• Friends, our 2nd Amendment rights are always under attack and the NRA has been a constant for decades in helping fight that fight.

    We have partnered with the NRA to offer you a discount on membership and Muzzleloading Forum gets a small percentage too of each membership, so you are supporting both the NRA and us.

    Use this link to sign up please; https://membership.nra.org/recruiters/join/XR045103

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

Muzzleloading Forum

Help Support Muzzleloading Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
From what I understand of this surgery, and how far it's come along, methinks you'll be out there gettin afterem before too long Amigo. Just don't go to Walmart too soon after getting it done. Your vision will be so much improved, some of the shoppers in there might scare the bejesus outta ya.šŸ¤£
I'm sure that all Walmarts have there crowd, but I'll tell ya what, Bushnell and Brooksville has some real dandys.
 
You will be amazed at how bright everything is after the surgery is done. I had one eye done a couple years ago. You don't realize the yellowish film that you have over your eye that will be gone after cataract surgery.
At least that was my experience. But my cataract was formed after an eye surgery was done.
 
You will be amazed at how bright everything is after the surgery is done. I had one eye done a couple years ago. You don't realize the yellowish film that you have over your eye that will be gone after cataract surgery.
At least that was my experience. But my cataract was formed after an eye surgery was done.
I can imagine so. As it is now, much of the time itā€™s like trying to look through a piece of plastic lunch baggie. Itā€™s like thereā€™s a film over my eyes that changes, depending on the lighting. Sometimes itā€™s worse than others. Where things becoming worse is the eye doctors cannot seem to ever get my glasses prescription right.

Very frustrating. I sincerely hope Iā€™m done with this stuff soon. It worked for JimK and some others so it should work for me.
 
Last edited:
Hope all goes well with surgery Ed. You will be back at it in no time.

Son and I have been out an another time or two but Iā€™m holding off reporting until I get the Crockett into the mix. I just ordered one and should have it next week. Right now still out with a 12g and .22

Catching up on the taxidermy conversation. I had a buddy who was a taxidermist a long time ago. I would help him and we hunted suburban squirrels together with pellet guns to stay low key. He would do small game mounts and let me in on his little secret.

If you want a nice squirrel (or any other small animal) mounted, donā€™t shoot it. Trap one with one of those HaveaHeart traps. Then dispatch them humanely as you can without marking them up. You will still get dinner and a perfect mount for yourself.

His parents had an odd property. It was like a farm but planted right in the middle of an upscale neighborhood. He kind of stumbled on the trap taxidermy idea accidentally.

They had a neighborhood farm stand in the front, and my buddy and I had to kind of develop ninja hunting tactics to help his dad keep the critters out. Lots of archery, pellet guns and traps involved. I really miss those days. Fun and helped me become a better woodsman.
 
Scott, What are some of the ways you suggest to do this to preserve the pelt? My taxidermist says don't get it wet.
You can PM me if you want as I donā€™t want to post specifics publicly.

Two choices that I know...

One involves brief wetting followed by drying. He never mentioned water causing issues if you avoid prolonged submersion. I mean, they get rained on all the time. Think blow dryer.

The other method involves cutting off the O2 supply if you get my meaning.
 
Well fellaā€™s, if the weather people are correct in their forecast, things are looking up for the squirrel woods. Iā€™ve been waiting for this to happen. Friday winds forecast to be 22 MPH gusting to 47 MPH. If that happens, it will surely knock down much, if not most, of the nut crops from the trees. That should certainly get our furry little friends out of the tree tops and on the ground much more.

The way itā€™s been, Iā€™ve seen very few squirrels on the ground this fall season. The little buggers wonā€™t hardly come out of the tops of the trees. I doubt it will bring on squirrel stupid season but we should be seeing lots more squirrels on the ground.

Iā€™m more than ready for that to happen.

EDIT: Forecast now calling for 25 MPH winds gusting to 48 MPH. They are seldom correct but itā€™s sounding better anyway.
 
Last edited:
Thanks fellas. Surgery is early Thursday morning for the right eye. Two weeks later is the left eye.

Yes, the surgeon and I had a pow wow about hunting. He is a big hunter and precision shooter as well.

Mike, Iā€™ll definitely post the results.

I did just get some good news about this. Insurance is paying half of the cost. So itā€™s only costing me $800.00 per eye instead of $1,600.00 per eye.

Tom, indeed. Iā€™ll gladly accept a little cultural shock in exchange for good vision again.
Hoping everything goes well for you ,
 
I can imagine so. As it is now, much of the time itā€™s like trying to look through a piece of plastic lunch baggie. Itā€™s like thereā€™s a film over my eyes that changes, depending on the lighting. Sometimes itā€™s worse than others. Where things becoming worse is the eye doctors cannot seem to ever get my glasses prescription right.

Very frustrating. I sincerely hope Iā€™m done with this stuff soon. It worked for JimK and some others so it should work for me.
Ed, your eye Dr. is having lots of trouble because of the cataract itself is the cause. I had both of mine done 2 years ago. I have more & better light enter my eyes. The surgery will not restore the vison changes age has given you.
 
Ed, your eye Dr. is having lots of trouble because of the cataract itself is the cause. I had both of mine done 2 years ago. I have more & better light enter my eyes. The surgery will not restore the vison changes age has given you.
Actually, Mike, yes it can. Not saying that it will turn out that way for me, but it can and does for most people.

Indeed, cataract is the cause. However, with removal they can install different style of lenses. Its a matter of how much one wants to pay. I chose the best ones available that this area has to offer. They are trifocal lenses. They correct for astigmatism, near sighted and far sighted. It takes special testing for precise eye measurements and special equipment to install them. It cost me a few hundred dollars more (out of pocket) just for this one special piece of equipment to install those lenses. The equipment for the other type of lenses install will not work on the trifocal lenses. In some locations these lenses and procedure cost $10,000. Mine is not nearly that much. I feel blessed that our insurance payed a good portion of the overall cost.

I'm keeping my fingers crossed on this one. Guess I'll find out Friday morning.
 
Last edited:
Helene probably going to effect your area eventually. Good time to take an eye surgery break!
Indeed. Friday is supposed to be the day we see the results of it here. As I have said, I'm glad on all fronts. We are in a big time drought, and have been for 2 years. So IF we get much rain, it will help a little but unless more is to follow, it will be short lived.

Secondly is the wind should knock down most of the nut crops remaining up in the trees = squirrels on the ground. Win-Win IF I can see my front sight well enough to shoot accurately.
 
I can imagine so. As it is now, much of the time itā€™s like trying to look through a piece of plastic lunch baggie. Itā€™s like thereā€™s a film over my eyes that changes, depending on the lighting. Sometimes itā€™s worse than others. Where things becoming worse is the eye doctors cannot seem to ever get my glasses prescription right.

Very frustrating. I sincerely hope Iā€™m done with this stuff soon. It worked for JimK and some others so it should work for me.
Mine are like that. Not as bad as yours but symptomaticaly the same. It's the distance and night vision that's the worst. I don't understand how it varies day to day šŸ˜• I have deer and elk tags running from 12/1 to 1/31 so I'm waiting until February 1st to start wrangling the insurance company.

Best of luck šŸ‘.
 
Actually, Mike, yes it can. Not saying that it will turn out that way for me, but it can and does for most people.

Indeed, cataract is the cause. However, with removal they can install different style of lenses. Its a matter of how much one wants to pay. I chose the best ones available that this area has to offer. They are trifocal lenses. They correct for astigmatism, near sighted and far sighted. Some locations these lenses and procedure cost $10,000. Mine is not nearly that much.

I'm keeping my fingers crossed on this one. Guess I'll find out Friday morning.
Your correct if you can afford those lens put into your eyes. My Va. told me they were not paying for any of those. I could come to the Hospital & get fixed up with free pr. of glasses.
 
Back
Top