Kentucky opener

[George]

Fall squirrel season opened this morning and I was able to get out. Conditions were perfect, cool early on with calm wind and clear sky. I hit the woods about 0800, anxious to see what conditions were like at my old farm since I sold it. I was pleased to see the place looking good, lots of new fencing, and most of the larger woods plots generally intact, although many of the smaller ones and several of my old hunting spots had been scraped up into piles.

I carried my Jacky Brown 20 gauge smooth rifle loaded with 70 grains 2F Goex, paper wad, tow overpowder, 1 1/8 ounce of #5 chilled shot, tow overshot. I saw 4 squirrels, but only managed to work into position to shoot at one of them, and brought it home. Early in the hunt I saw movement in the high treetops, what seemed to be a squirrel going somewhere, so I followed along. After 5 minutes and several trees I lost him, but then found he had stopped and I had sneaked past him. He was a fox squirrel in a very tall oak, and I wasn't sure he was in range, but when he showed his orange belly I took the shot. Nothing moved, he just disappeared. Mumblecuss. I assumed he was history, but just as I got reloaded I saw him move in a tree next door, and he parked on a limb which seemed even further away. I tried him again, and that time he come down with a thump. A mature boar, I think the prettiest squirrel there is.

I hunted until just after noon, the temperature got up to almost 90° and I called it a day. A good demonstration of how squirrel hunting with flintlock smoothbores is different than with modern. With my Remington 870 I would have brought home all 4 of those squirrels, but I wouldn't have had nearly so much fun.







Lord love a smoothbore.

Spence

 

[Silky921]

Good for you Spence. You're truly motivation. I can only hope to be telling hunting stories at your age.

 

[Skychief]

I knew that you'd be needing that camera fixed Spence!

I didn't realize that we shared openers for squirrel, until now.

Glad that you were able to head back to the farm and had a good hunt. I couldn't agree more about these guns being so much more fun and rewarding than the modern ones. I believe that's partly due to the fact that we put so much more of ourselves in them. :thumbsup:

That's a good looking squacker for sure, even next to your fine looking Jackie Brown. That's some purdy wood!

We gave it up around 10:30 this morning. Had we hunted until noon, our tongues would have surely been hanging out, as hot as it got today. :shocked2:

Thanks for taking us with you today. Enjoyed it.

Good hunting, Skychief

 

[Spikebuck]

Good hunting story. :thumbsup: Glad you were able to bring one home with you. I agree that big fox squirrels are beautiful animals...though a nice young grey can't be beat in the skillet!

Hopefully the remaining woods will stay intact. Best wishes on your future visits.

 

[Britsmoothy]

Good for you kind sir. :hatsoff:

Great photos.

B :thumbsup:

 

[robinsroost]

Well done Spence, congratulations. Your narrative was excellent as were your photos. Keep yer powder dry........Robin :wink:

 

[ny griz]

:thumbsup: :thumbsup: Good story,great hunt.Got er done. :hatsoff: Griz

 

[coloradoclyde]

Wonderful, Spence.... :thumbsup: :hatsoff:

Can you tell us about that beautiful horn?

 

[George]

Can you tell us about that beautiful horn?

Sure. That was a most generous gift from a friend in a former life, Jim Emerson. He made me a present of that beautiful map horn of the Kentucky frontier when I handed over the ownership of an old black powder email list, MLML, almost 20 years ago. I knew Jim was a talented fellow, but never suspected he was a master hornsmith, so imagine my surprise. I'm still stunned every time I throw it over my shoulder

Here's a slideshow with a surplus of pictures:
http://s881.photobucket.com/user/Spence_2010/slideshow/Emerson Horn

Spence

 

[coloradoclyde]

:thumbsup: :hatsoff:

 

[Arcturus]

Congrats on the hunt, thanks for sharing it with us. It makes me anticipate even more the start of squirrel and dove season here in a couple of weeks. I will be taking out a smoothbore flintlock to roam the woods and can't wait! You're an inspiration, Spence...thanks again.

 

[house]

Great story. Thanks for sharing! Sounds like you had a great morning to hunt also.

 

[Grumpa]

Thank you, Spence. That first picture just about took my breath away it is so beautiful. You surely deserve such fine equipment. The slides of the horn were icing on the cake. :thumbsup: :hatsoff:

 

[Sean Gadhar]

Thank you, Spence. That first picture just about took my breath

:metoo:

 

[George]

Thanks for the kind words about the picture, fellows. You want to be cautious about photographers, though, they can make the south end of a north-bound mule look good. :haha:

Spence

 

[dhaverstick]

Glad you got a little meat for the stew pot! They are probably starting to whittle on nuts like they are here in Missouri. Should be some good hunting coming up.

Darren

 

[George]

I have a bunch of black walnut and hickory in my yard, so I can check what they are up to before the season starts. Walnuts are already on the menu here in Kentucky, but I've seen no hickory nut activity, yet, and they usually come first, We had a real bumper crop for both, last year, and sometimes that means a thin mast for the next couple of years, too early to tell about that, yet,

I was interested to find a small buckeye or horse chestnut tree on this hunt which the squirrels were cutting. I've never known whether they will eat those, but they apparently do. I have also seen squirrels working on osage oranges in the past, which surprised me.

Spence

 

[Patocazador]

"I was interested to find a small buckeye or horse chestnut tree on this hunt which the squirrels were cutting. I've never known whether they will eat those, but they apparently do."

I seem to remember that buckeyes are poisonous for humans unless treated in some manner, maybe similar to poke salat.

 

[R.C.BINGAMAN]

Spence, watch the dog wood trees the small red berries that grow about this time of year the squirrels love them, I have 6 large black walnut trees in the back yard,and 3 dog woods in the front the little furry beggars will cut the dog woods first.I always look for the mountain dog woods early in the season for squirrel pot pie fixins.KEEP YOUR EYES SHARP and HAPPY HUNTING. R.C.- An appalichian hunter

 

[Wes/Tex]

Can't speak to buckeyes down here and walnut all but disappeared a century ago when some French guys decided they'd be better send back home as lumber...but yes, our nut bearing trees often do the easy year or two after a bumper crop thing too. Loved teh horn pics...JIm is indeed an excellent talent adn you're a lucky hombre! :wink: Hope you have a good fall chasing limb chickens!