Crow#21957
50 Cal.
I would like to but got to much going on.
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2023 Fall Squirrel Season...........
- Thread starter ETipp
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Squirrel hunting has gotten that way in most places. Very few people hunt them when compared to 20 years ago. That's another reason why I like early season squirrel hunting so much, no one else in the woods and I don't have to wear that gawd awful hunters orange.
Looking forward to Saturday morning, just 3 more days away. I have my doubts as to my overall success due to being somewhat restricted by a bum knee, but I'm going to out there just the same. I move at a snails pace when squirrel hunting so hopefully this dang knee can tolerate the steep grades of the hills and mountains for a while anyway.
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My son informed me that his 13 year old daughter wants to come over this weekend ( she doesn't live with him) to shoot my guns and go squirrel hunting. Going to introduce to her the world of black powder. The squirrel hunting we will see. Gladly take her and show her how,but I'm not sure if she will shoot one. Was going today, but think I'll wait to take her.
Good luck tomorrow on all counts.
Its a bit too warm for me to go hunt them tree rats yet. Plus the fact i don't have nary a rifle sighted in yet. I sure hope to solve that hick-up once i get everything moved to Mo. next week.
15 days and waiting! Hope it stops raining by then.
Good Morning, Ed.
It's that day, hope your able to get out there and get ya some Squirrels. Post some pictures if you get some.
Best to ya.
Fred.
Thank you. I was able to hobble out this morning to hunt bushy tails with my Crockett squirrel rifle. Interesting hunt indeed.
Got in the woods before daylight. Didn't go very far because I knew there was a lot of den trees in that spot. So I just sat against a tree for about an hour. However, not the first squirrel to be seen or heard. I said to myself "I know what this is all about, there's no food in here for them this year".
Got up and slowly hobbled my way up the side of the mountain. As the light got a little better I noticed in the skyline a couple of limbs about 100 yards or so upslope that was moving. Then I heard what I was hoping to hear. Hickory nuts being dropped. So I made a mental note of one large tree (land mark) before that hickory tree due to it being dark in the woods and thick foulage, then slowly worked my way up there.
As I got close to that hickory, I could tell there were at least 5-6 squirrels up in the top. Just as I was trying to maneuver into a good spot where I could see and had a tree to get a rest off of, a couple of squirrels let out a their distinct warning call. I immediately knew what it was.............. a hawk. It came screaming down through the tree tops but kept on going. The squirrels held tight and didn't scatter very much.
After about a 5 minute wait the squirrels went back to cutting hickory nuts. Just as I started to slowly move again I heard a squirrel let out an "eeeeee" sound. he was only about 15 yards away hanging on the side of a small sapling. I knew what that sound meant, too. I had been spotted. He was hanging about 5 feet up on a smaller sapling under that big hickory. I was in between trees so that one had to be an offhanded shot. Thought I heard him hit the ground but then I saw him a couple seconds later climb up another sapling maybe 20 yards away. He just sat there looking at me and making that same ole "eeeeeee" sound. So I slowly lowered my Crockett, pulled the hammer back to half cock, and in slow motion, reloaded. Raised and did my best with another offhand shot. I had missed again! I brushed it off, reloaded and worked my way around trying to get into to a spot where I could get a rest and a shot.
This became easier said than done. That hickory was very tall and on a hillside. All the other tree limbs and leaves surrounding the hickory was blocking any view. So for the most part, it was darn near straight up. Try as I did for over an hour I couldn't get to a spot where I could get a shot up around that thick foulage. I finally found a spot on the uphill side that was somewhat open but only due to a large beech tree had fallen and opened the canopy up a little. Getting a rest off of a tree and looking darn near straight up, I could see several squirrels up there running all over getting hickory nuts but they just didn't want to set still. And every time they did sit still for a minute or so, it was always hidden by leaves and limbs. Finally got a shot at one way up in the top. He was one small target indeed. Shot and he fell. Finally got one!
The squirrels was now on the other side of the top of the hickory so I had worked my way around and back down the hill a tad. looking over and down the hill a bit I saw my squirrel laying there and I'll be darn, another one lay a few feet way. It was the first one I shot at that I thought I had missed. Two down for now.
While waiting there and trying to get another shot, I happened to notice movement on a downed log. It was squirrel heading over to join the others up in the hickory. I would say it was about 20 yards but for whatever reason, I missed.
I remained there for another full hour going from what few trees I could find for a rest and looking for a view that darn near straight up. My neck was starting to get upset at me. Finally I got another shot at one way up in the top. He was so small of a target I thought I had a pretty good chance of missing it. But after the shot he fell. I had been under that same hickory for 3 hours and all I had to show for it was 3 squirrels.
I wasn't finished yet because there was still a couple of squirrels up in that tall hickory, but the wind picked up and my my neck had all it was going to stand for the day. So I hobbled over and picked up my 3 squirrels, tied them to my stringer and hobbled back down that mountain side.
This was another one of those very memorable hunts. 3 hours of total action under the same tree. It was definitely a game of patients and determination. It was also a test of marksmanship (which wasn't my greatest). So I wound up taking 5 shots and bringing home 3 squirrels. Difficult to fathom hitting 2 squirrels way up in the top of a tall tree, yet miss 2 others up close on the level.
I didn't take my cell with me so no pics this time. I hope to go back out tomorrow if this bum knee allows.
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Sounds like ya put some effort into your hunt. 5 shots, 3 hrs and 3 Squirrels, I'll take that. In woods away from all the manure going on,is rewarding in its own way.
I, too have a bum knee, and a shoulder.
Can't walk the distance I use to.
I've also missed some easy shots.
Going to load up my new Crockett Rifle tomorrow and sight her in.
Still have a month and a half to go.....
Glad you were able to get out and get some. It was some reading, like reading about hunts and adventures.
Thanks for posting appreciate it.
I, too have a bum knee, and a shoulder.
Can't walk the distance I use to.
I've also missed some easy shots.
Going to load up my new Crockett Rifle tomorrow and sight her in.
Still have a month and a half to go.....
Glad you were able to get out and get some. It was some reading, like reading about hunts and adventures.
Thanks for posting appreciate it.
I think you will enjoy your Crockett rifle. Most everyone else likes theirs.
Good luck tomorrow on the sight in. Let us know how it went.
I enjoy my Crockett a bunch. Might take the Newenglander shotgun too. Whichever, I'll be having fried squirrel and squirrel egg rolls before too long.
One thing is for sure. If you're wanting a few squirrels in a hurry, then your New Englander scatter gun would be the squirrel tool to get er done.
If you're out for the sport of it, as well as to hone your patients and marksmanship, then a single, solid round ball is the way to go. I know for a fact that I could have easily limited out in short order many times if were using a scatter gun. But personally, I wouldn't have it any other way. Its a single, solid RB for this ole boy.
Also, not many times can one stay in under the same tree with a scatter gun and get off 5 shots on squirrels cutting hickory nuts. I have found that if one is quiet and moves very slowly when reloading, takes their time, most of the time squirrels pay little attention after I shoot my Crockett in the woods. One reason why I've decided to stick with only 20 grains of 3F BP is the little Crocket is simply quiet, for the most part.
A Crockett squirrel rifle is a tester. It will test many aspects of a squirrel hunt.
Nice Job and I'm glad you got out in the woods and put some squirrels in the pot. That being said I really love my 36 caliber for squirrel. But as I've gotten older and eyesight struggles with the dark canopy and my peep sight. I have a few SxS muzzleloader smooth bores one that really shines is a 15 ga. Original English gun that shoulders and carries like it is part of my arm. 7/8 oz of # 5 lead and same with amount 1F black powder. When there high up there and covered with leaves it is just bang and a flop..
Made it back out to the woods this morning. Hunted a little further back on the other side of the mountain. Very thick with smaller maple trees that averaged 3 feet high to about 8 feet high. It was very difficult to see much but in the long run it was an asset. I found I could slip in under most of them IF I didn't move them too much as I was slowly moving along.
Due to it being so thick in there, I wound up depending on my ears more than visual in locating squirrels. Found a couple of lone squirrels in the tops of a few smaller hickory's. However, I didn't want to waste a lot of time waiting for a shot on just one squirrel so I moved along until I found a tall hickory that a few squirrels cutting. Took about 1.5 hours to get two squirrels. One or two headed out and one was still up there when I gathered up my squirrels and proceeded in search for another hickory that has a good crop. They are few and far between this year.
On the way back out I hobbled over to the hickory I hunted under yesterday. Wasn't there long until I got a shot. Hit a squirrel way up there, it fell down about a foot or so, grabbed ahold of a small limb, hung there for about 20 seconds, then fell a little further and got hung up in there somewhere. No doubt it was dead but I could not locate it up in that hickory. Sat down, had a snack and waited for it to fall. It never did so that concluded my hunt for the day.
Sometimes you're the bug, sometimes you're the windshield.
So a grand total of only 2 squirrels.
Due to it being so thick in there, I wound up depending on my ears more than visual in locating squirrels. Found a couple of lone squirrels in the tops of a few smaller hickory's. However, I didn't want to waste a lot of time waiting for a shot on just one squirrel so I moved along until I found a tall hickory that a few squirrels cutting. Took about 1.5 hours to get two squirrels. One or two headed out and one was still up there when I gathered up my squirrels and proceeded in search for another hickory that has a good crop. They are few and far between this year.
On the way back out I hobbled over to the hickory I hunted under yesterday. Wasn't there long until I got a shot. Hit a squirrel way up there, it fell down about a foot or so, grabbed ahold of a small limb, hung there for about 20 seconds, then fell a little further and got hung up in there somewhere. No doubt it was dead but I could not locate it up in that hickory. Sat down, had a snack and waited for it to fall. It never did so that concluded my hunt for the day.
Sometimes you're the bug, sometimes you're the windshield.
So a grand total of only 2 squirrels.
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You’re killing me Ed. I have to wait 3 more weeks!!
You’re killing me Ed. I have to wait 3 more weeks
Hang in there, Jim. Three weeks will go by fast.
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One other thing I wanted to mention but forgot all about it until just now.
Saturday while hunting when I was under that tall hickory, I had maneuvered my way to one of the only 3 trees that was suitable to use as a rest and where I could still see up in the hickory. My bum knee was killing me so while waiting for a squirrel to present me with a shot, I finally just sat down. It was on a fairly steep hillside, complete with rocks, but I found a little crevice to put my butt in so it was fairly comfortable, but I was still more laying down than sitting up. After a few minutes and still looking near straight up, a squirrel stopped to cut on a hickory nut. He was, like all the others, way up near the top. While sitting I was able to get a good rest off of the tree and fired. The squirrel fell.
Now I was faced with a different situation. I had to reload but the sun was coming up and I just happened to have picked the only spot there where I was in direct sunlight after it came up a bit. After firing the other squirrels stopped moving. No doubt they were looking for whatever made the noise. So I dared not move. Well, after a couple of minutes I knew I needed to reload but I dared not stand up due to being seen. So what's a man in this situation to do? Well of course, in very slow motion I pulled the ramrod out, then began to reload while I was halfway laying down and halfway sitting up. I remember telling myself that I probably spilled some powder when trying to pour it down the muzzle and that with my luck, the next shot will be a miss.
Lo and behold, when the next shot presented itself, it was a hit.
So there you have it. It is possible to reload when darn near laying down and still get it right.
Lawdy, how I love squirrel hunting in the dark hardwoods of the southeast mountains with my little .32 Crockett squirrel rifle.
Saturday while hunting when I was under that tall hickory, I had maneuvered my way to one of the only 3 trees that was suitable to use as a rest and where I could still see up in the hickory. My bum knee was killing me so while waiting for a squirrel to present me with a shot, I finally just sat down. It was on a fairly steep hillside, complete with rocks, but I found a little crevice to put my butt in so it was fairly comfortable, but I was still more laying down than sitting up. After a few minutes and still looking near straight up, a squirrel stopped to cut on a hickory nut. He was, like all the others, way up near the top. While sitting I was able to get a good rest off of the tree and fired. The squirrel fell.
Now I was faced with a different situation. I had to reload but the sun was coming up and I just happened to have picked the only spot there where I was in direct sunlight after it came up a bit. After firing the other squirrels stopped moving. No doubt they were looking for whatever made the noise. So I dared not move. Well, after a couple of minutes I knew I needed to reload but I dared not stand up due to being seen. So what's a man in this situation to do? Well of course, in very slow motion I pulled the ramrod out, then began to reload while I was halfway laying down and halfway sitting up. I remember telling myself that I probably spilled some powder when trying to pour it down the muzzle and that with my luck, the next shot will be a miss.
Lo and behold, when the next shot presented itself, it was a hit.
So there you have it. It is possible to reload when darn near laying down and still get it right.
Lawdy, how I love squirrel hunting in the dark hardwoods of the southeast mountains with my little .32 Crockett squirrel rifle.
Lol. Right on. One time when hunting with my .32 Cherokee I missed a squirrel and it stayed still. With that gun I swabbed between shots. I ran a wet patch down then a dry one. I’d check on him. Still there. Reloaded and missed him again. There was no third shot. Lol
Ed congrats on those Bushy tails you have been smoking 
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