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

[ETipp]

Very steep. The large boulders and outcropping can be seen at the top.

 

[ETipp]

Up at the edge of the top.

the edge of the top.

 

[ETipp]

Edge of rock outcropping.

 

[ETipp]

A view of the thicket from up top. The driveway at the left is at my friends house.

 

[ETipp]

One of the many den trees up at the edge of that flat.

 

[ETipp]

Going back down into the thicket. Still raining.

 

[ETipp]

Squirrels up in the trees can see a person coming for quite a ways. Not an easy game to play this time of year but sometimes I get lucky and win. I've been shooting quite a few that was on the ground in that thicket.

 

[Jim K]

That was interesting Ed. I admire your don’t give up attitude. I’ll have to try some sneaking around when the season starts here again. I’m mostly a sitter. I go in an area and sit a couple hours then maybe move to another area and sit there. Mostly after one sit , I go home and go to work.

As I said before, I’m a self employed taxidermist which keeps me hopping year round. I’m also 65 and getting tired of hopping lol. Every year lately I’ve been taking in less work. I try and have my deer all mounted by squirrel season in September.

I’ve hunted more this season than ever ask my wife, haha. When I go on social security I’m going to keep working but then I’ll cut way back on what work I take in.

One more week of deer season here then squirrel starts again. I’m champing at the bit to get out there. Thanks for your updates while I wait.

 

[Marshhawk]

Wonderful hunting story. Took me right back to hunting squirrels in the brushy woods of southern Indiana with my $39 unmentionable .22. Using a Muzzle loader would really up the game for sure.

 

[Pipe welder John]

IMO, the old saying, "dogs are mans best friends" is an understatement.

Love my gap

 

[Jim K]

Love my gap

So what’s the story on the deer in your avatar? It’s got your dogs full attention!

 

[Are. M.]

Had a productive hunt a couple weeks ago with my Traditions Crockett .32 cal. Love that little gun. I coned the barrel so I can use a loading block. My satchel is pretty minimal with my small flat powder horn a.k.a. "The Weekender", tool wallet by @DiMarco_Mercantile , a fistful of pre-loads in 2.5ml sample vials, and a small knife by @Two Feathers

Maw-in-law made tasty stew with the first three. The other four went into the freezer.

I love squirell hunting even if I only get one or two. Sneaking through the woods like that is about as close as it gets to scouting and foraging like our predecessors would have done especially if those folks were looking solely for a meal for the evening.

 

[Pipe welder John]

So what’s the story on the deer in your avatar? It’s got your dogs full attention!

We had him beddin in the yard as a fawn my German shorthair played with him . Then unknown to me my ******* neighbor pinned him up and he gets loose every now and then . And next time he comes over I’m gonna put him in the freezer poor thing !unless hopefully he gores the neighbor first

 

[ETipp]

Had a productive hunt a couple weeks ago with my Traditions Crockett .32 cal. Love that little gun. I coned the barrel so I can use a loading block. My satchel is pretty minimal with my small flat powder horn a.k.a. "The Weekender", tool wallet by @DiMarco_Mercantile , a fistful of pre-loads in 2.5ml sample vials, and a small knife by @Two Feathers

Maw-in-law made tasty stew with the first three. The other four went into the freezer.

I love squirell hunting even if I only get one or two. Sneaking through the woods like that is about as close as it gets to scouting and foraging like our predecessors would have done especially if those folks were looking solely for a meal for the evening.

Well said, Are. M.

There's nothing like it. This ole boy has lived in 9 different states. Hunted them all but one. Hunted all kinds of critters and IMO, nothing can beat it. A true test of a persons hunting skills, woodsman skills, and marksmanship with a bit of good luck thrown into the mix.

One of the main aspects about hunting squirrels using a .32 ML is, for here anyway, its a slow and constant change. As the seasons change, so do the habits of squirrels. From spring season, fall, and winter, a person has to modify their tactics to be successful. Personally, I find winter squirrel season to be the toughest of all.

With that said, I never had to cone the muzzle on my Crockett rifle. I also never needed to us a short starter. Never found a reason to. Also, like you, I too, use a loading block (I refer to them as a bullet board). And, like, you, I too pour premeasured powder into small lab tubes. All of that sure cuts down on the work in the woods. I just started using a bullet board a couple of weeks ago and find it to be as handy as a pocket on a shirt. Sometimes, mostly when I've shot and missed a few times, I will stop and sit on a log and refill it.

I like that smaller powder horn. Very nice!

Is that netted bag what you put your squirrels in?

 

[ETipp]

That was interesting Ed. I admire your don’t give up attitude. I’ll have to try some sneaking around when the season starts here again. I’m mostly a sitter. I go in an area and sit a couple hours then maybe move to another area and sit there. Mostly after one sit , I go home and go to work.

As I said before, I’m a self employed taxidermist which keeps me hopping year round. I’m also 65 and getting tired of hopping lol. Every year lately I’ve been taking in less work. I try and have my deer all mounted by squirrel season in September.

I’ve hunted more this season than ever ask my wife, haha. When I go on social security I’m going to keep working but then I’ll cut way back on what work I take in.

One more week of deer season here then squirrel starts again. I’m champing at the bit to get out there. Thanks for your updates while I wait.

Nothing wrong with sitting and waiting for squirrels in certain locations and during certain times. It can produce a few squirrels for sure especially if one were to sneak in early and park next to a den tree. Its also worked for me when, during scouting, I find a crop tree the squirrels are cutting on then sneak back in there early of a morning before daylight.

Its neat that you do taxi work. Good on you.

In terms of my don't give up attitude. My wife and a few friends has a different definition of it. They say I don't have a lick of sense. But I proved them wrong because I finally did figure out how to walk and chew gum at the same time without falling and breaking my neck.

 

[oldschoolhunter55]

In reference to my aforementioned of what I call the "Why and where factor" of squirrel hunting.

Yesterday morning I got out before daylight to a spot in that dreadful thicket that I have seen several squirrels chasing each other in the last week or so. It had been raining, which made walking quiet easy. So I slipped up close to those two trees that the squirrels have been hanging around, and just stood next to a smaller tree and waited for more daylight. There was a heavy overcast, it was warm (about 50*) and calm winds. Looked at my watch and it was 0720. At 0725 I saw the first squirrels. It was that same group of squirrels of 4-5 but they were downhill about 50-60 yards up in another group of trees. They had found some sort of nuts up there and were feeding on them. Running up and down, out to the end of the small diameter limbs, then back down a ways to bigger limbs where they sat and ate their breakfast. It was fairly open in that part of the thicket and with 4-5 sets of eyeballs up in those two trees doing what they were doing, I knew there was no way I could put the sneak on them without being seen. While standing there trying to figure out a game plan, I looked and no more than 10-12 feet in front of me hopped a large gray squirrel. He saw me but I didn't move. Then he jumped up on the side of a small sapling which was maybe 8 feet away and started a light purring sound followed by a light whine. I stood still but Mr. Squirrel determined that it might not be healthy for him to stick around, he bolted to a nearby larger tree, climbed up high, and began barking. It was then 0735. With that, all the other squirrels was on alert so I finally decided that since I had been seen, the gig was up and took the only shot I had at that squirrel, which was through some limbs, and missed. Now all the squirrels headed out. Time to move on.

Light rain began to fall at about 0800 and it was foggy by then as well. Easing around for a couple of hours I did see squirrels, but every one of them either saw me first, or would jump out darn near at my feet. I just couldn't connect to save my life. It was one of those days where most squirrels were parked up in trees and just sat and watched. Now that the leaves have all fallen, that scenario makes it tough to try to sneak up on those little buggers. But I stayed out there anyway easing around and trying to keep a positive attitude.

Somewhere around 1000 hours I happened to notice a rabbit sitting in some brush/briars. Eased around until I could get a good rest off of a tree and made a successful shot. I would reckon it was about a 25-30 yard shot.

The intensity of the rain increased and I was getting fairly wet and I was considering calling it a day, but I reminded myself that its only water and that I had been wet many times before. Also, I was determined that I was not going back until I had at least one squirrel. So the easing around continued until I heard several squirrels whining or barking in several directions, but all were up in higher ground at the top of the thicket. Its steep up there and my damaged knee kept reminding me that it wasn't pleased with me, but I kept limping up higher and higher anyway.

I had made my way up to the very top edge of the thicket where thicker, brushy woods joins it. This was not too far, maybe 60 yards or so, from the top of the mountain. While I was easing my way along an old grown up log road, another squirrel appeared right in front of me. Of course he saw me first and wasn't sticking around. That squirrel ran straight up the very steep slope between some enormous boulders. That was not the first time I have seen squirrels run or hop up that darn near impossible to walk on, steep ground.

Then the "Why and Where factor" kicked in. There's very large limestone boulders and outcroppings along much of the top edge of the slope, and then it levels out (for the most part) into what appears to be an old grown up farm field. There's a few mature trees up there scattered around, mostly near the edges, but for the most part, its smaller trees and/or saplings.

I remembered I had climbed up there one time early last summer, but it was a windy day. I didn't see the first sign of a squirrel nor any reason for them to be up there. So I wrote that location off as not good for squirrel hunting. Then I asked myself "why have I seen some squirrels going up between those large boulders on such steep ground and where were they going"? Time to investigate.

The other time I had went up there was from the opposite direction on a different log road. But it was quite a ways to get in there from where I was at. No way was I going to try to climb up such steep terrain where I've seen squirrels go. So I decided to back track a ways until I found a spot between some boulders that looked more user friendly. It was still steeper than steep, but I finally made it. I actually had to use the butt stock of my Crockett rifle like a walking stick a few times to keep my footing and as to not slide back down.

By the time I got up and on a deer trail on mostly level ground, I looked at my watch. It was then 1150 hours and still raining. At 1155 hours a squirrel appeared out in front of me on the ground. He was busy digging around in the leaves looking for something and didn't notice my presence. It was an offhand head shot of only about 10 yards or so. Things were looking a little better anyway. I was wet and had been out there going on 5 hours. But I finally had gotten a squirrel and a bunny rabbit.

Easing around more up on the top, I didn't see another squirrel but it was mid-day by then. I'm fairly certain most of them were back in their den trees for an afternoon nap. However, the more I looked around, the more den trees I found. I was amazed that there were so many den trees all along the edges of those steep drop offs, and that I did not notice them the first time I went up there. Then I remembered that all the brush and trees had their leaves on during that time and it is pretty thick up there. So understandable.

So, yeah, the "Why and Where factor" worked again and now I know where to go back to on a future hunt.

On the following pages I will post a few pictures of the area of the hunt. Due to rain, low clouds and fog, the quality of those images are not great, so I apologize.View attachment 273890View attachment 273891

Well done sir

 

[Are. M.]

Is that netted bag what you put your squirrels in?

It is. It's one of those woven cotton veggie bags you can pick up for a buck. Literally. I think I got two for a dollar at Lidl. I believe Hobby Lobby sells one little bit larger for three bucks.

Best,
RM

 

[Christophero]

Been enjoying your ramblings and writings, ETipp. Since I broke my ramrod earlier in the Fall, and haven't made a satisfactory maple or hickory rod, though tried on numerous efforts, the .32 Cherokee sits safely in its place. Been using the .22 for the few recent trips out to collect a little more squirrel meat. I'll get around to making a good ramrod sometime with the weather is worse than it is now.

My observations have mimicked yours in many ways. The fine days one would expect to see the the woods that were a few months ago teeming with the little critters are a bust. The numbers are considerably less than when the nut trees were full of food and foliage. I think they came in droves from all around to certain older oak trees to gather up the acorns in Sept & October, but now that the leaves and nuts are on the ground only the locals are around to pick them up.

I've seen the chasing going on this past week when out deer hunting, too. Thought that interesting that breeding season has begun in SW Ohio. I'm about 4 hours north of your southern Kentucky mountains, if you are near Somerset.

The Saturday after Thanksgiving I quietly crept through a length of woods that were packed full of greys just a few months ago. Not a hide nor hair until 9:30 am. At first I thought I had been spied as two zipped up the big sycamore tree 25 yards ahead of me, but turned out that wasn't the case. The sow kept going up and then out while the boar made multiple trips up with a mouthful of leaves to stuff inside the den before heading back down to scrounge up more bedding material. Almost felt a twinge of sympathy for the hard worker as I finally squeezed off a headshot. Knowing that if I held still the female would eventually begin looking for her mate, or the sound of the shot, I stood quietly. About 5 minutes later, to my right, she finally made some noise. Possibly 2 more minutes elapsed before she scurried up a small tree a bit over head height to eyeball me, knowing exactly where I had been the whole time. I was impressed. She was, too, until another head shot dropped her. Both greys. She skinned easily. He held to his hide like a vise. Pressure fried them a week later with egg/Mayo wash, seasoning and dredged in flour. 10 minutes of the pressurized heat ensured both were tender and tasty.

When I was a young man all we had were Fox squirrels. Big, tough, and less active and more easily agitated to sit and bark at you than their grey counterparts. Grey were only found in town and off limits. Now, nearly 40 years later I'm intentionally targeting the Grey Squirrels nearly everywhere I hunt them. The Greys and Fox Squirrels are living in the same wood lots, too. For the first time this year I shot a small squirrel in the early Fall that had the rising sun behind it, thinking it was a very small Grey. Turned out it was a Red Squirrel. I was shocked, as this is the first time I've ever seen one in these parts. Looked it up on my phone to verify the pretty little rodent. Concerned I may have shot a protected species but ODNR lists them as legal game. That gave me a sigh of relief.

What a fun sport this is becoming once again. Now to work on that ramrod before too long. A bit of smoke to keep me right with you fellas.

 

[Pipe welder John]

Love my gap

Meant GSP German shorthair pointer and yes they are

 

[ETipp]

It is. It's one of those woven cotton veggie bags you can pick up for a buck. Literally. I think I got two for a dollar at Lidl. I believe Hobby Lobby sells one little bit larger for three bucks.

Best,
RM

Thank you!