Looking for other squirrel assasins

D

DOCSpanky

New member
I'm just looking for other squirrel hunters out there who are willing to relate some recipes and tips as well as disclosing their preferred method.

I haven't bagged one of the little buggers since I was about 15, but am looking forward to ridding the world of the little vermin this November.

I will be using a Marlin 880SQ with a 3-9X40 scope. I haven't been to the range yet with it to try out my different types of ammo, but I have picked up the following to try out as soon as this dern hurricane is gone.
1. Federal 712
2. CCI Mini Mag
3. CCI CB
4. RWS subsonic HP
5. Federal 40 gr. copper solids
6. Federal 38 gr. copper HP
7. Federal 31 gr. copper HP HV
8. Winchester lead solids
9. Remington Thunderbolts (these are crap, opened the box and 2 bullets had separated from their case)
10. ELEY target
11. ELEY TENEX (expensive stuff but looks VERY solid)
12. PMC zappers
13. MPB Quickshocks
14. Some stuff a guy gave me in a White box that has 60 gr. on it. it specs out to the proper size but the bullet takes up half the length of the round and has SSS on the box?

Squirrel hunters give me some input, I have also heard that many of these combos work well on stray cats.........

------------------
DOCSpanky
"Walk softly and carry a big stick, perferably one of the 12 guage variety!"
 
CCI Stingers...flat, high velocity and pack a wallop

------------------
"Quis custodiet ipsos custodes" RKBA!
 
My rifle and my Buckmark both like the Mini Mags, which, BTW, have a heavier bullet than the other H.V. .22s, making them more suitable for the larger varmints in your area, as well. While I agree that the Stingers pack a whallop, you totally destroy your meat if you squirrel hunt for the Brunswick stew. Little bits of bullet EVERYwhere! I've had great luck with UMC (read: Cheapo Remington) with their ugly-looking basic lead-bullet or Lubaloy coated flat-nosed cartridge. Every 20th round looks so mis-formed that you question whether it'll even function, more less shoot accurately. But, if you throw out those obvious ones, they print nice groups out of my Buckmark at 20yds, and are under 3" at 50" (with my bolt-action Remington). I have never shot a tree squirrel at much over that, myself. The flat tip is rather devestating on the critters, with minimal meat damage.

------------------
Will you, too, be one who stands in the gap?

Matt




[This message has been edited by Long Path (edited October 17, 1999).]
 
my 880sq shot wonderfly with just about any thing it did like cci minimags any thing beond 75 yards though target loads wount do it mine was accurate out to a 100 yds. esaley

------------------
oneshotonekill
 
Doc,
The Eley Target Rifle (yellow label) is pretty good stuff. Also, the Eley Subsonic hollowpoint is incredibly consistent as far as headspacing and groups in my S&W 41. The Eley Tenex is expensive and it really depends on the gun whether it shoots incredibly or so-so. Normally I sort my .22 by rim thickness and it helps keep the groups fairly consistent. I use a gauge from Champion's Choice for that. Champion's Choice also has all of the various Eley, Lapua, RWS, and other match grade ammo. I have been pursuing the tightest grouping ammo for my 41 and found the Eley Target Rifle about the best grouping so far. The Eley Subsonic Hollowpoint is a very close second. With the Eley, if you buy 100 rounds of each of their varieties, it is pretty much a statistical game as to how each type sorts out as far as rim thickness is concerned. As an aside, I tried some of the WallyWorld cheapo stuff - Federal Lightning and Winchester Xpert hollowpoint for grins and giggles and after sorting it out it grouped under an inch at 25 yards through the pistol. Still, no comparison to the Eley which can group fairly consistent at 1/4" from a rest at 25 yards. As for squirrel tactics, take along a hammer on your hunts and find a den tree. Pound the tree with the hammer and the little wankers think you are chopping it down. Fast shooting for sure. My old man taught me that one when I was but a wee pup and it always made for plenty of fried squirrel for dinner.
 
Doc,

My rifle, a tweaked 10-22, groups decent with the CCI Stingers--which is what I use for squirrel hunting. The Eley groups a whole lot tighter, but that ammo is just too expensive for me to justify hunting with it. Shoot what you can afford, and what groups best. Squirrel huntin' doesn't require pinpoint accuracy, but it is nice to watch one fall from a well placed round to the noggin'. ;)

A little trick my older brother taught me was to strike the sides of two quarters together--edge to edge so that the grooves rake across each other. It'd be easier to show you than type it, but I hope you know what I mean. It's supposed to imitate a squirrel cracking the hulls of acorns, but it sounds more like one barking to me. Either way, I've brought squirrels out of nests by doing it that way.

I guess my favorite way of squirrel hunting is finding an oak tree that's loaded with acorns and arriving before daylight. Sit there with a cold mountain dew, some of those pecan thingy's, and wait for daylight.

Once the sun makes it's way up, the fun "sho' 'nuff" begins. :)

TMS
 
When we aren't dodging the floodwaters we are squirrel hunting fanatics in central and eastern NC. When I use a 22 rifle to hunt with (only in rainy weather) I use short hollow points. The rest of the time my brother and I use 32 and 36 caliber muzzleloaders. This has to be my favorite way to hunt period. Before we got our small caliber rifles we just used a round ball over fifty grains of blackpowder in fifty caliber rifles and did just fine. Its a whole different game though, no running shots and never aiming at anything but the head. Try it!
 
Down here in Fl I use a Marlin M60 w/Federal Hollow points. Wal-Mart usually has them in a 550 round box for $10. The only problem is that it takes a good 50 head to make a good size meal, and that a lot of squirrel to clean. Gator

------------------
Root Hog or Die Poor
 
Well, down here in Loosiana, we use 12guage 71/2 shot to nail the boogers...hardly ever miss. My favorite technique is to walk about 50 yards and find a good, small tree (like 2-3inches around). Give it a good, rapid shake. Next, place the ridge between thumb and forefinger over your lips and suck, to make a high pitch sound..the higher the better. If there is a squirrel around, he'll come out and check out what's going on. Supposedly, it's a squirrel in distress call. I've been using this for years, and it works flawlessly. Occasionally, we get the hoot owl or two that swoop on in to check it out. Make sure you shake the tree first, it's important.

------------------
Lee Moreau
Baton Rouge, LA
 
Mohican Sneak and Fender! Thanks for the "squirrel calling tricks". I got my Model 25 zeroed with Remington solids and I'll give you a field report soon on the effectiveness of yoah "Suthun techniques" upon mah Nawthen Virginia squirrels! Gotta find two quarters and lube up the lips...
 
You don't eat ground squirrels in Cali

This thread is giving me the absolute willies! :)
You guys really eat these rats???!!!

------------------
"Quis custodiet ipsos custodes" RKBA!
 
DC-- Ground squirrels and grey squirrels are completely different. Grey squirrels can be up to 2 lbs, and have a pretty fair about of meat on their haunches and tenderloins, But I must admit; I usually cut the heads off before skinnning, otherwise it does look too much like rats that I'm cleaning. NEVER look at them when the tail's been skinned! Trust me! :)

Cubed with a couple cans of tomatoes, some harsh onion, some garlic, corn, and maybe some celery, Brunswick stew finds itself in your kitchen. It ain't bad, and it's fed Americans since Jefferson was in office.
 
Give me liberty or give me fried gray squirrel! :) OK, tree squirrels eat very well on hickory nuts and acorns. No, I would never eat a ground squirrel. Makes me almost puke to think of that (I almost did heave my coffee just now).
 
I don't know if this happens in your neck of the woods, but around here, alot of the old-timers love to eat squirrel brains. My grandpa is one. Everytime we go hunting, we've gotta skin the dang heads out. There is nothing better to make you lose your appetite then to pick up a big ladle, dip it into the pot of gravy, and pull up 3 or 4 cooked squirrel heads...yuck!
 
Yeah when I was a kid and we were getting squirrels for my great granddad we always had to use a shotgun. Headshots were out because he liked the brains.
 
Finally got to try it out and let me tell ya, Eley Tenex is the best, just too damn expensive. Next was the CCI Mini Mags, so I bought a box and headed for the Hills of Tennessee. Actually it was just a farm where the guy was having trouble with rabbits eating his crops so he offered me $2 a head for any vermin I might find. I got up very early and surprised a 14lb. racoon eating out of the hog troughs. A Mini Mag that went right into his mouth and out his skull did the trick instantly. Although this won't take the distance mark with a .22, I popped a rabbit from a measured 231 yards! I aimed right at him and the round fell a couple feet in front of him, instead of running he froze and that was all she wrote for the wascally wabbit. 4 hours, 13 rabbits, 4 squirrels, 1 huge field rat, and 2 raccoons later I had a rounded up $50.00 in my pocket and a happy farmer to boot who invited me back anytime. This is truely the most fun hunt I have ever been on. And the rewards, (not just the cash, but knowing I had actually helped someone with a problem) were wonderfull. I'm back in Florida now, full of misery and longing for the cool crisp mornings in TN. and the look on the racoons face after I shot him ;)

------------------
DOCSpanky
"Walk softly and carry a big stick, perferably one of the 12 guage variety!"
 
Had a similar experience with a pecan grower - I asked if he had a problem with squirrels in the orchard and luckily, he did. He jumped at the chance to have my son and I hunt. He didn't bounty the tree rats, but after a fabulous Saturday hunt, he even offered to let us use his tent and go hunting the next day. I hate skinning them because the older ones are so tough and the small size of the animal makes it difficult to hang on to. I cook them in gumbo with lots of spices. On a cold winter day at the camp, it's hard to beat.....Squirrel season is the first to open, and it's a great excuse to get out into the woods.
 
Hmmmmm.... interesting door to open: "Sir, I'll hunt squirrels all mid-day long for you if you'll let us hunt for deer in the early mornings and late evenings along your drainage...." :) Costs him nothing, offers him a reduction in force against his crop, gets you hunting allllll day long (life is tough when you have to work for your pleasures!). I may have to try this-- some mighty nice deer have been known to hang out in the same river bottems that pecan orchards tend to reside in...

Hmmmmmmmm....
 
CCI Mini-Mags and Stingers always worked best for me. Shoot them in the head between the eye and ear.

As for fine rodent cuisine, I make what I like to call (don't laugh) "Squirrel McNuggets". You skin and gut the buggers, filet out their upper thigh meat and their back loins, period. Throw the rest away! Clean the meat real good of any hair, tendons, or other undesirable objects, and wash it off good. Let the meat soak in an egg and milk batter, then roll them in seasoned bread crums and flour, and saute' them in butter. Serve with steamed rice and tomato catsup and you're set to feast.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top