Squirrel hunting, in general

K

keyser223

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Apr 1, 2011
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Squirrel season is probably my favorite season next to turkey. Here, the season is longer than any other season we have. I think part of it is just the amount of time being able to spend outdoors and as it goes through the rest of summer, fall, and winter, I get to experience the changes in nature first hand. Anyway, I thought it would be interesting to start a thread discussing anything you've experienced, techniques you've learned, ammo you prefer, recipes, or any other tidbits of wisdom you have pertaining to squirrel hunting.

Something kind of different, unfortunately I don't have picks as it happened so quickly, but I had a fox squirrel scolding me on a branch a couple of days ago and I was easing up for the shot and out of nowhere a hawk or owl took him right off the branch. It was pretty neat to see.

Recipe: this is from my friend Bill and is about as good as it gets imo. I have altered it a bit as I soak the legs in buttermilk for several hours before proceeding but preheat the oven to around 225. Get some oil, grease, bacon fat or whatever heating in a pan. Salt, pepper, flour the pieces and just brown them in the oil, not enough to cook them, just brown and then pop them into the oven in a covered dish or baking sheet covered in aluminum foil with just a slight bit of water in the bottom and cook for about 1.5 hours.

Ammo: I've tried shorts and subsonic to keep the noise down, but found my ranges and accuracy limited. The bulk packs are fine, but it does suck when you go to shoot and get a dud. CCI quikshoks are the best squirrel stopping .22 round I've used, but make quite a mess on headshots. The CCI velocitors and mini-mags are what I use, but they are loud compared to standard velocity rounds.
 
id like to seen the hawk snatch that squirrel.

I love hunting the things just not very good at it. Once I get in the woods I like to walk and am not very stealthy. So I dont get a lot of shots. If I walk without a gun squirrels seem to be everywhere. They bark at me. They run out in front of me . They drop nuts on me...
 
haha, that's the case when hunting for anything. Every once in awhile, especially early in the season when their hard to see in the trees stomping around isn't a bad strategy. Usually the dominant ones will start barking giving themselves away.
 
I love to squirrel hunt, but I have a blast using my little single shot .410...I know every one says that is cheating, but not when its head shots only. I get them barking or running branch to branch and just wait for them to stick their heads out....Boom. My plan this year is to have a go at it with my Win 67 single shot 22, head shot monster with cheap Rem 22 shorts.

There is no need to be sneaky, just walk in and take a break for 20 or so minutes, once they watch you for a little bit they will start talking and moving......I will mention that it helps if you are in the area alot, I squirrel hunt right after deer season so they are already used to me being in there....they will sit out in the open and bark at you, easy target.

A couple weeks ago I had three squirrels working at opening a hole under the eve of my shop I closed up, I shot all of them and have the meat in the deep freeze waiting for a big pot of dumplings this winter, 12 more to go and its time to eat...:D
 
I am an inveterate squirrel hunter, and have been for almost 60 years.

During the early part of the season, with the leaves on the trees, I favor a 20 ga shotgun with #6s. Later in the season, with the limbs mostly bear, then I switch to a .22 rifle or pistol.

Most of the ones I kill wind up in a Brunswick stew.
RugerNSquirrel.jpg
 
Squirrel hunting is some of my favorite hunting:thumbup: Unfortunately my job prevented me from getting out too much last year:grumpy:, but hopefully I'll get more woods time this year.

I pretty much use rim-fires exclusively when it come to squirrels (.22 LR and .17 HMR). I like Winchester Xperts bulk for .22 because of nice deep hollow point and reliability in my 10/22; and use Federal V-Shok in .17 (that little 17 grain v-max bullet will do some damage though, so it's head shots only, though I usually go head shots only anyways).

Couple pics of past seasons
Hunt019.jpg

Hunt003.jpg



I did catch this thief the other day trying to make its way off with the third suet block I'd put out for the wood peckers in under a week. This was a new block holder too as the last one got carried off:mad:. Around the house I use my modified CO2 pellet gun (opened up the internals; pushes a 14.3 grain .22 cal pellet somewhere around 800 fps).
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Thinking of actually taking the pellet gun into the woods this year to add a little challenge and change things up:D

-sh00ter
 
sh00ter01 said:
Squirrel hunting is some of my favorite hunting:thumbup: Unfortunately my job prevented me from getting out too much last year:grumpy:, but hopefully I'll get more woods time this year.

I pretty much use rim-fires exclusively when it come to squirrels (.22 LR and .17 HMR). I like Winchester Xperts bulk for .22 because of nice deep hollow point and reliability in my 10/22; and use Federal V-Shok in .17 (that little 17 grain v-max bullet will do some damage though, so it's head shots only, though I usually go head shots only anyways).

Couple pics of past seasons
Hunt019.jpg

Hunt003.jpg



I did catch this thief the other day trying to make its way off with the third suet block I'd put out for the wood peckers in under a week. This was a new block holder too as the last one got carried off:mad:. Around the house I use my modified CO2 pellet gun (opened up the internals; pushes a 14.3 grain .22 cal pellet somewhere around 800 fps).
1003111547.jpg


Thinking of actually taking the pellet gun into the woods this year to add a little challenge and change things up:D

-sh00ter
Click to expand...

nice, luv me some tree rats,i got a few pets here round the house,so they live cause my wife would raise a pissy fit,but out i do make a meal out of them.
 
What gauge and choke do you guys prefer? I have a 12 and 410 both full choke. The 12 is good if the squirrels are high in the trees the 410 is better if squirrels are closer.

Ive been seeing a lot of squirrel on my hikes in the pecan trees.I have a 870 Remington 2 3/4" chamber full choke. Thats the gun Im gonna take. Ill use light loads. Some of the shots will be high some not. what size shot would you guys recommend? I have a box of sixes.

I also have a single shot 410. I love it for rabbits but have a hard time knocking squirrels out of trees with it. I have high brass 3 inch 11/16 oz in size 4 ammo.
 
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.22 and .17mach2 are my goto squirrel guns. I like them fried with salt/pepper and flour just like good old fashioned chicken.
 
I also have several 22s. One a pump Remington that is capable of shooting shorts. Any of you fellows use shorts for bushy tails?
 
shorts are for the long eared pests in the back yard, super quiet, don't wake up the neighbors :)
 
if you are hunting in the woods, don't worry about the loudness of the cartridge. Squirrels get over the noise, and will begin feeding or running around again shortly. Sit back, wait until they resume normal behavior, and take another shot.

Going with a quieter round is a trade off. Sound for velocity. The squirrel offers a small 'sweet spot', and you have got to be sure of your load and gun. If you sighted in with regular LR shells, you can't expect the same point of aim with a sub sonic or CB cap.

This one was taken with a Model 63 S&W, using CCI Mini Mag cartridges.
Model63NSquirrel.jpg
 
Nice shooting Mannlicher. I see where you get your screen name (from your earlier pic) beautiful rifle.

Dipbait, I only ever use a .22 whatever time of year. It would be hard to shoot one with the 12 without messing up the food, I have done it before and no matter where I positioned the the shot, the meat got hit with some. Then again, If you don't mind picking out shot, I'm sure you can limit quick. I wasn't intending to make it a big deal about the noise, Mannlicher is right. I am more concerned with the noise as I hunt several little 10 or less acre boxwoods and often on those small properties everything quiets down for a good while after a few shots. I haven't gone to shorts or subsonic due to accuracy/velocity/cycling issues.

I've been on the phone with my dnr recently trying to find out if piney's are legal to hunt here. They aren't listed, only gray and fox, but one of the properties I was hunting the other day are overrun with them. Didn't want to shoot any before finding out. They are aggressive/territorial little guys though. Two of the fox squirrels I shot had puncture wounds to their hind legs and I'm wondering if it is from the piney's.
 
Squirrels are my favorite thing to hunt, well along with rabbits and I hunt everything except coyotes. October is my favorite time to squirrel hunt up here in Vermont the colors are amazing. I get out 4-5 times a week from September to December squirrel hunting. Big or small, red or Grey they get downed and eaten! I use either my marlin or a CZ with CCI stingers. Make sure you hit them in the head with the stingers because They will destroy a squirrel if hit in the body. I've also been known to use a Remington 700 22-250 :eek: Then you really got to make sure it's a head shot or they turn to fairy dust.

This was a couple nights ago, only had about an hour, took a small red and a large Grey. I usually don't take pictures much but I happen to be doing a report on a Himalayan imports bird and trout pass around knife (knife in the picture). Basted them with garlic BBQ sauce and baked them up. A lot of the time I'll make fried squirrel eggs it's a Vermont specialty :)

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Camera was dead taken with my phone
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Back in the late 70's and 80's my dad and I used to go out on trapline or scouting areas he would always bring a pot with frypan lid, bag of seasoned flour, some oil in a booze mini and a can of cambell's vegetable soup.

A package of liptons soup and a bag of instant rice for a good hot filling drink as well. I remember he would put some rice in the stew to bulk it up.

Rabbits and squirrels made a pretty good field stew with those fixin's, those days from my youth are etched in my soul.

He left this earth at 47 with way too much to still teach me and my brothers.

Regards and good hunting
 
You could say I am a squirrel sniper. I use a .177 Pellet Rifle, head shots only. 7 Red Fox tree rats this week.

If it's being a pest and I need a quick shot, anywhere in the vitals will do.
 
dipbait said:
What gauge and choke do you guys prefer? I have a 12 and 410 both full choke. The 12 is good if the squirrels are high in the trees the 410 is better if squirrels are closer.

Ive been seeing a lot of squirrel on my hikes in the pecan trees.I have a 870 Remington 2 3/4" chamber full choke. Thats the gun Im gonna take. Ill use light loads. Some of the shots will be high some not. what size shot would you guys recommend? I have a box of sixes.

I also have a single shot 410. I love it for rabbits but have a hard time knocking squirrels out of trees with it. I have high brass 3 inch 11/16 oz in size 4 ammo.
Click to expand...

You're good with sixes.

.22 short is fine, but you'll lose range and need to sight for it. Same with CBs.
 
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