My grandson went on his first hunt today. No, he wasn't carrying a gun, but he was definitely hunting since he was the one that spied both the squirrels we got first! He just turned 9, so high time he finally went out.
Shortly after we got into the woods we found this big buck rub. I think it will be a few years before he can shoot my Virginia Smoothie!
I had just been telling him that sometimes you won't see a squirrel, but will see some snow fall off a tree and it might be a squirrel that knocked it loose. Looking off through the woods I saw a little snow fall from a tree...then another. We headed over that way. I stayed on one side and sent him to the other. The squirrel took off like it had a fire lit under it. We watched it go about 100 yards then disappeared on a tree. When we went over there I could see a hole in it that was probably the squirrel's nest. Just then my grandson said "Papa, there's a squirrel in a tree down there!" Sure enough, a gray was out just sitting on a limb. We headed that way and the squirrel just sat there. At 25 yards I had a clear shot. The pressure was on! Papa had better make the shot!!! Well, my aim was true and the squirrel was dead before it hit the ground.
Even though we hadn't been out long, Quintin's toes were cold, so after I cleaned the squirrel we built a fire and cooked some dogs.
After he got warmed up again we dowsed the fire and headed off again in search of squirrels. We hadn't gone but 100 yards when Quintin saw another squirrel. He whispered and pointed to a small tree on the edge of a small outcropping. Sure enough, there was a big fox squirrel. We were able to work up close enough and the Virginia did it's job again.
Unfortunately, his feet were cold again by the time I got done cleaning this big fox squirrel, so we decided to go back to the truck and head for home. It was kind of a short hunt, but hopefully a great first experience for him. He saw how to clean squirrels and got some anatomy lessons to boot.
And while we didn't do it today, we'll have the squirrel meat another day. We just prepped it up and put it in the freezer for now.
Shortly after we got into the woods we found this big buck rub. I think it will be a few years before he can shoot my Virginia Smoothie!
I had just been telling him that sometimes you won't see a squirrel, but will see some snow fall off a tree and it might be a squirrel that knocked it loose. Looking off through the woods I saw a little snow fall from a tree...then another. We headed over that way. I stayed on one side and sent him to the other. The squirrel took off like it had a fire lit under it. We watched it go about 100 yards then disappeared on a tree. When we went over there I could see a hole in it that was probably the squirrel's nest. Just then my grandson said "Papa, there's a squirrel in a tree down there!" Sure enough, a gray was out just sitting on a limb. We headed that way and the squirrel just sat there. At 25 yards I had a clear shot. The pressure was on! Papa had better make the shot!!! Well, my aim was true and the squirrel was dead before it hit the ground.
Even though we hadn't been out long, Quintin's toes were cold, so after I cleaned the squirrel we built a fire and cooked some dogs.
After he got warmed up again we dowsed the fire and headed off again in search of squirrels. We hadn't gone but 100 yards when Quintin saw another squirrel. He whispered and pointed to a small tree on the edge of a small outcropping. Sure enough, there was a big fox squirrel. We were able to work up close enough and the Virginia did it's job again.
Unfortunately, his feet were cold again by the time I got done cleaning this big fox squirrel, so we decided to go back to the truck and head for home. It was kind of a short hunt, but hopefully a great first experience for him. He saw how to clean squirrels and got some anatomy lessons to boot.
And while we didn't do it today, we'll have the squirrel meat another day. We just prepped it up and put it in the freezer for now.
