Still working on the squirrels

[dhaverstick]

I will admit that I have a strong attraction to hunting and since bow season doesn't open for 3 more months I have to do something to while away the time during the summer. For me that is hunting squirrels.

It was raining at daylight both Saturday and Sunday at my house but after the showers quit I got out to see if I could add some meat to the stew pot. It was hard for me to keep my powder dry with all the water dripping off the trees and a few squirrels got a pass when my flinter didn't ignite the way it should have. I did manage to kill three, though. Hunting them is tough this time of year. The little S.O.B.s never stay still and the cover is so thick that I just get lucky when one stops in an open area long enough for me to get a bead on him. Another thing is that it seems all I ever kill in the early season is old boars. It's still fun, though, and I surely do love to watch that cloud of blue smoke wafting through the air!

Darren

 

[robinsroost]

Congratulations Darren, nicely done. I like to boil the old ones in some salted water. Let them cool down enough to remove the ones, then bring back to a rolling boil and drop in flat dumplings. They make a meal it for a king. robin :bow:

 

[Flintlock]

The chipmunks and red squirrels invade the yard and barn causing the dogs to go nut's, if I grab my flinter and gear the little Jack Russel goes insane. Great fun and great practice.

 

[Britsmoothy]

:hatsoff:
Just got to get out there myself too.

B.

 

[dhaverstick]

I figured you were too busy killing coneys!

Darren

 

[hanshi]

Been thinking I might head out with my flinter, too, and get me a mess of tin cans for supper. Ya' see, I can hit cans because they set still while I shoot and finally, maybe, sometimes, occasionally connect. :idunno:

 

[Flintlock]

You must have some awful calm tin cans, mine seem to spook and duck when I'm about to fire.

 

[PaulN/KS]

Are you furnishing all the squirrels for the stew pot this weekend..? :thumbsup:

 

[Flintlock]

Darren, what is that squirrel gun of yours, very good looking piece.

 

[SDSmlf]

Find the gallon cans at the warehouse stores provide a much more realistic target. Slower moving and with proper concentration somewhat easier to hit than the ever so elusive 12 or 16 ounce cans.

 

[FishDFly]

Find the gallon cans at the warehouse stores provide a much more realistic target. Slower moving and with proper concentration somewhat easier to hit than the ever so elusive 12 or 16 ounce cans.

Harder to skin though and take up more room in the frying pan.

 

[dhaverstick]

This particular gun was made for me by my good friend, John Pruitt. It's a 12 gauge smoothbore with a 42" Colerain barrel. I have a blade front sight and a buckhorn rear sight. The lock is a left hand large Siler. John carved the stock out of some walnut he had on hand.

Lately, my squirrel load has been 75 grains of FFF, 1 overpowder card, 1/4" lubed fiber wad, 1 1/2 oz. #6 shot, and 1 overshot card. If I'm hunting turkeys with this gun I will use a paper shot cup to tighten my pattern. For squirrels I just pour the shot down the barrel.

Next month I'm fixing to meet up with John in Arkansas and bring him some walnut and cherry boards from trees cut off my farm. He's making a couple of rifles for my dad and me and will use that wood for the stocks. Dad is getting a short 50 caliber Hawken half-stock percussion cap and I'm getting a 54 caliber full-stock flinter. I haven't decided yet whether to use the 38" Colerain swamped barrel or the 42" swamped barrel.

John is a heckuva craftsman and can make you a gun in short order. The last one he made for me took about a month. He generally charges $150 plus parts and that's with him furnishing the stock wood. He'll even make some of the brass furniture if you want him to. It's hard to beat a deal like that!

Paul, I won't be the only one bringing squirrels to the party. Hopefully, we'll have a pile of them to go with the crawdad boil.

Darren