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

[Gum Slough Muzzleloader]

Not that has much to do with Squirrel Hunting, other than I just might come across one of these fellas while Squirrel Hunting. I do pay attention while I'm hunting. So far, so good.
My son took this picture this morning. It's right in front of our house, maybe 40 yards from front door to the county road.

 

[ETipp]

Not that has much to do with Squirrel Hunting, other than I just might come across one of these fellas while Squirrel Hunting. I do pay attention while I'm hunting. So far, so good.
My son took this picture this morning. It's right in front of our house, maybe 40 yards from front door to the county road.

Please keep those things down there in FL. Those evil things play for keeps.

They are rare in these parts but they are here. Timber Rattlers for sure here. Not sure about diamond backs.

 

[ETipp]

You're correct Ed.

I know, procrastination. It gets me from time to time. I was going to put it on my hat, just didn't, look right. I would not put it on my Hip Pack, I know what y'all are going to say about that. I'm looking to get a shoulder bag, like y'alls, or a lumbar vest. The patch is put up in a safe place until then...
You're right to gigg me on that one, I have it coming.

Well, you've been a busy boy lately so no need in explaining.

 

[yellowhammer]

Not that has much to do with Squirrel Hunting, other than I just might come across one of these fellas while Squirrel Hunting. I do pay attention while I'm hunting. So far, so good.
My son took this picture this morning. It's right in front of our house, maybe 40 yards from front door to the county road.

 

[ETipp]

View attachment 319733

Late last summer I stepped down out my door and just as I was about to put my foot down I saw a snake that looked kind of like a copperhead. He was laying all stretched out on the concrete and by the time I noticed it, there was no way to stop myself as my foot was on its way down. I just knew I was snake bit, which ticked me off. It wound up being a non-poisonous snake that looked like a copper head at quick glance. Had that been my wife, I'd would have had to burry her. I usually don't kill nonpoisonous snakes and actually like for them to hang around to kill mice and such, but that one met his fate that day.

 

[yellowhammer]

... Had that been my wife, I'd would have had to burry her...

My old dad, God rest his soul, a big strong buff intimidating ex-Army drill instructor, afraid of no man, tough as nails even into his old age, was deathly, pathologically, scared of snakes.

 

[yellowhammer]

Late last summer I stepped down out my door and just as I was about to put my foot down I saw a snake...

Ed, Same here, I went out and saw a good-sized black racer going across the yard after plundering my bluebird house. He saw me and at first took off. I followed him looking for a stick to terminate him, and suddenly he reversed course and charged right up to me within a couple of feet and struck at me! Pretty fearsome, you could see the meanness in his eyes. I took a few pics and he puffed up and shook his tail and struck a few times. Finally, I had to admire his spunk, decided not to kill him even though his wiped out my pet birds, so I just stamped my boot and he took off:

He couldn't take a grown squirrel, but they climb so well I'm sure they take their share of baby squirrels, especially when they get that large.

 

[LANEY REECE]

Not that has much to do with Squirrel Hunting, other than I just might come across one of these fellas while Squirrel Hunting. I do pay attention while I'm hunting. So far, so good.
My son took this picture this morning. It's right in front of our house, maybe 40 yards from front door to the county road.

Good eating.

 

[ETipp]

Ed, Same here, I went out and saw a good-sized black racer going across the yard after plundering my bluebird house. He saw me and at first took off. I followed him looking for a stick to terminate him, and suddenly he reversed course and charged right up to me within a couple of feet and struck at me! Pretty fearsome, you could see the meanness in his eyes. I took a few pics and he puffed up and shook his tail and struck a few times. Finally, I had to admire his spunk, decided not to kill him even though his wiped out my pet birds, so I just stamped my boot and he took off:

View attachment 319743


He couldn't take a grown squirrel, but they climb so well I'm sure they take their share of baby squirrels, especially when they get that large.

No doubt. I leave black snakes alone considering they are suppose to kill copperheads. I can spot those things a mile away. The two Jack Russell's I used to have made short work out of any snake, even a copperhead that bit the both of them several times. Dogs heads swelled up as big as soccer ball.

 

[ETipp]

I keep my Ruger Blackhawk loaded with these on top of my fridge. Only used when a venomous snake is near the house where the family or dogs might encounter them. We lived in the country when we lived in Indiana, and had a Koi Pond out front. My daughter came and told me there was a snake on the big rocks by the pond. I asked her if it was green, she told me it looked like my bow (I have copperhead skins on my bow limbs). Sure as $h!t, about a 2 1/2 ft copperhead sunning himself on the rocks. Glad she saw it before my son, as he was pretty feral at the time. I killed about 3 of them in the years we lived there. Someday I'll tell the story of how I got my handle.

That would do it, Tom. Please do tell us sometime how you came about your screen name. I've always wondered about that.

 

[ETipp]

On another note, I was over at my happy hunting grounds area this morning doing some work. On the drive out, I counted 7 squirrels in about the one mile drive out to the paved road. One of which was a small, young one that wasn't very afraid of my truck.

My "want bumps" are itching big time.

 

[yellowhammer]

...I leave black snakes alone considering they are suppose to kill copperheads...

Interesting. Had not heard that before about Racers. King Snakes, yes, have heard.

 

[Jim K]

I leave the black snakes alone too. I’d rather have them around my house than mice in my house. The other day I walked over to my house from the shop and saw this guy.

 

[victor#0]

I always appreciated that the timber rattlers would forewarn you however copperheads just let you have it. I always thanked the rattlers after close calls and we both lived to see another day.

 

[Eterry]

Could have been a hawk, owl or bitten off during a mating chase by another male. Hard to say for sure. I saw a gray squirrel not too long ago cross the road in front of me that only had part of its tail.

The two in the pic below were bitten off during a mating chase I was smack dab in the middle of. They were both freshly bitten off and still bloody/wet looking. During a mating chase when after female in heat, those boys mean business. They are the only two that I know of for sure that were bitten off by another squirrel. No doubt a tail in the face is an easy target for one of the following squirrels that are running in a single file line.

I have had the... whatever is called, to shoot off a few squirrel tails in my life. The first was with my CVA Kentucky rifle 45. He moved as I touched the trigger and spent his days tail less, in our front yard cottonwood tree. Left about an inch of tail.
I got one a few years later with my unmentionable lever Rimfire. His tail was alongside him and I hit low.
Been a few others, saw Dad do the same with his unmentionable target model. My first was my only with a muzzleloader... thus far.

 

[yellowhammer]

Jim K, That's a Black Rat Snake ( link ). Zoom in a see the faint pattern on him. Often confused with the Black Racer in my photo; but a lot more snake lol. Guarantee you he'd take a shot at a smaller squirrel!

 

[yellowhammer]

I have had the... whatever is called, to shoot off a few squirrel tails in my life..

They hit the ground running for their tails, and their lives, from day 1! Hawks, owls, snakes, dogs, cats, people, LOL. Run, Rocky, run. Hard to outrun a round ball, tho, eh?

It's the price they pay for converting acorns into protein.

 

[Banjoman]

I have had the... whatever is called, to shoot off a few squirrel tails in my life. The first was with my CVA Kentucky rifle 45. He moved as I touched the trigger and spent his days tail less, in our front yard cottonwood tree. Left about an inch of tail.
I got one a few years later with my Mdl 39A. It was alongside him and I hit low.
Been a few others, saw Dad do the same with his Mark I rimfire. My first was my only with a muzzleloader.

Let’s see, was the model 39A a flintlock or percussion? And, didn’t Thompson Center come out with the Mark 1 right after the Seneca? I can’t remember.

 

[ETipp]

I shot a squirrels tail almost all the way off last fall. It actually got part of the rear end as well. I felt really bad as it was trying to get away and wasn't doing such a good job at it. I had time to reload and end it. I still feel bad about shooting its arse off.

 

[Eterry]

Let’s see, was the model 39A a flintlock or percussion? And, didn’t Thompson Center come out with the Mark 1 right after the Seneca? I can’t remember.

I amended my post.