Trade guns and squirrels

[BradCayton]

I was able to get in the woods for a short squirrel hunt this morning. I went to my normal places here at the house but didn't see any sign. Last year we had a bumper crop of acorns but none this year and very few hickory and walnuts. I have quite a few wild cherry trees and headed there. That's where the squirrels were! I was able to take 3 in about an hour or so. I saw a few more but didn't get shots.
For whatever reason I can't get the &%$# picture to post.

This was my first Saturday off in a while and had things I needed to get done at the house so started off the hill with the trade gun empty. Walking through the pasture I stumbled upon a groundhog at about 40 yards. He ran to his hole and stopped, starring at me. I slowly started digging in my pouch for my fixings to load a roundball thinking anytime he would run in his hole. He stayed right there as I fumbled around getting loaded. I primed the pan, pulled up and took the shot..... and shot right over him :grin:. Guess he knew all along he didn't have anything to worry about.

 

[coloradoclyde]

Brad, are you using a photo hosting site like photobucket?

Great story.....I also have few acorns and no walnuts this year.....It's going to be a tough year for squirrels..

 

[pab1]

Congrats on the squirrels! :hatsoff:

Mighty nice of the groundhog to give you a chance! I've missed rabbits before that only ran a short distance after the shot. They'll think they're hidden and wait until I finish reloading. Usually just as I'm about to raise the gun they take off never to be seen again.

 

[BradCayton]

Yeah, using photobucket but having trouble with it for whatever reason.



There we go. Don't have a clue why but could only get the url of the pic but no picture. Worked this time though.

 

[pab1]

Congrats! Great picture! :hatsoff:

 

[BradCayton]

Yeah, I was thinking the whole time I was loading that he was going to run but he stayed right there. I had a big ole smile on my face as I raised the gun to shoot but I'm sure he was smiling when I missed him :grin:

 

[Skychief]

Real nice Brad. Congratulations on a fine day, Skychief.

 

[Britsmoothy]

Great session story :hatsoff:

I am having issues posting on here too :td:

B.

 

[wattlebuster]

Good picture Brad :thumbsup:

 

[BradCayton]

Thanks fellas

 

[George]

Good job, good picture. May I ask what your load was?

Spence

 

[robinsroost]

Congratulations Brad! Three nice fat grey squirrels and just one miss. I'll bet that half on this forum have never seen a groundhog and I once saw one in a tree. BTW, they are pretty good groceries if you get a young one. Keep yer powder dry.......robin :thumbsup:

 

[BradCayton]

Good job, good picture. May I ask what your load was?

Spence

I shoot 70 grains of 3F, a lubed felt 1/8 wad and 1 1/4 ounces of 5s with a OS card. This load patterns well in this gun out to 25 yards or so. I've tried different wad and shot columns, more and less powder, shot cups from different paper and this load does the best. I made some 1 1/4 shot loads wrapped in brown paper for ease of loading but don't get as tight a pattern as I do with just the bare shot. Pretty much use the same load for everything I hunt with it that needs a shot load.

 

[BradCayton]

Congratulations Brad! Three nice fat grey squirrels and just one miss. I'll bet that half on this forum have never seen a groundhog and I once saw one in a tree. BTW, they are pretty good groceries if you get a young one. Keep yer powder dry.......robin :thumbsup:

I too have seen them in trees and some folks think you're telling them a tall one. My first one I saw in a tree when I was a young feller. Our cow dog had one treed when I came home from school one day. I went to him with a 22 to get it out for him, thinking it was a squirrel. First one I'd seen treed. I've always heard the young ones were good eating but have never tried one myself.

 

[pab1]

I'll bet that half on this forum have never seen a groundhog and I once saw one in a tree.

Our version out west (marmots) live at high elevations in rugged, rocky areas. I've never seen one in a tree though. :thumbsup:

 

[don hepler]

That is a nice hunt and picture. Takes me back to my childhood days, in Monroe County. The smell of fall, jumping off the bus and running in the house to get my gun. I would change clothes and take off to a little patch of woods, we called "Square Woods". There were a lot of Hickorys, dogwoods, and oaks, in that small patch of woods. I have a lot of memories of hunting in WV. Fox squirrels, the size of house cats.

Great hunting.

 

[BradCayton]

Yep, same here. My brother and I would hurry to change clothes,(school clothes were just for school), get our farm chores done and run on the hill to squirrel hunt till dark. Great time to be a kid.

 

[Spikebuck]

Good story and picture. Congrats! :thumbsup:

The acorns here this year are really hit and miss. Some groups of oaks are producing, others completely bare. Since my entire "early" season is spent chasing whitetails with bow, I'm not shooting squirrels now, but I sure am paying attention to where I'm seeing them and where I'm not. Come late December, I'll be using that tucked-away knowledge.

 

[kingsax26]

here in the Communist state of NY, we are having the exact opposite problem.....It seems everytree in the forest is dropping acorns, and Oak being the predominant mast crop in this area...well squirrels dont have to travel far for food. which can make finding them congregated in one area about impossible. This year you have to do lots of walking .....lol I could stand to lose a few pounds

 

[jrmflintlock]

Man am I jealous! I love hunting squirrels! I usually use my .32 or .45 but I have all the parts for a .36!

Its still part of my Bucket list to shoot a squirrel with a flintlock in every state of the union that has them!!

Great job!