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

[ETipp]

The only wild mushrooms I will pick and eat are morels and chanterelles, pretty hard to go wrong with them and they get washed and cooked first, nothing eaten raw. LOL

Back in my younger years when I was learning how to skydive, I had a couple of friends that would walk away from the drop zone and go out shroom hunting. When they returned their eyes were very dilated. They claimed they would find that type of shrooms out in pastures growing out of cow pies.

And yes, those knob-heads would climb into the jump planes in that condition.

 

[olskool]

here is one from last year. shot it in my yard with my 40cal. SMR,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

 

[Jim K]

here is one from last year. shot it in my yard with my 40cal. SMR,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
View attachment 255162

Man that gun is pretty!!

 

[Gopher0]

First squirrel with the Kibler 32. Beautiful morning to be out.View attachment 254965View attachment 254967

The firearm is absolutely beautiful

 

[snakebit]

I don't eat mushrooms because deer pee on them.

 

[olskool]

but you eat chicken, right? LOL,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

 

[Hermit Tim]

So it is finally cooling off down here. Bow season in Tennessee starts very soon but, still as a result of that cancer surgery in the back of my left shoulder and left side two years ago, I can’t draw my traditional bows and hold well enough for ethical shots on deer. Getting stronger every day though. But I’m super excited about squirrel hunting. Squirrel hunting was always my favorite thing to do growing up and I’ve been just waiting on it to cool down a bit. Most of the leaves are still up here, and the cover is super thick in my little hunting spot, so I will most likely start out with my .45 smoothbore. But this afternoon I decided to get the little .36 out and set the sights in anticipation of the leaves getting out of the way.

About the rifle: My .36 is an old CVA Squirrel Rifle bought used on Gunbroker back in 2020. It is a cautionary tale about buying used guns sight unseen. Seller said it was a kit gun and was built, never fired, and has been in the safe ever since. Well, first thing I do when buying any used muzzleloader is make sure it is clear and then clean it. It was unloaded but I spent quite a bit of time and went through several cleaning patches fishing black crud out of that “unfired” barrel. I got it cheap enough that it didn’t really matter. After buying guns from the internet for a decade or so I’ve learned they are most often not as described.

First time I shot it after it came in the mail I couldn’t hit anything with it. Shots were all over the place. Then I noticed the front sight was just sliding around in the dovetail. Took a small chisel and made a little notch on the edge of the sight dovetail and got her nice and snug. But never had time to go back and line it up. Until today. I didn’t have much time before dark, so I will have to finish tomorrow, but I did manage to get it in the ballpark shooting at a small Planter’s cashew can at about 25 yards. I will take a break sometime mid-morning and go back to it. It seems promising enough that I may skip that smoothbore and go straight to the rifle though. And I’m thinking it should get down into the low 70’s for a high next week so that will be good enough. Won’t get much time in the squirrel woods though as ML deer season starts first Saturday of November. Don’t want to run the deer off. Filling the freezer is a must but, once that is done, it will be squirrel time all the way through the end of February. You guys are killing me with those rifle/squirrel pictures. Keep ‘em coming, good luck out there, and I hope to be posting some success pictures shortly.

 

[Jim K]

Fine looking rifle, Tim. I look forward to some pictures of it with squirrels. Good luck!

 

[Hermit Tim]

Fine looking rifle, Tim. I look forward to some pictures of it with squirrels. Good luck!

Thanks. Can't wait to get out there.

 

[NARC50]

The firearm is absolutely beautiful

Thanks. Would you believe it, that is actually a plain maple stock. Kibler definitely undergrades his wood.

I think that it was graded plain because the figure is not consistent through the whole stock.

 

[Salty Cracker]

So it is finally cooling off down here. Bow season in Tennessee starts very soon but, still as a result of that cancer surgery in the back of my left shoulder and left side two years ago, I can’t draw my traditional bows and hold well enough for ethical shots on deer. Getting stronger every day though. But I’m super excited about squirrel hunting. Squirrel hunting was always my favorite thing to do growing up and I’ve been just waiting on it to cool down a bit. Most of the leaves are still up here, and the cover is super thick in my little hunting spot, so I will most likely start out with my .45 smoothbore. But this afternoon I decided to get the little .36 out and set the sights in anticipation of the leaves getting out of the way.

About the rifle: My .36 is an old CVA Squirrel Rifle bought used on Gunbroker back in 2020. It is a cautionary tale about buying used guns sight unseen. Seller said it was a kit gun and was built, never fired, and has been in the safe ever since. Well, first thing I do when buying any used muzzleloader is make sure it is clear and then clean it. It was unloaded but I spent quite a bit of time and went through several cleaning patches fishing black crud out of that “unfired” barrel. I got it cheap enough that it didn’t really matter. After buying guns from the internet for a decade or so I’ve learned they are most often not as described.

First time I shot it after it came in the mail I couldn’t hit anything with it. Shots were all over the place. Then I noticed the front sight was just sliding around in the dovetail. Took a small chisel and made a little notch on the edge of the sight dovetail and got her nice and snug. But never had time to go back and line it up. Until today. I didn’t have much time before dark, so I will have to finish tomorrow, but I did manage to get it in the ballpark shooting at a small Planter’s cashew can at about 25 yards. I will take a break sometime mid-morning and go back to it. It seems promising enough that I may skip that smoothbore and go straight to the rifle though. And I’m thinking it should get down into the low 70’s for a high next week so that will be good enough. Won’t get much time in the squirrel woods though as ML deer season starts first Saturday of November. Don’t want to run the deer off. Filling the freezer is a must but, once that is done, it will be squirrel time all the way through the end of February. You guys are killing me with those rifle/squirrel pictures. Keep ‘em coming, good luck out there, and I hope to be posting some success pictures shortly.

What part of Tennessee you hunting in?

 

[Hermit Tim]

What part of Tennessee you hunting in?

The beautiful Giles County.

 

[snakebit]

It's always a good feeling being back in the woods isn't ?! I don't shoot as many as I used too because my son went off to make his way in the world, and him and I were the only ones that eat them in the house. But I still enjoy a platter of fried squirrel and squirrel egg rolls

 

[ETipp]

They purr/flutter!

Well fellas, ETipp had another first this morning.

Was down in that darn ladder stand before daylight with my crossbow. About 30 minutes after it was light enough to see, I was sitting there very still and quiet. Then I heard this purr/flutter like sound. At first I thought was the cushion I was setting on was making that sound. But I wasn't moving at all. Then the purring/fluttering sound happened again. My second thought was, it was one of those cicada bugs, you know, the sound their wings make when you step on one or pick one up. I said to myself "huh, too cool out this morning for one of those".

I was dressed in all camo, including a leafy hat with leafy face mask. There is a fairly large chestnut oak tree about 5 feet in front of my stand at about the 10 O'clock position. When that strange sound started again, I realized it was very close and slightly above me. So I slowly tilted my head upward so as to see above the brim of my hat, and there was a gray squirrel hanging on the tree, head down, only about maybe 6-7 feet away from my head. Not knowing what I was, he was checking me out. And then after he saw my head slowly move, he began his barking. And lo and behold, every time he would inhale, he would purr and/or flutter until he exhaled and barked.

like many of you, I have been very close to a blue million squirrels in my day, but never have I head one purr/flutter. I find this pretty darn neat.

Also, yesterday I went to check out another deer stand location at my other hunting grounds. As I stepped into the wood line I heard one squirrel let out a warning sound just like they make when they see a hawk. Now there may or may not have been a hawk around, but after that one let out the warning sound, there were at least 3-5 other squirrels within close distance that started barking.

All of this makes it more difficult to keep deer hunting and fight the urge to grab my Crockett and get after squirrels again. One thing is for sure, there's still plenty of squirrels around these parts.

 

[Jim K]

Well fellas forgive me. In two weeks I’ll be in Michigan at my daughters trying to get a black squirrel. I use a pellet gun there. It’s flat. They have 20 some acres but there are properties all around. I have to be careful with shot selection. So last evening I got it out and was shooting my steel squirrel target. I decided to take it out this morning. I bought it last year and took it out a couple times but didn’t get any shots.

So I went back to the woods I hunted and shot dismally last week. Quite a difference using a scope. Shot 4 in head and neck. They’re cleaned and in the freezer. I believe I’m going back there this afternoon with a muzzleloader and see if I can get another one or two. We’re allowed 6 a day in PA.

I won’t post a picture because of the rules but man is it an ugly gun. Lol

 

[Hermit Tim]

They purr/flutter!

Well fellas, ETipp had another first this morning.

Was down in that darn ladder stand before daylight with my crossbow. About 30 minutes after it was light enough to see, I was sitting there very still and quiet. Then I heard this purr/flutter like sound. At first I thought was the cushion I was setting on was making that sound. But I wasn't moving at all. Then the purring/fluttering sound happened again. My second thought was, it was one of those cicada bugs, you know, the sound their wings make when you step on one or pick one up. I said to myself "huh, too cool out this morning for one of those".

I was dressed in all camo, including a leafy hat with leafy face mask. There is a fairly large chestnut oak tree about 5 feet in front of my stand at about the 10 O'clock position. When that strange sound started again, I realized it was very close and slightly above me. So I slowly tilted my head upward so as to see above the brim of my hat, and there was a gray squirrel hanging on the tree, head down, only about maybe 6-7 feet away from my head. Not knowing what I was, he was checking me out. And then after he saw my head slowly move, he began his barking. And lo and behold, every time he would inhale, he would purr and/or flutter until he exhaled and barked.

like many of you, I have been very close to a blue million squirrels in my day, but never have I head one purr/flutter. I find this pretty darn neat.

Also, yesterday I went to check out another deer stand location at my other hunting grounds. As I stepped into the wood line I heard one squirrel let out a warning sound just like they make when they see a hawk. Now there may or may not have been a hawk around, but after that one let out the warning sound, there were at least 3-5 other squirrels within close distance that started barking.

All of this makes it more difficult to keep deer hunting and fight the urge to grab my Crockett and get after squirrels again. One thing is for sure, there's still plenty of squirrels around these parts.

I think that first squirrel may have a sinus infection. Might want to brew him up a cup of cedar tea.

 

[Hermit Tim]

Well fellas forgive me. In two weeks I’ll be in Michigan at my daughters trying to get a black squirrel. I use a pellet gun there. It’s flat. They have 20 some acres but there are properties all around. I have to be careful with shot selection. So last evening I got it out and was shooting my steel squirrel target. I decided to take it out this morning. I bought it last year and took it out a couple times but didn’t get any shots.

So I went back to the woods I hunted and shot dismally last week. Quite a difference using a scope. Shot 4 in head and neck. They’re cleaned and in the freezer. I believe I’m going back there this afternoon with a muzzleloader and see if I can get another one or two. We’re allowed 6 a day in PA.

I won’t post a picture because of the rules but man is it an ugly gun. Lol

You know air guns are period correct. Lewis and Clark had them on their expedition. Not a joke.

 

[ETipp]

I think that first squirrel may have a sinus infection. Might want to brew him up a cup of cedar tea.

Could be, could be. Everything has sinus infections here right now.

My guess is its due to never being that close to a squirrel that was about to bark. 6-7 isn't very far.

 

[ETipp]

Well fellas forgive me. In two weeks I’ll be in Michigan at my daughters trying to get a black squirrel. I use a pellet gun there. It’s flat. They have 20 some acres but there are properties all around. I have to be careful with shot selection. So last evening I got it out and was shooting my steel squirrel target. I decided to take it out this morning. I bought it last year and took it out a couple times but didn’t get any shots.

So I went back to the woods I hunted and shot dismally last week. Quite a difference using a scope. Shot 4 in head and neck. They’re cleaned and in the freezer. I believe I’m going back there this afternoon with a muzzleloader and see if I can get another one or two. We’re allowed 6 a day in PA.

I won’t post a picture because of the rules but man is it an ugly gun. Lol

Well at least you are out there hunting. I'm happy for you just the same.

FWIW, with my ML I do not often shoot for a squirrels head unless they are real close. I pretty much aim a little forward of center mass. Quite a few of the squirrels I've gotten this year was at longer distances so it was all I could do just to see them well enough to do that.

More difficult to clean....yes. But I brought home the meat. I'm out there to kill squirrels with a ML shooting a RB, not educate them.

 

[Jim K]

You know air guns are period correct. Lewis and Clark had them on their expedition. Not a joke.

Did not know that. I’ll bet they were nicer looking than mine. Lol
when you’re used to nice looking rifles, air guns are butt ugly.
but if mine gets me a black squirrel, it will go up several notches with me. I REALLY want one!