2023 Fall Squirrel Season...........

[Jim K]

Jim, what state you live in?

Indeed, the squirrels in KY are all over the hickory trees right now. Few if any are cutting on acorns yet. I have noticed the squirrels have appeared to have somewhat separated from each other in the last couple of weeks. Where as I was finding 3-6 in one hickory, from my observations, there's fewer cutting up in one hickory with lots of fighting going on when more tries to join them. Its now down to 1-2 squirrels in one hickory. Due to such, I have been able to determine this is why the action has slowed down some. I am now finding 1-2 squirrels in different hickory tress scattered out more across the woods. Thus more walking/sneaking through the woods trying to locate them, and undoubtedly increasing the amount of time required for a shot.

Also, I have also noticed that the squirrels have been staying out longer, many can be found out and about all day. But they are fewer and farther between. Seeing squirrels mid-day is fairly common now.

Not the first Dogwood berry have I seen yet this year. From past experiences, its about time for them to be falling and/or squirrels to be cutting on them. Same goes for Beechnuts. I always pay particular attention to any Beech trees as they are a favorite for squirrels to den in. So my guess is more action around Beech trees is a coming.

I’m in PA. Something I’ve noticed at my place in regards to Walnuts. I have probably 8-10 walnut trees on my property. They’re loaded with walnuts right now. The squirrels aren’t touching them yet. They start on them later and their muzzles and feet will be black. They sit at the bottom of the tree and chew the husk off. I’m seeing no sign of that yet. In fact the squirrels are pretty much gone from my yard right now. I feed cracked corn under my bird feeder for the turkeys and the squirrels eat it too. They’re gone right now. I’ve talked to other people in my area that say the same thing. They’re eating something else right now. It’s interesting learning the different patterns they have.

 

[ETipp]

I’m in PA. Something I’ve noticed at my place in regards to Walnuts. I have probably 8-10 walnut trees on my property. They’re loaded with walnuts right now. The squirrels aren’t touching them yet. They start on them later and their muzzles and feet will be black. They sit at the bottom of the tree and chew the husk off. I’m seeing no sign of that yet. In fact the squirrels are pretty much gone from my yard right now. I feed cracked corn under my bird feeder for the turkeys and the squirrels eat it too. They’re gone right now. I’ve talked to other people in my area that say the same thing. They’re eating something else right now. It’s interesting learning the different patterns they have.

Jim, they are doing the same here. Deer, turkeys and squirrels are not seen here lately like they have been. I'm almost certain that's due to them searching out other foods, such as hickories that are ripe. Deer are more than likely eating White oak acorns. Acorns are, for the most part, plentiful here this year. I was down below my house yesterday and it sounded like a hard rain with all the acorns and hickory nuts falling. It was darn near constant. Most of the acorns are those world class size Chestnut acorns. They sound like a rifle being fired outside when they hit my metal roofs around the home place. Dang things wake me up all through the night.

Yet at my happy hunting grounds just a couple ridges over its dang near impossible to find White Oak acorns. Some Chestnut acorns but mostly hickories. I am guessing that many of the hickory nuts did not ripen before they fell. Seeing many that do not look mature.

Stick with it. If it were me, I would be heading back to any den trees that you know of, before daylight, and park next to a tree and just wait. Many times squirrels will come out of their den trees and travel to whatever it is they are cutting on at the time. I have used that method to see where, or at least, what direction they are headed in, to locate them while they are cutting. Known den trees are a great place to begin when in search.

Its a game of patience and keeping your eyes open, as well as listening for squirrels wrestling up in the tops of the trees as they cutting/eating/grabbing nuts and berries.

My guess is, and from what I've been told and seen, Walnuts will be a good source of squirrel food very soon. With the oncoming of leaves turning and falling, squirrels will be out everywhere on the ground searching for all kinds of nuts, especially Walnuts.

 

[ETipp]

Okay, just got in from going out back down the hill hoping to test out the GPR on a squirrel. I could see a few down there in the trees from the house but by the time I made up mind, got in camo and got down there, they were mostly gone.

What I did find was as I stated earlier, not only here but other places as of the last week or so. Fewer squirrels and only 1-2 per tree. There was much fighting going on anytime one got even somewhat close to the other one. They would actually chase each other all the way from the tops of tall hickory trees, all the way down to the ground. Yet, both groups of two that were doing this left out together, in different directions. This leads me to believe that perhaps the nut crop is thinning down some, thus fighting over what remains.

 

[appalichian hunter]

Thank you for your input.

Interesting for sure. Indeed, I would very much appreciate that information if you don't mind posting or sending it.

In terms of Black Walnut.

Those are something that I have little experience with, in regards to squirrel hunting. Reason being, in all the locations in the S.E. I have lived, there's simply is not many around, generally speaking. Not sure if this is due to logging in the past or not. I do know they prefer somewhat wetter and/or humid areas.

With that said, in my somewhat new area to hunt, there's more Walnut trees in that neck of the woods than I have ever seen in my entire life. They are everywhere down lower, mostly along the edges of fields. As soon as I drove through that area it became obvious. I was thinking I had hit the mother load and how awesome this was going to be squirrel hunting there. However, as of now, since last spring I have not killed the first squirrel out of a Walnut tree, yet there are plenty of Walnuts. A few have been falling but most are still hanging on.

So, that leads me to this. I know squirrels eat Walnuts but I have only found one Walnut that a squirrel started cutting on but discarded it. That was a couple days ago I found that one. I do not know how long it had been laying on the ground. I have asked a couple of the land owners about this and they both stated what I have suspected, that squirrels prefer Walnuts later in the year and up into the winter. Perhaps the Walnuts are simply not rip enough yet, that would be my guess. Either way, as long as they will eat them sooner or later, I should have a really good time over in that neck of the woods.

Also, to answer your question on whether or not squirrels eat the black hulls of Walnuts, I do not think they do. Not when there's so many other actual nuts and mash to eat. So I have my doubts as to that was what I was seeing in the stomach contents of that very large gray squirrel I killed a few days ago.

Get one or two of those walnuts, crack them open and look at the nut meats if they look withered up forget about hunting squirrels there. Another thing is if you kill a squirrel near there check the fur on its chest and its front paws and around its mouth nose area If there stained dark to black the squirrels are cutting the walnuts if not the nuts are bad this year or what the old timers called def walnuts. Tipp as to the black mash you refrenced I would bet that squirrel was eating late season fox grapes or paw paws.

 

[ETipp]

Get one or two of those walnuts, crack them open and look at the nut meats if they look withered up forget about hunting squirrels there. Another thing is if you kill a squirrel near there check the fur on its chest and its front paws and around its mouth nose area If there stained dark to black the squirrels are cutting the walnuts if not the nuts are bad this year or what the old timers called def walnuts. Tipp as to the black mash you refrenced I would bet that squirrel was eating late season fox grapes or paw paws.

Next freshly fallen walnut I find on the ground I'll crack it open and see how the nut looks. But I'm pretty sure its just early still.

I'll look into fox grapes and paw paws.

There's so many different things for squirrels to eat in this part of the country.

What I was thinking while I was down hunting a little bit ago was what we need is a strong wind storm to come through. That would knock off most of the nuts and acorns for now and would most likely change the dynamics of squirrel hunting for the meantime anyway.

 

[Okie Hog]

Oklahoma squirrel season opened on 15 May and will close on 28 February 2024. i'll began squirrel hunting about 15 October.

 

[snakebit]

Oh man, that's not good. Yep, ice on the swollen ankle and whiskey in the stomach does wonders. At the very least you won't care about it quite as much.

FWIW, I was out back yesterday doing some testing with my Crockett rifle. When I was about to step up on the concreted step I tripped on a rock and fell flat on the concrete. I kept my Crockett in my hands until I landed hard, then if fall out, thus putting some world class dents and bad scratches in the buttstock. Didn't mind the bleeding but the damage to my Crocket stock is depressing. Oh well, looks like I have another project to do this coming winter.

And before anyone says it, no I had not had any whisky but I surely wanted some after that stunt.

No bueno! I will swear that my dad invented the phrase "stupid hurts" because of me. I'm as graceful as a newborn giraffe on ice skates. Hopefully the dents to your stock are damp towel/hot iron fixable.

 

[ETipp]

No bueno! I will swear that my dad invented the phrase "stupid hurts" because of me. I'm as graceful as a newborn giraffe on ice skates. Hopefully the dents to your stock are damp towel/hot iron fixable.

I'm sorry to hear about this. Falling is never good. I don't do so very often and when I do it ticks me off big time. So far, I have came through okay overall.

Just last week while walking squirrel hunting I was walking back down the mountain. I stepped in some kind of hole and it really got my attention. Could have very well taken out my right ankle.

I hope your ankle gets better soon.

I forgot all about using a damp towel to remove dents in stocks. I'll have to give that a try whenever I get to refinishing it. Waiting on season to get over plus waiting on the walnuts to start to fall. Plan on making my own walnut stain.

 

[Christophero]

You gentlemen have brough this thread to life in many enjoyable ways. I haven't contributed a BP hunting story since January 2022 when I shot a big doe with the .54 GPR. But, due to your inspiration I brought out the .32 TC Cherokee this afternoon to ensure it could possibly hit a squirrel in the head, if I could see the sights in the woods well enough.

I put this together as a kit in 1987 while newly married and on Spring Break from the classes I was taking at the local college, when I wasn't working at the family orchard. When the gaggle of kids came along fast and furious it eventually became regulated as a safe queen and squirrel hunting was shelved for a time or two a year when the kids were little, as that was the best learning opportunity we had to teach them woodsman/ladyship. Even then, though, a 22 lr was normally used. Caring for little kids, cleaning a few squirrels and then the BP rifle was getting too much in a busy schedule.
First time it went hunting in at least 3 decades was last year when my oldest, who is in his 30's, and I camped in the Daniel Boone Nat'l Forest during the KY early small game season in May of 2022 to try our hand at squirrel hunting together. I kept missing the chances afforded to me, finding out on the last morning that the sights weren't as fine tuned as I thought. O well, it was a fun trip and the RM and 12 gauge we took along did help us bring home some meat on that excursion.

This afternoon I tested out the .32 quickly at the farm and then down the road to a friends spread that hosts about a 5 acre hickory woods. Interspersed in that stand are Red Oaks, White Oaks and Black Walnuts, but the vast majority are Shag Bark Hickory trees aplenty.

Standing in the thick honeysuckle understory near the base of a large White Oak for about 20 minutes finally I began hearing the tell tell sounds of falling pieces of nut hulls. Hearing this was a far cry from being able to see where and who was making this sound, though. The foliage is dense and thick in this stand of wood. Looking up at the White Oak:

About 30 minutes into this searching the rascal began it's squawking bark from beyond the white oak. I crept around the trunk to the north side trying my best to make out the squirrel. The light was not bright in the midst of all these leaves but I thought I was making out a balled up form on a lower thin limb of a shag bark. The only thing that was convincing was the feathery brown color of what I was pretty sure the bushytail. Then it moved to squawk at me again and I knew what I was seeing was real. Man, trying to see those sights was tedious. I would line of the sights, front and back, while looking off to the side of the tree, then do my best to put them onto the squirrel. It didn't work. At the boom of the rifle that fox squirrel tore out of there without delay. O well, I had given it a try.

After reloading I made my way through the blow downed ash trunks and brush toward the East. I didn't go far before I heard the nut hulls drop off to my right. As I scanned that canopy without being able to see the culprit, another squirrel began barking to my left. Hmm, Right or Left? I choose left. That barker, too, was a shadowy form on a limb that I was not 100% certain was my quarry. Then it too moved to bark some more. That was enough to level the rifle and miss again. O boy, this wasn't looking good.
Thankfully, said squirrel, or maybe another one from that area, commenced to hope from tree to tree in my direction. Momma didn't raise no fool, so I quickly reloaded to be ready should a shot opportunity present itself. And it DID! On a white oak it stopped looking at me, about 20 yards and 12 feet or so up. Ah ha! I connected and it fell!

The wound is on the other side of the head. A young boar fox squirrel to add to the two greys I took earlier in the week with the 22. I had done it, only taking about 30 or so years since being successful with this fine little rifle once more.

In my rush to reload on a well fouled bore I broke the ramrod. It was a cobbled one crafted from a carbon arrow in preparation for last year's KY hunt, so not a big loss. There were more squirrels moving about here and I hoped to pot another, if possible. Not using wisdom in my excitement is all I can say for how it was snapped off. Thankfully the Dewy Rod at home allowed me to seat the ball and clear the barrel. This TC has been needing a good hickory ramrod for years. Now is time to make that happen.

The load is 20 grains of Goex FFFg (used to use 30 grains years ago. Not sure why, as 20 is certainly enough) and homemade percussion caps (good threads on this in the Percussion Forum). If only my eyes were as sharp as they were 3 decades ago I may have taken home a few more. O well, it was a good experience and definitely different than the ML deer hunting I've done a lot of since this rifle was used more often. I had forgotten just how loud a .32 BP rifle in the woods is. I've lost way too much hearing as I've aged. These shots in the confines of the woods didn't help that any. I can see why longrifles are utilized by many for this sort of activity, LOL.

The meat is in the refrigerator, the barrel washed with soapy hot water and drying out overnight. It may be sometime before the Cherokee is used again, but I am glad I freed it from the safe for this foray into the woods.

 

[ETipp]

Congrats on a fine squirrel. Nice ML and a great squirrel hunting story there Chrisrophero. Registered fairly high on my fun meter just reading about it. Squirrel hunting with a small bore ML shooting a singe RB is not for the weak of heart hunter. It really is a game of patience, marksmanship, and hunting skills with a little luck thrown into the mix.

In terms of the vision issue seeing the sight(s) clearly. I do not know your specific vision issue but I, as in many others, have found that a peep sight and proper size front bead makes a world of difference during a hunting application, especially in the thicker and/or darker woods. And without doubt, certain light conditions can and will change things as well. For this ole boy, tang mounted peeps has saved the day, in terms of open sight ML shooting. But even then, old eyes still has a way of putting a burr in a persons saddle at times.

Indeed, I have learned the hard way that after taking a shot at squirrels with a ML to reload ASAP. However, I've also learned to make all movements as slow as possible and to strive to do so as quietly as possible. More times than not I'm already next to a tree that I just used to get a rest off of. Therefore, I try to remain concealed behind that tree while reloading. By doing the afore mentioned I have gotten quite a few other squirrels, sometimes immediately after reloading. And in all actuality, I have gotten a fair number of squirrels that were looking at me while I reloaded in a slow and quite fashion.

Fun, fun, and challenging stuff.

 

[Christophero]

Ah, as long as the fun meter spiked high then the write up was worth th effort. As was the hunt.

Though the sky was bright under all the canopy those blackened sights are just hard to see on target. Share with me the peeps you use. I'm curious to check them out. Just switched to a Leopold from the Skinner Alaskan peep sight on the 45/70 I've used for years, so I'm used to using them. Just need more precision at longer range now. Can't see shooting this .32 much over 30 yards, though.

Yes, I've done the same with squirrel and deer when it comes to reloading immediately, yet slowly in the chance for a follow-up shot. I was getting the opportunity to yesterday, also. Just messed it up when the ball got stuck half way down the bore. Excitement got the better of me. Its all fine. A memory was made. Glad you folks enjoyed the story.

 

[Jim K]

I have a .32 Cherokee also. It came with a peep sight on it. Unlike everyone else on this forum, I couldn’t see squat through it. Never even shot with it on. The rear sight was missing. So I bought front and rear fiber optic sights for it. I can see those well.

I don’t shoot that rifle much anymore. I mostly hunt with my .36 kibler and this year I bought a Crockett. I painted both front sights with white finger nail polish. I can’t see it at the range when it’s bright. But in the dark woods the white shows up real well. I’m thinking of painting around the rear sight notch just a little line.

I really enjoyed your story and hope you get to go out with the .32 some more.

 

[snakebit]

I have a .32 Cherokee also. It came with a peep sight on it. Unlike everyone else on this forum, I couldn’t see squat through it. Never even shot with it on. The rear sight was missing. So I bought front and rear fiber optic sights for it. I can see those well.

I don’t shoot that rifle much anymore. I mostly hunt with my .36 kibler and this year I bought a Crockett. I painted both front sights with white finger nail polish. I can’t see it at the range when it’s bright. But in the dark woods the white shows up real well. I’m thinking of painting around the rear sight notch just a little line.

I really enjoyed your story and hope you get to go out with the .32 some more.

I'm with you there. Had a set of fiber optic sights put on my 32 Crockett, and my CVA Varminter. Shoot them much better now.

 

[snakebit]

Congrats on a fine squirrel. Nice ML and a great squirrel hunting story there Chrisrophero. Registered fairly high on my fun meter just reading about it. Squirrel hunting with a small bore ML shooting a singe RB is not for the weak of heart hunter. It really is a game of patience, marksmanship, and hunting skills with a little luck thrown into the mix.

In terms of the vision issue seeing the sight(s) clearly. I do not know your specific vision issue but I, as in many others, have found that a peep sight and proper size front bead makes a world of difference during a hunting application, especially in the thicker and/or darker woods. And without doubt, certain light conditions can and will change things as well. For this ole boy, tang mounted peeps has saved the day, in terms of open sight ML shooting. But even then, old eyes still has a way of putting a burr in a persons saddle at times.

Indeed, I have learned the hard way that after taking a shot at squirrels with a ML to reload ASAP. However, I've also learned to make all movements as slow as possible and to strive to do so as quietly as possible. More times than not I'm already next to a tree that I just used to get a rest off of. Therefore, I try to remain concealed behind that tree while reloading. By doing the afore mentioned I have gotten quite a few other squirrels, sometimes immediately after reloading. And in all actuality, I have gotten a fair number of squirrels that were looking at me while I reloaded in a slow and quite fashion.

Fun, fun, and challenging stuff.

I'm usually giggling like a goofball after I shoot and miss with the Crockett. I went to using "speed loaders" so I can be a little quicker and less movement while reloading for a follow up.

 

[johnraleksa]

In the woods today and found these anybody know for sure what they are?

 

[johnraleksa]

More pictures of under side

 

[Gum Slough Muzzleloader]

More pictures of under sideView attachment 253804

Good afternoon, John.
That look like Chicken/Hen of the woods to me...
Not 100% sure.....
And remember what they say about wild mushrooms if in doubt throw them out.

If you could get someone to positively identify them as chicken of the woods they're good eat do not eat if you don't know for sure.
Cool pictures.

 

[Christophero]

I'm usually giggling like a goofball after I shoot and miss with the Crockett. I went to using "speed loaders" so I can be a little quicker and less movement while reloading for a follow up.

Yep, in my muzzleloader tackle box my homemade 'speed loaders' consisting of 30-30 shells and cut .410 hulls were still there from all those years ago. I put four of those together and with the loaded rifle had 5 shots ready to go. It does help to keep all the extra movements down.

Yes, white paint could help quite a bit. I'll need to to that to see if these low light situations can still be productive.

 

[johnraleksa]

Good afternoon, John.
That look like Chicken/Hen of the woods to me...
Not 100% sure.....
And remember what they say about wild mushrooms if in doubt throw them out.

If you could get someone to positively identify them as chicken of the woods they're good eat do not eat if you don't know for sure.
Cool pictures.

Thanks for your reply I looked it up on Google and got more confused .

 

[ETipp]

More pictures of under sideView attachment 253804

Some kind of fungus. I've watched squirrels eat on similar fugus on my property.