Squirrel season 2023
- Thread starter AmosBurton
- Start date
3 ticks, as expected.
Didn't get much time at the right time to get a squirrel, too many other factors today. I'm okay with a slow start, there's still time....
Upvote 0
Treat your clothes with permathrin. I still wear silk baselayer underneath since a chemical that can kill ticks is pretty potent and I don't want to be absorbing it on my skin. Spray on and wait till dry to wear. Last several washes.
Upvote 0
Yes, thanks for the reminder. I ran out at the end of last season and forgot to get more. Clearly my pants need to be treated again. Picking some up today.
Upvote 0
1st shot was a swing and a miss. I'm always a little too excited for my first chance at a squirrel. To be fair I had to track it for a while until I got a shot. Still missed it.
Upvote 0
Governments like power and money? Anything that can be regulated will be regulated? Anything they can charge you money for they will?
Upvote 0
I got off work today, walked out onto the front porch and saw a squirrel about 70yds away. I had the Notos on hand so I slipped out the gate and headed down my driveway and around the area I saw the squirrel. Once I got the tree I saw it in view, I sat and waited. It wasn't long before I saw some movement out on one of the branches. I had no shot so I just tried to follow it but lost it in the branches.
Fortunately I'm patient, at least more patient than a squirrel.
I kept the gun up while I kept my eyes on the woods. A minute or so later I detected movement and there she was! An open shot. For once I settled, relaxed, and took the shot. Nothing but that definite sound of a pellet hitting the mark.
She hung on for a second and then fell from the tree, twitched and that was it.
She's a little one and will be nice and tender fried up at some point.
Fortunately I'm patient, at least more patient than a squirrel.
I kept the gun up while I kept my eyes on the woods. A minute or so later I detected movement and there she was! An open shot. For once I settled, relaxed, and took the shot. Nothing but that definite sound of a pellet hitting the mark.
She hung on for a second and then fell from the tree, twitched and that was it.
She's a little one and will be nice and tender fried up at some point.
Upvote 0
I needed a walk after staring at spreadsheets all morning. So I headed out drenched in DEET carrying the Notos to try my luck.
Lunchtime hunts out in squirrel hollow are always a crap shoot on a hot summer day. Most of the squirrels lay low in the heat of the day.
But there's always one or two out and about in between naps.
Today was no different.
I spotted a sudden droop in a branch and just sat and waited. I pulled a bead when I saw it climb back towards the trunk but had no shot.
It quickly ran out of sight so I moved through the hollow aiming to get closer to where it was and hopefully get an unobstructed view(not easy in hard woods in the summer).
I had to crouch down and shoot between branches of a shrub to get a clear shot.
I took the shot and the squirrel dropped right out of the tree...and right into a huge mass of poison ivy!
I need a hazmat suit to try and recover or I'll blow up like a balloon and need steroids if I get poison ivy. Not going there again.
I guess the coyotes gotta eat too.
Lunchtime hunts out in squirrel hollow are always a crap shoot on a hot summer day. Most of the squirrels lay low in the heat of the day.
But there's always one or two out and about in between naps.
Today was no different.
I spotted a sudden droop in a branch and just sat and waited. I pulled a bead when I saw it climb back towards the trunk but had no shot.
It quickly ran out of sight so I moved through the hollow aiming to get closer to where it was and hopefully get an unobstructed view(not easy in hard woods in the summer).
I had to crouch down and shoot between branches of a shrub to get a clear shot.
I took the shot and the squirrel dropped right out of the tree...and right into a huge mass of poison ivy!
I need a hazmat suit to try and recover or I'll blow up like a balloon and need steroids if I get poison ivy. Not going there again.
I guess the coyotes gotta eat too.
Upvote 0
@AmosBurton It happens like that sometimes. They’ll drop almost anywhere. Sometimes we’re so fixated on the target that the areas beneath them become secondary thoughts. I’ve had em drop into briar thickets.
Upvote 0
A humbling morning.
High angle shots are not my strong suit. This morning drove that point home.
At first I could hear lots of cutting and see the rain of nut pieces but due to leaves could not see the squirrel well enough to get a shot.
And then I guess breakfast was over and the squirrel was on the move. I tracked it until it stopped and I could get an open shot. 1st shot was a swing and a miss but hit near the squirrel and made it take off. I kept tracking it, waiting for the next shot opportunity. It jumped from tree to tree as they do. About 3 trees later it paused for just long enough. 2nd shot was another swing and a miss and the squirrel made it out of range.
A bark behind me made me turn around and start scanning the trees. A few minutes later I found it.
Of course it was about 50' up in a tree that was about 20' away.
Now clearly I'm not good at geometry because shot number three was another miss. I cocked the gun again and took aim. Yup, another miss and the squirrel disappeared into the canopy.
My time running out because other duties pulled me out of the woods I started the walk back home. As I stepped out of the woods I heard at least 2 squirrels make the bark that sounds like laughter.
Yup, it felt like they were laughing at me today.
Oh well. It was still a nice morning in the woods.
High angle shots are not my strong suit. This morning drove that point home.
At first I could hear lots of cutting and see the rain of nut pieces but due to leaves could not see the squirrel well enough to get a shot.
And then I guess breakfast was over and the squirrel was on the move. I tracked it until it stopped and I could get an open shot. 1st shot was a swing and a miss but hit near the squirrel and made it take off. I kept tracking it, waiting for the next shot opportunity. It jumped from tree to tree as they do. About 3 trees later it paused for just long enough. 2nd shot was another swing and a miss and the squirrel made it out of range.
A bark behind me made me turn around and start scanning the trees. A few minutes later I found it.
Of course it was about 50' up in a tree that was about 20' away.
Now clearly I'm not good at geometry because shot number three was another miss. I cocked the gun again and took aim. Yup, another miss and the squirrel disappeared into the canopy.
My time running out because other duties pulled me out of the woods I started the walk back home. As I stepped out of the woods I heard at least 2 squirrels make the bark that sounds like laughter.
Yup, it felt like they were laughing at me today.
Oh well. It was still a nice morning in the woods.
Upvote 0
@AmosBurton They are tough shots to make. I practiced shooting pine cones to get better at those shots. It helps. I’ve also learned to lay on my back and use my leg as a rest when shooting vertically up a tree. Hope some of that helps you work through it.
Upvote 0
Opens in a few weeks here in Tennessee, but dang it's hot!
I admire you for getting out so soon, I'm gonna play it by ear and watch the weather before I get out there, getting old and soft I guess, being of the "orchard hog" style of hunter.
I admire you for getting out so soon, I'm gonna play it by ear and watch the weather before I get out there, getting old and soft I guess, being of the "orchard hog" style of hunter.
Upvote 0
That's a great idea. I'll have to check the one spot with pine trees to see if any cones have formed.
Yeah, I was standing because I haven't gotten permethrin yet and didn't feel like giving the chiggers a free meal. I will try laying down. It'll definitely make my neck happier.
I'm lucky I can sneak off early in the mornings and evenings to fish or hunt. I definitely don't enjoy being out as much now when it's hot as I do in the fall.
Upvote 0
So I went out to my deer blind/target shooting/squirrel spot this evening. I had all 3 PCP's with me just making sure I'm good with all of them at various distances.
While shooting targets, I see a squirrel hopping across the driveway and try to line it up, but am way too slow and it disappears into the underbrush.
Then I look up from the scope and what do I see?
Two does at 30ish yards. And of course I don't have my crossbow(no air rifles allowed for deer here)....
Time to put down the airguns until I fill my archery tags.
While shooting targets, I see a squirrel hopping across the driveway and try to line it up, but am way too slow and it disappears into the underbrush.
Then I look up from the scope and what do I see?
Two does at 30ish yards. And of course I don't have my crossbow(no air rifles allowed for deer here)....
Time to put down the airguns until I fill my archery tags.
Upvote 0
Lunchtime hunt success!
I walked out to my blind at lunch for some target practice.
A couple shots into practice, I saw this little one come down a tree and start digging a hole to bury it's acorn.
Well, if you're going to hang out in one spot that long, the Sniper will get you!
One to the vitals and that was it.
I walked out to my blind at lunch for some target practice.
A couple shots into practice, I saw this little one come down a tree and start digging a hole to bury it's acorn.
Well, if you're going to hang out in one spot that long, the Sniper will get you!
One to the vitals and that was it.
Upvote 0
Got 3 this morning. Stinking wind kicked up 10+ mph and started warming up fast. Not many moving around. Did see 5 deer, all does. Took them with my FX Dreamline Compact .22.
Upvote 0
