Surely miss the squirrel hunting days.

[Joe Yanta]

Back in the '50's I lived with my grandfather in southern Illinois. Grandpa was born there in the 1800's, live there all of his life. He knew every landowner and every woods. August was the start of squirrel season and you find us going into the woods.

Grandpa hunted squirrel with a 20 gauge percussion smoothbore loaded with 6's. We would find a scalely bark Hickery tree where the squirrels were cuttin nuts, get back and watch the trees for a spell.

One of the tricks grandpa taught me to fight off the mosquitos was to use a small twig with a few leaves on it. When he was sitting at the base of a tree he would hold the twig up in front of his face and gently rotate the twig between his thumb and forefinger. The leaves slowly moving infront of your face made a little breeze and the task of the mosquitos difficult.

When a squirrel presented itself, grandpa would raise the smoothbore, its roar and bellow of smoke would provide another meal for us.

We lived nearly entirely of sustenance of the what the land provided back then.

I surely miss the simplicity of those wonderful days.

Any squirrel hunters out there?

Happy New Year

Joe

 

[roundball]

Wanted to try and christen a new .40cal flintlock on squirrels today but rain and wind are working against me

 

[Runner]

Squirrel hunting is a nine month long activity here. If I had to give up either deer hunting or squirrel hunting, the deer would lose. I still pretty much eat what I kill or gather when I am at the cabin. I remember the days of shoveling corn into the crib all day as they brought the wagons in from the field, eating roasted coon for dinner, and then hunting for 3 or 4 hours for more coon skins. 36$ a hide back then was big money. The farmer that worked the land I learned to deer hunt on saved the biggest check he ever made as his half for one year. It was 10,000$. 42 coon hides at 30 + a piece was a big part of the yearly income! It was common for people to have a dog trained for squirrel hunting. Squirrel was a common breakfast meat. Dad still talks about a lady that made fried squirrel for breakfast and put it in a pan with fresh sage to season while she made the biscuits and gravy!
I hunt them with a 36 CVA, a 12 guage CVA, and with several pellet rifles. This year is the best I ever remember. The spider bite/infection from deer season still has me pretty much house bound or I would be out there today!

 

[dodgecity]

Oh yes, Joe, I suspect we're pretty much the same age. Started out hunting with my grandpap too. He was an old WWI doughboy. I'm a dedicated squirrel hunter still. I favor either my old Winchester .22 or my .32 southern mountain flinter. In my opinion, the greatest invention of the 20th century is not the computer, but, the crock pot. Ya can't make a gourmet squirrel stew with a computer.

 

[Dave K]

Yes, I hunt squirrel when ever I can. I have been using a Ml'ing rifle exclusively for about 17yrs. To me, it is true sport and the eating is just fine. Besides, I don't really fret if I don't get a squirrel, it is the hunting that counts. But, if I pull the trigger, I don't often miss.

 

[Wehrmacht]

Yea, Joe. Put me in that same catagory too! Guess I'm 8-10 years older than you and dodgecity based on my joining the Navy back in '57. I'm a Cuban Missile Crisis and a 'Nam era Vet,also,though I was never in country in 'Nam. Missed being a Desert Storm Vet by 10 months :haha:.( 4 active,22 Select Ready Reserve with a few recalls :winking: ).

Reared by Grandparents,too,born in the very early 1880's. My grandad taught me hunting and woods skills, and squirrel hunting is my favorite of all! Our squirrels down here in Florida aren't but about half as big as yours are,so I have to shoot twice as many to have dinner :thumbsup:.

 

[Bearbait2]

Our squirrels down here in Florida aren't but about half as big as yours are,so I have to shoot twice as many to have dinner :thumbsup:.

Mr. der Forster,
I really appreciate your attitude and shall strive to emulate henceforth. Thank you!
(We have the same problem regarding the size of our Red Squirrels.)
Best Wishes

 

[jethro224]

Well Joe, we still have plenty of squirrels. Bigguns too! If you ever find yerself heading to Illinois between August 1 and Feb 15, git ahold of me and I'll take ya to 'em. :thumbsup:

 

[packgoat]

I chased bushytails yesterday. The wind hampered me, but it sure is fun hiking the woods with the trusty .32.

Packgoat

 

[bramble]

Deer season has ended, that means no distractions for squirrel hunting.
I have not acquired a small bore ML, so I'm wondering if anyone has experimented using a reduced charge in a .50. I'm thinking headshots. Any thoughts?

bramble

 

[BillinOregon]

Joe: Thanks for a wonderful thread. I have hunted squirrels with a .22, but never a muzzleloader. I would sure love to have a .32 or .36 and try.

 

[buzz bait]

Deer season has ended, that means no distractions for squirrel hunting.
I have not acquired a small bore ML, so I'm wondering if anyone has experimented using a reduced charge in a .50. I'm thinking headshots. Any thoughts?

bramble

i use 25 grains in my 50cal shoots real good up to 30 yards on paper but have not tried it on squirrles yet :redface: working on it since deer season ended din'thave to play with the sights much :shocked2:

 

[KyFlintlock]

Hey Joe, I knew of a good spot around McCleansboro, but the fish cleaned em all out. :rotf:

Love to squirrel hunt, just didn't do enough of it this year.

Good luck
wess

 

[Joe Yanta]

Ky, you still remember that story about the bass in McLeansboro's reservoir? That was sure a good bass. No, I do miss that hunting back in Illinois. I've got a .34 caliber Ohio Vincent that shoots .330 ball which is 00 buck that I think would be a right proper squirrel gun. Everyone talking how they cooked 'um up' really made me hungry.

We used to have fried squirrel, slow cooked fresh green beans from the garden with little new potatoes, bisquits and gravy, and a wilted lettuce salad with little pieces of bacon in it. We were dirt poor so grandma would bake a real flaky pie crust that we would crumble up and put fresh strawberries over for strawberry shortcake. That strawberry shortcake...OH boy!...the crubled up crust would soak up the strawberry juice....Oh my, I would rather have a poor boy supper like that right now than the finest steak in Denver.

When I retire I just might be knocking on some of your doors some fall day saying "Care to hunt some"

Thanks for your comments, they are appreciated.

Joe

P.S. The tiny little pine squirrels we have here in Colorado wouldn't even measure up to an Illinois mouse. They're not much bigger than your thumb.

 

[agill]

Deer season has ended, that means no distractions for squirrel hunting.
I have not acquired a small bore ML, so I'm wondering if anyone has experimented using a reduced charge in a .50. I'm thinking headshots. Any thoughts?

bramble

I've shot them in the body with my 45 cal. loaded with a RB and 50 gr. fffg. It didn't mess them up that much. However, wait for the bigger ones and try to bark them if you can.

 

[Ron LaClair]

Squirrel season opens here in Michigan in September and runs until the end of January. I always look forward to the quiet time in the woods with my .32 flinter listening to the telltale noises of feeding squirrels.

This is an old picture but it was one of my best mornings in the squirrel woods.

 

[renovato]

A squirrel hunting fanatic here! I'd rather hunt squirrel than anything else, actually.

Sounds like great times and great memories. My grandpa is the one who got me into squirrel hunting as a boy too.

 

You could say I like to hunt squirrels. This year marked my 48th season. Our season runs from the Saturday before Memorial Day and closes the 15th of February. I love to deer hunt but I'm always glad when it's over as it ruins the squirrel hunting for a few weeks.

As with my contemporary "south of the arch", if I had to choose between deer and squirrels, the deer would lose. Those young grays are just about the best eating around......and we still have them for breakfast on occasion, along with okra, taters and biscuits and gravy. Rich folk don't eat that good.

Vic

 

[Runner]

You can come hunt with me if I can come eat breakfast with you!

 

[bramble]

Buzz bait & Flint hunter,
Thanks for the info. I think I might try it this weekend. :thumbsup:

Just reading this thread had done flung a cravin' on me. :rotf:

bramble