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

[ETipp]

We'll have to see. I got it hoping my son would be interested. I'll get her to the range first chance I get and let her talk to me. It would be a tough choice to sideline my Crockett rifle.

Best of luck to you, snake. Hope she shoots straight for you. Let us know how it turns out.

 

[snakebit]

Best of luck to you, snake. Hope she shoots straight for you. Let us know how it turns out.

Will do buddy

 

[Gum Slough Muzzleloader]

We always called them reds. That day we called him supper. Maybe it is a geographic thing. Where I cut my teeth squirrel hunting, reds were just as big, if not bigger than greys.

Snakebit, not sure what part of Illinois your from.
I too cut my teeth on on them same squirrels, in the western part of Central Illinois.
Some folks called them red squirrels, others called them red fox squirrels.
Here in Florida, it's Gray Squirrels, I thinks it take 2 of them to make one that you boyish holding..
Thanks for posting, best to y'all.

Take Care Stay Safe.
Fred

 

[snakebit]

Snakebit, not sure what part of Illinois your from.
I too cut my teeth on on them same squirrels, in the western part of Central Illinois.
Some folks called them red squirrels, others called them red fox squirrels.
Here in Florida, it's Gray Squirrels, I thinks it take 2 of them to make one that you boyish holding..
Thanks for posting, best to y'all.

Take Care Stay Safe.
Fred

Mostly Wayne County on the Elm River bottoms. I still go home once a year to deer hunt. I say I miss the August season opener, but now I'm older and cranky, id brobably bellyache about the heat and humidity, but what a target rich environment it is! Did a lot of squirrel hunting in the Silver Creek bottoms also.

 

[Jim K]

I’ve turkey hunted Pike Co Illinois 6 times. Gorgeous squirrel woods. Both grays and fox. It’s a friends deer lease and I’m welcome to squirrel hunt but 14 hour trip is to far. Not for turkeys but is for squirrels. Lol

 

[snakebit]

I’ve turkey hunted Pike Co Illinois 6 times. Gorgeous squirrel woods. Both grays and fox. It’s a friends deer lease and I’m welcome to squirrel hunt but 14 hour trip is to far. Not for turkeys but is for squirrels. Lol

Ive only ever killed one turkey in my home state, and I was actually deer hunting . The way the seasons are there is kind of weird. They roost across the river from our property quite often and I get a front row seat at fly up every now and then.

 

[99airforce]

Back in the day I would use a 22 to bag squirrels, I could get the limit every time. I decided to use a 32 cal black powder. Give the squirrels a chance. I love the idea,

 

[ETipp]

Back in the day I would use a 22 to bag squirrels, I could get the limit every time. I decided to use a 32 cal black powder. Give the squirrels a chance. I love the idea,

Atta boy. Ain’t nothing like it. Glad we are on the same team.

 

[Gum Slough Muzzleloader]

I’ve turkey hunted Pike Co Illinois 6 times. Gorgeous squirrel woods. Both grays and fox. It’s a friends deer lease and I’m welcome to squirrel hunt but 14 hour trip is to far. Not for turkeys but is for squirrels. Lol

Jim, I never hunted Pike, County.
My brother and I did help salvage a huge grain elevator and loaded it up on flat beds to be erected else. Back in early 90s
Use to be #1 County for the number of deer, taken each season.
Take care Stay Safe

 

[Gum Slough Muzzleloader]

Mostly Wayne County on the Elm River bottoms. I still go home once a year to deer hunt. I say I miss the August season opener, but now I'm older and cranky, id brobably bellyache about the heat and humidity, but what a target rich environment it is! Did a lot of squirrel hunting in the Silver Creek bottoms also.

I've only been through that area, never hunted it. I know Southern Illinois is some beautiful landscape.
I hunted Knox, Warren, and some strip mine land in Fulton County..
Way different down here in Florida..
Take Care Stay Safe

 

[pilot]

My dad always called them red squirrels. It wasn't until I took biology in school that I learned they were fox squirrels. They were the dominate species by a mile when I was a kid. Now grays are. I would much rather hunt fox squirrels since they are twice the size, but feel like they need help with their competition with the grays.

 

[Gordoncourtney]

That’s what I’m thinking as well. I have never seen a large red squirrel. All the ones I’ve seen were smaller like a pine squirrel.

However, I haven’t hunted a lot of states either. Still learning!

Received another one for the squirrel arsenal today. A CVA Squirrel Rifle I bought from Bowhunter 73 here on the sight. Hopefully my son will take interest. It's definitely lighter than my CVA Varminter in the same caliber which shoots neck and neck with my Crockett. If he doesn't like it, I'll keep it for myself

Bought a 23ft sailing cruiser mainly for my son , on Thames UK. He had no interest in it so sold it , bought older son a violin for birthday , he threw it out of window, bought my wife a food processor for birthday , that went out of window too. I hate curry , when I hade a plate of it, that went out of window .

However my younger son is looking forward to getting my 450/400 double rifle when I pass on. I’ll have to buy him a bigger flat if he wants all my guns.

Got a bad runny nose cold. Me quite miserable. Packing up for a week in Cannaries and warm sun £474 each all inclusive. Your side of pond Aruba I guess, very posh and expensive, spent a day there once

Very cold London. No real snow around here. Cold brings squirrels to bird feeder Don’t eat them very often as they carry a pox over here and red squirrels are tiny compared to your greys over here I use an unmentionable 177 or 22 bsa Scorpio pcp ok for 50 yards, knocks heads off them. Almost impossible to hunt with a real rifle in uk, unless you are a big land owner.

See you

 

[snakebit]

My dad always called them red squirrels. It wasn't until I took biology in school that I learned they were fox squirrels. They were the dominate species by a mile when I was a kid. Now grays are. I would much rather hunt fox squirrels since they are twice the size, but feel like they need help with their competition with the grays.

From sitting in a tree stand bow hunting deer, and watching what seems like a hundred different squirrels, I would say they were equally matched between Fox and Grays. Usually an abundance of food for them in our woods. I did see a coon last fall that had a pure black back. Have never seen one like it. It was an adult.

 

[snakebit]

I've only been through that area, never hunted it. I know Southern Illinois is some beautiful landscape.
I hunted Knox, Warren, and some strip mine land in Fulton County..
Way different down here in Florida..
Take Care Stay Safe

Man oh man, do I miss fishing those strip mine lakes there. Never a bad fishing day on them. I wouldn't mind hunting some of those pigs you guys have down there in Florida. Knowing those pythons were there might be a little unsettling. If one slithered in front of me there would be 2 movements, a physical movement and a bowel movement to quote Rodney Carrington.

 

[WVTracker]

Looks like the spring 20204 squirrel season for KY has been posted. This may be preliminary but best I can tell It runs from the 3rd Saturday in May (which should be the 18th) and ends the 3rd Friday in June (which should be the 21st).

So if this is correct, looks like we will have a little over a month for spring squirrel season.

If memory serves me correctly, last spring, which was the first time I have ever hunted squirrels during the spring, was some pretty tough hunting overall. It was fairly difficult to find squirrels at first but as more buds and leaves began to pop out, things improved. The first couple of weeks, by accident, I found squirrels were eating tulip maple leaves/flowers.

The last day of spring season was a real hoot. That's the first time I got into a bunch of squirrels chasing and mating. It was high action, to the degree that I have not seen since.

That's very interesting they have a spring squirrel season there, I had never heard of that before. We have one very long season here from the second week of September until the last day of February.

 

[WVTracker]

I'm still pretty new to the whole muzzleloader game, but I've taken my .45 out a few times after squirrel even though I've came up empty handed. You'll find mostly grey squirrels here in the woods but if your hunting near fields you might run across a fox squirrel. If I'm hunting an area with a lot of mass I will set and watch for an hour or two or until I get tired of sitting and then I will move on. My favorite way of hunting them though is when I can hear them barking then its really fun trying to find the tree they are in and then trying to find them in that tree before they see you.

Right now I'm in the process of building a dedicated small game flintlock, a Kibler in .36 so I'm pretty excited about next years season. I plan on shooting it all summer and getting good with it so I'll be plenty ready by season opener.

 

[ETipp]

That's very interesting they have a spring squirrel season there, I had never heard of that before. We have one very long season here from the second week of September until the last day of February.

Thank you for the information.

From my limited research, there are at least 10 states that has spring squirrel hunts.

 

[ETipp]

I'm still pretty new to the whole muzzleloader game, but I've taken my .45 out a few times after squirrel even though I've came up empty handed. You'll find mostly grey squirrels here in the woods but if your hunting near fields you might run across a fox squirrel. If I'm hunting an area with a lot of mass I will set and watch for an hour or two or until I get tired of sitting and then I will move on. My favorite way of hunting them though is when I can hear them barking then its really fun trying to find the tree they are in and then trying to find them in that tree before they see you.

Right now I'm in the process of building a dedicated small game flintlock, a Kibler in .36 so I'm pretty excited about next years season. I plan on shooting it all summer and getting good with it so I'll be plenty ready by season opener.

Once you get a few squirrels with a ML rifle you will be hooked.

 

[WVTracker]

One you get a few squirrels with a ML rifle you will be hooked.

I have no doubt

 

[Gum Slough Muzzleloader]

Hopefully I'll get a few this weekend, even just one.... Wife is ready to use my Crockett Rifle for rug beater cuz haven't made a kill. We'll have to see... I feel it might just happen.... I will keep trying ever chance I get....
Long Live
Small Caliber Patched Round Balls..

Take Care Stay Safe