We finally got a break in the cold weather and I decided to get out after some squirrels today. It was very windy, but I was hoping the warmth would get a few of them out of their holes. And if not, well, I'd have a great day hiking around in the woods.
I was just leaving the house when I got a picture/text from Dan Butch showing his first squirrel of the day on the ground. I thought, "Man, I'm just leaving and Dan's already got one!" I'm usually not in too much of a hurry in the winter as I find the squirrels seem to like late morning anyway.
I have a 45 mile drive to our lease and when I got to the ridge top I thought I was nuts for going. The winds were horrific. The roads were drifting and iced. But I decided to stay the course.
I arrived around 9AM and loaded up my Virginia smoothrifle with 50 grs of 2F KiK, two lubed 1/8" felt wads, 1 1/4 oz of #6 lead shot, and two overshot cards. I hadn't been in the woods 10 minutes when I spied a smallish squirrel working along the edge of a field. I started working toward him but at about 35 yards he saw me and began quickly moving through the trees. I kept track of him and after about 100 yards he went up into a big old dead tree that fortunately didn't have any holes in it. I was playing ring-around-the-rosie with him when he suddenly got a lot bigger!!! There were two squirrels in the tree. The bigger one that popped out just sat on a limb... in the open...bad and last mistake. When I shot him and he came tumbling down the original squirrel didn't like it and took off again. I kept one eye on where he was going while I reloaded. He had gone about 50 yards and under the roots of a tree growing along a dry-wash. I figured that was the end of that, but went over there anyway. When I was only 6 feet from the overhanging roots, out he came. He went up the tree to the top and was hesitating a second before jumping to the next tree...a second longer than he should have.
A nice start...two squirrels in the bag!
DSCN0415 by mdheaser
I clean my squirrels right in the field. This year, to aid with cutting off the head and feet, I am carrying this nice little hawk that I had a friend of mine pick up for me at the Kalamazoo show last spring. Works great!
DSCN0416 by mdheaser
The wind was really roaring so I figured I was darned lucky to get those two. It wasn't until 1:30 when the wind finally died down that I saw squirrels again. I was just coming up over a small rise when I saw a squirrel looking for nuts or whatever under the snow. Every time he'd stick his head under I'd move forward a bit. Got to within 20 yards when he finally caught me and ran up a smallish tree. I don't think he knew what I was and to get a better look he just scooted out on a limb and stood up on his hind legs for a look. Not his best move of the day. When I shot him another squirrel ran out from behind a big tree and went up. So I reloaded and figured I'd be playing the "ring-around" game again but as I worked around the tree he just sat on the side about 20 feet up. That was number four.
DSCN0418 by mdheaser
I was just taking a couple pictures when another squirrel came out of the same tree and just goes over two trees. So I loaded up again, but this one wasn't so dumb. He went round and round and kept working higher. The tree he was in had at one time had a large limb break off and there was a huge place at the break where he could hide. I also thought there was a big knot hole he could get in. Finally I figured he must have escaped to one of those locations and I gave up. I cleaned the other two squirrels, reloaded again, but decided I may as well check that tree once more. Much to my surprise, he had not gone up to either of those possible hiding places, but was kind of wedged among some small twigs. He let me get into a position where I could get a shot and that was number five.
DSCN0419 by mdheaser
Cleaned him and headed back to the Jeep. Kinda glad I didn't see anymore on the way! I was pooped out. I can't remember the last time I walked out of the woods with five squirrels in the bag. After weeks of super cold weather it was nice to be out in upper-30 degree temps and have a great day in the field.
I was just leaving the house when I got a picture/text from Dan Butch showing his first squirrel of the day on the ground. I thought, "Man, I'm just leaving and Dan's already got one!" I'm usually not in too much of a hurry in the winter as I find the squirrels seem to like late morning anyway.
I have a 45 mile drive to our lease and when I got to the ridge top I thought I was nuts for going. The winds were horrific. The roads were drifting and iced. But I decided to stay the course.
I arrived around 9AM and loaded up my Virginia smoothrifle with 50 grs of 2F KiK, two lubed 1/8" felt wads, 1 1/4 oz of #6 lead shot, and two overshot cards. I hadn't been in the woods 10 minutes when I spied a smallish squirrel working along the edge of a field. I started working toward him but at about 35 yards he saw me and began quickly moving through the trees. I kept track of him and after about 100 yards he went up into a big old dead tree that fortunately didn't have any holes in it. I was playing ring-around-the-rosie with him when he suddenly got a lot bigger!!! There were two squirrels in the tree. The bigger one that popped out just sat on a limb... in the open...bad and last mistake. When I shot him and he came tumbling down the original squirrel didn't like it and took off again. I kept one eye on where he was going while I reloaded. He had gone about 50 yards and under the roots of a tree growing along a dry-wash. I figured that was the end of that, but went over there anyway. When I was only 6 feet from the overhanging roots, out he came. He went up the tree to the top and was hesitating a second before jumping to the next tree...a second longer than he should have.
A nice start...two squirrels in the bag!
DSCN0415 by mdheaser
I clean my squirrels right in the field. This year, to aid with cutting off the head and feet, I am carrying this nice little hawk that I had a friend of mine pick up for me at the Kalamazoo show last spring. Works great!
DSCN0416 by mdheaser
The wind was really roaring so I figured I was darned lucky to get those two. It wasn't until 1:30 when the wind finally died down that I saw squirrels again. I was just coming up over a small rise when I saw a squirrel looking for nuts or whatever under the snow. Every time he'd stick his head under I'd move forward a bit. Got to within 20 yards when he finally caught me and ran up a smallish tree. I don't think he knew what I was and to get a better look he just scooted out on a limb and stood up on his hind legs for a look. Not his best move of the day. When I shot him another squirrel ran out from behind a big tree and went up. So I reloaded and figured I'd be playing the "ring-around" game again but as I worked around the tree he just sat on the side about 20 feet up. That was number four.
DSCN0418 by mdheaser
I was just taking a couple pictures when another squirrel came out of the same tree and just goes over two trees. So I loaded up again, but this one wasn't so dumb. He went round and round and kept working higher. The tree he was in had at one time had a large limb break off and there was a huge place at the break where he could hide. I also thought there was a big knot hole he could get in. Finally I figured he must have escaped to one of those locations and I gave up. I cleaned the other two squirrels, reloaded again, but decided I may as well check that tree once more. Much to my surprise, he had not gone up to either of those possible hiding places, but was kind of wedged among some small twigs. He let me get into a position where I could get a shot and that was number five.
DSCN0419 by mdheaser
Cleaned him and headed back to the Jeep. Kinda glad I didn't see anymore on the way! I was pooped out. I can't remember the last time I walked out of the woods with five squirrels in the bag. After weeks of super cold weather it was nice to be out in upper-30 degree temps and have a great day in the field.
Thanks for the story and photo's. :thumbsup: Larry
