• 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.
I have not heard of anyone hunting squirrels with bow and arrow, illegal to hunt with arrows in uk, However in my archery shooting they would need to be about two foot square at 30 yards , just a stupid bit of passing conversation However my pcp airguns 177&22 get them drop most out to 50 yards, Must say they are very tasty but a right bugger to skin , they carry a pox that kills our red squirrels so I boil them , then roast just to be on the safe side mmmmm. Tasty
I've hunted squirrel with a longbow and recurve using steel blunts. I learned it wasn't worth the cedar in my experience anyway.
 
I've hunted squirrel with a longbow and recurve using steel blunts. I learned it wasn't

I have not heard of anyone hunting squirrels with bow and arrow, illegal to hunt with arrows in uk, However in my archery shooting they would need to be about two foot square at 30 yards , just a stupid bit of passing conversation However my pcp airguns 177&22 get them drop most out to 50 yards, Must say they are very tasty but a right bugger to skin , they carry a pox that kills our red squirrels so I boil them , then roast just to be on the safe side mmmmm. Tasty

I used my compound bow for about 4 seasons, until my shoulder put a stop to that. I used these for squirrel. They were accurate and very effective.
Knocked 'em for aloop that's for sure.
 

Attachments

  • Screenshot_20240430_071159_Chrome.jpg
    Screenshot_20240430_071159_Chrome.jpg
    65.2 KB
I have not heard of anyone hunting squirrels with bow and arrow
I do. Longbow or recurve. Usually with a modified broadhead. Most often though it is a target of opportunity type thing though, rarely do I head out squirrel hunting deliberately with my bow.

If you are on Instagram check out https://www.instagram.com/bekagarris?igsh=MWI1YXd0bDk5aTAwdg==
Beka lives in Ohio and takes both her daughters bowhunting with her,, traditional only. Mostly deer, squirrel, and rabbit. Bow fishing too. Her oldest daughter shoots and took a rabbit last season,,,, loves it.
 
I used my compound bow for about 4 seasons, until my shoulder put a stop to that. I used these for squirrel. They were accurate and very effective.
Knocked 'em for aloop that's for sure.
Those will sure do it Fred! I went from using empty 357 magnum cases to a dedicated small game blunt. I still broke many a shaft with either one. And as Alaskan Cedar got harder to come by, I stuck to bigger game. Sure was fun while it lasted!
 
So if my calculations are correct, it's 15 and a wakeup for the 2024/25 ky. squirrel season opener. What's the over/under that Ed already has his hunting duds sprayed down, with the pants tucked in his boots so when the alarm goes off (if he sleeps), he can throw his legs over the bed, and be out the door like a jackrabbit on a date?
 
So if my calculations are correct, it's 15 and a wakeup for the 2024/25 ky. squirrel season opener. What's the over/under that Ed already has his hunting duds sprayed down, with the pants tucked in his boots so when the alarm goes off (if he sleeps), he can throw his legs over the bed, and be out the door like a jackrabbit on a date?
I can see that in full animation, Tom.

With a brief pause, after opening the back door, only long enough to scan the perimeter for Demon Squirrels.
 
I can see that in full animation, Tom.

With a brief pause, after opening the back door, only long enough to scan the perimeter for Demon Squirrels.
🤣 After all the talk of flying monkeys and demon squirrels Fred, wouldn't surprise me if that ol boy slipped something made from blued steel in his belt as an insurance policy.
 
🤣 After all the talk of flying monkeys and demon squirrels Fred, wouldn't surprise me if that ol boy slipped something made from blued steel in his belt as an insurance policy.
It’s Parkerised. 😁

Think WW1 through Vietnam. It was my favorite blue grouse tool when I lived out west. A gray squirrel and two deer somewhere else found out about it, too. So it has to be effective on flying monkeys and devil squirrels.😁
 
Last edited:
Okay fellas, finally began my offhanded shooting testing. Got rained out yesterday. By the time the weather cleared off, it was too late for me.

Went out back this morning. Placed the target at only 15 yards to begin this process. At first I was pretty much aiming center mass. 4th shot hit low and left which verified my thoughts. I was not being mindful of butt stock placement on my arm.

Went back out for the 5th shot being mindful of this and aimed for the shoulder. It hit pretty much point of aim.

I have no doubts that whenever I miss, it’s to the left. Most likely due to butt stock/ shoulder/arm placement. Last season I chased my tail a whole lot trying to figure out what the problem was. Considering that, for whatever reason, I cannot seem to shoot this little rifle accurately from a bench, I was always guessing. Offhanded was a real disaster. So between butt stock/arm/shoulder placement and forward hand placement, now I know.

So, it’s a start anyway. I’ll most likely increase distance the next time. I also need to aim a little more for the neck/front leg and see what happens. My old eyes just ain’t good enough nowadays to be aiming for the head unless it’s a real close shot.

Also, through practice I’ve found that there is no doubt I can hold my Crockett squirrel rifle steadier with the brass ramrod instead of the hickory ramrod. That little bit of added weight makes the difference. Thanks again, Jim K.

That 4th shot puts true meaning to the term “getting its arse shot off”. 😁
 

Attachments

  • IMG_2112.jpeg
    IMG_2112.jpeg
    2.8 MB
Last edited:
Since I kept getting rained out yesterday, I decided to practice holding offhanded as steady as I could while in the house. I hung this picture up on the living room wall. I’m finding this helps. However, things can no doubt change whenever the trigger is pulled. I’m thinking about putting an old nipple on the ML and going through the whole process. I do not see where this could hurt anything.
 

Attachments

  • IMG_2113.jpeg
    IMG_2113.jpeg
    1.4 MB
Last edited:
Since I kept getting rained out yesterday, I decided to practice holding steady in the house at a squirrel picture. I’m finding this helps. However, things can no doubt change whenever the trigger is pulled. I’m thinking about putting an old nipple on the ML and going through the whole process. I do not see where this could hurt anything.
Ed, get you a small piece of hose, fuel line or something like that, and cut it about 1/4" long then slip it over the Is nipple. It works good. No damage at all.
 
Been quiet on the fruit tree protection program. Been squirrel free for over a week! However, today a pair of pioneers showed up looking for new territory. They immediately fell upon my pear blossoms. 🍐

They were very wary but finally #11 got greedy for a piece of oat nut bread (kroger) and was caught. He has now joined his friends in "The Colony" where he was warmly received.

20240501_124025_copy_640x480.jpg
 
Interesting observation: Our backyard which is surrounded by 150 to 200 year old pecan and Burr Oak trees always seemed overloaded with squirrels. I put up an owl house two years ago....it was immediately occupied by squirrels. This year a Barred Owl pair moved in. Within 2 weeks, not a single squirrel to be seen in our area! I had no clue!
 
... Within 2 weeks, not a single squirrel to be seen in our area! ...
Same here, but it's a Barn Owl family!

Also a couple of hawks, smaller long tailed type that are swooping around close to the ground, probably Sharp Shinned, or Cooper's, during the day. I wish they would go away because they are taking songbirds, too.

Sorta quiet back there with all the raptors. Rabbits gone. Saw a tail-less squirrel at the bird feeder just yesterday, so they are getting pressured. We always had the big soaring Red Tails, but they never dive-bombed around the yard like these latest dudes.
 
Interesting observation: Our backyard which is surrounded by 150 to 200 year old pecan and Burr Oak trees always seemed overloaded with squirrels. I put up an owl house two years ago....it was immediately occupied by squirrels. This year a Barred Owl pair moved in. Within 2 weeks, not a single squirrel to be seen in our area! I had no clue!
Back in the early 90s when I work in the grain industry. We went to Cameron Grain they bought, dried, stored and sold corn and soy beans. We pulled up, got in contact with the the Manger. He was filling up big yellow balloons with helium, once they were filled they had 2 really big red owl eyes on them..What in the heck I thought. Asked and he said follow me. Went over and 600 thousand bushel flat storage building he released them as we walked. Dozens and dozens of pigeons flew out off there like burt bat out off Hades.
Prey definitely know what an owl can and will do...
 
One evening my wife said "some girl is in our back yard screaming!". I heard it, and immediately knew it to be a Barn Owl [ link to sounds ]. We eased out on to the deck and I lased him with my pencil beam flashlight up in top of a tree. Ghosty apparition and sound, for sure. The sound and face of a killer!
 
Last edited:
Been quiet on the fruit tree protection program. Been squirrel free for over a week! However, today a pair of pioneers showed up looking for new territory. They immediately fell upon my pear blossoms. 🍐

They were very wary but finally #11 got greedy for a piece of oat nut bread (kroger) and was caught. He has now joined his friends in "The Colony" where he was warmly received.

View attachment 316700

Brill box traps, got two the same, caught more in them than I have ever shot , squirrels go straight in , but rats study the trap and seldom go in, they got brains. Caught pigeons too , plain stupid things.

Warm day London sleep well
 
Back
Top