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

Just had to post this for Ed, specifically. This little guy was having a lot of fun all summer and he's still a bit wound up at times. Once I switch from archery deer to squirrel season, I am definitely going to be careful to not shoot him. Too many silly videos of him to post but this is a good example.

snakebit said:

Think I'll take the Crockett for a mid morning walk. Get away from election day BS. Get into the woods where things make sense. All you fellas have a good one.

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Aaah, into the wild wood, where nature abounds, enjoy.

Gum Slough Muzzleloader said:

It's good to be in the woods.
Enjoy the Feral Side.

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Do any of you sing to yourself quietly
The theme song, Davey, Davey Crockett, King of the wild frontier?
Or out loud maybe if you have made
A successful shot.

Dusty_Traveler said:

...It's a super light and classy little half stock with interchangeable .62 smooth and .45 rifled barrels...

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Attractive weapon; nice interchangeable setup.

10 spot said:

Do any of you sing to yourself quietly
The theme song, Davey, Davey Crockett, King of the wild frontier?
Or out loud maybe if you have made
A successful shot.

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I can't say it's that jingle but I think, say, and sing some weird manure when I'm in the woods by myself.

Gum Slough Muzzleloader said:

I can't say it's that jingle but I think, say, and sing some weird manure when I'm in the woods by myself.

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Your not by yourself

10 spot said:

Your not by yourself

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You are correct we're never truly alone!

First, this thread has flintlock muzzleloader hunting in it, but it also has some shotgunning in it. It's been a great squirrel season so far for me. It all started a week or so before season opened when I got a text from sister asking me if I wanted my gun back. The gun in question is a 1947 Ithaca Model 37 in 20 gauge. Back in 95' when I turned 12 my father and uncle gave me my grandpa's shotgun for my first gun. I took that gun on my first ever hunt that fall for squirrel. For close to 20 years I carried that gun all over Michigan chasing squirrels and cottontails down here in SW Michigan and partridge and snowshoe hares in the UP. About 10 years ago I was moving back down here to SW MI and needed to store some stuff at my parents. I put the shotgun in my dads gun room and didn't get a chance to hunt for the next couple years as my career kept me busy. When I finally got a chance to get into a bunny tournament I went to my parents to find the gun was gone and my dad had no idea what happened to it. We'd later find out that this was the beginning of his losing fight with dementia that would take him in a year. After his death I was trying to locate all of his guns that had seemed to disappear when my brother in law told me he had given my nephew the shotgun. I was confused as to why my dad gave it to my nephew as he doesn't hunt but I didn't want to argue with my fathers decision and start any family drama by asking for it back. I told my nephew if he ever wanted or needed to get rid of it that I wanted it back. So fast forward to my sister asking me if I wanted it back and of course I said yes and had it a few days later.
With my shotgun back in my possession I was eager for opening day and set up a plan to hunt with my buddy and his squirrel dog Pixie. Michigan's opener is Sept 15th so there's plenty of leaves still on the trees and the old scattergun would be perfect. That Sunday our group hit the woods and the day went to manure real quick. We were about 100 yards behind Pixie working through an old creek bottom when I hear my buddy start yelling like hell for her to come to him. I start heading his way when Pixie comes crashing in with blood gushing from her mouth. My buddy scoops her up and we start a mad dash back to the truck. Once we get back to the truck my buddy calms down enough to tell me Pixie was being chased by a large dog and that he thinks the dog attacked her. We jump in my truck and drive an hour to nearest emergency vet as it was a Sunday. On the drive Pixie was bleeding bad and kept going in and out. As soon as we got the vet they seen all the blood on my buddy and rushed her back. She ended having a really deep puncture wound on top of her mouth and one on the outside by her nose. $1200 later she was stitched up and on her way home where she eventually made a full recovery.
Now, I'm still eager to get out with the scattergun so for the next few days I go out and made grandpa proud. I got a couple limits and had a lot fun and old memories of hunting with my dad and uncle who are both gone now.
For the next few weeks bowhunting took up most of my time but I made a plan to hunt last Saturday with my buddy and Pixie again. This time with a freezer full of squirrel I decided to take out my Kibler SMR in .32. Last year was my first year hunting with it and I just plain missed a bunch. We started out on a new piece of public that I'd been hitting a few hours a week during the middle of the day while waiting to head to my deer stand. Both of my buddies had shotguns so I told them if we get any gimme shots I'd take them with the flintlock. Pixie was hunting great and it was long before she treed a big fox squirrel and it was the perfect gimme shot....and I missed. My buddy backed me up with SXS and we had out first one in the bag. We keep hunting and Pixie puts another up for us and it's a tougher shot. The fox squirrel is laying tight up a limb at a crotch probably 30ft up. I couldn't see much of it but lined up and dropped it. I was pumped, I finally got one with my flintlock! My buddies and Pixie were equally as excited for me and there was a round of fist bumps. We ended up getting 7 total for the day and I didn't get another shot. I've attached a pic of Pixie and I after shot as well as one I got with the shotgun. Season here in Michigan goes until March 31st so I'll be out a bunch more and will have the Kibler with me. One of these days I may actually get good with it.

That’s great Undertow. You really got me with the black squirrel. I want one of them bad.

My youngest lives in Michigan and those black squirrels drive me crazy. Lol

Hang in there with the SMR. It’s loads of fun.

@Undertow Awesome!!! Great story, great hunt!

Dusty_Traveler said:

Every morning I check about 60 cows up the road. There is a bayou that meanders through the place, and an old cutoff pond. I start my route at the pond looking for gators, and then follow along the high bank of the bayou looking for squirrels while scanning the low bank, making sure I don't have any stranded bovine swimmers in the bayou channel.

The enemy (🐿, ) is thick at this place, and I always try to carry the appropriate tools for the job. Lately I've been carrying a wonderful little piece built by Bob Hoyt that I got from @AZ Muzzleloaders . It's a super light and classy little half stock with interchangeable .62 smooth and .45 rifled barrels. For the squirrels, I've been loading the .62 with ~60gr 3f & 1 1/8oz of copper plated #6 shot. It has been doing a fine job.

Yesterday, I was rolling along and saw a flash of movement. A cat squirrel had raced around to the backside of a tree I had come alongside. I slammed on the brakes and got out with the trusty, yet still unnamed, piece. I've never been one to name a gun, but more on that later....

As I backed up several paces, to not vaporize Mr. Greysquirrel, he runs out on a limb and stops DIRECTLY over the jeep. Both my dogs were staring straight up at him, mouths gaping. I think to myself, HECK YEAH!, I'm gonna shoot this sucker and the boys are going to catch him when he falls!

One split second before I pull the trigger, he blasts off. I'm doing my best to follow him, and BLAMM!! Big cloud of smoke, limbs thrashing, leaves floating down, but no sign of Mr. Greysquirrel.....I had fired that gun about a week ago, loaded it again, and cleaned the bore above the shot column. I had been needing to clear it and give it a good cleaning. I wasn't necessarily looking to kill anything, as I had other chores that needed to be done more than cleaning another squirrel, but he triggered me with his antics. Thought to myself, heck yeah, mission accomplished!! As I turn to walk back to the jeep, I hear limbs crashing, and look to see a nice sized fox squirrel hit the ground, dead as a hammer! She was hid up, trying to avoid the action but ended up becoming collateral damage .

I thought to myself, I've done kilt a shapeshifter!

Got to thinking, what a great name for the gun, with its interchangeability.

Shapeshifter it is.
View attachment 359950

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Nice gun and cool story. Glad to see I'm not the only guy that packs a muzzleloader while out doing other stuff.

10 spot said:

Do any of you sing to yourself quietly
The theme song, Davey, Davey Crockett, King of the wild frontier?
Or out loud maybe if you have made
A successful shot.

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Not just at a successful shot. I've been known to Just walk around singing that song. Drives my wife crazy.

Hermit Tim said:

Not just at a successful shot. I've been known to Just walk around singing that song. Drives my wife crazy.

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Yep, my wife thinks I'm crazy

Ditt44 said:

Just had to post this for Ed, specifically. This little guy was having a lot of fun all summer and he's still a bit wound up at times. Once I switch from archery deer to squirrel season, I am definitely going to be careful to not shoot him. Too many silly videos of him to post but this is a good example.

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That's great! Thanks for posting that.

Made my day right off the bat. Squirrels are such cool little critters. Good luck not shooting him if you squirrel hunt in that area. Could be difficult to tell if its him or not if he's just sitting on a branch.

10 spot said:

Do any of you sing to yourself quietly
The theme song, Davey, Davey Crockett, King of the wild frontier?
Or out loud maybe if you have made
A successful shot.

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Yes sir, most all the time. Unfortunately, its often some terrible song that I hate. Quite often something I heard on the radio earlier that day that gets stuck in my head for the remainder of the day. It usually requires some mighty willpower to over come it.

I like this song.

ETipp said:

That's great! Thanks for posting that.

Made my day right off the bat. Squirrels are such cool little critters. Good luck not shooting him if you squirrel hunt in that area. Could be difficult to tell if its him or not if he's just sitting on a branch.

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Hard to tell him apart until he acts up. Four and five at a time there and only 25 yards from my ladder stand. He was at it again last night, just too funny. The doves and other squirrels used to scurry off earlier this year, now they tolerate his antics for the most part.

ETipp said:

Yes sir, most all the time. Unfortunately, its often some terrible song that I hate. Quite often something I heard on the radio earlier that day that gets stuck in my head for the remainder of the day. It usually requires some mighty willpower to over come it.

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Same here, Ed, but slipping into a soft pine-needle-cushioned little loblolly thicket can re-boot the bad stuff and start you humming IN THE PINES. Heck, just seeing a pine tree can start it LOL.

Boomerang said:

I like this song.

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Thanks Boomerang!
That's just plain great!
Appreciate that.
That Ol Boy is spot on.

snakebit said:

Ed is spot on Cruiser. They are all at the Colony doing close order drill, and studying Sun Tzu's Art of War. Be extra vigilant at sunrise, and sunset. That's probably when they will strike. Just remember, speed, surprise, and violence of action. That will be your keys to victory.

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Oooooh my! I fear that you and @ETipp are right. I haven't added to "The Colony" for quite a while now so I thought to go by and see how things are going. One of my main worries about them is the potential for them to fracture into differences that would become detrimental to their society. In fact I had encouraged them to enact a sort of constitutional method of governing that would insure respect across the board for each other and for their established culture. They they failed to do so mostly at the behest of a senior member who persuaded them that they would be better off to consider him to be some sort of chief and sealed the deal with promises of continuing and ever growing prosperity.

Peace did not prevail!! Promises far exceeded the possibility of being kept. Dissension grew and eventually they broke into two factions with an upstart leading the dissent. Our supposedly older and wiser leader sensed that he would be completely usurped by the upstart and therefore entered into secret negotiations with the lesser leader and appealing to the greedy side of his adversary succeeded in an alliance against a greater evil Namely me!!

The story contrived suggested that I am the source of all the problems in The Colony. The result of course was the formation of an axis of evil and the plan of action was/is to March against me with the promise of applying a final solution and confiscating my property thus having complete control of my fruit trees!!

You of course are asking "how does he know all this"? Well, they made a strategic mistake. There was one squirrel who opposed the plan and refused to go along with the madness.

I'm feeling safe for the time being given that the terrain and distance they must cover includes much open ground and is presently heavily covered with snow. Further, they will have to forage as they go which is going to be difficult. I don't see that they can possibly reach their objective any sooner than late March or early April.

Intercepting is out of the question since the March is across the urban/suburban/rural interface which is heavily patrolled by a peace keeping force.

My first line of defense is that I have recruited the single member of The Colony to be my early warning system. It was difficult coming to an agreement what with the turncoat since he wanted indoor quarters as well as a huge pile of nesting material in his own private room. I countered with choice feeding twice a day and a promise that he would be made ruler of my backyard for life with benefits. Not sure how that is going to work out. Oh and incidentally he also demanded that he have a name so I caved and named him Pnut.

So, don't worry about me, EVERYTHING is under control.