2024/2025 Squirrel Hunting Thread...........

longcruise said:

@ETipp as a hunter; "patience"!! Don't know how you do it.

I've had two experiences of lost small game that were easy to explain. A snowshoe that I shot while bowhunting elk and a squirrel while calling coyotes. I left them in place since I'd be coming back the same way. Something, probably a yote, had devoured the rabbit on the spot. The squirrel was in the path of weasel tracks in the snow and was obviously carried off. It's surprising how a weasel can cart away a squirrel that outweighs them. !!

Maybe, Ed, you inadvertently contributed to the circle of life.

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Could be, Mike. Could be.

Well fellers, I didn’t think this was going to happen today. I ordered a new set of strings and cables for my crossbow last week. Got the call that they are in. So, this morning I headed out early for the two hour round trip to pick them up. I was at the dealer at 0700. Got my strings and headed back.

Arrived home at 0820 hours. I had no plans on squirrel hunting this morning. However, after looking down the hill in the woods behind my house, I was somewhat surprised to see tree tops swaying back and forth in several different directions, and this time it wasn’t from wind. Well, like ole Pop Eye used to say “I took all I can stands and I can’t stands no more”.

So, without further ado, I changed into my camo, grabbed ole Mr. Crockett (that was already loaded) and carried my skinny hind end down the hill. It was after 0900 hours by then.

I decided that I was going to focus on the main hickory tree again. Except this time I wanted to do it JimK style……sitting down. So, I slowly eased in, found a stump, parked next to it and waited.

Wasn’t very long until I noticed tree limbs moving above me. Waited for a very short while until a good shot presented itself. Number one for the day.

Thinking that I had most likely scared everything away for a while, I went ahead and ran a couple of cleaning patches down the bore and reloaded. Looked up and I’ll be darn, at least 2 squirrels were still up there having breakfast. Cool!

Waited no more than 5 minutes and another squirrel that had grabbed a hickory nut came running down the tree a ways and stopped. Bad mistake for Mr. Squirrel. Number 2 just hit the ground.

Due to other squirrels still up there, I did not swab the bore. I reloaded as slowly and silently as I could. I no sooner got reloaded when 2 more squirrels came running down the tree chasing each other. When they stopped for a couple of seconds, that’s all it took. Number 3 hit the ground.

Quickly reloaded without swabbing and waited. It took about 10 minutes until another squirrel decided to take a break on a limb. That one was up higher and it was a little more difficult of a shot. I fired and that squirrel came running down the tree kind of weird like and when he got about halfway down, the strangest thing happened that I’ve ever seen. That squirrel, still being up at least 25 feet from the ground, took a long leap into the air. There wasn’t a tree or limb close by. So, I figured that was its death leap.

Waited for a few minutes then eased my way down there. No squirrel to be found. I thought “huh”. After I went and gathered up my other squirrels, I walked back over there to look again. Then something caught my eye downhill about 15 feet away. It was a squirrel not more than 8-10 feet off the ground right in front of me. I know he saw me so I was sure it was that squirrel that I most likely hit. Of all things, I had figured I was done for the day so I didn’t bother reloading. Oh man, time to reload as slow as possible with the least movements. I really had my doubts I could accomplish this before Mr. Squirrel took off again, but I got it done with the buttstock laying downhill and the muzzle on a severe angle. Put on a cap, took aim, fired, and……..missed!! How the heck could I miss that close?

By that time the squirrel went further up the small diameter tree but not very far and stopped. I reloaded again, took a better aim at what little I could see of the squirrel that was holding tight, and fired. The squirrel fell.

After I got up, walked over and picked up the squirrel, I was expecting it to have at least 2 holes in it. Well it did have two holes in it but one was entrance and one exit hole, no more. What the heck???

My thinking is, for whatever reason, the first shot must have hit very close to that squirrel and shocked it or something because I’m telling you there was only one kill shot. That shot was the last one for sure because all I could see of the squirrel, and aimed for, was exactly where the only hole was. Go figure?

At any rate, ole ETipp wound up with 4 squirrels this morning and I didn’t even plan on going out.

Works for this ole mountain man.

ETipp said:

Well fellers, I didn’t think this was going to happen today. I ordered a new set of strings and cables for my crossbow last week. Got the call that they are in. So, this morning I headed out early for the two hour round trip to pick them up. I was at the dealer at 0700. Got my strings and headed back.

Arrived home at 0820 hours. I had no plans on squirrel hunting this morning. However, after looking down the hill in the woods behind my house, I was somewhat surprised to see tree tops swaying back and forth in several different directions. Well, like ole Pop Eye used to say “I’ve took all I can stands and I can’t stands no more”.

So, without further ado, I changed into my camo, grabbed ole Mr. Crockett (that was already loaded) and carried my skinny hind end down the hill. It was after 0900 hours by then.

I decided that I was going to focus on the main hickory tree again. Except this time I wanted to do it JimK style……sitting down. So, I slowly eased in, found a stump, parked next to it and waited.

Wasn’t very long until I noticed tree limbs moving above me. Waited for a very short while until a good shot presented itself. Number one for the day.

Thinking that I had most likely scarred everything away for a while, I went ahead and ran a couple of cleaning patches down the bore and reloaded. Looked up and I’ll be darn, at least 2 squirrels were still up there having breakfast. Cool!

Waited no more than 5 minutes and another squirrel that had grabbed a hickory nut came running down the tree a ways and stopped. Bad mistake for Mr. Squirrel. Number 2 just hit the ground.

Due to other squirrels still up there, I did not swab the bore. I reloaded as slowly and silently as I could. I no sooner got reloaded when 2 more squirrels came running down the tree chasing each other. When they stopped for a couple of seconds, that’s all it took. Number 3 hit the ground.

Quickly reloaded without swabbing and waited. It took about 10 minutes until another squirrel decided to take a break on a limb. That one was up higher and it was a little more difficult of a shot. I fired and that squirrel came running down the tree kind of weird like and when he got about halfway down, the strangest thing happened that I’ve ever seen. That squirrel, still being up at least 25 feet from the ground, took a long leap into the air. There wasn’t a tree or limb close by. So, I figured that was its death leap.

Waited for a few minutes then eased my way down there. No squirrel to be found. I thought “huh”. After I went and gathered up my other squirrels, I walked back over there to look again. Then something caught my eye downhill about 15 feet away. It was a squirrel not more than 8-10 feet off the ground right in front of me. I know he saw me so I was sure it was that squirrel that I most likely hit. Of all things, I had figured I was done for the day so I didn’t bother reloading. Oh man, time to reload as slow as possible with the least movements. I really had my doubts I could accomplish this before Mr. Squirrel took off again, but I got it done with the buttstock laying downhill and the muzzle on a severe angle. Put on a cap, took aim, fired, and……..missed!! How the heck could I miss that close?

By that time the squirrel went further up the small diameter tree but not very far and stopped. I reloaded again, took a better aim at what little I could see of the squirrel that was holding tight, and fired. The squirrel fell.

After I got up, walked over and picked up the squirrel, I was expecting it to have at least 2 holes in it. Well it did have two holes in it but one was entrance and one exit hole, no more. What the heck???

My thinking is, for whatever reason, the first shot must have hit very close to that squirrel and shocked it or something because I’m telling you there was only one kill shot. That shot was the last one for sure because all I could see of the squirrel, and aimed for, was exactly where the only hole was. Go figure?

At any rate, ole ETipp wound up with 4 squirrels this morning and I hadn’t even planned on going out.

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Impromptu hunts are the best sometimes! Sitting sometimes is a good strategy when you have a hot tree! Good write up Ed.

ETipp said:

Well fellers, I didn’t think this was going to happen today. I ordered a new set of strings and cables for my crossbow last week. Got the call that they are in. So, this morning I headed out early for the two hour round trip to pick them up. I was at the dealer at 0700. Got my strings and headed back.

Arrived home at 0820 hours. I had no plans on squirrel hunting this morning. However, after looking down the hill in the woods behind my house, I was somewhat surprised to see tree tops swaying back and forth in several different directions. Well, like ole Pop Eye used to say “I’ve took all I can stands and I can’t stands no more”.

So, without further ado, I changed into my camo, grabbed ole Mr. Crockett (that was already loaded) and carried my skinny hind end down the hill. It was after 0900 hours by then.

I decided that I was going to focus on the main hickory tree again. Except this time I wanted to do it JimK style……sitting down. So, I slowly eased in, found a stump, parked next to it and waited.

Wasn’t very long until I noticed tree limbs moving above me. Waited for a very short while until a good shot presented itself. Number one for the day.

Thinking that I had most likely scarred everything away for a while, I went ahead and ran a couple of cleaning patches down the bore and reloaded. Looked up and I’ll be darn, at least 2 squirrels were still up there having breakfast. Cool!

Waited no more than 5 minutes and another squirrel that had grabbed a hickory nut came running down the tree a ways and stopped. Bad mistake for Mr. Squirrel. Number 2 just hit the ground.

Due to other squirrels still up there, I did not swab the bore. I reloaded as slowly and silently as I could. I no sooner got reloaded when 2 more squirrels came running down the tree chasing each other. When they stopped for a couple of seconds, that’s all it took. Number 3 hit the ground.

Quickly reloaded without swabbing and waited. It took about 10 minutes until another squirrel decided to take a break on a limb. That one was up higher and it was a little more difficult of a shot. I fired and that squirrel came running down the tree kind of weird like and when he got about halfway down, the strangest thing happened that I’ve ever seen. That squirrel, still being up at least 25 feet from the ground, took a long leap into the air. There wasn’t a tree or limb close by. So, I figured that was its death leap.

Waited for a few minutes then eased my way down there. No squirrel to be found. I thought “huh”. After I went and gathered up my other squirrels, I walked back over there to look again. Then something caught my eye downhill about 15 feet away. It was a squirrel not more than 8-10 feet off the ground right in front of me. I know he saw me so I was sure it was that squirrel that I most likely hit. Of all things, I had figured I was done for the day so I didn’t bother reloading. Oh man, time to reload as slow as possible with the least movements. I really had my doubts I could accomplish this before Mr. Squirrel took off again, but I got it done with the buttstock laying downhill and the muzzle on a severe angle. Put on a cap, took aim, fired, and……..missed!! How the heck could I miss that close?

By that time the squirrel went further up the small diameter tree but not very far and stopped. I reloaded again, took a better aim at what little I could see of the squirrel that was holding tight, and fired. The squirrel fell.

After I got up, walked over and picked up the squirrel, I was expecting it to have at least 2 holes in it. Well it did have two holes in it but one was entrance and one exit hole, no more. What the heck???

My thinking is, for whatever reason, the first shot must have hit very close to that squirrel and shocked it or something because I’m telling you there was only one kill shot. That shot was the last one for sure because all I could see of the squirrel, and aimed for, was exactly where the only hole was. Go figure?

At any rate, ole ETipp wound up with 4 squirrels this morning and I hadn’t even planned on going out.

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Great morning and fine success. Congratulations.

Who is the old guy in the picture? Looks like he did pretty good too.

Thanks, fellas. It was fun.

BTW, I just came out to clean those squirrels. Here is proof of the only hole (entrance and exit) on that one squirrel. That was definitely the last shot. Not a good one but it’s all I had and it was time to put an end to that nonsense.

Also, wouldn’t you know it, another warrior squirrel.

But hey, I luck out and hit them in the right spot every now and then. Even an old blind hog can find an acorn if he’s lucky.

longcruise said:

Great morning and fine success. Congratulations.

Who is the old guy in the picture? Looks like he did pretty good too.

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Oh, that’s some crazy man called ETipp with all of his imaginary friends. You can see all of them in the background waving….. well, maybe not. But trust me. They are there, honest.


Anyway, there are those out there that say the doctors must have dropped me on my head when I was born. Some strange thing about being obsessed with squirrel hunting using a Crockett squirrel rifle.

snakebit said:

Impromptu hunts are the best sometimes! Sitting sometimes is a good strategy when you have a hot tree! Good write up Ed.

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Indeed, not my style but it can be effective every now and then. It works so good at times that I’ve given consideration of using some of those weird things I call “cheater sticks”. However, my conscience and pride overruled that one.

ETipp said:

Indeed, not my style but it can be effective every now and then. It works so good at times that I’ve given consideration of using some of those weird things I call “cheater sticks”. However, my conscience and pride overruled that one.

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Haha. Sitting is my style but so are the cheater sticks. Your average without sticks is better than mine with. So keep doing what you’re doing Ed. It’s working.

Good write up too. It helps. Three weeks from today!!

I had a few hours this morning before I had to get on the mower so I scouted three spots close to home. My scouting consists of looking for hickory trees. One out of three had some and will get some attention from me. The third one was a beautiful section that I really wanted to find some in but no luck. 54 degrees, sunny and calm.

Jim K said:

I had a few hours this morning before I had to get on the mower so I scouted three spots close to home. My scouting consists of looking for hickory trees. One out of three had some and will get some attention from me. The third one was a beautiful section that I really wanted to find some in but no luck. 54 degrees, sunny and calm.

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Good luck, buddy. I’m sure you’ll do just fine. We are waiting for a report.

snakebit said:

Impromptu hunts are the best sometimes! Sitting sometimes is a good strategy when you have a hot tree! Good write up Ed.

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Your day will soon arrive, Tom. I have much confidence that you will be successful. Eagerly awaiting a report.

ETipp said:

Your day will soon arrive, Tom. I have much confidence that you will be successful. Eagerly awaiting a report.

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I'm looking forward to it Amigo. I'll be building a new tree seat hear in the next couple of weeks. I think I know where I'm going to hunt first time out. Big oak flat with some hickrees mixed in. Tons of drays and den trees. Hunted it once last winter.

snakebit said:

I'm looking forward to it Amigo. I'll be building a new tree seat hear in the next couple of weeks. I think I know where I'm going to hunt first time out. Big oak flat with some hickrees mixed in. Tons of drays and den trees. Hunted it once last winter.

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Difficult to go wrong when hunting around lots of hickory’s, dreys and den trees. At a minimum it helps keep the confidence level high, eh?

Something to consider.

What I experienced yesterday morning got me to thinking and substantiates my previous thoughts and comments last year, in terms when to go out squirrel hunting. Specifically, it almost seems better to wait until the squirrels have been up in hickory trees cutting for a while before getting after them. Perhaps my thinking is wrong here but I don’t think so. Allow me to explain.

It certainly appears that after the squirrels have been up in the hickory’s dining for a while, especially when there’s several of them up there, they tend to be more focused on hickory nuts rather than paying attention to what’s on the ground. Also, whenever there’s multiple squirrels up in one tree, considering they often fight over close territory, they are paying more attention to the competition, thus letting their guard down some.

Therefore, I have found that by waiting for them to get busy up there for a while it can often be more conducive than trying to take shots when they first arrive. The way I see it is, by doing so, it’s much more likely to take multiple shots and not scare off other squirrels up in the same tree, or near by trees.

Now then, does that mean I will wait later to go out squirrel hunting of a morning? No sir. I still want to be out there at daybreak, sometimes before, ease around slowly, stop a lot (always next to a tree) and simply observe. IMO, for this ole boy’s style of squirrel hunting, that is still the best time to be out there. I find it pays big dividends to learn where the squirrels are coming from, their travel paths, and where they go to.

I will admit that, generally speaking, it can be difficult for this old worn out boy to force myself to not get after them right now. It’s often a real mind struggle with patience. Sometimes that squirrel is never seen again. However, all in all and in the end, I’m still of the opinion that it’s best to wait until the squirrels are well established up in nut crop trees before I start shooting. However, if a squirrel happens to come hopping along on the ground and presents a good shot, it’s darn difficult not to do it. The good part is, most of the time during early season when squirrels are starting off on new hickory nuts, they seldom are on the ground. At least until most of the nuts are gone off of the tree.

One thing is for sure. There’s nothing like taking multiple squirrels out of the same tree. Those have most always been my most favorite and memorable hunts. Just gotta play it cool, reload slowly and quietly then be patient.

Much easier said than done sometimes in a game that I certainly do not always win. It reminds me of an old cartoon funny of two emaciated vultures sitting on a limb where one says “patience hell, I’m going out and kill something”.

I’ve had mornings where the squirrels are busy working the hickories and it sounds like rain there are so many cuttings falling through the leaves. I’ll take a shot and the other squirrels don’t even stop. The raining cuttings just keep falling. Interestingly enough, a 22 going off seems to stop them even though it’s quieter. It’s the crack it makes as I don’t use subsonic ammo.

Good observations Ed!

Right now all i have to shoot tree rats with is my .45 Hawken. I am holding off doing any hunting. I have 2 Hickories they are working over. I also have my big 8 pt. that just rubbed the velvet off, he beds by the 1st Hickory tree. I dare not shoot or disturb him, i may never see him again during day light. Crossbow season opens Sept. 15th & i am hoping to slip into my climber for him.

Jim K said:

I’ve had mornings where the squirrels are busy working the hickories and it sounds like rain there are so many cuttings falling through the leaves. I’ll take a shot and the other squirrels don’t even stop. The raining cuttings just keep falling. Interestingly enough, a 22 going off seems to stop them even though it’s quieter. It’s the crack it makes as I don’t use subsonic ammo.

Good observations Ed!

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I think you’re correct on the cracking sound. Also, the loud boom of scatter guns tends to scatter squirrels too, but not always.

About 30 minutes ago I walked out back and looked down the hill at the trees. There were at least 3 squirrels up in that main hickory again already. They’re going to get a pass today. There’s several other hickory trees down there that are loaded with hickory nuts but for whatever reason, the squirrels are liking that one tree the best. It’s looking like the nuts are getting thinned down quite a bit. Won’t be long until they are all gone from that tree.

Also, “The Runner” is back at it again.

smokepolehall said:

Right now all i have to shoot tree rats with is my .45 Hawken. I am holding off doing any hunting. I have 2 Hickories they are working over. I also have my big 8 pt. that just rubbed the velvet off, he beds by the 1st Hickory tree. I dare not shoot or disturb him, i may never see him again during day light. Crossbow season opens Sept. 15th & i am hoping to slip into my climber for him.

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I understand your situation, Mike. You’re probably playing it right by being cautious.

Some good write ups Ed. You bring alot of good information, from observation and experience. Patience is one thing that will get to me. Some days I have no problem with it other days I get all fidgety . I like the pictures.

Thanks Ed

Gum Slough Muzzleloader said:

Some good write ups Ed. You bring alot of good information, from observation and experience. Patience is one thing that will get to me. Some days I have no problem with it other days I get all fidgety . I like the pictures.

Thanks Ed

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Thank you, Fred.

Indeed, patience can sometimes be difficult to master in every situation.