How Do You Hunt Squirrels?

[slymule]

I used to hunt them with fist sized rocks, I hardly ever missed out to 75 yards. My dad made me change over to using a gun, had to shoot them in the head w/a .22, said I was tearin' up too much meat.

Used to have alot of fun huntin' em with cur dogs as a kid. I used to take a cur dog and my little sister along, she had a colder nose on her than my cur. Had to quit that though cause she was instilling bad habits on my dog. Seems when I hunted her in the heat of summer she would start chewin' and pullin' on vines, then as she got a little older she started fightin' at the tree.

[johnnyk]

When I was a kid I used to sit under den trees with my Marlin M39 Mountie till my legs went to sleep. I slowly moved into still hunting through the woods looking and listening for tell-tale signs. Limbs bouncing, acorn and pine-cone droppings hitting the ground was a dead give-away. That was back in the 70's.
Now I'm too old and broke up (motorcycle wreck) to do alot of walking for fuzzy tailed rats. I just set back and take it easy...........




This is me in my back yard near Shenandoah, Va. at my homemade shooting bench. I'm using my Win 70 HVB in .243Win with 65gr V-Max's at 3500fps. Definately a head shot only proposition! JohnnyK.

[mark223]

This thread appears to be fairly old but it is the first time I've seen it.

I really enjoy squirrel hunting. I use a extremely accurate 22 Anschutz 64 target rifle with Shepherd 3.5x10 scope made for the .22lr. I also drag along a light lawn chair (read "lounge chair") and a plastic 5 gal. bucket holding a range finder, note pad, pencil, coffee thermus, snacks, current shooting magazine or two, a couple of squirrel calls, couple of varmint calls, a crow call and maybe some other stuff depending on the weather. I might even bring my walkman radio and earphones if Nebraska is playing football that day.

Three things not allowed are the %#*@ cell phone, or a pager or anyone else who talks much. Especially any woman who wants to talk about the neighbors, neighbors kids, Obama or their "feelings". It may not bother the squirrels but it bothers me.

Finding the squirrels is not a problem. I live here and know where they are and some of the basic routes they take to go back and forth between the corn crib and the grove. They are all fox squirrels, corn fed and are some of the largest squirrels in the U.S.

Next, go to a spot I know, set up the chair, put the bucket next to it make ready the rifle, open the note book to the right page with the range card on it or make a new card if it is a new spot. An old card will usually have shots from previous hunts maked on it with range and dope data. I might stay in one spot for 20 minutes or all afternoon. Next... just set back and relax. Yes I've even fallen asleep a few times.

If I see one I'll range it or look at the card, maybe try to call it closer or just call to make it stop and look. The other calls?? well you never know what you are going to see.

The challenge? A 100 yard head shot on a squirrel with a 22lr. is just as difficult as a 400 yard coyote with a .243 win. Only cheaper, quieter and you get more chances to do it.

I seldom get skunked unless I "rest my eyes" too long and wake up in the dark. I usually get about 2 to 10 shots in an afternoon and take home from 2 to maybe as many as 6 squirrels. Shots fired or not, it makes a nice Sunday afternoon and somehow Monday doesn't seem as bad as usual!

Semper Fi. ...Mark

[Tony dooley]

I hunt squirrel to tune up for big game hunts !!!! I have two guns i use depending
1) on the weather and wind ! high wind and cloudy I use my savage 93 17 HMR Topped with a cabelas tactical 3-12 ! I then spot and stalk and long range them form between 75 to 175 yards a whole lot of fun
2)when the weather is perfect I take my savage MK II 17 Mach 2 out ! some times i sit some times i spot and stalk with this set up I can reach out to about 110 yards but i try to keep it between from under the tree to 25 yards out !
With both rifles i get 1/4 to 1/2 moa the best shooting out of the box rifles i have ever seen !!!!!!! The squirrels here in Michigan are become hard to find they have all just about moved in to towns for the easy food that people put out for them!!!! I still love to hunt them though !!! The harder the better !!!