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

[Staredge]

A question for the North American members. Is it common or accepted practice on your locality to poke the Eastern Grey Dreys, Then shoot them as they emerge/flush?

I'm guessing not, but it's fairly common in the UK when the leaves are off the trees, purpose made poles are available.

Definitely doesn’t conform to the Fair Chase ideas inherent in the North American conservation model. Something akin to fishing with explosives. Fish and game in general are viewed differently here than by our cousins across the pond.

 

[Christophero]

Yes, a drey is a squirrel nest made of leaves and/or sticks. They use them mostly for storing nuts. Squirrels prefer to nest inside of trees for better protection from predators. Den trees are also safer for their young.

Never knew that they were also used as nut storage. I have seen squirrels sleepily emerge from these leafy nests as the sunlight pokes its first rays over the horizon on Fall mornings. And I've witnessed squirrels coming out of their dens to catch the last warm rays of sunlight at the end of cold winter days. Amazing creatures in many ways.

As for disturbing the drays: I found the article to be quite interesting. Let's remember that not too long ago we got ruffled feathers when a fellow across the pond unrelentingly picked on another fellow in the UK for his "unsportsmanlike" methods which are perfectly legal. Now, many of us Yankees appear to be dismissing a fellow from over yonder for asking about simple question about managing an invasive species. Lest we become the pompous ones, we, too, have unsportsmanlike methods of containing introduced animals from spreading. We, like they, aren't necessarily hunting in those situations, but using the means available to control the population of the particular vermin for the betterment of our nature fauna.
Now for the $64,000 question: 'Did you eat those squirrels that you knock out of the drays?' LOL

 

[snakebit]

I made a comit yesterday that I had to Admit some Cheating well I did.

I used this new fangled thingamajg

Most of my guns have a wedge pin and the barrel pops out easily. I would do so and remove nipples, place the barrel in a bucket half full with hot water and pump it clean.

I stated messing around with some flintlocks, I was fortunate enough to acquire a American Colonial and a SMR both have pinned barrels. After shooting them used water and patches over and over until clean. It worked. Maybe just me but it did take awhile to get clean. Then I removed the pins and the barrel, I did this with both guns. I did not damage anything but I know if I continued doing this it would happen, sooner or later.

Well, I received a gift from my
Feral Brother. Snakebit had sent me a universal flintlock flush kit. I never thought I would use one, figured I'll just do it the way they did it. After shooting my Colonial .58 Smoothbore I tried it out. I liked alot, loved it. Hooked it up to the barrel, set a half gallon of hot water in a milk jug next to the buttstock on the floor dropped in hose in and stated flushing it out. After a few pumps I replaced the water, I really didn't need to. Just wanted to see how much more fouling was left in the barrel. It was cleaned in no time with very few patches.

I know it's necessary but I liked and I will use the He!! Out Of That Flush Kit.

Thanks Snakebit.
Let's keep the Feralism Alive!

You're welcome brother . Sometimes ya just gotta work smarter, not harder. Plugging the touch hole on Sadie didn't work so good, some leakage. Those flush kits looked like they'd work pretty good. I don't consider it cheating when ya got a clean barrel, no boogered up pin holes, or water under the barrel

 

[oldschoolhunter55]

https://www.shootinguk.co.uk/features/drey-poking-for-grey-squirrel-control-35528/

We do it this way, the article above covers off the details. Needs a party of three or four really.

Wow. Ive ne er seen that done before. Ughh if my dad or grandpas xeen me do that. Ughh i wouldnt be able to sit down lol they would tear my butt up hahaha

 

[ETipp]

Never knew that they were also used as nut storage. I have seen squirrels sleepily emerge from these leafy nests as the sunlight pokes its first rays over the horizon on Fall mornings. And I've witnessed squirrels coming out of their dens to catch the last warm rays of sunlight at the end of cold winter days. Amazing creatures in many ways.

As for disturbing the drays: I found the article to be quite interesting. Let's remember that not too long ago we got ruffled feathers when a fellow across the pond unrelentingly picked on another fellow in the UK for his "unsportsmanlike" methods which are perfectly legal. Now, many of us Yankees appear to be dismissing a fellow from over yonder for asking about simple question about managing an invasive species. Lest we become the pompous ones, we, too, have unsportsmanlike methods of containing introduced animals from spreading. We, like they, aren't necessarily hunting in those situations, but using the means available to control the population of the particular vermin for the betterment of our nature fauna.
Now for the $64,000 question: 'Did you eat those squirrels that you knock out of the drays?' LOL

Indeed, drey's are one of many stash places squirrels use. According to research, some squirrels will sometimes sleep in them, and occasionally raise their young in them, but their primary location is in a den hole in a tree. Much safer from racoons, snakes, hawks, owls, etc. Dreys are easily torn apart.

One interesting thing I did witness last spring was two squirrels going in and out of the same drey. One would go in there and sometimes remain for a minute or two, leave and the other squirrel would run in there and do the same. I know not what they were doing in there.

 

[ETipp]

Wow. Ive ne er seen that done before. Ughh if my dad or grandpas xeen me do that. Ughh i wouldnt be able to sit down lol they would tear my butt up hahaha

That's the way I was taught, also, @snakebit . Unsportsmanlike; sorry behavior.

Sorta like shooting a duck in the water, or a dove off of a power line.

Of course the gray squirrel is invasive over there. They're not shooting for sport.

I see no benefit in shooting into a drey. If a squirrel is in there, and you were lucky enough to hit it, chances are you wouldn't be able to recover it.

I do, however, see then as a huge benefit for indicating that I am in a squirrels back yard.

 

[MrTwelvette]

Thanks Christophero, we do indeed come at squirrels from a pest control perspective rather than a sporting one.

That said, I practise both poking and stalking. My permission is on a pheasant shoot, season ends 1 February so I start poking then and carry on till mid to late April. At that point there's a danger that any drey poked will have a nesting tawny owl in it, and disturbing them is verboten. So then I move on to hunting/stalking till about September and stop so as not to interfere with the pheasant shoot.

I don't eat all of the squirrels, but they do all get eaten. I take some and the rest go to a friend for ferret food.

 

[Boomerang]

In Indiana, it is illegal to shoot into dreys. I seem to see more of them living in their dreys during warmer months and then move into den trees when it gets colder. It's amazing how God designed them to build those leaf nests to hold together way up there in the trees with the high winds we get sometimes.

 

[David LaPell]

It's been a decent season where I am. My son bagged a pair of nice greys back in October before deer season began and I shot a nice black squirrel about a month back. Deer season is pretty much over for me, don't really have room in the freezer for another one, so back to small game. If I can I'll probably try to go south again during Christmas break and go to a spot where they're in large numbers and try and get some more greys. The season here is open until the last day of February.

 

[ETipp]

It's been a decent season where I am. My son bagged a pair of nice greys back in October before deer season began and I shot a nice black squirrel about a month back. Deer season is pretty much over for me, don't really have room in the freezer for another one, so back to small game. If I can I'll probably try to go south again during Christmas break and go to a spot where they're in large numbers and try and get some more greys. The season here is open until the last day of February.
View attachment 366207

View attachment 366208

Uh-oh.

Expect incoming request for GPS coordinates from JimK.

 

[Jim K]

Hahaha. I wasn’t gonna say anything but I did look to see where David lives!!

 

[ETipp]

Hahaha. I wasn’t gonna say anything but I did look to see where David lives!!

I knew it, just as sure as the world turns, I knew it.

 

[Jim K]

On the topic of dreys, I just finished reading a book on grey and fox squirrels. They said that dreys are mostly used in warmer temps and dens in trees when colder. Makes sense but when I used to hunt fox squirrels a good bit in the winter during their rut, twice I saw males trying to get at females who were in their drey.

The one was really persistent. The female was really loud and I snuck down there and shot him. His ears had been bit and was bloody.

The other one I thought was a female due to its pale color. I would only shoot the brightly colored ones as they were usually ( not always but usually) males. Any ways, I watched it go up a tree to a drey. There was a female came flying out and ran the male back down the tree.

Interesting things to see in the woods!

 

[ETipp]

On the topic of dreys, I just finished reading a book on grey and fox squirrels. They said that dreys are mostly used in warmer temps and dens in trees when colder. Makes sense but when I used to hunt fox squirrels a good bit in the winter during their rut, twice I saw males trying to get at females who were in their drey.

The one was really persistent. The female was really loud and I snuck down there and shot him. His ears had been bit and was bloody.

The other one I thought was a female due to its pale color. I would only shoot the brightly colored ones as they were usually ( not always but usually) males. Any ways, I watched it go up a tree to a drey. There was a female came flying out and ran the male back down the tree.

Interesting things to see in the woods!

Those furry little critters are absolutely incredible to watch. They are so versatile.

 

[fire bear]

A question for the North American members. Is it common or accepted practice on your locality to poke the Eastern Grey Dreys, Then shoot them as they emerge/flush?

I'm guessing not, but it's fairly common in the UK when the leaves are off the trees, purpose made poles are available.

It's not legal to do that in Pennsylvania.