Another Year to Hunt!

[ranchibi]

November 12, 2024 - Tuesday afternoon
The wind was blowing from the north about 10 mph when I got into the woods.  As a result. I didn't see any squirrels moving.  [Wait, don't click off yet or you will miss the story.]
As I approached my planned turn-around point, I was checking on the ground on each side, in back, and in front.  Then I looked up in the trees that were ahead.  That is when I spotted a squirrel that was NOT MOVING.  It was laid out on a limb about 40 feet up, in a tree about 25 yards away.  It was just laying there looking at me.  When the JSB from the Marauder .25 hit, it turned, ran back to the trunk, and down and around to the other side of the tree.  After a few seconds of being out of sight, it dropped/fell to the ground.  I could not see it there either - so I hurried over to retrieve it.  Humph, NOT THERE!  I look around and found it about eight yards away, where it had crawled off and died.  The pellet had traveled through both shoulders, probably hitting the lungs in the process. 
I included two pictures:  #1 shows the length of the squirrel as compared to the scope on my rifle.  #2 shows the exit wound.  She was a tough big girl.
That is one of the largest Fox Squirrels I have ever taken here in Tennessee.  Those are sort of rare this year.

Mike, excellent shot on that big gal, nice pic!

[martrage]

 Mike great story & good shooting! We've got Fox squirrel here in Central PA. Never saw any in my other homes in PA. I do see a few on my farm permission 
 occasionally , sometimes in the Summer I see them out far in the fields and expect them to be a g-hog!

[Bicycleman]

Randall said:  Mike, excellent shot on that big gal, nice pic!
Thank you for that compliment.  It was a very rewarding and enjoyable afternoon - and the weather was cooler too.

[Bicycleman]

Mike great story & good shooting! We've got Fox squirrel here in Central PA. Never saw any in my other homes in PA. I do see a few on my farm permission 
 occasionally , sometimes in the Summer I see them out far in the fields and expect them to be a g-hog!

Thanks very much, Martin.  In Louisiana, Fox Squirrels were the only 'game in town'.     But those were smaller than the breed of Fox Squirrels where I am hunting now.
You mentioned ground hogs - I did get a fleeting glimpse of a ground hog yesterday.  The only way I knew it wasn't a Fox Squirrel [from the brief look I got] was the color of the tail.

[Sqrl Klr]

The park I work at is over 7,000 acres in size.  We are constantly on the look out for poachers.  Every year we discover a couple of tree stands in the park. Most are home made but some aren’t.  We have to pitch everything we find in the dumpster.  Over the years I have thrown away some expensive hunting gear.

I'd leave the expensive item somewhere hidden in the woods then get it during off hours. You'd be putting it to good use instead of perfectly good things trashed. No one other than the poacher harmed.

[HunterWhite]

Good point Gil!
If you trash that expensive hunting gear then it goes to the landfill will make green house gasses. Then they'll have to make more, that will make even more greenhouse gas.
Save the atmosphere,  I need it for my airgun!


Hunter

[Blowpipe Sam]

The park I work at is over 7,000 acres in size.  We are constantly on the look out for poachers.  Every year we discover a couple of tree stands in the park. Most are home made but some aren’t.  We have to pitch everything we find in the dumpster.  Over the years I have thrown away some expensive hunting gear.

I'd leave the expensive item somewhere hidden in the woods then get it during off hours. You'd be putting it to good use instead of perfectly good things trashed. No one other than the poacher harmed.

The ethics standards for state employees are unsurprisingly high.  Each year we have to suffer through a mandatory ethics training.  Keeping found items ist strenglich verboten!  If the public found out it might create a bad impression.

I play by the rules.  That way I can feel smug and superior whenever our elected representatives fall short of those standards.

[Back_Roads]

 My work donates any usable lost and found to charity I guess this is a good time to stop before it gets political LOL

[Blowpipe Sam]

My work donates any usable lost and found to charity I guess this is a good time to stop before it gets political LOL

Yeah let's not highjack the man's thread.

[Bicycleman]

Thank you, Gentlemen.

[Bicycleman]

Tuesday - November 26, 2024

Normally, I don't post unsuccessful hunts - they are not very interesting reading!
But the hunt this morning needed air time:  I was out in the woods about 7 a.m. under cloudy, 44ºF, windy skies.  The winds made that temperature feel much colder. 
I opened the hunt by sitting is a rocky little valley with cows feeding about 15 feet from where I sat.  Nothing much happened for about 30 minutes.  Then I saw a large animal sort of loping in my general direction.  As it got closer, I realized it was another very large Fox Squirrel.  It just kept coming, with stops that were too brief for a good shot.  Finally, when it was about 20 feet away, it stopped for a little longer; and I was able to sent a pellet a split-second AFTER it started moving again.  Yep, a clean miss!  It went up a smallish tree and stopped about 25 feet away and 25 feet up with its head and shoulders showing.  This time, I was determined to shoot before it moved.  Hind sight told me that I shot too quickly and missed again after jerking the trigger.  It scampered up an adjacent tree and ducked into a nest hole. 
That was the only squirrel I saw all morning.
The moral/lesson of this hunt is to make sure to get that first squirrel; because it may be the last squirrel too.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING to everyone!  (I will be thanking Him for giving me the health to hunt the wild woods.)

[ranchibi]

Mike....every hunt is a success story as you got out into the beautiful land and got 2 shots off at the very least! And, had good company with the cows.....😂👍.....HAPPY THANKSGIVING back at ya! We had ours yesterday as folks we have over had more plans on Thanksgiving day. I roasted a 22lb behemoth....😂...kept the meat moist by putting 2 sticks of butter + olive oil in the cavity prior to roasting, kinda steams/plus more even heat distribution with the liquids and sell, it's butter which makes everything tastes better! Ha!

[Bicycleman]

Randall, you are so right - it is about getting out there. 
Thursday, we are going over to have Thanksgiving with my son and family.  [They are 600 feet away on the next block.] 
My son had borrowed my truck yesterday.  When he brought it back, he was in time for fresh baked biscuits.  And we got a visit out of the deal.  Win - Win!

[dk1677]

I missed this post Mike, Yea those close ones can be hard , I am sure they hear it coming.  Have a great Thanksgiving Mike!

[Bicycleman]

I missed this post Mike, Yea those close ones can be hard , I am sure they hear it coming.  Have a great Thanksgiving Mike!

Thank you, Dave.  And Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family.

[Back_Roads]

 I have learned more from unsuccessful hunts than successful ones. Sometimes the non productive ones still give one time to see other natural anomilities

[Bicycleman]

I have learned more from unsuccessful hunts than successful ones. Sometimes the non productive ones still give one time to see other natural anomilities

James, I totally agree. 
I am hoping that big Fox Squirrel will be there next time I go by that little valley.  I am planning that we meet again.     

[A.K.A. Tommy Boy]

Hi Mike.
You'll get that big Fox Squirrel, it is just a matter of time.
As you already know, they tend to stay in their established territory.

Best Wishes - Tom

[Bicycleman]

Hello, Tom and Happy Thanksgiving.
The hole that one went into is the den tree for the neighborhood.  I have taken several Fox Squirrels in the area the last couple of seasons. 
There is also a healthy population of Grays there too.


Stay well, my friend.

[Bicycleman]

Saturday - December 7, 2024
My son joined me for an afternoon hunt on Permission #1.  It was a beautifully clear and warm (44ºF) afternoon with a light breeze; and we hoped to bring home several squirrels.  But that is not how it turned out.  I did see one Fox Squirrel going away from my location.  My son didn't see any.  No squirrels were harmed in the making of the hunt. 
I included a picture that I captured of the Red Fox that lives in the woods I hunt often.  I saw it two separate times today.  (The Fox was a long way out there.  You will need to zoom in to see the fox better.)