them for the first time this year.  I don't know anything at all about cleaning them.  Time to learn up.

 

[xsubsailor]

1 hour ago, MemHeli said:

so I think I'm going to hunt them for the first time this year.  I don't know anything at all about cleaning them.  Time to learn up.

 

 I wish I'd known about this method long ago when I was hunting them.

 

[Bubba Fett]

I've been knocking rats out of trees since I was about 10, with my Crossman 760.  Now as an adult I use my Remington 597.  They're delicious dipped in eggs and breadcrumbs and fried in shortening.

My 12 year old Nephew came out with me for the first time this year, using his Ruger 10/22.

Seems like they're always scarce when we are out hunting for them, but put me in the woods with a deer grunt call and the squirrels will swarm.

Edited September 29, 2017 by Bob Lee

[bersaguy]

5 hours ago, xsubsailor said:

 I wish I'd known about this method long ago when I was hunting them.

 

Shucks, I thought I was gonna get to see something I didn't know. That is the way I have been skinning Tree Rats since I was about 12 years old and I'm 69 now. I can do a rabbit about as fast if not a little faster......................

[MemHeli]

22 hours ago, xsubsailor said:

 I wish I'd known about this method long ago when I was hunting them.

 

can't wait to give this a try!  Seems so easy.  

[bersaguy]

6 minutes ago, MemHeli said:

can't wait to give this a try!  Seems so easy.  

Just remember to make sure you get the tail seperated from the back bone or you might tear the squirrel in half when you begin to pull on it with your foot holding the tail. Ask me how I know!!!!......If you get the tail cut free it is a piece of cake from there on.......Good luck with your hunt and cleaning the first few..........

[tercel89]

On ‎9‎/‎29‎/‎2017 at 12:04 PM, xsubsailor said:

 I wish I'd known about this method long ago when I was hunting them.

 

WOW that is neat !

 

[tercel89]

When I get around 3 or 4 I boil them in hot water with salt and seasoning until the meat is cooked. I then take them out and pick the meat off. Then I take a can of campbells cream of chicken soup. Mix it with some potatoes , and celery and carrots and lima beans and mix the meat up in this mix. Then put it all into a pie crust. The take another pie crust and put it over the mix of what you got and pinch it togather on the ends. and bake for around 30 minutes on 350 degrees. Then you got an awesome squirrel pot pie !

Edited December 20, 2017 by tercel89

[peejman]

If anyone near knoxville hunts and doesn't want the meat, let me know. The hawks and owls love squirrels. 

[Bubba Fett]

20 hours ago, tercel89 said:

When I get around 3 or 4 I boil them in hot water with salt and seasoning. I then take them out and pick the meat off. Then I take a can of campbells cream of chicken soup. Mix it with some potatoes , and celery and carrots and lima beans and mix the meat up in this mix. Then put it all into a pie crust. The take another pit crust and put it over the mix of what you got and pinch it togather on the ends. and bake for around 30 minutes on 350 degrees. Then you got an awesome squirrel pot pit !

I'm going to try this.  That sounds awesome!

[tnhawk]

I haven't squirrel hunted in many years.  However my greyhound  and blue tick coonhound will probably never a chance to run one up a tree.

Edited October 8, 2017 by tnhawk

[Eddie Southgate]

Yup ! Grays and Red Fox both . We got a ton of reds in my area . I use a .22 bolt gun or my Thompson Center Seneca .36 cal and a light load of 3F .

 Eddie