Raining cats and dogs here. Just checked..., yeah, only cats and dogs and the occasional ground hog - no squirrels.
2024/2025 Squirrel Hunting Thread...........
- Thread starter ETipp
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Least it's not raining hippies Hammer. That my friend, would be bad.
Got up this morning gathered my gear and headed out. To my surprise it was foggy, when I got down by the river it was real foggy. I was in place by 0645 sunup at 0720. We'll at sunup the fog was bad none the less I sat till about 0810 hadn't seen or heard anything, so I decided to do a little spot and stock. About 0830 I could hear a squirrel barking a couple hundred yards to my right. After about half an hour I spotted him, he hadn't see me I eased in next to a big elm. He was high up in a cotton wood tree working his way to my left. He finally stopped and gave me a shot. My first squirrel with a muzzleloader hit the ground! I continued in the direction that he came from, about 10 minutes later I spotted another one comming toward me. I waited for him to stop, he was in a hurry wasn't slowing down. He finally stopped about 25 yards behind me. I raised up and fired, and I missed I rushed the shot. Circled around toward my truck but didn't see anymore. But I'll be back next Saturday morning.
And we'll done to you.Was a good morning to be in the woods. Stepped out of the truck at 6:10 am, and the truck said it was 56°. Slapped my snake gaiters on, grabbed my hunting bag and the Crockett and started walking. I had to walk up the gravel road cutting through the Game Land due to the gate still being closed for whatever reason DNR is slacking I guess. Once off the road, I capped the ol girl and headed to the spot I wanted to start at. When I got there, got my seat roped onto a tree, fired up my thermacell, layed the rifle across my knees and waited. I hadn't been in these woods since last winter, and was surprised how thick it was. Reminded me of Crow Valley in the Philippines, triple canopy jungle. Didn't take long before you could here the squirrels cutting, and moving from tree to tree, just couldn't see them. About 5 minutes to seven, a small bachelor group of bucks came within 15 feet of me, 2 of them being legal shooters, and one pretty decent. We had a staring contest for 3-4 minutes, when they decided to vamos. Bout 5 after 7, squirrel comes in hopping along and starts to climb a tree about 12 yards in front of me, I went to full cock, set the rear trigger, and slightly turned on my seat while raising the rifle in one motion. She stopped long enough for me to put the front bead on her head, exhale and slowly squeeze. She fell about 40 feet and didn't move. I reloaded quick and continued to wait. Didn't take long for another squirrel to jump to the same white oak I shot the first one from, but it never quit moving, and disappeared into the canopy, so I went back to half cock, and kept my vigil. Caught movement to my left, turned slowly in time to see a black bear crossing the two track I was hunting off of and go into the woods behind me, maybe 30 yards. Those jokers can move quiet when they want, I watched it walk away, not making a sound. Sat till about 8:30, and decided to go grab my squirrel and still hunt my way back to the road after a couple of loud talking fellas walked behind me carrying shotguns. When I picked up my squirrel, she must of moved at the shot, or I pulled low, because she was hit right through the back, and the 32 ball cut her spine in two. No action on the way back, they were there and moving, just too thick for a clear shot. When I get back to the parking area , I showed my gear, poured a cup of coffee, and started cleaning the young doe squirrel. I got the hide, head, and feet off, just cut up the ribs, and am pulling the guts out when a couple of hippies with huge backpacks come walking down the road. The look on the lady's face was hilarious, I did my best not to laugh.
All in all a good day. Saw a total of 7 deer, a bear, and 2 hippies. The bugs didn't bother me, and I've got a tender squirrel sitting in salt water waiting for the hot oil tomorrow. Good luck, and safe hunting to all. And watch out for them D**n hippies while hunting public land.
Outlaws and hippies, eh? I’ve always heard those PA Amish were a different breed.
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Oh I'm hooked, bad thing is I pretty much only get one day a week to play. I drive truck so I'm gone all week. Good thing is squirrel season is open till the end of February.
Sounds like everyone is getting a little action! I headed out this morning before sunrise. It was about 60 degrees and humid. I walked about a half mile to get into the spot on public land that I usually go and sat down on the ground leaning up against a tree. Pretty soon I spotted a fox squirrel working its way through the tree tops. It worked its way down to me and started calling me names! I couldn’t let it get away with that, so I put a slow moving round ball through it. It hung there a few seconds and fell to the ground. It was good to be back in the woods again.
Ha, that’s flat out awesome. Congrats to you. Gotta love it.
Is the that a Great Plains Rifle?
So now we have at least 4 guys that’s scored on opening day that I know of.
How does it go? Sticks and stones may break my bones, but slow moving round balls put you in the pot? Or something like that
Yep it’s my old reliable Lyman GPR. It’s a 54 cal and I use a light load of 35gr and it just pokes a hole through them.
Opening day found me in my happy place 50 miles from home. I can and do walk out of my shop and hunt. But I just love hunting this piece of state forest. Last year it wasn’t as good as most years so I only went out a few times.
This year it’s back to normal. I had scouted a couple weeks ago and saw and heard quite a few and the hickory crop is good.
I had a lot of squirrels working around me at sun up but you guys know how it is. Hard to see them because of leaves or out of range. I did get 4 shots and missed them all. One was real close. I always miss them! Two were 30-35 yards. Makeable but look pretty small. One was just perfect plastered on a tree not moving,looking at me at 20 yards. I fully expected him to drop but he didn’t. I’ll not lie, I was frustrated.
To shorten this up, I wound up hunting this evening close to home in an area I shot a lot in last year.
I missed another on a downed log at roughly 25 yards. Now I’m getting festered. Finally got one final shot at maybe 15 yards. He moved just as it went off and I hit him back but that.36 ball does the job even back there.
I hope my shooting improves next week. I’ll be out Monday. Not sure about Tuesday-Thursday. They’re calling for some rain. My muzzle loaders don’t go out in it. My .22’s do though.
This year it’s back to normal. I had scouted a couple weeks ago and saw and heard quite a few and the hickory crop is good.
I had a lot of squirrels working around me at sun up but you guys know how it is. Hard to see them because of leaves or out of range. I did get 4 shots and missed them all. One was real close. I always miss them! Two were 30-35 yards. Makeable but look pretty small. One was just perfect plastered on a tree not moving,looking at me at 20 yards. I fully expected him to drop but he didn’t. I’ll not lie, I was frustrated.
To shorten this up, I wound up hunting this evening close to home in an area I shot a lot in last year.
I missed another on a downed log at roughly 25 yards. Now I’m getting festered. Finally got one final shot at maybe 15 yards. He moved just as it went off and I hit him back but that.36 ball does the job even back there.
I hope my shooting improves next week. I’ll be out Monday. Not sure about Tuesday-Thursday. They’re calling for some rain. My muzzle loaders don’t go out in it. My .22’s do though.
Forgot the obligatory picture
Heck yeah Jim!
Funny how your mind remembers a place. Woods I hunted today, I hadn't been to since late season last year. I guess my brain only remembered nut trees, tons of drays and den trees. When it got light enough, I thought to myself, oh boy, this is super thick but I'm committed. At least we were hunting!Yes sir. It was great to be out. Those woods are beautiful when the leaves change. It’s just going to get better!Heck yeah Jim!
Fox squirrels are so beautiful. I love your avatar picture.
We're suffering the remnants of hurricane Francine here so it was raining pretty hard when I woke up around five. So didn't go. Around seven or eight it slowed to a sprinkle when I took the dog out to water the weeds. While we were out I heard quite a few barking close to the backyard. They were close but the canopy is so thick I didn't see any. Rained the rest of the day. I usually don't hunt on Sundays so, if Monday looks better weather wise, I just might give her a go. As thick as the leaves are I might have to break out the old double 12.
I used to have these barrel condoms, and soft plastic deals that slid over your caps. Can't say they work, I always figured rain and BP don't mix so well. So never went when it was raining too bad.
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