Just found this thread and I'm an avid squirrel hunter, with this year being my first with my Kibler SMR .32. Season opens up here Sept 15. I was out at first light and promptly missed a black squirrel at about 20 yards, then ended up getting my cleaning jag stuck in the barrel and called it a day. I took it out a few more times and did shoot one off the side of a tree but it got in a hole before I could get to it. Other than that the canopy was just too thick. My last couple hunts before bow season opened up on Oct 1st I took the shotgun because I actually needed a few for a recipe I wanted to try. Throughout bow season and then gun season I seen a ton limb shakers (the areas I hunt have Grey, Black, Fox and Red) and had a plan to get after them once gun season ended Jan 1st. I've been out a couple times and had success hunting behind my buddies blackmouth curr but that was with a rimfire .22 and .17 hmr. My buddy and I have a plan to get into a couple squirrel tournaments in the next few weeks. Not sure if I will take the Kibler as we cover 10+ miles a day and it's a pain to lug that thing compared to my .17. I do go out and sit and may take the Kibler but this time of year there is just no cover and my shots are often 60 yds or more. Season goes until March 31st so I've got plenty of time to try and get my first one with the .32 but more and more I've been thinking about getting a trade gun as the best squirrel movement here is when there's still a thick canopy on the trees and they're up there cutting.
Welcome to the addiction, UT.
Congrats on owning a .32 Kibler. Must be nice for sure.
You are partially correct about hunting during early season, in terms of it being thick. However, it is not too thick to kill squirrels. Our forefathers proved this. It can still be done, just takes more time to get a shot. Waiting up to an hour is not uncommon. So it does require lots of patience. But you can do it, especially with such an awesome muzzleloader such as your Kibler. If you can hit squirrel size targets at 50 yards, you certainly have the initial accuracy part down.
What you have experienced is not uncommon. Many muzzleloader fans post the same thing as what you have experienced when it comes to crunch time. But it can be done and you can do it.
As I have posted many times, this is no easy thing to do. It’s truly a game of “aim small, miss small,” a game of woodsman ship, marksman ship, hunting skills, and especially patience with a little bit of luck thrown in on top.
The way I see it is, it’s a matter of how much do you want it and are you willing to pay the price to make it happen. IMO, the more difficult it is, the sweeter the victory.
It is definitely true that if one is out to harvest a mess of squirrels, in a hurry, an unmentionable type of firearm is best. But if one wants to do it the old fashioned way, as our forefathers did, then it is a different game.
You can do this, bro. Ya just got to have patience and wait for a good, closer up shot, as well as use a good, solid rest. Personally, most of my best hunts was done when the trees were in full thick mode. In fact, I consider the thickness to be more of an asset than a disadvantage. It allows one to sneak into position more easy without being seen. This has proven to be a huge advantage here in the thick woods/mountains of Kentucky. Just gotta move slow.
One thing is for sure, squirrel hunting with a small caliber traditional muzzleloader is simply different than pounding targets at the range. I would wager to say that many others on here will concur with that. This game can put the best of Hunter through the test. It's no game for sissies.
You can do it regardless of the season. The rewards are certainly there. Each season presents its own unique challenge in the squirrel woods.
Good luck to you on your future hunts and again, glad to have you aboard on the squirrel hunting thread. We look forward to your future posts.
. When you said you had never seen or used a call, I knew I had an extra one and could remedy that. Just don't drive Mama crazy making calls or she might take a road trip and punch me in the nose
I drive every body crazy with turkey calls in the spring.
