How Do You Hunt Squirrels?

I hope we get first frost soon, I like using black powder shotguns when the leaves are still up then 22 when they fall. Hope to have a 32-36 mz some year, I really want a kibler but money is always tight.
 
I am watching the weather, planning to go out later this week. Meanwhile...how about a discussion?

  1. What time of the day works best for you?
  2. Do you sit or do you walk?
  3. What shooting position is most common for you?
  4. Do you ever use a call?
  5. How much difference does weather make?
  6. If you see 5 squirrels on an outing, how many come home with you?
  7. Does your squirrel gun look as cool as mine? gun)
12 ga. 870 GA. No calls. 10/22 at times , no gun rests.either. method stop and stay still . Wait, then move to another spot.
 
I carried my 17 hmr the other day. Didnt get a shot because they wouldn't stop.. Been hunting public land. This happened the other day. I started carrying my tristar g2 viper 28ga. Federal 1 oz 6 shot. I just shot a squirrel. Moved on went 20 yds set down again. Hadn't been there 5 minutes. I was setting on logging rd. I heard someone thought it was a deer. Out steps a big black bear. He got less than 15 yds ( like 11). I tried getting my phone out to take a picture to show my wife. But he seen me and ran over the hill. It stayed just out of opening blowing at me. That went on 45 minutes. It finally stopped. 2 days later went back in there. Had a monster hog make it to 10 steps of me . He went behind a big oak tree. Got my 28ga to my shoulder
He step out. I let him have it with 28ga 1 oz 6 shot. That little gun rolled him. I fount a ridge had a bunch of squirrels. But the hogs moved. Now not much squirrel sign. All kinds of hickory nuts and acorns. I have seen up to 25 hogs in a group. Fixing to buy a new cva optima v2 50 lr muzzleloader. Going to start to work on some hogs as soon has muzzle loader season comes in. May go back hunt them with my 22 mag. Or try my 17 hmr out on some smaller hogs. Has to be 22 mag or smaller in small game season. 20210408_184019.jpg
Here is 3 of my new squirrel hunting guns.
Top one
Tristar G2 viper 28ga
2nd
Mossberg SA 410ga TSS turkey gun.
3rd
Mossberg 500 410 TSS turkey gun.
Havent hunted with the mossberg SA yet. Just got my flush chokes in. Only came with a turkey choke in them. ( turkey guns)
 
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here in the great late state of kommifornia gray squirrel's are somewhat off limits very short season but ground squirrel's are far game these little devils are small and challenging to say the least I use both a 17hmr (savage 93) and 22lr (older marlin) these two provide me great success in getting rid of the little pests
 
I am watching the weather, planning to go out later this week. Meanwhile...how about a discussion?

  1. What time of the day works best for you?
  2. Do you sit or do you walk?
  3. What shooting position is most common for you?
  4. Do you ever use a call?
  5. How much difference does weather make?
  6. If you see 5 squirrels on an outing, how many come home with you?
  7. Does your squirrel gun look as cool as mine? gun)
I have a method perhaps unheard of by many, maybe no one. Oftentimes my year old male tabby cat , neutered follows me into the squirrel woods, afternoons only late, the squirrels upon noticing him go nuts , no pun intended and begin barking furiously at him, exposing themselves. I drop them like flies, I will post a few pictures, it's not unheard of to kill ten squirrels in a couple hours or less. This is the second cat that has done this for me. He won't hunt in the morning, but between 3:30 and dark it's game on. He's never harmed a squirrel , except red ones and slays chipmunks and mice like no tomorrow, he stacks them up in the wood lean to and every day I have to dispose of his spoils. MR. Tabs a good boy. He walks usually about 20 yards in front of me and continually looks behind me to see if i'm following. When stationary he walks around about 10 , 15 yards in a circle looking up at trees , he can hear and see a squirrel long before I can.
 
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Rem 597, tweaked a bit.

bedded into a boyds lam stock, lighter trigger by way of a new hammer. Exact edge extractor. 4-12X40AO Leuy. .5at50yrd groups with minimags. I got a good barrel.

Longest head shot, 91 yards. I use whatever rest I can find. Trees, knees stumps etc. Most shots are from a seated position with the occasional standing with a sapling for a rest. If I see five, I bring home five. Weather play a huge factor, if it is windy stay home, hard rain, stay home. If it is quiet, cool and overcast. Hit the woods they will be moving. Squirrels are much smarter than people give them credit for. The ones in the wild woods are nothing like the ones in your backyard.

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You are a squirrels worst nightmare.
 
I hunt with a Savage BMAG .17 WSM with 20gr ammo with a big yeah as for head shots.

I still hunt and sit for a while at good spots. While sitting, I usually sit for about twenty minutes or so for a sighting and if no squirrels, go back into slow still hunt mode.

We here in SE Iowa need a good kill frost to knock down tree leaves and ground cover.

I used to hunt with my HMR but it is a lightweight for varmints I encounter while squirrel hunting. Not dissing our beloved HMR rifles but it has proven a bit weak for some varmints and longer shots.
 

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