Walk with my original mountain cur dog,and out of 5 might come home with 3,when a dog is on them they hit alot of holes,or flatten out on limbs and are very hard to find at times,as far as weather Ben my experience they don't move as good on very cloudy days,or high winds,I use a 22 or a 20ga shotgun,if I'm hunting somewhere squirrels timber alot.
How Do You Hunt Squirrels?
- Thread starter Len Backus
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I have been working at refining my 22 rimfire set-up for first shot hits on squirrels to 200 yards. I also use the same rifle for rimfire PRS which can include shots on 12" steel plates out to 300 yards. My most current set-up is an upgrade to more accurate(low ES) ammo, Vortex AMG FFP 6x24x50 scope, all mounted on an MDE chassis. The rifle/action is still a factory Savage TR with a Rifle Basix trigger set at 1.75#. I have also found that I can range and dope for first shot hits on squirrel sized targets out to 200 yards using either of my ballistic RF's( Gunwerks G7, Sig 2400). The key is to program an accurate velocity and BC for the given load. The limiting factor for the longer range shots, as usual with a rimfire,is getting a viable wind read.
SidecarFlip
Well-Known Member
I either use my Savage 17 HMR or my Ruger 10-22. Prefer the Ruger 10-22. I'm into making it a challenge. Here in Michigan it's 5 per day per hunter and 10 in possession. Did I say I like squirrel stew? I do. Stewed tree rat with taters, onions and gravy cooked to tender is a treat.
SidecarFlip
Well-Known Member
Squirrels are small. Don't see much point in making squirrel puree with too much gun.
huntinherrrington
Well-Known Member
I use my CZ .22lr and marlin 17 hmr too. Both equipped with my SWR Spectre suppressor when i want a little challenge. I also use my Benelli SBE2 when i want to limit out fast. Limit is 8 here in Louisiana.
squirrelsniper
Member
1. From daylight through the first 3hrs has always seemed best to me.
2. If it's a new area that I don't know, there's a lot of slow walking, sneaking through the woods. In areas I know well, I know the squirrels will show up sooner or later, so I just take a seat against a tree where I have the widest viewpoint possible.
3. Sitting with shooting sticks. Sometimes I get caught walking around and have to settle for standing and resting the rifle (hand actually) against the side of a tree.
4. Sometimes but not often. In new areas, a few barks can earn a response to tell you what direction to go in to find them. Squirrel distress sounds can bring them running to you at certain times of the year, but I've found it can also scare just as many too as they believe a predator is in the area.
5. Not a huge amount usually, but it does play a role. A little rain or snow won't matter much, but a downpour sends the squirrels to cover. Extreme cold will keep them in the nest longer in the mornings until the sun comes up and warms things up a bit. Really windy conditions makes them edgy due to making it harder to see or hear approaching danger.
6. Depends on how I found them. If I ran onto then one at a time, all 5. If they were in a group or two, I can get one out of the group and then there's usually one that can't keep from being curious and pokes his head out from behind a tree to see what's going on. Curiosity can be deadly.
7. LOL, I don't know about that, but it attracts attention of the old timers with 39As and 4x scopes (who do get their fair share of squirrels). Then I'm carrying a heavy-barreled (usually bolt action) rifle with a scope that has target turrets and a drop chart taped to the side of the stock. And apparently, carrying a range finder into the squirrel woods is some kind of taboo, because no one could possibly need to shoot a squirrel beyond 50yds. And that kind of tells you how I ended up with my screen name.
2. If it's a new area that I don't know, there's a lot of slow walking, sneaking through the woods. In areas I know well, I know the squirrels will show up sooner or later, so I just take a seat against a tree where I have the widest viewpoint possible.
3. Sitting with shooting sticks. Sometimes I get caught walking around and have to settle for standing and resting the rifle (hand actually) against the side of a tree.
4. Sometimes but not often. In new areas, a few barks can earn a response to tell you what direction to go in to find them. Squirrel distress sounds can bring them running to you at certain times of the year, but I've found it can also scare just as many too as they believe a predator is in the area.
5. Not a huge amount usually, but it does play a role. A little rain or snow won't matter much, but a downpour sends the squirrels to cover. Extreme cold will keep them in the nest longer in the mornings until the sun comes up and warms things up a bit. Really windy conditions makes them edgy due to making it harder to see or hear approaching danger.
6. Depends on how I found them. If I ran onto then one at a time, all 5. If they were in a group or two, I can get one out of the group and then there's usually one that can't keep from being curious and pokes his head out from behind a tree to see what's going on. Curiosity can be deadly.
7. LOL, I don't know about that, but it attracts attention of the old timers with 39As and 4x scopes (who do get their fair share of squirrels). Then I'm carrying a heavy-barreled (usually bolt action) rifle with a scope that has target turrets and a drop chart taped to the side of the stock. And apparently, carrying a range finder into the squirrel woods is some kind of taboo, because no one could possibly need to shoot a squirrel beyond 50yds. And that kind of tells you how I ended up with my screen name.
KyCarl
Well-Known Member
I catch them cutting acorns..You can shoot 3 or 4 from the same tree!
We have Fox..Grey ..Red but I only shoot the first two. I use an old Colt Woodsman
.22 pistol...Take a string and tie it to brush on the other side of the tree stand quiet for 3 or 4 minuets then yank the string..Be quick when he darts to your side!
We have Fox..Grey ..Red but I only shoot the first two. I use an old Colt Woodsman
.22 pistol...Take a string and tie it to brush on the other side of the tree stand quiet for 3 or 4 minuets then yank the string..Be quick when he darts to your side!
Paparock
Previously Rocky W.Latham
My best squirrel hunting buddy was my father. We hunted river bottoms with dogs to tree the little bushy tails. Then we had to creep into range and one would circle the tree to give the other a shot as the squirrel circled the tree to avoid the mover. We hunted the fall season and preferred the larger Fox squirrels. Our arsenal included a Browning 12ga. a Remington .410 pump, and a Browning .22 LR auto. How I loved squirrel stew which I have not had in 30 years since I married my present wife because she will not allow a squirrel carcass in HER house because she says it looks too much like a rat to her. What can I say she does not know what she is missing!
Bullets4Bucks
Active Member
I just got a Savage Mark II FV its a great gun!
I started out with a 16 ga shot gun.We did not have the money for two gun's and my dad used the 16 ga for rabbit's and Pheasant's .As soon as I had enough to buy a 22 I bought a Marlin t-bolt with a 4 power Bushnell.I had the best luck in the late afternoon.I would hunt in any weather except windy day's.I would take them to my mom,because my wife would not cook a rat,and she would cook them up and make gravy with hot homemade biscuit's.How I miss that
New here, Squirrel hunting is my favorite sport. Now I am talking about ground squirrels, we dont have trees for them here in the High Desert. Additionally, I think they are more like a p dog but everyone here calls them squirrels. We hunt them around the alfalfa pivots. We hunt them from the top of the truck with 17 HMR semi-auto rifles. bring at least 2000 rounds each. It needs to be sunny out or no way they will come out. We 2 to 4 people will get between 1000 and 3000 a day. There is no shortage of them. 80.% of them are safe and happy to eat the dead. then at night we go for the Jack rabbits and get 3 to 5 hundred of them. All of this is legal here in NV and on private property, we can shoot them from the truck.
