Squirrel Hunting Techniques

Using a scattergun on squirrels is safer than using a rifle. With a rifle...I prefer using rimfire subsonics, because it spooks the squirrels less. For a full choked shotgun...I prefer using #4 or 5 shot --- with turkey loads being the bestest.

Here in the Eastern Allegheny's... mountain fox squirrels tend to inhabit along nearby drainages --- because that's there migration routes. Foxes are noisier than the grays, because they like to rummage amongst the leaves on the forest floor more than the grays; with them tending to travel along on fallen trees and logs.
A fox/gray squirrel call is effective at times.

Both species preferring early morning and late afternoon jaunts, unless it's really cold out.

I prefer using amplified hearing protection, but it's harder for a person wearing them to detect the direction of sounds.

Cooking: Quarter them and lightly pan fry...then throw them in the pressure cooker for 30 minutes.:D

If you wound one...they tend to hide inside hollow dead logs, under leaves and holes in a tree.

For stands: I like to sit on my daypack, up against a tree that has a larger diameter than my backside; so I'll have less of a possibility of getting shot from behind.

I always recommend blaze orange clothing and a hat or sweatband, including eye protection.
 
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The Marauder airgun - my case, a 22 - has been my preferred weapon for squirrel hunting the last three or four years. You can give up some shots on moving squirrels that a decent shotgunner will take. But its quietness will often let you get a shot at a second squirrel who comes back to check on his buddy.

Focus on brain shots and cleaning the squirrel is much neater, and meat is fully preserved.

While backstop is always important, in general the lower energy and range of the airgun is much safer on a small space of land, in my opinion, and still fully up to the task.
 
Rimfire scopes???

May I suggest getting a scope that has a side parallax adjustment turret that goes from 10 yards to infinity.

Something on the line like: Bushnell Rimfire Scope 3-9x40 3BDC Turrets or the Hawke 2-7x.

For those close rimfire shots...maybe 12 yards an under --- You'll need an approx. 3/4" hold above the X-ring to compensate for the scope being mounted about 3/4" above the bore.

Before the first frost...some squirrels have "warbles" (bot fly larvae) just under the skin ---Those squirrels are still edible, but I would skin him quick before the warble hatches.:D I've also encountered a grub worm...here in Maryland, that can also burrow under the squirrels skin --- but I don't know the name of it.

For field dressing: Besides a 3, 4 or 6 inch bladed knife --- I always like to carry a pair of game or pruning shears...which makes it heck-of-a-lot easier to cut off the head, feet, tail and the splitting of the aitch bone in the pelvic region.

My brother prefers a loaded down 223 centerfire for mountain squirrels, with his CZ 527.

Squirrel & chipmunk nut cuttings come in much smaller pieces than deer nut cuttings. Chipmunk warning chirps are the biggest nemesis for me while deer or squirrel hunting --- As most of ya'll probably well know. I also prefer wearing 17" high snake proof boots. Squirrel woods can become easily "shot out."
 
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Glad I read this thread. I haven't hunted squirrels in over 30 years. Always loved it with my Dad. Mom wouldn't cook them so we quit shooting them. Loved using a scoped .22.

Going to get my son out and enjoy this again. Great memories.
 
Biggest issue most new squirrel hunters have, is they tend to think those squirrels running around in the woods are like their cousins that live in town. Urban tree rats don't really have a fear of people, usually just the opposite....they identify humans with a food source. They also tend to be more curious, as a commotion or disturbance(think parades or a family picnic) may again, be a source of food. In the woods, truly wild squirrels know humans are a prime danger and real predators are generally stealthier than town pooches and kittys. Thus they learn quickly to avoid humans quickly in life where they are hunted, or they die young.

Squirrel hunting is really no different than many other forms of hunting. One needs to be quiet, limit their movement when waiting for game to appear and to try and blend in with the woods as much as possible. One also needs to be a pretty damn good shot with whatever they are using too, as squirrels are small targets, especially when using a rimfire, instead of a shotgun. The best squirrel hunters are also the best shots. squirrels don't give one a lot of chances and you need to be able to take advantage of the opportunity when it presents itself. Missed squirrels are educated squirrels.
 
I used to find a hard woods with a hay field bordering one side. Walk the hayfield, slip into the hardwoods and sit down . Watch the action and shoot what you can. Leave the woods, walk down the hayfield a little and enter the woods again.

Gets many squirrels

David

A rifle scope on a rimfire is the best. I have a weaver 4-16 with adjustable parallax that works awesome for all shots.
 
One thing I always yell folks new to hunting and fishing.........your best/favorite spot is only that till it becomes someone else's best/favorite spot. If someone else is kind enough to take you somewhere and show you a great place to hunt, don't be "that guy" and wring it dry. In the same token, be aware that anytime you show someone, even your best friend, a good spot you discovered on your own, it probably will not continue to be "your own" for long. Same goes for you, when you find a good spot. Don't burn it out by over hunting it and always be looking for someplace new. One never knows when a landowner will sell that spot or loggers will show up on public land and cut down the only good spot you know of. A successful hunter is always scouting for new areas to enlarge their portfolio. Just like experimenting with new techniques and tools.
 
Protect your spot and respect the landowner

One thing I always yell folks new to hunting and fishing.........your best/favorite spot is only that till it becomes someone else's best/favorite spot.
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Well said and one point that we teach during the ethics portion of our Hunter Safety classes. Even though it's not illegal and permission has been given, When I am invited to hunt with a "friend", I have to respect that it is "his" spot. This respects is a two-way street. ….. :rolleyes:

Scenario;
Let's say that you have been invited by a landowner to hunt in his woods. You ask him about the rules and respect that he expects from you. So be it. Later you contact the landowner for permission to bring your grandson with you. The land owner says sure. If not handled right, the landowner will be contacting you, complaining about a bunch of guys showing up and you no have "your" best spot. This crap happens all the time…….. :eek:

The last spot, "my" spot that was lost was because of my Bull-head buddy that ignored this rule. I specifically told him that we only hunt this area, together. Things happened and hated to do so but finally asked him if he had been out there by himself or with others. He said; yes but ?? !!! …. :mad:
Well, that was the end of that hunting buddy and almost our friendship.


Be Safe !!!
 
I use Beeman R9s .20/.22 and R10s .22 air rifles, quiet and deadly. Also use BP .32 on late season to give them a chance. Calls are bellows type and tooth and paddle to sound like a squirrel cutting a nut. peashooterjoe
 
I haven't shot at many squirrels at all with a .22lr.
Maybe a few, and I was impressed by using a hollow point with a Ruger 10/22.
But I have shot many, many more using a Remington .410 pump.
If a squirrel is moving around in the tree tops, or you have a chance to shoot them where you find them when they’re moving from place to place through the woods,
it's hard to beat the .410, especially for not peppering them with too much shot.
Also when a squirrel is hugging the top side of a tree branch, staying perfectly still and trying to avoid being seen, and all you can locate is a wisp of its
tail hairs blowing in the breeze with the help of a monocular, I'd take a shot at the underside of the branch to get it to move, and then the game is on.
As he'll bound from branch to branch and present himself with multiple moving shots, the .410 is definitely up to the task.
I made my choice a long time ago.
The .410 requires aiming almost like a rifle, can have a 40+ yard reach with a full choke, and doesn't allow very many to get away.
It allows the hunter to storm the location of a chattering squirrel from a distance after using some stealth to get into a closer position, even if it knows that you're coming, as long as its hole isn't in that tree.
Sometimes an Olt bellows type squirrel call can help with that, or can get them to start chattering when there doesn’t seem to be any squirrels out & moving about within a close distance.
And a .410 helps a squirrel hunter to cover a lot of ground, especially on state lands where not all squirrels are out of their nest at the same time.
I've even had squirrels fall and get stuck in the crotch where two branches will intersect up in a tree after being shot out of the tree top.
And sometimes just 2 or 3 well placed shots can dislodge the dead quarry and send it falling to the ground.
Yep, the .410 with 3 inches of #6 shot is good squirrel medicine.
Always make sure that the eyes of what you think is a dead squirrel are open, because if they’re not then the squirrel is only unconscious.
I learned that lesson once after it fell out of the tree tops and then when I went up to bag the critter, it suddenly woke up and bounded away.
Yep, sometimes squirrels lose their balance and fall out of the tree tops too when they’re being shot at.
There have been some moving shots that I’ve been fortunate enough to make with a .410 when they're trying to bound away from me through the tree tops that have even surprised myself.
I’m relatively sure that if a person is willing to give a .410 pump a try then the chances are that they’ll like it.
It promotes a little bit of a different style of squirrel hunting than with a .22lr.
It's a little more of an up close and personal style of hunting, that can involve more action shooting into the tops of the highest trees.
But not always as sometimes they're moving on the ground.
In some places, one needs to be as quiet as possible and tiptoe through the leaves.
At other times, you want to try to move with a few small short series of steps like a squirrel would make, so that any squirrel in the vicinity will think that you’re just another squirrel or a deer.
Some of the best deer scouting that I’ve ever done was while squirrel hunting.
That also helped to teach me to be a better deer hunter too, how to act like your quarry when in the woods.
And such as how to move through the woods and to be aware, to allow you to see the game before it can see you.
That's what it's all about. seeing the game first or reacting before it can get away.
Thanks to Remington for all of the squirrel hunting memories with their .410 pump!
One can only hope that there’s more .410 memories to come.
 
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I said earlier I hunted them with an OLD Savage 22-410. I shot one with the shotgun, it fell to the ground. I picked it up by the tail. I did not realize it was still alive. It bit my pant leg just above the knee and would not let go. I switched to 22 rimfire and held the gun with my left hand, pulling on the tail with the other hand shooting the squirrel in the head while it was still hanging on to my pants.

Another time I was using a Savage 17 Heavy barrel laminated stock. Sitting in the woods on a stool, my dad was not well at all. The phone rang. It was my mother. We were chatting. I said "Hold on" I picked off a squirrel running along a log with my 17. I returned to my conversation.

Thanks for the memories

I quit using a shotgun or my combination guns on squirrels when I didn't really need the meat. Just a rimfire rifle with a quality centerfire scope or a scoped pistol, like my High standard Victor or TC contender in 32-20 with light loads. I do the same for frogs.

David
 
I use to use a 22/20g Sav early in season when leaves were still on. I got older and detest
eating squirrel that have been taken with a shotgun. Have used rifles for years 22s, 25/20
and 32/20. Always make a few handgun hunts with 22s. Using rifle or pistol you just have to wait longer for a shot. Ruger 77/22 is my serious squirrel gun, with 4x Redfield. I had a
compac 6x on it but didn't like the smaller field of view. Also have my old 10/22 with K3x
that 77 replaced. I also have a 39 Marlin with peep sights that I use late season when leaves drop.
 
Here's a couple of partially black phase gray squirrels that I had mounted years ago.
They were shot on public land about 1 mile apart on different days of the week while hunting in another part of the state.

Black phase squirrels are not common here at all although I do have an almost totally black one that currently lives on the edge of my yard.

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Squirrel hunting has always been a casual affair for me. Opposite of deer or turkey hunting. I always liked it because I could walk and talk and still have opportunities to bag some game meat. I've heard that squirrels that live amongst pine trees should be avoided as they taste like pine. I don't know that from experience though. I use a 20 gauge pump or single shot, but I've been thinking about trying with a 22. As has already been said, caution must be used as far as what is beyond the squirrel and where it is located. A stray 22 round will pose a bigger threat than some stray shot.
 
Squirrels that hang in pine trees are smaller and red with a white belly. Just a little bigger than a chipmunk. They chase greys away and really do go for the males nust when fighting.

Its a riot to see.

David

Sent from my SM-T900 using Tapatalk
 
I've heard that squirrels that live amongst pine trees should be avoided as they taste like pine. I don't know that from experience though.
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Grandpa always told me to never shoot a squirrel that was eating hedge apples (Osage Orange). He said they'll stink and taste so bad the dogs won't even eat 'em.
 
Squirrels that hang in pine trees are smaller and red with a white belly. Just a little bigger than a chipmunk. They chase greys away and really do go for the males nust when fighting.

thats actually a different species of squirrel youre talking about, i think the original poster was talking about grey squirrels that spend time in pine trees. Ive heard that too (a squirell you kill out of pines will taste like turpentine/chemical but ive never noticed a difference.)
 
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