Barking Squirrels

[Habs]

I have heard that if you want to shoot squirrels with a large caliber rifle, you can aim to miss them by a half inch and the shock will stun them and knock them out of the tree. This is called "barking" squirrels.

This sounds weird, but does it work? Has anyone tried it?

 

Someone shot at me and missed by around 1/2" once. I wonder if the squirrels have to change their pants too?

I can guarentee that I have missed a thousand squirrels by 1/2" inch and every one of them ran to the other side of the tree and laughed histarically at me, I could hear them!

We will never know if modern man is capable of barking squirrels due to the fact that only 6 people in the nation can hit a 3x5 index card at 50 yards, so they will never be able to guarentee MISSING a squirrel by 1/2". (see results of last shooting contest!)

AND

If anyone claims they can or have done so in the past then we will expect them to enter this months off hand shoot and post at least a near winning score! It's easier this month, the range is only 25 yds. 75 feet. Lots of trees that tall, 25 yds is well within normal squirrel barking range!

So, this will explain all of the clean misses on the cards this month. We were actually "barking" the cards. Purposefully missing them by 1/2" in the attempt at improving our squirrel hunting skills!

 

[Stumpkiller]

Yes, it works.

Sometimes it doesn't. In my experience, the colder outside the better and the harder wood of the tree the better. White pine sucks up a .50 cal. ball and the squirrel scratches his nuts while you try to reload (now, where did he get them acorns in a pine tree. :winking. Shagbark hickory I could slap with a .66 ball and kill a squirrel in the next tree.

Barking ain't much good when you're looking at a squirrel in the tiny top branches or with his back to you on the trunk, or on the ground, or sitting up on his haunches on a large limb.

I think it got it's start when a feller took a shot and his hunting partner noticed the tree was hit and not the squirrel :hmm: Thinking quickly he said: "Ain't ye never barked a squirrel?"

Now I just load down light (or maybe not) shoot for the head.

 

[Ohio Joe]

You can miss a candle flame by a half inch with a .445 lead ball and snuff it out.

I doubt it works on squirrels unless you struck hard wood, splintering it and it had a shrapnel effect on it.

Seems to me if a person can hit within 1/2 inch of the squirrel, a person ought to be able to hit it in the head?

Maybe I'm wrong, but what's the purpose of barking a squirrel in the first place? If you know you can kill it with a head shot, kill it! :imo: eace:

 

[Bunyan]

I'd describe it as more of a chatter, but I suppose a squirrel could bark!

 

[mornard]

JHabs - not a large caliber, but traditionally a .32 or .36. It's best for the squirrel that flattens himself on a branch to hide. Aim to hit the tree limb jest under 'em, & the percussion bounces them up in the air and kills 'em dead.

And enny man who says he can do it better be eatin' squirrel, or else he's a windtalker...

 

[roundball]

I think it got it's start when a feller took a shot and his hunting partner noticed the tree was hit and not the squirrel :hmm: Thinking quickly he said: "Ain't ye never barked a squirrel?"

========================================================

Personally, I've always thought it was an old wives tale, or a story that got it's legs from one too many pulls on the jug...legends die hard

 

[Habs]

I'll take my .50 out and try it. I'd like to use a smokepole for small game, but I'm just not interested in buying a .32 cal.

Going for headshots is probably the best method, though.
Thanks everybody.

 

[buckknife]

Never barked a skwerl but have knocked out bullfrogs with a 22 revolver before shooten just in front of the tip of ther snout.
If i shotem in the head they were hard to find at night in the stired up pond water even with a light,found out if i shot right in front of their nose it would knockem out an they woulnt get drilled in the mud by he bullet.
didnt take long to find out that this didnt kill em just stun em for a couple minutes then they wake up and start hopen off.
Good thump on the bank with em took care of that problem :haha:

 

[cayugad]

I've shot squirrel with large bore, but never barked them intentionally. I always aimed for the head. Usually ended up cutting them almost in half. Now I hunt them with a 1858 New Army .44 caliber black powder revolver. I don't get many and that's all right.

We have pine squirrels here. No good to eat but a lot of fun to shoot at.

 

[Musketeer]

Bunyan, my thoughts exactly! The title of this thread is a bit misleading. I thought somebody had found a barking sqirrel! I figured maybe he'd been shooting at a pack of feral Chihuahuas by mistake! Hey, they could easily be mistaken for barking squirrels!::I sure wish folks wouldn't tease me with these misleading titles! It's like the one in the cooking section entitled Smoking Salmon . I fully expected to see a pic of a salmon smoking a cigarette! :crackup: :crackup:Anyhow, "barking" a squirrel sounds like an old wives' tale to me! I would think that the only effect would be to startle the critter and make 'im run away. I doubt that the shock effect of the passing ball would be enough to actually hurt the squirrel. Snuffing out a candle with a passing roundball? Sure, I can believe that, but snuffing out a squirrel? Me thinks not! :thumbsup:

 

[No Deer]

I have read about this, but I am not good enough to do it myself, that's why I just load up with #5s.

NoDeer

 

[flaming canvas]

Bunyan, my thoughts exactly! The title of this thread is a bit misleading. I thought somebody had found a barking sqirrel!

A barking spider would be a more realistic expectation, considering what I just read.

 

[Joe Yanta]

Ok, squirrel hunters here how you "chatter" with a squirrel. What you do is find a scaley bark hickernut tree that the squirrels are cuttin on. By cuttin on I mean look at the hickernut cuttings at the base of the tree. If the cuttings are white and fresh like when you first bite into an apple and you can squeeze moisture out it, boys there is a squirrel or squirrels in that tree. Quietly move back about 10 yards and sit down at the base of tree you can watch the cuttin tree from.

Now comes the fun part.

Wait about 10 minutes being real still and let the chiggers and mosquitoes bite you. Then take two USA quarters, hold one in each hand between your thumb and finger. Take your quarters and with short quick movements rub the side of one quarter across the serations of the edge of the other quarter. This will make a chattering squirrel noise. The cutting squirrel thinks they have an intruder and will show themselves trying to find out whats up. Dont let them get too close to you, thats not sporting.

One of these days I'll tell you how to call bass and crappie.

Joe Yanta

 

[Huntinfool]

My Mentor is from the old school he says he's seen it done several times. They used to have contests to see who could bring in the most squaks with out a hole in them.

As he said to me aim for the tree right under their head when they are tight against it sometimes ya miss and head shoot them.

I have no doubt that it can and has been done. I've seen him shoot a 5 shot group offhand at 50 yards that you could cover with a fifty cent piece! That's what he won the turkey shoot with at our club 2 years ago! Of course he usually comes in first, second, any time he competes.

How many times have you had squirrels within 15 yards or less? I don't see what would be the problem doing it myself. :results:

YMH&OS,
Chuck

 

[pepperbelly]

flaming canvas, I was thinking of barking spiders too.
Jim

 

[KyFlintlock]

Someone shot at me and missed by around 1/2" once. I wonder if the squirrels have to change their pants too?

I can guarentee that I have missed a thousand squirrels by 1/2" inch and every one of them ran to the other side of the tree and laughed histarically at me, I could hear them!

We will never know if modern man is capable of barking squirrels due to the fact that only 6 people in the nation can hit a 3x5 index card at 50 yards, so they will never be able to guarentee MISSING a squirrel by 1/2". (see results of last shooting contest!)

:haha: :agree:

Good one.
Wess

 

[KyFlintlock]

Yes, it works.

Sometimes it doesn't. In my experience, the colder outside the better and the harder wood of the tree the better. White pine sucks up a .50 cal. ball and the squirrel scratches his nuts while you try to reload (now, where did he get them acorns in a pine tree. :winking.

You guys are killing me... :haha:

 

[wilded]

I have found that making a sucking noise on the back of my finger which squeaks like a young squirrel in pain works great at getting squirrels to show themselves. My .32 crockett will drop them like a rock. Only problem is I now want to try a flinter. Dang this stuff is an addiction. Is there a program to get off this white smoke.

 

[flaming canvas]

I have found that making a sucking noise on the back of my finger which squeaks like a young squirrel in pain works great at getting squirrels to show themselves. My .32 crockett will drop them like a rock. Only problem is I now want to try a flinter. Dang this stuff is an addiction. Is there a program to get off this white smoke.

It requires that you go cold turkey. You have to get rid of all your equipment at once, or what you keep will act as a starter sprout and soon you will be up to your eyeballs in it again. I will PM my address to you so that you can send it all to me as the first of the twelve steps. :haha: