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All Springer/NP/PCP Air Gun Discussion General => Hunting Gate => Topic started by: Bicycleman on September 23, 2022, 01:44:19 PM
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September 23, 2022 - Friday
I have been waiting for cool weather (about 50ºF) before starting to hunt. This morning was my first try at avoiding the ticks and red bugs and shooting some squirrels.
I am not going to make this long and drawn out. I will simply say that I got three Gray Squirrels and missed another (too close - about 3 yards away). I was out of the woods by about 9:30 a.m. because we are waiting for some friends from Louisiana to stop for a short visit.
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A healthy looking trifecta. Nice shooting Mike. In the 50's down in North Ga now as well so off to the woods for me tomorrow.
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Nice shooting Mike.
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Mike, great shooting on those 3 grays! Glad you were finally able to get out and avoid the blood sucking bugs! Really close shots are tough because of the POI is so different (aim much higher than usual).
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Nice shooting Mike and thank you for the aiming tip Randall.
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Nice shooting Mike!
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Good shooting Old Man.
;)
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A healthy looking trifecta. Nice shooting Mike. In the 50's down in North Ga now as well so off to the woods for me tomorrow.
Steve, good luck tomorrow morning.
I will be watching my 2nd Grandson playing soccer tomorrow.
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Nice shooting Mike.
Thanks, Jerry. I really needed to be out there this morning. Oh, yeah; it was way beyond 'wanted to'.
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Mike, great shooting on those 3 grays! Glad you were finally able to get out and avoid the blood sucking bugs! Really close shots are tough because of the POI is so different (aim much higher than usual).
Thanks, Randall. Another problem with the close shots is trying to remember if I am supposed to aim high or low. By the time I reason it out, the squirrel is usually gone. Many squirrels were out and active this morning. And the leaves are starting to fall too.
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Nice shooting Mike and thank you for the aiming tip Randall.
Thanks, Brent. And I hope that there will be much more to this thread as the season progresses.
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Nice shooting Mike!
Hi, Dave. Thanks for looking in.
At this rate, I am going to pass up your record this season! {Yeah, right.}
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Good shooting Old Man.
;)
Thanks, Jeff. The 'Old Man' business simply means an abundance of experience.
My Marauder was shooting straight today.
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Good shooting Old Man.
;)
Thanks, Jeff. The 'Old Man' business simply means an abundance of experience.
Glad to see you captured the meaning exactly.
I knew you would.
:D
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Yes, Jeff, I caught it.
And, on the other side of that coin, I am getting a little long in the tooth.
When I was about 30 years old, I remember being astonished by a friends father who came squirrel hunting with us. The guy was 65 years old. :o
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September 24, 2022 Saturday afternoon
My son joined me for an afternoon hunt. I think the heat kept the squirrels from moving much. I saw maybe six and Matthew saw at least two. I got shots at two: Missed the first one and killed the second one [with a shoulder to shoulder pass through]. It doesn't show in the picture, but that Marauder .25 made a mess of the shoulders. Matthew made a beautiful headshot on his first one. (He doesn't take any pictures. But it did happen.) Later when he attempted to shoot the second one, the Stormrider would not blow the pellet out. (He may have double loaded.) It was after 6 p.m. and time to head home anyway. Yes, I will be working on the Stormrider tomorrow. Right now, I am off to BED.
Good night all.
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Mike, another great shot on that fox squirrel! And, you're welcome about the aim...the only reason I know is my range is only 20yds so some of my target shots are close and I practice almost daily...LOL!
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Good morning, Randall; and thanks for the reply.
Showers this morning and definitely on the warm side. I will wait for the next cold front to come through before I hunt again.
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Update on the Stormrider: This morning, after I had coffee, I got busy on the Stormrider. When I gently pushed the cleaning rod into the suppressor, it went about three or four inches before hitting something. Okay, that's not right!
When I removed the suppressor and tapped it on the work table, a couple pellets fell out. The suppressor still had a rattle. I tapped it again and a third pellet fell out. Hummmm, I will have to talk to Matthew. And I think there may have been one of the three that had been loaded into the magazine backwards. The rest of the rifle was clear.
In defense of my son though, he doesn't hunt often enough to be comfortable with the loading process yet.
After the reassembly, I test-fired several shots. The accuracy is still there and the rifle is as quiet as ever.
'It is going to be a good day, Scooter!'
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Nice one Mike!
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Nice one Mike!
Thank you, Dave. That one was an easy kill. It came hopping along toward me through the weeds. Right where the weeds thinned out, it stopped to have a look around and got pelleted. It was probably not more than 15 yards away.
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Tuesday - September 27, 2022
The temperature was 44ºF when I left the house. My plan was to walk the fence lines to check for problems with fallen trees, etc. I found no problems with the fences. Today, I killed four Gray Squirrels; and all died from head shots. Two were in trees and the other two were on the ground. I didn't think I was going to get the fourth one: I missed the first shot. While hurrying to reload, I accidentally started a second a second pellet into the chamber. I had to shear it in half to get the magazine out and clear the fragmented pellet. During all this procedure, the squirrel was moving up and down the tree flicking its tail. Finally I was able to drop it for the final head shot of the morning. The day was warming quickly and the wind was starting to kick. I walked back to the truck very satisfied with my morning hunt.
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Excellent shooting, looks like you have an abundunce of target this year 😁
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Hi Steve. Thanks for the compliment.
Two years ago and the years before that were very poor years for the squirrel population. Two years ago, I killed nine Gray Squirrels for the whole season. My son and I have killed 10 already in three hunts. Yes, this is shaping up to be a great season.
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Tell you what Mate. VERY nice shooting! Glad to see your gonna fill the freezer this year.
:D
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Thanks, Jeff.
It is not too difficult to fill our little freezer [part of the refrigerator]. In Louisiana, I had a big chest-type freezer and it was not usually more than half full of stuff.
What I try to do here is eat the squirrels almost as fast as I bring them home. This season, that isn't happening yet.
Stay well, my friend.
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Nice haul Mike!
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Thank you Dave.
Yes sir, it was a very rewarding morning.
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Mike, nice shooting on all 4! Boy...your squirrels sure do have issues with their heads....LOL!
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Thanks for the stories and congratulations on the successful hunts! Our season opens Saturday and I was planning to go out but Ira seems to have other ideas. If not Saturday I will definitely be trying to get a few next week. Very much looking forward to it. Pulling the trigger and watching a squirrel drop out of a tree is one of life's little joys.
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Mike, nice shooting on all 4! Boy...your squirrels sure do have issues with their heads....LOL!
Randall, I don't think they knew what hit them.
Thank you for looking in!
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Thanks for the stories and congratulations on the successful hunts! Our season opens Saturday and I was planning to go out but Ira seems to have other ideas. If not Saturday I will definitely be trying to get a few next week. Very much looking forward to it. Pulling the trigger and watching a squirrel drop out of a tree is one of life's little joys.
Two things, Jim: I will be praying that you all come through the storm in good health. And good luck with the hunting next week. Be sure to get pictures and post results.
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October 3, 2022 - Monday
I hunted last Friday but didn't get anything. The weekend was spent enjoying the effect of the Covid Booster I got Friday afternoon. Today, I felt great and decided to go walk in the woods. I figured the wind was going to blow; so I was going into the woods when it was still mostly dark - with just a little glow in the East. I had a ways to walk to the spot I had decided to hunt first.
I stayed in the first spot and saw only a couple of Great Pyrenees and the goats they guard (about 25 in that bunch). I don't think they were responsible for the squirrels not moving. I changed spots and saw five in the same tree. But they were changing ZIP codes. I managed to drop the last one - the slow one. [When I cleaned it, I discovered it had a broken rear leg - maybe causing it to be the slowest one.] I kept moving and didn't see any until I got back in the pasture woods where the goats usually stay. It hopped up on a rock and stared at me [in the face for about 30 seconds] from a distance of maybe 10 feet. It hopped off about 10 more feet and stared some more for maybe another 30 seconds. Then it ran to a tree and climbed about 8 feet up and stopped. Bad mistake. I knew I had to shoot fast and took the off-hand shot through the heart/lungs. It was very dead when I walked over there. I finished my windy walk back to my truck without seeing any more.
Some clouds are moving in; may be some rain on the way.
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Mike, nice hunt and great shots on both nutters! Nice pics too.
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Hi, Randall; and thanks for the compliments. It was a strange hunt with the dogs and goats <--- not a first, but still interesting.
As for the pictures, I try to take the pictures the way the critters fall. Sometimes I have to move the squirrel to a spot with more light. I thought for a moment that would be the case with the first squirrel - lot of shade and down in the rocks. The second picture was a little better but still dark.
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Sunday - October 9, 2022
Good morning everyone. Permit me to confess first: The pictures you don't see are the squirrels I didn't kill this morning.
The morning temperature was in the middle 30s and the wind was calm. Perfect, right! I hunted a very small pocket of woods [maybe 3 acres] and saw several squirrels. I was able to take two shots each at two Grays. I missed both squirrels twice each. I am so embarrassed! I checked the rifle after missing the second squirrel. The three pellets could be covered by a nickel with two in the same hole. Not the rifle's fault. I will try again tomorrow or Tuesday. Bye for now.
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I re-read the thread and never did find out what pellet you are using.
I just got my Seventh today with my new go-to pellet... an RWS Superdome.
If it don't hit the head, it will do a lot of damage to the chest.
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Mike, at least you got out and threw some lead! I felt like you from Thursday to today, Sunday as we (wife and I) were up in the Sierras staying @ a friends huge cabin including his wife, it was beautiful!
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Nice shooting on the Oct 3rd one Mike!
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I re-read the thread and never did find out what pellet you are using.
I just got my Seventh today with my new go-to pellet... an RWS Superdome.
If it don't hit the head, it will do a lot of damage to the chest.
Brent, the JSBs have been my goto pellets for about eight years. The Stormrider .22 does well with the EXACT Jumbo Heavy Diabolo 18.13 gr. For the Marauder .25, the EXACT King .25 Diabolo 25.39 gr pellets do the damage. It is the most accurate pellets I have tried in that rifle. I have some of the heavier JSBs [33.95 gr] that I experimented with. They might require a slight scope adjustment if I switched over to them - but they were a close 2nd choice. I don't think I need that much pellet for squirrels.
Thanks for the reminder about the pellets of choice.
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Mike, at least you got out and threw some lead! I felt like you from Thursday to today, Sunday as we (wife and I) were up in the Sierras staying @ a friends huge cabin including his wife, it was beautiful!
Good morning Randall.
My Judy and I had an adventure in the late 60s when we were visiting friends in Sacramento. The lady took us through the Sierras to Lake Tahoe and Stateline on a day trip. That is an amazingly beautiful area.
Back then, there were relatives just across the border in Brookings, Oregon. We made another trip through California to visit them in 1981. Life got busy after that and we have not been back to the west coast. :(
Yesterday, was the first morning I had ice on the pickup when I left for the hunt. Oh, I am liking this weather!
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Nice shooting on the Oct 3rd one Mike!
Thanks you, Dave. I am often amazed at how tough those Gray squirrels are. Mother Nature equipped them with strong survival skills.
Stay well.
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Mike, at least you got out and threw some lead! I felt like you from Thursday to today, Sunday as we (wife and I) were up in the Sierras staying @ a friends huge cabin including his wife, it was beautiful!
Good morning Randall.
My Judy and I had an adventure in the late 60s when we were visiting friends in Sacramento. The lady took us through the Sierras to Lake Tahoe and Stateline on a day trip. That is an amazingly beautiful area.
Back then, there were relatives just across the border in Brookings, Oregon. We made another trip through California to visit them in 1981. Life got busy after that and we have not been back to the west coast. :(
Yesterday, was the first morning I had ice on the pickup when I left for the hunt. Oh, I am liking this weather!
Mike, glad you've seen this area as it is quite beautiful! Cooling down for y'all! Hope you limit out next time out!
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This fall I would like to get out to some of the public lands around where I live and try and hunt some snowshoes or grey squirrels. The woods around my house are packed with reds, but they don't really seem worth the effort. Maybe this weekend I can get up early on my days off and head into the bush. Maybe four or more reds would be enough for a stew.
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Thanks, Randall. I am going to try for a limit one of these days.
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Pictures and more pictures -- October 14, 2022 - Friday morning
The weatherman predicted high winds today. Well it was calm at dawn and stayed mostly quiet until around 10:30 a.m.. I saw plenty of squirrels this morning and killed four. I did miss two more. Yep, they were moving this morning. The second squirrel had to be finished off - a broken spine is obvious in the second picture. The third squirrel got a head/neck shot and flopped around until it fell into a crevice. 3A is a closeup picture. The 3B picture shows it down in the bottom of the mini-canyon. Number 4 is a very tiny Gray, probably born in mid-August. The Marauder was shooting accurately - as usual. That rifle really likes the JSB 25.39gr pellets. I included a picture of some fall color. Mostly, due to the dry conditions here (31 days with no rain), leaves are falling off the trees before they change colors.
I took some time out from hunting to walk the fence and patch holes Coyotes had dug to get into the Goat Woods. Just my way to say THANKS to the landowner for allowing me to hunt there.
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Great shooting on those bushy tails!!! Looks like you guys are having a great Fall up that way. We have had slightly more rain in North GA and the colors are quite vivid this year. I was on Interstate 575 heading North for a short distance yesterday and you would think Atlanta was evacuating to North Carolina so many cars were heading up to the mountains.
Primitive Weapons season opens today in GA, so my AEA .30 cal will go to the woods with me for the next couple hunts. Suppose to be a hard freeze here on Tuesday night so that will get the critters moving and knock more leaves off so I can finally see them better.
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Steve, thanks for the compliment.
Good luck with you hunting/gathering.
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Nice shooting Mike! Your racking them up!
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Great shooting Mike, and nice pics! Hunting Grays in the Fall with all the different colors doesn't get much better than that.
I have only seen a couple of squirrels in my yard all year so I am trying hard to restrain myself. It's because storms have knocked down all the nut trees (had a cherry tree with 4-6 squirrels on it every day in the Fall) over the years on my property as well as the neighbors', except for 1 Oak tree next door on the property line, that has mast every few years. This year the mast is good and I am seeing acorns on my lawn but not many squirrels. There is talk around town and on the local forums about a disease that's killing the squirrels. On the bright side I 've spotted a cottontail rabbit on my property for the first time in 24 years, so I am hoping they proliferate so I can make some rabbit stew after all this time. It seems to have moved in under my shed in the old G-hog burrow!
Harry
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Nice shooting Mike! Your racking them up!
Thank you, Dave. The hunting has been fantastic. That sort of scared me because I am getting used to this.
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Harry, that is bad news about the squirrels. But the bright side has that new guest - the rabbit. Each season since I have been in Tennessee and hunted the same woods, I see a rabbit occasionally when I am hunting squirrels. I have not seen two on any single hunt. But I am fairly certain the Coyotes are the problem. It may be easier to shoot a squirrel in the eye at 100 yards than it is to get lead into a Coyote around here. So, I wish the rabbit good luck in surviving.
Last week, I had the choice to shoot/hunt the squirrel or shoot the Coyote that came trotting by. Of course, I chose the Coyote - but didn't get to shoot at either. Maybe next time.
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Mike, great hunt and excellent shooting on all 4 fox squirrels! Nice pics!
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Great shooting on those fox squirrels! I got four reds today, only about 5.5 oz of meat (deboned) between all of them. Tomorrow morning I'm going out to try and get a couple more to make a nice dinner.
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Mike, great hunt and excellent shooting on all 4 fox squirrels! Nice pics!
Thanks for the compliments, Randall. Indeed, it was a successful day.
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Great shooting on those fox squirrels! I got four reds today, only about 5.5 oz of meat (deboned) between all of them. Tomorrow morning I'm going out to try and get a couple more to make a nice dinner.
DJ, thank you for looking in on my thread. I hope you are also successful when you try for more Reds to complete your dinner. 5.5 ozs isn't much meat from four squirrels. [We don't have any of those around here.]
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Great shooting on those fox squirrels! I got four reds today, only about 5.5 oz of meat (deboned) between all of them. Tomorrow morning I'm going out to try and get a couple more to make a nice dinner.
DJ, thank you for looking in on my thread. I hope you are also successful when you try for more Reds to complete your dinner. 5.5 ozs isn't much meat from four squirrels. [We don't have any of those around here.]
It's not much meat, but the local population of reds has exploded the last few years and I thought it would be good to reduce the numbers and get a little bit of meat. The dogs like the tails and feet and I'll make the bones/carcasses and edible organs into broth. We don't have any native oaks, hickory, or other nut bearing trees, so no greys to be found in this region. Yesterday morning I saw a first year white tail buck in the fog and some fresh droppings this morning, a good sign. I would like to make some brush piles to attract snowshoe hare or cotton tail rabbit for some small game hunting on the property. Really anything to attract game animals other than reds!
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Tuesday - October 18, 2022
None this morning - too windy I guess. But it sure did feel like real squirrel hunting. The sunrise temperature was 32ºF - nice!
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Bbrrrr..32!? LOL! I do like cool weather especially to shoot, fish or golf but I guess low 60's is my kind of "cool" weather! LOL! Glad you at least got out, hopefully next time they'll be out in droves for ya!
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Good morning, Randall.
Cool/cold is relative. And another reason I was out yesterday [even though I knew it was going to be windy] was to get my body more accustomed to the cold gradually. My son hunted with me recently when the temperature was just below 40ºF; and he commented as to how cold it was. I was more comfortable than he was because he is indoors most of the time in his job at the Vanderbilt University hospital in Nashville.
[I watch some of the Alaska shows and see those folks out in 32ºF weather in t-shirts. Their bodies are used to -40ºF. (-40ºF to +32ºF is a change in temperature of 72 degrees. That would likely kill me if the change was too sudden.)
Stay well.
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October 20, 2022 Thursday
For those of you who are not familiar with what kind of squirrel is in the first picture, that is an Eastern Fox Squirrel. That is the first one I have killed this season. I knew there were some in the area where I took this one; but I had not seen any until this morning. I saw two but missed the second one. The two Grays were seen together but separated. I got the first on, photographed it, and put it in the bag. When I turned around to pick up my shooting stick and rifle, I saw the other one. I waited a while for it to come back toward me and missed it with the first shot. >:( It ran three steps and stopped again. That time I didn't miss.
Because the wind was kicking pretty good/bad and it was already 10 a.m., I decided that I had enough.
Another good day at Squirrel Central.
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Nice harvest on the Fox squirrel, those are pretty big! Should make for a beautiful hide to tan.
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The Eastern Fox Squirrels are considerably larger than the Gray Squirrels here. Fox Squirrels may be 2X to 2.5X as heavy as the Grays.
Thanks for your reply and compliment.
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Nice trio of squirrels Mike. Excellent shooting on your part.
We have Eastern Fox Squirrels in Minnesota but I have seen only Gray Squirrels in the area where I live.
The hunting has been good for me this year too. I just hope the Fall weather holds up a few more weeks.
Happy Hunting & Best Wishes - Tom
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Hello, Tom, and it is good to hear from you. I saw that you have been getting some snow. Does that make squirrel hunting better? We don't get enough snow here for me to decide one way or the other.
Thanks for the compliment, my friend.
Stay warm and well.
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Hello, Tom, and it is good to hear from you. I saw that you have been getting some snow. Does that make squirrel hunting better? We don't get enough snow here for me to decide one way or the other.
Thanks for the compliment, my friend.
Stay warm and well.
It's very easy to see squirrel tracks in fresh snow, but I have only shot a few that were at ground level.
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Mike, nice hunt and shooting on the fox squirrels, nice pics too! Glad the one afforded you a second opportunity!
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Hello, Tom, and it is good to hear from you. I saw that you have been getting some snow. Does that make squirrel hunting better? We don't get enough snow here for me to decide one way or the other.
Thanks for the compliment, my friend.
Stay warm and well.
Hi Mike.
That was our first snow 10/14/2022. It is all gone now but more will be coming in the not too distant future.
Yes, snow makes tracking easier, especially in following up blood trails.
I prefer warmer weather to hunt in though.
This past week, the morning temps have been in the high teens to low twenties with prevailing winds coming out of Canada.
The daytime temps have been around 35F to 40F. Good hunting weather for here.
It is supposed to warm up to around 70F this weekend with a warm air flow from the South then it will drop again with the winds coming from the North again.
Happy Hunting & Best Wishes - Tom
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Nice one Mike!
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Hello, Tom, and it is good to hear from you. I saw that you have been getting some snow. Does that make squirrel hunting better? We don't get enough snow here for me to decide one way or the other.
Thanks for the compliment, my friend.
Stay warm and well.
It's very easy to see squirrel tracks in fresh snow, but I have only shot a few that were at ground level.
DJ, I looked for squirrel tracks the last time we got some snow. I didn't have any luck though. Maybe the snow was too crusty - not dry enough - not deep enough? It was really beautiful though for this Louisiana boy.
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Mike, nice hunt and shooting on the fox squirrels, nice pics too! Glad the one afforded you a second opportunity!
Randall, I got lucky on the squirrels today. I did see many others too before the breeze started. Thanks for the compliments.
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Tom, I did follow a blood trail in the snow last season. The squirrel was fidgety and paused only for a moment. My shot was a little off. But I succeeded in tracking down that one. That was in the area I named Canyon Land. I have lost several squirrels in that area when there was no snow.
Enjoy that good hunting weather.
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Nice one Mike!
Thank you Dave. I decided that I will share that Fox Squirrel with my son when I cook it.
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I do miss the days when I was living in Clarksville and squirrel hunting. I am jealous of the numbers of tasty critters you guys have running around there.
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Fidel, come on back to Tennessee. There are plenty of squirrels to be harvested. I have not put a dent in the population yet.
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Last week, we took a trip to Louisiana to visit our families and take care of some unfinished business. While there, my younger brother invited me to hunt with him on Wednesday at his new honey hole. I knew the area well from my bicycling riding days; but I had never hunted there.
10/26/2022 - Wednesday's hunt: Pete pointed me toward a small grove of trees (Oak, and Pecan, along with trash trees). Almost right away, I saw a Fox Squirrel moving past me and not stopping. I did watch where he went. Shortly, two more joined it. I crept the area and tried a shot, - missed. Tried again and missed low this time. The squirrel moved on but I stayed put. (I adjusted my scope to shoot a little higher.) About 15 minutes later, I got another shot and clipped a branch for another miss. Those were the last squirrel I saw and it was time to leave because the wind had started to blow. [My brother got one Fox Squirrel.]
10/27/2022 - Thursday's hunt: Pete and I went back to the same area and I started at the same place. And again, almost right away, I saw a Fox Squirrel moved past me going to the same area as yesterday morning. This time, I followed it right away. It moved into a Pecan tree and I was able to drop it with a clean head shot. (Picture #1) I moved along a tree and brush row from there and spotted one moving through the trees toward me. It actually went past me at a distance of about 10 yards without seeing me. About three minutes later, it reversed direction and started back. This time, it stopped right in front me, probably 15 feet away. I took an standing, unsupported shot and drilled a new hole in its head. (Picture #2) I ended my hunt about 15 minutes later without seeing any more [partially due to the darn wind again today.] Both of my squirrels and the two that Pete got were mature male Fox Squirrels.
It was really great hunting with my brother and also hunting in Louisiana.
Thank you for looking in on my adventures.
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Nice hunt Mike, I also find wind to deter squirrel activity, that or birds of prey in the area. For sure there is a good chance of seeing squirrel in nut infested areas :)
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Mike, how fun going hunting with your brother (in Louisiana your old stomping grounds) and you both bagging 2 each, excellent shooting! Does your brother hunt with an airgun also? Nice pics!
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Fidel, come on back to Tennessee. There are plenty of squirrels to be harvested. I have not put a dent in the population yet.
I have a friend that lives out by Land Between the Lakes that I need to visit. We always forage mushrooms and hunt squirrels for at least one meal. Fresh chantarelles and squirrels in some pan gravy is hard to beat after a couple miles of walking!
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Nice hunt Mike, I also find wind to deter squirrel activity, that or birds of prey in the area. For sure there is a good chance of seeing squirrel in nut infested areas :)
James, you are so right about nut infested areas. There were pecan shells and chewed up acorns all over. Oh, yeah - and dead squirrels too. Hee hee The wind would not have been such a big problem if those Louisiana trees had fewer leaves. But it has not gotten as cold down there as we have experienced here in Tennessee.
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Mike, how fun going hunting with your brother (in Louisiana your old stomping grounds) and you both bagging 2 each, excellent shooting! Does your brother hunt with an airgun also? Nice pics!
Thanks, Randall, for the compliment. My brother is as hooked on air gun hunting as I am. In fact, he is using the Discovery .22 that started my romance with PCP air guns. And he has always been a better shot with a rifle or shotgun than I ever was. I am very proud of him and miss now that I am in Tennessee.
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Nice ones Mike!
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Thanks, Dave. It was one of the nicest hunt my brother and I have had together.
And, he was kind enough to keep all the squirrels [since I was soooo far from home and would have had problems transporting those squirrels back to Tennessee.] :D
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November 9, 2022 - Wednesday morning
The air was cool for the start of the hunt, and the squirrels were moving. The first three I saw were far and moving away from my location. After moving to another area, I saw a Gray on the ground. When it offered a shot, I hit it in the spine and had to finish it.* The second Gray was in the same area and offered me a very nice headshot. 'Dead Right There'.* I saw a couple more in that second area, but far away and moving farther. The next area I hunted was on the edge of Canyon Land on a huge table rock area. The squirrel I saw on the ground moved about 15 feet up in a tree. It was probably over 40 yards away. Because I had a very solid rest against a Cedar tree, I decided to try the shot. I thought I had missed until I walked over and saw it on the ground behind the tree with a hit in the heart/lungs area. I was very excited and forgot to take a picture until after I had skinned it. So the third picture is the empty skin.* I did get another shot at a fourth Gray. However, I hit a vine instead of the squirrel. It vanished like smoke in the wind. About that time, my phone was ringing - it was my brother calling to give a hunting report from one of my permissions in Louisiana. We visited the landowner while I was in Louisiana; and he gladly granted Pete permission to hunt whenever he wanted. I felt real good about that. And this morning, he got four Fox Squirrels in that little area. That boy is a shooter!
*While hunting with my brother in Louisiana, we cleaned our squirrels in the woods. I am starting to use that technique for my squirrels in Tennessee.
Note: I will not be hunting Permission 2 until after the Deer Season ends.
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Mike, excellent hunt and shooting on all 3 nutters! That 40yd shot is quite impressive! Nice pics and smart not to be on land with deer hunters!
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Mike, excellent hunt and shooting on all 3 nutters! That 40yd shot is quite impressive! Nice pics and smart not to be on land with deer hunters!
Thanks for the compliment, Randall.
My son and I are the only hunters on my first Permission. There are deer there [in fact, I saw a Whitetail buck this morning]; but noone hunts them any more.The second Permission is hunted by a group of guys. Because the deer season is starting in about ten days, I have already stopped hunting there (to let the woods settle down for the deer hunters). It works well for everyone that way.
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More nice shooting Mike!
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Nice job there Mike.
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More nice shooting Mike!
Thank you, Dave.
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Nice job there Mike.
Jerry, thanks for the compliment.
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November 14, - Monday
I went out a little after 8 a.m. because it was too cold earlier. [I must be getting soft!] I saw about eight squirrels and managed to get one Fox Squirrel - a mature female. I shot at a couple of Grays at long range and didn't get either. I was back at my truck by about 1 p.m. I call that a good hunt.
Note: All the hardwood trees have lost most of their leaves. So all of the squirrels I saw were on the ground.
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Mike, excellent shot and what a nice hunt on some beautiful land!
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Thank you Randall. I thought that starting the hunt after 8 a.m. was not going to work. But I saw seven or eight squirrels. I tried sitting for a while with no luck. The slow walking hunt was productive today.
How is your weather over there?
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Thank you Randall. I thought that starting the hunt after 8 a.m. was not going to work. But I saw seven or eight squirrels. I tried sitting for a while with no luck. The slow walking hunt was productive today.
How is your weather over there?
Mike, our weather turned over very quickly, from the 60's in the mornings to the high 40's now. I am a very early riser and I go to the golf driving range @ 5am and it's cold and DRY. My right thumb cracks during the cold dry season, finding thumb protection (silicone/cloth, thumb/finger sleeves) works great on my old dry skin! LOL!
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Nice shot Mike!
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Great shooting Mike! Seeing 8 squirrels would have made my day. It has been a very long time since I 've seen that many in 1 day :)
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Nice shot Mike!
Thanks, Dave. I just need to remember to stay away from those 'too far' shots.
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Great shooting Mike! Seeing 8 squirrels would have made my day. It has been a very long time since I 've seen that many in 1 day :)
Thank you Harry. The squirrel population has made an amazing recovery in the last three years. From mid-November, 2019 through the end of the season [last day of February], I killed one squirrel. I harvested 11 for 29 hunts that whole season. This season, I had taken 14 by October 14. The squirrels are all over the woods. There are a couple areas I have yet to hunt. It might be time for you to move from the Hudson Valley area to a valley in Tennessee. Hee hee
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That's great Mike! I used to shoot between 30 to 40 squirrels per year on my property alone. After a few years of that it went down to 20, then 10, then averaging 4 to 6/yr and that's after I decided to go easy on them and practice some conservation (and restraint). Still I am not seeing a big improvement in their numbers after holding back for 5 years and capping my harvest at ~5 for the season. I am pretty sure it has a lot to do with the Cherry tree that came down during a storm that dumped 2.5ft of snow in 2012. That Cherry tree was attracting them, and in the early Fall back then there were always 2-3 squirrels on it at different times of the day, even after I shot them the day before. And there were always others lurking in the Maple trees nearby waiting for their buddies to finish with the cherry tree so they can feast. In the winter I would see them 1 by 1 all day long come through my property or stop to sunbathe, or come out of dens in my trees. There were plenty of targets of opportunity back then, but those days are gone. Same with the Groundhogs :) I 've almost wiped out 2 species from my neighborhood ;D
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Thursday - November 17, 2022
I started my hunt about 8:30 a.m. I shot three squirrels and all got away. The first was hit in the head and left a blood trail into a cave. The second one was knocked off a branch; but it jumped back on the branch and disappeared up a tree. Number three was shot out of a tree also. It scampered away never to be seen again.
Not a good outing.
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Sorry Mike, it happens. I have had 2 runners this season
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Sorry Mike, it happens. I have had 2 runners this season
I appreciate your post, Dave. I have been lucky this season having had only a few that didn't come home with me.
Stay warm.
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Mike, don't feel too bad as squirrels are some of the toughest critters I've ever encountered! Was pesting ground squirrels at a permission, hit a very large one right in the vitals (82yds away) as it was sunning itself next to it's burrow entrance, hit perfectly where I aimed and it spun around like a it got bit by a fly, the owner was watching, said great shot...it laid back down like it was before as we watched stunned then...it just tipped over DRT! LOL! We both started laughing.
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Randall, the first one was really a heartbreaker. I hit it in the head, it hung for a few seconds, and then fell into the crevice. There was plenty of blood; so I am thinking it died quickly. But it was out of reach down in a cave someplace. The other two were body shots that sometimes don't stop Grays. I blame myself for those two poor shots.
Thanks for your kind reply.
Side note: Maybe one of these days I will try shooting Ground Squirrels.
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Nice shooting Mike , How do you cook them or do you not eat them ? What did you get them with ? I use a Hatsan Model 95 Vortex in .25 but am thinking of getting an Air Venturi Avenger in .22 .
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Good afternoon, Michael.
Indeed, I do eat the squirrels I kill (except the one I give away to the landowner). In fact, that is what I had for lunch today.
My basic recipe:
Another Recipe from Mike (https://www.gatewaytoairguns.org/GTA/index.php?topic=51238.msg486677#msg486677)
Squirrel in Brown Gravy: As many squirrels as you want to cook: Cut the squirrels into pieces and season to taste. Brown the pieces in oil of your choice in a black iron pot (if you have it) Remove the browned squirrels and set asideSauté your vegetables (onions, celery, parsley, bell peppers, mushrooms, or whatever you like. Place your squirrels back into the pot with the sautéd vegetables and add enough liquid to cover. (Sherry wine is nice or just water will do) Sprinkle into the pot, about one teaspoon of all purpose flour for each squirrel and stir for a couple of minutes. After it comes back to a boil, lower heat and simmer for a couple of hours or until squirrel is tender. Serve in a bowl over sticky white rice. I like Tabasco Sauce with this dish.
The rice I prefer is another part of the total dish. In our family, rice was medium grain and cooked so that it was NOT flakey.
Sticky rice is a favorite in my area of the country (South Louisiana). When rice is used as a bed for stews, gumbo, vegetables (blackened peas), etc., the rice of choice is “Sticky Rice”. Get medium grain rice if you can find it locally or online ---> (https://www.watermaidrice.com/en-us/content/305/Products.aspx (https://www.watermaidrice.com/en-us/content/305/Products.aspx)). Cooking is simple enough: My favorite rice pot is Magnalite (https://www.wayfair.com/Magnalite-Cookware-C460241.html?refid=MX1343184457.magnalite~e&adid=1343184457&mkwid=sB949TN3&pcrid=1343184457_mtrckid_15805aj21511 (https://www.wayfair.com/Magnalite-Cookware-C460241.html?refid=MX1343184457.magnalite~e&adid=1343184457&mkwid=sB949TN3&pcrid=1343184457_mtrckid_15805aj21511)) but any sauce pan will go.I start with one part medium grain rice and two parts water. [One cup of raw rice is enough to feed my Judy and me with some leftover.] To this I add about 1/2 teaspoon of salt. The amount of salt can be adjusted to taste, but some is needed. After you get everything in the pan, place over high heat until the mixture comes to a rolling boil. Then reduce the heat to the lowest setting and simmer/steam for 30 minutes. The rice will be cooked all the way through and have a “sticky” texture - hence the name.
On our recent trip to Louisiana, my Judy and I purchased two 10-pound bags of KONRIKO rice to bring home. It is my favorite;
https://www.conradrice.com/ (https://www.conradrice.com/)
I do cook squirrels in leftover Gumbo broth. That is a good method to use when the squirrels are older [mature] animals.
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Nice shooting Mike , How do you cook them or do you not eat them ? What did you get them with ? I use a Hatsan Model 95 Vortex in .25 but am thinking of getting an Air Venturi Avenger in .22 .
I like to slow cook them for six hours, pull the bones out of the meat, marinade the meat in a bowl with plenty of apple cider vinegar, paprika, pepper, red pepper flakes, thyme, and rosemary, next I fry the meat in a cast iron pot or pan with plenty of butter until it tastes perfect. It's like NC style BBQ and what I had for dinner last night and tonight.
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Mike, don't feel too bad as squirrels are some of the toughest critters I've ever encountered! Was pesting ground squirrels at a permission, hit a very large one right in the vitals (82yds away) as it was sunning itself next to it's burrow entrance, hit perfectly where I aimed and it spun around like a it got bit by a fly, the owner was watching, said great shot...it laid back down like it was before as we watched stunned then...it just tipped over DRT! LOL! We both started laughing.
I've had a few out the 30+ pine squirrels run away on me, even when I clearly hit them in the vitals or a mortally wounding shot. I do the best I can, but something is going to find the bodies after the squirrels die.
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DJ said: . . .something is going to find the bodies after the squirrels die.
Yes, sir - that is the other side of our loss.
I clean my squirrels immediately when I retrieve them. The next time I pass by that spot, there may be a little hair left behind, but nothing else. Other critters get a little snack from what I leave behind.
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Tuesday - November 22, 2022 - Afternoon Hunt
The afternoon was warm, calm, and bright. I saw one squirrel in the first area I hunted. I moved to an area I call the Bowl and saw seven squirrels there. They were mostly on the edges of the Bowl. The one that came close go JSB .25 to the head. I didn't see it move when it hit the ground. He was a very healthy, large male.
I also saw a Red Fox leaving the area. I have seen maybe the same one several times before.
I also came across these mushrooms. Butterflies seem to like them. Can someone identify them for me?
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Nice shooting Mike! I don't know the mushroom
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Thank you Dave.
I sent an email to my sisters. They may be able to identify that monster mushroom.
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Nice shooting Mike. That is one huge shroom.
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Good morning, Jerry. Thank you for the compliment.
Yes, those are large mushrooms. I can usually depend on my middle-sister to identify some of the strange things I find while out and about. She came through again:
Giant puffballs are white with firm white flesh inside. If they appear yellowish or brown it means that the mushroom is about to/has gone to spore, and is not edible anymore. Before the mushroom turns brown or becomes too mature, there will be a point when the white exterior cracks and the white interior shows through.
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Tuesday - November 22, 2022 - Afternoon Hunt
The afternoon was warm, calm, and bright. I saw one squirrel in the first area I hunted. I moved to an area I call the Bowl and saw seven squirrels there. They were mostly on the edges of the Bowl. The one that came close go JSB .25 to the head. I didn't see it move when it hit the ground. He was a very healthy, large male.
I also saw a Red Fox leaving the area. I have seen maybe the same one several times before.
I also came across these mushrooms. Butterflies seem to like them. Can someone identify them for me?
Nice shooting! The pine squirrels I'm hunting almost always bounce and jump after I shoot them, even if half of their head is missing. Only a few have just dropped dead on the spot.
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Good morning, DJ, and thanks for the kind words.
I have noticed a difference between the Eastern Fox Squirrels and the Gray Squirrels I have killed, in the way the animals react after being shot at different places in their bodies. The Fox Squirrels will often travel as much as 8 - 10 feet or more after a Heart lung shot. But most of the time they won't move after taking a pellet to the head. The Gray Squirrels will jump around after a killing head shot; but they are actually brain-dead. With a body shot, the Grays will sometimes run across the ground dragging their insides and leaving a trail of blood. They might even go up a tree and into a hole, never to be seen again. I have even had to chase several that had shattered spines and were dragging the rear half of their bodies with pumping front legs.
It sounds like your 'pine squirrels' act similar to the Grays around here when taking a pellet to the brain. To my knowledge, there are no 'pine squirrels' in this area.
Enjoy Black Friday; but don't spend too much.
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Monday - November 28, 2022
This morning was cloudy/foggy and I didn't plan to see many squirrels. Was I mistaken - I saw a total of 14 - Grays and Fox Squirrels. I give the three Fox Squirrels a pass. (I decided to give all the Fox Squirrels a pass for the rest of this season in an attempt to help increase their numbers.) Of the remaining 11 squirrels, I managed to kill one. If you want to see an unlucky squirrel, see the picture below. I killed it with the sixth shot. It was a very young male and too uneducated to understand how to hide. In fact, it sat there after I missed the fourth and fifth shots. I did hit another one but didn't do it too much damage - it ran about 30 yards before I lost sight of it. There was no blood trail either. The rest of the Grays were too far and/or moving too much. It never rained and the skies eventually cleared. Nice day!
[Yes, that is the Stormrider .22 - shooting JSBs 18.13 gr.]
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Nice shot Mike! Got a nice chubby one here today, the 4th since Sat. From the size of them here its gonna be a hard winter
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Thanks for the compliment, Dave. I am seeing signs of a cold winter here too.
Good luck with you hunting too.
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Mike, very nice shots on your last 2 hunts! Nice pics!
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Good morning, Randall. Thank you for the compliments.
The trees are naked and the leaves on the ground are like Cornflakes. Hunting becomes more challenging now.
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Thursday - December 1, 2022
COLD this morning - so it was after 8 a.m. when I got to the woods. I mostly walked early to stay warm; but not much was moving. Finally about 11 a.m., I spotted a Gray on the south end of Canyon Land and took the shot. That old female flopped over backwards and didn't move from that spot. That was the only squirrel I saw all morning. [I was hunting with the Stormrider this morning, shooting JSBs 18.13 gr, out of a new tin.] One squirrel, one shot, one kill!
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Mike! Excellent shot, nice hunt and stay WARM! Nice pic!
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Thanks Randall.
My Judy and I were talking about the effects of cold on people as they age. I just need to be careful not to get cold. It could turn into a permanent condition! :o
So, on these colder days, I will wait and go out once the sun starts warming the air to about 30ºF. Today, it got up into the mid-40s. Nice!
Stay well.
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Mike, yup, I too am effected by cold weather now that I'm 60.....both my shoulders are compromised and I luv to golf especially as I practice @ 5am as I am an early bird and it gets into the high 30's here on occasion close to the beach so it's a damp cold and I do not want to see one of my shoulders and arms flying into the grass in front of me...LOL!
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Nice shooting Mike!
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Monday - November 28, 2022
This morning was cloudy/foggy and I didn't plan to see many squirrels. Was I mistaken - I saw a total of 14 - Grays and Fox Squirrels. I give the three Fox Squirrels a pass. (I decided to give all the Fox Squirrels a pass for the rest of this season in an attempt to help increase their numbers.) Of the remaining 11 squirrels, I managed to kill one. If you want to see an unlucky squirrel, see the picture below. I killed it with the sixth shot. It was a very young male and too uneducated to understand how to hide. In fact, it sat there after I missed the fourth and fifth shots. I did hit another one but didn't do it too much damage - it ran about 30 yards before I lost sight of it. There was no blood trail either. The rest of the Grays were too far and/or moving too much. It never rained and the skies eventually cleared. Nice day!
[Yes, that is the Stormrider .22 - shooting JSBs 18.13 gr.]
I love hunting with my Stormrider. Those little reds can be very hard to hit. Sometimes it takes me a whole six shots to get on red. Other times I can take 8 squirrels with 8 shots.
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Nice shooting Mike!
Thanks for the compliment, Dave. I worked a couple of hours with the Stormrider since the last hunt. I tightened this and that; rolled and weighed pellets; and I checked the accuracy after changing the suppressor. I think all that tinkering improved my confidence too. Hee hee
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I love hunting with my Stormrider. Those little reds can be very hard to hit. Sometimes it takes me a whole six shots to get on red. Other times I can take 8 squirrels with 8 shots.
I have had very good success with this Stormrider GenII. Air Venturi did a good thing when they marketed this rifle. I would be all over it if they came out with a .25 Caliber!
Shoot straight
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I love hunting with my Stormrider. Those little reds can be very hard to hit. Sometimes it takes me a whole six shots to get on red. Other times I can take 8 squirrels with 8 shots.
I have had very good success with this Stormrider GenII. Air Venturi did a good thing when they marketed this rifle. I would be all over it if they came out with a .25 Caliber!
Shoot straight
You can get a regulated 25 cal Srormrider from Wes at https://airgunarcheryfun.ca/new-25-cal-artemis-cr600w-stormrider-full-power-regulated-pcp-air-rifle/ (https://airgunarcheryfun.ca/new-25-cal-artemis-cr600w-stormrider-full-power-regulated-pcp-air-rifle/)
He may also have some that are unregulated for a bit more top end power.
My 22 cal 'Rider makes about 25 FPE with an Altaros reg set to 150b, Disco plenum, and some lead added to the back side of the hammer for a bit more spring tension and weight. So there's some tweaking if you want to squeeze out a bit more power at the loss of efficiency. With the current tune I'm only getting 12 shots with a 220b fill, but that's plenty for a few hours of squirrel hunting. I found the 25 cal conversion on my regulated bandit really boosted efficiency. I'm really thinking about converting my Srormrider to 25 cal as well. The only downsides are larger holes in pelts and more expensive ammo.
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DJ, thanks for that link. That is a definite possibility for a Christmas present for my son. At present, he is shooting the Stormrider .22 on those rare occasions when he is able to hunt with me. It would be much simpler for both of us to use the .25 pellets. No chance of a mixup that way!
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While driving the back road near my permission this morning, I had to stop to set some turkeys cross the road. There were more than a few! By my count, there were 29 wild turkeys walking, running, and flying across the road. I was parked for a while.
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While driving the back road near my permission this morning, I had to stop to set some turkeys cross the road. There were more than a few! By my count, there were 29 wild turkeys walking, running, and flying across the road. I was parked for a while.
Mike, must have been quite a sight! Mmmm 😋 ....turkey...LOL!
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Randall, I have often seen smaller groups in that neighborhood. But this was a turkey convention!
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There are five toms living near and on my property. My neighbors on the same dirt road are feeding them every day, twice a day. The absolute biggest toms I've ever seen, but I don't have the heart to shoot them. The neighbors are two old ladies that love seeing them, so it just doesn't seem right. There's a flock of hens that makes there way through every once in a while. I saw them a few weeks ago, probably 20 of them. I did try to make a shot with my .457, but missed, or just hit feathers.
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DJ, when I obtained permission to hunt the woods, I assured the landowner that I wanted to hunt SQUIRRELS. I told him I didn't want to hunt deer, turkeys, doves, ducks, or geese; just squirrels. That was the deal, and I have honored it. There have been times . . . . :o But I resisted!
(There were no turkeys in my home country in Louisiana. So these sightings are 'eye candy'.)
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January 1, 2023 - Sunday morning - HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Well, I am finally feeling human again after fighting a head cold since mid-December. Yesterday afternoon, the clouds parted and the sun peeked through with almost calm winds. I figured that was the only chance for the next several days. I started hunting about 1:30 p.m. and stopped about 15-minutes before sundown. I hunted with the Stormrider .22 with JSB 18.13 gr pellets. Most of the squirrels were moving in the trees; and that is where I killed the one that came home with me. The temperature? Oh, I almost forgot to mention that it was 61ºF. After our -1ºF during the cold spell, this was great.
[I was so excited to be out in the woods, I forgot to take a picture until after I had dressed out the Gray.]
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Hi Mike.
I am glad you are feelling better and could get out hunting.
Good shooting on the Gray.
I've been hunting Cottontail rabbits lately.
Best wishes - Tom
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Glad you got out and got one Mike!
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Hi Mike.
I am glad you are feelling better and could get out hunting.
Good shooting on the Gray.
I've been hunting Cottontail rabbits lately.
Best wishes - Tom
Good morning, Tom, and Happy New year.
I had an enjoyable outing yesterday. And about the Cotton Tail rabbits: Occasionally, I see one in the woods where I hunt. But it seems that the Coyotes keep them thinned out pretty good. I will shoot a Coyote [if I get the chance]; but I will give the Cotton Tails a pass until their number increase.
Stay well, my friend.
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Glad you got out and got one Mike!
Thank you, Dave. I look forward to hunting more in 2023.
Happy New Year to your family.
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January 1, 2023 - Sunday morning - HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Well, I am finally feeling human again after fighting a head cold since mid-December. Yesterday afternoon, the clouds parted and the sun peeked through with almost calm winds. I figured that was the only chance for the next several days. I started hunting about 1:30 p.m. and stopped about 15-minutes before sundown. I hunted with the Stormrider .22 with JSB 18.13 gr pellets. Most of the squirrels were moving in the trees; and that is where I killed the one that came home with me. The temperature? Oh, I almost forgot to mention that it was 61ºF. After our -1ºF during the cold spell, this was great.
[I was so excited to be out in the woods, I forgot to take a picture until after I had dressed out the Gray.]
I can be the same way about taking pictures! Good shooting!
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Mike! Happy New Year 🎈! Glad you are feeling better and you were able to get out in some fine weather...great shot!
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DJ, this is not the first time I have forgotten the pictures - it's a little embarrassing! But I bet I will get over it. Hee hee
Thanks for the compliment and I wish for you prosperity in this New Year.
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Mike! Happy New Year 🎈! Glad you are feeling better and you were able to get out in some fine weather...great shot!
Randall, thank you for the good wishes - Back at ya! Thanks for the compliment too. Stay well, my friend.
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January 4. 2023 - Wednesday morning
The rains came last night and I had doubts about going hunting this morning. But Meg, the weather lady, assured me that the skies would clear and the temperature would be in the low 60s. She was right!
The squirrels must have wanted to get out and dry off; because they were moving all around. I saw five or six before I was able to get a shot at one. It was gnawing on a nut when I hit it with a pass through, shoulder to shoulder shot. It dropped on the spot. The second one was about 20 yards from the first and died about 15 minutes later. This one was on the side of a tree trunk and took the JSB 18.13 gr in the neck. The Stormrider was doing its job today. That was the last one I was able to shoot at. I did see several more but I think they all saw me too.
About a month ago, I decided to declare a closed season on the Eastern Fox Squirrels in that woods to allow their numbers to rebound. Today, I spotted three - one on the ground coming towards me. It jumped up on a vine about 20 yards away and froze when it saw me looking at its big, white nose. We did the stare down for about 3 - 4 minutes before I moved behind a tree so it could not see me. Well, it didn't like that - and moved up into another tree where it could continue watching me. And, that not all. There was another Fox Squirrel about 25 yards away, high up in a tree, watching us both! When I left that area, I was directly under the tree it was in - and it didn't move until I had gone past the tree. I did see one more after that in the Goat Woods. It was already changing ZIP Codes when I spotted it. But it was a good hunt anyway!
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January 4. 2023 - Wednesday morning
The rains came last night and I had doubts about going hunting this morning. But Meg, the weather lady, assured me that the skies would clear and the temperature would be in the low 60s. She was right!
The squirrels must have wanted to get out and dry off; because they were moving all around. I saw five or six before I was able to get a shot at one. It was gnawing on a nut when I hit it with a pass through, shoulder to shoulder shot. It dropped on the spot. The second one was about 20 yards from the first and died about 15 minutes later. This one was on the side of a tree trunk and took the JSB 18.13 gr in the neck. The Stormrider was doing its job today. That was the last one I was able to shoot at. I did see several more but I think they all saw me too.
About a month ago, I decided to declare a closed season on the Eastern Fox Squirrels in that woods to allow their numbers to rebound. Today, I spotted three - one on the ground coming towards me. It jumped up on a vine about 20 yards away and froze when it saw me looking at its big, white nose. We did the stare down for about 3 - 4 minutes before I moved behind a tree so it could not see me. Well, it didn't like that - and moved up into another tree where it could continue watching me. And, that not all. There was another Fox Squirrel about 25 yards away, high up in a tree, watching us both! When I left that area, I was directly under the tree it was in - and it didn't move until I had gone past the tree. I did see one more after that in the Goat Woods. It was already changing ZIP Codes when I spotted it. But it was a good hunt anyway!
Nice shooting! I have some spots that I'm giving a rest to let the numbers improve again. When I walk through these areas I like to do everything like I would normally do when trying to get a good shot, short of actually pulling the trigger. It's good practice and I don't need to have a gun on me to "hunt". I'm resting the few acres right around the house, but there are still a half dozen reds living in that area. Any time I'm outside and I have time and hear a squirrel I'll track it and get as close as I can without sending it running.
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Nice shooting Mike!
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DJ wrote: When I walk through these areas I like to do everything like I would normally do when trying to get a good shot, short of actually pulling the trigger.
I did the same thing with that Fox Squirrel. I put the cross-hairs on it cute little head and said 'POW, you're dead'.
Thanks for the compliment.
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Nice shooting Mike!
Thank you, Dave. It was an enjoyable day with lots of walking.
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Nice pair of squirrels Mike. Good Shooting & Hunting.
The ones that saw you will be there next time.
It has been my experience that right after any kind of storm the small game gets real active. Large game too.
No hunting or shooting for me today.
I have been too busy digging out from this three day snow storm.
I have been at it every day from morning until evening.
First I do my place then I go do my daughters place.
I repeat the process the next day until it stops snowing.
It is snowing tonight, sometime tomorrow the weather is supposed to clear.
I really would like to be in the woods tomorrow but I will have more snow to clear, then do the clean up detail.
I also need to start clearing some of the snow off the roof, (again).... maybe Friday for that.
The soonest I might be able to get some hunting in is Saturday. ( I''l have to get the "Honey Do" stuff done first. )
The first thing I'll do when I finally get in the woods is dig some snow pits for hunting blinds.
The snow is deep around here so when I get the blinds done I'll be setting down low in the snow with only my head & shoulders showing.
I make the blinds large enough so that I can have a small charcoal fire to warm my hands with.
I wear mittens into the woods then switch over to light weight, bow hunters gloves, to shoot with.
Best Wishes - Tom
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Mike, nice hunt and shooting on those 2! Glad the weather cleared for you. Nice pics.
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Good morning, Tom; and good luck clearing away all that snow. I have seen deep snow like that once in my years. That was in the Estes Park, CO area at the 12,000 ft elevation. I was driving an '83 Bronco II; and the snow was higher than the roof of the Bronco II. (mid-June, 1983)
My style of hunting for this time of the season is to move slow to keep everything warm. On days like yesterday, I am able to sit for long periods if the squirrels are active nearby [which they were yesterday]. My version of a snow pit is to hunker down in a narrow rock crevice. That works well when the squirrels are on the ground.
Stay warm, my friend.
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Mike, nice hunt and shooting on those 2! Glad the weather cleared for you. Nice pics.
Thank you, Randall, for the compliments.
At 2 a.m., there had been a lightening/thunder storm that came through. My Judy told me that it did sprinkle at home after I left - but I had cloudy, but dry skies when I got into the woods. And the skies gradually cleared to a beautiful BLUE. All things considered, it was a good morning for hunting.
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January 6, 2023 -- Friday
I got to the woods about 8:30 a.m. [once the temperature got to 32ºF]. The squirrels were moving good, but all seemed to be very young. The first two were head shots. The third one was facing away from me and sort of reclined - so the shot was a spine and shoulder kill. I switched to the Marauder .25 for today's hunt. That rifle speaks with authority.
Another Eastern Fox Squirrel gave me the stink eye today. I sure hope this self imposed closed season on those works!
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The red in the top photo looks a bit older, with a really nice pelt. I got a young female this morning, about a mile from my house as the crow flies. the first shot was a miss, but the red gave me another chance pretty quickly. She was about 50' up a big spruce tree quartering towards me on a branch. I was aiming a bit high thinking since the shot was so high up I would hit low. It was nice being able to see the tracks in fresh snow. Saw a lot of snowshoe hare tracks which got me pretty excited. Need to learn more about how to hunt them with a rifle.
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Mike, nice hunt and great shooting on those 3! Very successful hunt! Nice pics.
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The red in the top photo looks a bit older, with a really nice pelt. I got a young female this morning, about a mile from my house as the crow flies. the first shot was a miss, but the red gave me another chance pretty quickly. She was about 50' up a big spruce tree quartering towards me on a branch. I was aiming a bit high thinking since the shot was so high up I would hit low. It was nice being able to see the tracks in fresh snow. Saw a lot of snowshoe hare tracks which got me pretty excited. Need to learn more about how to hunt them with a rifle.
DJ, thank you for your comment. The squirrel in the first picture had lots of blood all over from the head shot, and jumping around like they sometimes do. It was so young, its testicles had not dropped yet. I moved it from where it died because it was on the shady side of a crevice, almost buried in the leaves. All three squirrels are Eastern Gray Squirrels. They are more abundant than the Fox Squirrels and much smaller too.
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Nice one Mike!
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Thanks, Randall, for the compliments. I had not hunted with the Marauder since November 22 - it was good to be lugging around that boat anchor again. ::) Jokes aside, it is a very reliable hunting rifle. The Marauder and the JSB 25.39 gr pellets make a good team.
Good shooting to you and have a great weekend.
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Nice one Mike!
Always good to hear from you Dave. Thanks for the compliment.
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The red in the top photo looks a bit older, with a really nice pelt. I got a young female this morning, about a mile from my house as the crow flies. the first shot was a miss, but the red gave me another chance pretty quickly. She was about 50' up a big spruce tree quartering towards me on a branch. I was aiming a bit high thinking since the shot was so high up I would hit low. It was nice being able to see the tracks in fresh snow. Saw a lot of snowshoe hare tracks which got me pretty excited. Need to learn more about how to hunt them with a rifle.
DJ, thank you for your comment. The squirrel in the first picture had lots of blood all over from the head shot, and jumping around like they sometimes do. It was so young, its testicles had not dropped yet. I moved it from where it died because it was on the shady side of a crevice, almost buried in the leaves. All three squirrels are Eastern Gray Squirrels. They are more abundant than the Fox Squirrels and much smaller too.
I have not yet encountered undescended testicles. The squirrel I hit in the head today also jumped around like crazy. Nice shooting today! I would love to get some grey squirrels, but they are so scarce in my county, and usually only found in towns where they can't be hunted anyway.
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The Gray Squirrels are very abundant, as I mentioned. They are quick, crafty, and tough. I have hit several in the head with .22 caliber pellets and have them crawl a short distance while I reloaded to finish the job. One of the two I shot Wednesday was hit in the neck, paralyzed, and still breathing. It is a mystery to me as to how those British guys kill them with the sub-12-foot-pound air guns.
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A little hunting update: A week ago [Monday the 9th] was the last hunt I made. Deer season ended on the Sunday; so I was able to go out to the second permission. The woods were very quiet - no birds' noises, no wind, and no Gray Squirrels were sighted. I did see several [maybe four] Eastern Fox Squirrels playing on the ground and running around the trunk of a Hickory tree. It looked like they may have been doing the mating dance. However, they were not too busy to spot me at about 70 yards distance and scampered away. I walked about 40 of the 50 acres of woods and got home before dark. It was a good day to look over the second permission. Since then, the weather has not been cooperating. I told my Judy that I might hunt tomorrow afternoon after the rain stops. Wish me luck!
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A little hunting update: A week ago [Monday the 9th] was the last hunt I made. Deer season ended on the Sunday; so I was able to go out to the second permission. The woods were very quiet - no birds' noises, no wind, and no Gray Squirrels were sighted. I did see several [maybe four] Eastern Fox Squirrels playing on the ground and running around the trunk of a Hickory tree. It looked like they may have been doing the mating dance. However, they were not too busy to spot me at about 70 yards distance and scampered away. I walked about 40 of the 50 acres of woods and got home before dark. It was a good day to look over the second permission. Since then, the weather has not been cooperating. I told my Judy that I might hunt tomorrow afternoon after the rain stops. Wish me luck!
Hi Mike.
Nice Day in the Woods.
Good scouting walk-a-bout.
The weather will clear and the squirrels will be back.
Best Wishes - Tom
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Thanks Tom. Yes, the days in the woods are precious.
I still have space in the freezer; so there is more hunting to do.
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Mike, I second Tom's sentiment about getting out there! I hope to get some ground squirrel pesting in soon!
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Thanks, Randall. The day was indeed well suited for woods walking. The temperature was just right, the sun was bright, and all was well in my world.
Good luck with the ground squirrels. I'll be watching for some reports and pictures.
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Have you been out yet Mike? The walk/exercise and vitamin D you get from the sun are greatly beneficial, so a squirrel is just a bonus.
Doc has me on vitamin D because I don't get out much and my levels were low. I thought it was enough reading your posts, Wayne's and others' going into the woods, but he didn't appreciate the humor ;D
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Good morning, Harry. Yes, sir; getting out for a woods walk has it benefits. Today is not the best day to be in the woods though. We had a rain event last night and it is predicted to be very windy today. Tomorrow is a possibility thought. Rubber boots would be in style for manly footwear!
My Judy and I have a family doctor who is very young. She has been in practice about six years and is a joy to visit with. She is on the cutting edge of medicine and has served us well as the years have presented those little problems. I am thinking about trying that story about getting Vitamin D from reading hunting posts, and see how she reacts. Probably she would smile and shake her head in the 'NO' fashion.
Thanks for the post, my friend, and be well.
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It has been overcast in most of Wayne's videos also so I bet that is part to blame for low D ;)
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That could have something to do with it.
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Has anyone, other than me, ever fantasied about meeting a beautiful woman in the woods?
Well, it happened today - sort of: I saw a young woman coming through the woods at a fast walk/slow jog. She passed in front of where I was standing at a distance of about 25 Yards. Because her attention was on her footing in the rocks and the cattle in the woods, she never looked in my direction. ::) I later learned that the rancher and this lady ranch hand were trying to drive five young cows back into the front pasture. The five young cows had jumped a fence; but only two were returned to the front pasture. When asked how the drive had gone, the rancher said it was 40% successful.
The hunt? Well I realized that there was too much activity in the woods for successful squirrel hunting and went home early.
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February 4, 2023 - Saturday
This afternoon, my son and I hunted at Permission #1. The hunt today helped to confirm a theory I have been developing for the past several years (since I moved to Tennessee). It seems that the Gray Squirrels around here all go to Louisiana in early January and don't return until late February. We hunted for about two and a half hours and saw exactly zero squirrels. But it was very nice to be in the woods on this warm afternoon.
Stay well, everybody.
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Hi Mike.
You'll get em sooner or later. ;)
You know you will ! ;D
Anyways a walk in the woods, with your son, is always time well spent.
As for me, I harvested a nice Cottion Tail early on this evening.
I had been patterning it's tracks all winter.
I had been trying to take this big one for quite a while.
It only moved around in the woods after dark and was gone by sunrise.
I took it down with the 25cal Hatsan Vortex Striker/Edge.
The range was 15 yards.
I was using Open Sights/No Scope.
I was shooting 25cal Eunjin/Senica 43.2 gr. Pointed Hunting pellets.
There was enough moon light to shoot by and it stood out well against the white snow cover.
Best Wishes - Tom
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Good morning, Tom; and congratulations on getting that big Cottontail.
There are a couple that frequent my front lawn. One was there this morning when I got up to make coffee [pre-dawn]. But they get a pass as they are my Judy's pets. They were babies when we first saw them in our backyard. That moon last night was bright enough for sure - the one in my yard was easily visible against the green and brown of our lawn.
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Tuesday - February 7, 2023
We are in the middle of a little warm spell. I stopped hunting about 10 a.m. because I had on too much clothing. :o
The squirrels were moving this morning. I did manage to get one Gray Squirrel with a nice shoulder to shoulder pass through. It was running in a shallow canyon that is wide enough for the cattle to use. When it got about even with me, it jumped up on a vine and sat a little too long. The rest of the Grays were a little out of range. One of the Fox Squirrels would have been an easy kill. I saw it the first time when I was going to my hunting spot. And it was still in that same tree when I came back. Both time I was within 25 yards of it; but I am giving them a pass until next season. Multiply all you Fox Squirrels, and pay me back for not taking you home with me now.
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Nice one Mike!
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Mike, nice hunt in some fine weather and great shot and pic! Glad you kept your clothes on...😂
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Hi Mike.
NICE !
Good Hunting & Shooting !
Best Wishes - Tom
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Nice one Mike!
Thank you, Dave. It had been a while since I scored a hit.
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Mike, nice hunt in some fine weather and great shot and pic! Glad you kept your clothes on...😂
HAHAHA There have been times when I did leave pieces of clothing to be retrieved on the way out of the woods.
Thanks for your reply, Randall.
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Hi Mike.
NICE !
Good Hunting & Shooting !
Best Wishes - Tom
Thanks for the compliment, Tom. The tree rats finally started moving around today.
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Thursday - February 23, 2023
Yesterday, we had high winds and last night it rained as a front approached. As soon as the rain stopped this morning, I went to the woods; no rain and the wind was calm. Just like me, the squirrels were on the move. I think I had a squirrel version of 'Buck Fever'; because I missed several before settling down and killing two Gray Squirrels. The first was a normal shot. I think she was dead when she hit the ground. But the second one was about 50 yards away when I spotted it. It played around for about 15 minutes. Then it set a course straight for my hiding place behind a Walnut tree. It stopped about eight yards away on top of a fallen limb and looked at me. The pellet hit her so hard, I didn't hear any kicking at all. I think the position she is in was achieved with one small push with her hind legs.
There were many squirrels moving all morning and I missed at least three that should have been in my bag. But they will be there next time. ;)
Now I am going to get my grandson, and bring him to his first scrimmage baseball game of the season. Great weather for baseball!
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Thursday - February 23, 2023
Yesterday, we had high winds and last night it rained as a front approached. As soon as the rain stopped this morning, I went to the woods; no rain and the wind was calm. Just like me, the squirrels were on the move. I think I had a squirrel version of 'Buck Fever'; because I missed several before settling down and killing two Gray Squirrels. The first was a normal shot. I think she was dead when she hit the ground. But the second one was about 50 yards away when I spotted it. It played around for about 15 minutes. Then it set a course straight for my hiding place behind a Walnut tree. It stopped about eight yards away on top of a fallen limb and looked at me. The pellet hit her so hard, I didn't hear any kicking at all. I think the position she is in was achieved with one small push with her hind legs.
There were many squirrels moving all morning and I missed at least three that should have been in my bag. But they will be there next time. ;)
Now I am going to get my grandson, and bring him to his first scrimmage baseball game of the season. Great weather for baseball!
Nice shooting! We are geting a ton of snow so I'm hoping to go out tomorrow afternoon or Saturday and look for some snowshoe hares.
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Mike, excellent hunt and shooting! Glad the weather relented so you could get out! Nice pics.
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DJ, good luck on your hunt.
We have not gotten much snow this winter, but plenty of rain. In fact, it is supposed to rain today through Monday. That might be why the squirrels were so active.
Thanks for looking in.
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Mike, excellent hunt and shooting! Glad the weather relented so you could get out! Nice pics.
Thanks for the compliments, Randall.
Yes, the rain let up yesterday; but only yesterday it seems.
Stay well, my friend.
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That's a nice pair of squirrels Mike.
Have a great time with your grandson at his scrimmage baseball game.
I have only got 4 more days and the small game season ends here.
I would like to get out hunting one more time but the snow is so deep now that I doubt if I will be able to.
Best Wishes - Tom
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Mike, excellent hunt and shooting! Glad the weather relented so you could get out! Nice pics.
Thanks for the compliments, Randall.
Yes, the rain let up yesterday; but only yesterday it seems.
Stay well, my friend.
The local weather says the snow is done for the day, but visibility is currently about 150' because of the snow! However, I love the snow, so I'm hoping it keep sgoing.
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That's a nice pair of squirrels Mike.
Have a great time with your grandson at his scrimmage baseball game.
I have only got 4 more days and the small game season ends here.
I would like to get out hunting one more time but the snow is so deep now that I doubt if I will be able to.
Best Wishes - Tom
Good morning, Tom, and thanks for your post.
The baseball game was interesting. My grandson's highlight play was the second half of a double play. The batter for the other team hit a line-drive back to the pitcher. The runner on third had taken a large lead-off, and didn't make it back before my grandson caught the ball thrown from the pitcher. The coaches moved players to different positions each inning. My grandson played Right, Center, and Left fields, and Third Base [twice]. The final score was "1 - 1".
Tom, I was hoping you would get a chance to hunt again before the end of the season. But if you just wanted to get out for the exercise, you can always do snow removal. ;D
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Nice shooting Mike!
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Thank you, Dave; and thanks for looking in.
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That's a nice pair of squirrels Mike.
Have a great time with your grandson at his scrimmage baseball game.
I have only got 4 more days and the small game season ends here.
I would like to get out hunting one more time but the snow is so deep now that I doubt if I will be able to.
Best Wishes - Tom
Good morning, Tom, and thanks for your post.
The baseball game was interesting. My grandson's highlight play was the second half of a double play. The batter for the other team hit a line-drive back to the pitcher. The runner on third had taken a large lead-off, and didn't make it back before my grandson caught the ball thrown from the pitcher. The coaches moved players to different positions each inning. My grandson played Right, Center, and Left fields, and Third Base [twice]. The final score was "1 - 1".
Tom, I was hoping you would get a chance to hunt again before the end of the season. But if you just wanted to get out for the exercise, you can always do snow removal. ;D
Hi Mike.
OK, get a little exercise in and shovel some more snow....just for the fun of it.
The thought had crossed my mind....but not for very long. ;D
Best Wishes - Tom
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Tom wrote: The thought had crossed my mind . . . .
That thought was just like the pellet that crossed over the squirrel's head/mind and was gone forever!
Being from the Deep South, I have never learned the finer points of snow shoveling. And I'm okay with that.
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Tom wrote: The thought had crossed my mind . . . .
That thought was just like the pellet that crossed over the squirrel's head/mind and was gone forever!
Being from the Deep South, I have never learned the finer points of snow shoveling. And I'm okay with that.
Hi Mike.
In the finer points of snow removal, a fella has got to have the right tools for that job. ;D
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If it ever happens that it snows enough to need some serious machinery like you have there, I'll call somebody. ;) ;D
Down in Louisiana, it was lawn mowers. I have a friend down there that built a riding mower with parts from a FORD Econoline Van. It had a motor for the riding part, and another for the cutter deck. That was a serious machine. I had a good old SNAPPER that stayed in Louisiana and was part of the sale of the home. (I actually enjoy mowing the lawn.)
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If it ever happens that it snows enough to need some serious machinery like you have there, I'll call somebody. ;) ;D
Down in Louisiana, it was lawn mowers. I have a friend down there that built a riding mower with parts from a FORD Econoline Van. It had a motor for the riding part, and another for the cutter deck. That was a serious machine. I had a good old SNAPPER that stayed in Louisiana and was part of the sale of the home. (I actually enjoy mowing the lawn.)
Hi Mike.
Gilson 8hp 2 stage snow blower and the Toro Single stage blower were basket cases that I got for free and repaired.
I have got a Troy Built Bronco riding tractor, Honda Harmony self propelled walk behind mower, and a Torro personal pace mower for mid June, July and mid August grass cutting. I also have an Echo weed whip and Honda tiller and an Echo back pack blower for fall leaves.
The Honda Harmony, Torro personal pace mower and Echo weed whip were basket cases that I got for free and repaired.
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I left all the lawn equipment in Louisiana. When we bought here, the grass had been abused for about two years and didn't grow that August and September. When spring arrived, I bought a cheap (Walmart) mower. This will be its 6th season with zero repairs so far. I bought a new string trimmer/edger last year. The mower uses about four gallons of gasoline each summer.
I am mowing my small yard for cheap [as compared to what I had in Louisiana.]
I have one tree in my whole yard. In the fall, I pick the leaves by hand. I do have a rake but not enough of my own leaves to use it. I did use the rake to collect the leaves that blew in from the neighboring trees.
And finally: Here, I mow only when the grass need it. Life is GOOD!
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Hi Mike.
Here is my newest air rifle.
It is a 22cal Crosman Diamondback break barrel that I got on sale at PA.
I bought it Jan 14th and received it Jan 18th.
I put a cheap Optima 3-9x32 scope on it.
So far I have taken 4 gray squirrels with it, shooting 22cal Crosman 14.3 gr. Destroyers.
They were all shot at ranges from 25 to 40 yards, off hand.
The 40 yard one I shot out of a very tall tree.
It ran up there about 50 or 60 feet, then paused on a tree branch and looked straight at me. (Big mistake on the squirrels part)
All the squirrels taken were one shot kills.
Best Wishes - Tom
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Tom, I saw a post last month when you were telling about receiving the new rifle. It appears you are getting along with it just fine. 40 yards out and 60 feet up equals about a 45 yard shot. Very nice! And "off hand" is Very, VERY nice!!
I had only one break barrel rifle and did NOT get along with it at all. I think I sold it about six months after I bought it.
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Tom, I saw a post last month when you were telling about receiving the new rifle. It appears you are getting along with it just fine. 40 yards out and 60 feet up equals about a 45 yard shot. Very nice! And "off hand" is Very, VERY nice!!
I had only one break barrel rifle and did NOT get along with it at all. I think I sold it about six months after I bought it.
Mike.
That was a lucky shot on my part.
When that squirrel stopped on that tree branch, turned facing my way and looked right at me setting absolutely still, it made for a perfect unobstructed shot.
I practice off hand shooting. The trick for me is to time the shot as I rase the rifle.
The shot needs to go off just as soon as the cross hairs align on the target.
I rase the rifle and shoot in one coordinated motion.
It works pretty good once you get the hang of it.
The longer I hold the rifle on target the more the scope picture moves around.
Break barrels are not for everyone. As for me, I like them. They are simple and easy to deal with.
PCPs are a better choice for most folks.
They have more power, are usually lighter in weight and are more accurate for most shooters.
Best Wishes - Tom
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Tom, I saw a post last month when you were telling about receiving the new rifle. It appears you are getting along with it just fine. 40 yards out and 60 feet up equals about a 45 yard shot. Very nice! And "off hand" is Very, VERY nice!!
I had only one break barrel rifle and did NOT get along with it at all. I think I sold it about six months after I bought it.
Mike.
That was a lucky shot on my part.
When that squirrel stopped on that tree branch, turned facing my way and looked right at me setting absolutely still, it made for a perfect unobstructed shot.
I practice off hand shooting. The trick for me is to time the shot as I rase the rifle.
The shot needs to go off just as soon as the cross hairs align on the target.
I rase the rifle and shoot in one coordinated motion.
It works pretty good once you get the hang of it.
The longer I hold the rifle on target the more the scope picture moves around.
Break barrels are not for everyone. As for me, I like them. They are simple and easy to deal with.
PCPs are a better choice for most folks.
They have more power, are usually lighter in weight and are more accurate for most shooters.
Best Wishes - Tom
I have a lot of respect for folks that hunt with springers, break barrels or otherwise. I get the simplicity, but if I weren't using PCPs it would probably be MSP. The harsh shot cycle and hold sensitivity of springers is just not for me.
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February 28, 2023 - Tuesday
No joy today. I missed several shots at distant squirrels. But one was 'my bad'. It was the squirrel version of 'Buck Fever'.
Last season, I harvested 35 squirrels in 37 hunts. Today was my 31st hunt and I have harvested 35 squirrels. So, I am claiming this as a better season.
Today would normally be the last day of the season. But this year, the season goes until March 15.
More to come!
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March 4, 2023 Saturday and my first hunt in this BONUS season.
I was out early and the cold air had the squirrels moving. I saw four that put on a show for me about 45 yards away. I had decided I would walk the fences (after the 50+ mph winds we had yesterday) to check for downed trees/limbs on the fences. I saw several squirrels along the way and was able to get the one in the first picture. It was about 10 yards away coming toward me. I saw several more and missed one at about 30 yards on the ground. On the way in, the little guy in the second picture ran in front of me, up a tree, and out onto a naked vine. It posed for me, so I could line-up a heart/lung shot. These squirrels were taken with the Marauder .25 shooting 25.39 g JSBs.
In the last section of woods, I saw a Fox Squirrel running across a pasture towards the woods. When it got near me, it went up a tree and started nibbling new leaf buds. I labeled the third picture "Shoot and Release".
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Nice shooting!
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Thanks, DJ. I had a nice hunt and the not too panicky. It was almost like the first week of the season all over again.
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Nice shooting Mike!
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Thank you, Dave. I got lucky on that shot/picture of the Fox Squirrel. It stopped at the right time instead of going to the next section in the woods. The Grays I harvested cooperated too.
I appreciate you looking in.
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I got this photo a few weeks ago when the pine squirrels were very active, I got three in one hour with the Bandito on the same day. I'm pretty sure it was the peak of breeding season and they have since become much more scarce. I still have the rest of the month to try and get a snowshoe hare as well. I'm thinking about trying a new area to hunt, but it's hard to get access to areas right now with all the snow we've had. I think there's close to two feet of snow in places with shade where I haven't cleared anything.
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DJ, that is a GREAT photo. My little camera was at max zoom and the Fox Squirrel still looked 'way-out-there'.
Good with the Snowshoe Hares.
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Mike, beautiful hunt and shooting! Looks like a gorgeous day out there! Nice pics.
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Thank you, Randall.
You are correct about it being a gorgeous day. It was cold early and warm by noon - just the way I like it.
The fact that I was able to do a little payback to the property owner made me feel good too. Walking the fence line isn't always my favorite hunt. But it certainly was productive this time.
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Good morning to everyone.
Last year, for the first time since I came to Tennessee, the HUNTING/FISHING Licenses were sold for 1-Year from date-of-purchase. This morning, I bought my second license that is also for 1-year from date-of-purchase.
If you live long enough, you can get stuff at a lower price: The HUNTING/FISHING combo was $7.52 = $4 for the licenses + $3.52 handling fees.
YOO HOO! I am ready for the rest of the season.
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Mike, you are blessed! I pay close to $70 for just my fishing license here in ca....😳....and I am 60y/o.....😢
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Randall, I am not sure how old one must be to qualify for the 'Senior Citizen' license here in Tennessee. But I think the age in Louisiana was/is 65 years.
I just enjoy hunting at a bargain rate. And I will fish too if I can find a suitable place with 'Crappie'.
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Good morning to everyone.
Last year, for the first time since I came to Tennessee, the HUNTING/FISHING Licenses were sold for 1-Year from date-of-purchase. This morning, I bought my second license that is also for 1-year from date-of-purchase.
If you live long enough, you can get stuff at a lower price: The HUNTING/FISHING combo was $7.52 = $4 for the licenses + $3.52 handling fees.
YOO HOO! I am ready for the rest of the season.
I went for a walk this morning looking for hares. I was out for three hours and didn't even see a squirrel! It was a bit windy and it started blowing snow as soon as I got home. The hares and squirrels were both out, I just didn't get up early enough.
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Monday - March 6, 2023
This afternoon I went out for what I am calling the '1st Annual Memorial Hunt' in memory of a good friend who died on this day three years ago. But this is the first year I am able to honor him hunting on the land that he owned when he died.
Thank you, my friend, for being such a gentleman, hard worker, and generous with your humor.
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Nice one Mike! And a nice tribute
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Hi Mike.
Good Shooting. That's a nice squirrel that you got.
I am glad that you could get out for a Memorial Hunt to honor you deceased friend
Best Wishes - Tom
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Gentlemen, thank you.
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Saturday morning - March 11, 2023
The temperature at dawn was 33ºF and the wind was calm - near perfect for squirrel hunting. I saw 13 squirrels and killed one with a shot through the chest and out a shoulder. She may have jumped twice after hitting the ground. I did shoot at a second one but really had little hope of hitting it. Most were very far away and on the ground. They were not holding still very long. Also, most were not along - more eyes to see me. I hunted until about 10:15 a.m.
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Saturday morning - March 11, 2023
The temperature at dawn was 33ºF and the wind was calm - near perfect for squirrel hunting. I saw 13 squirrels and killed one with a shot through the chest and out a shoulder. She may have jumped twice after hitting the ground. I did shoot at a second one but really had little hope of hitting it. Most were very far away and on the ground. They were not holding still very long. Also, most were not along - more eyes to see me. I hunted until about 10:15 a.m.
Good shooting! It's tough to get them on the ground. Sometimes if I watch one long enough it will run out onto a log or up a tree trunk and give me a chance. I got five red squirrels in the last two days, but one of them, today, was just eating a pine cone next to my shooting area. I like seeing and hearing them near the house, but the risk of damage to my tractor and other equipment is too high to let them hang around.
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Thanks DJ. Yes, when they are on the ground, there is a real challenge there. The one I killed was actually up a tree.
My brother-in-law bought a tractor for some of the heavy work around his place. He had been parking it under a shed - not enclosed. I asked him if the squirrels had gotten to it YET?
He just finished his new tractor storage area about three weeks ago. ;) ;) Also, he is eliminating the squirrels that get too close to the house and sheds. The squirrels he eliminates are saved for the 'Wild Game Supper' that benefits the Volunteer Fire Department in the valley where he lives.
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Thanks DJ. Yes, when they are on the ground, there is a real challenge there. The one I killed was actually up a tree.
My brother-in-law bought a tractor for some of the heavy work around his place. He had been parking it under a shed - not enclosed. I asked him if the squirrels had gotten to it YET?
He just finished his new tractor storage area about three weeks ago. ;) ;) Also, he is eliminating the squirrels that get too close to the house and sheds. The squirrels he eliminates are saved for the 'Wild Game Supper' that benefits the Volunteer Fire Department in the valley where he lives.
I'm making squirrel stew on the wood cookstove right now with the five I got over the last two days. Since these little guys have almost zero fat, I'm using some venison broth I made a week ago from a ribcage given to me by a friend. We will eat it tomorrow for dinner.
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Nice one Mike!
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Thanks DJ. Yes, when they are on the ground, there is a real challenge there. The one I killed was actually up a tree.
My brother-in-law bought a tractor for some of the heavy work around his place. He had been parking it under a shed - not enclosed. I asked him if the squirrels had gotten to it YET?
He just finished his new tractor storage area about three weeks ago. ;) ;) Also, he is eliminating the squirrels that get too close to the house and sheds. The squirrels he eliminates are saved for the 'Wild Game Supper' that benefits the Volunteer Fire Department in the valley where he lives.
I'm making squirrel stew on the wood cookstove right now with the five I got over the last two days. Since these little guys have almost zero fat, I'm using some venison broth I made a week ago from a ribcage given to me by a friend. We will eat it tomorrow for dinner.
I will be over tomorrow to have some of that stew. Oh, wait - I am about 1,500 miles from you. Never mind!
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Thank you Dave. It was a very gratifying shot for me. My Marauder .25 proved itself again.
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Thank you Dave. It was a very gratifying shot for me. My Marauder .25 proved itself again.
How far was the squirrel? The Marauder is not a light gun, so especially good shooting since you don't really have a bench when out in the bush! Every once in a while I'm lucky enough to be close enough to a tree to lean against or use as a rest. Most of my shots have been off hand so I've been using light weight rifles. It's a workout hauling around an 9 lb rifle, even with a sling! Although with a synthetic stock, if you have one, is a pound lighter. Sometimes I take the Eagle Claw with me and it's 8 lbs without optics. I should say rarely, because the Bandito V2 has become my favorite woods gun.
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Good morning, DJ.
The squirrel I got yesterday was about 25 yards away - about average for this time of the season. At that distance, I don't use any holdover or under.
About ten years ago, I started experimenting with shooting sticks of various lengths. My first successful attempt was when I could sit or kneel on the ground comfortably. [Picture]
Later on, I found that I needed a longer/taller shooting stick for those standing shots that happened when no tree was available. The one I use most of the time now is five feet tall.
I use two five foot lengths of 1/2" PVC. I drilled 1/4" holes about four inches from the end of both pieces. I then bolted the two together with a couple flat washers in between so that they swivel nicely. Because the white PVC stood out in the woods, I got some camo duct tape at Walmart and decorated the sticks.
One last addition I found necessary in the rocky woods where I hunt now was some type of foot/pad on the bottom of the two tubes to prevent the sticks from slipping on the rocks. I used one of those rubbery wine bottle stoppers cut in half. I created a shoulder to make one end small enough to fit into the tube snuggly. That works well and will last about half of the season before it wears down to the tube. The cost is somewhere in the $5 range. YMMV depending on what you can scrounge up.
The sticks can be scissored open a different amount to accommodate ground short or tree shots. And an added benefit: When I am walking, the sticks make nice walking sticks.
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Well done on the shooting sticks Mike. I have a couple of extendable sticks that I occationally take to the field, but now that I have sold my AEA Challenger .30, my other hunting rifles are less than five lbs so not as necessary.
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Mike, great shot and nice hunt! Looks like a beautiful day yesterday to be out and about! Nice pic!
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Hello Randall
Yesterday was a very nice day. I was able to stay warm because of the lack of wind. And the fact that the squirrels kept me busy and not thinking about the cold helped too. Thank you for the reply.
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Mike, your welcome and today I just got an email from Sandra @ Airgns-USA (RAW Headquarters) in TN/Minor Hill (your neck of the woods), saying my RAW was ready to be shipped back! Had a full o'ring service, biathlon/drop down side lever added, and whatever else that needed replacing! So happy it's serviced and will be here soon, missed shooting her!
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Randall, you will need to stock up on pellets now.
Enjoy your shooting.
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I have arrived at the end of my longest season EVER. Tomorrow is the last day; but I will be out and about in Nashville helping my son with car transporting. Therefore, this is a wrap.
My season was very rewarding. I hunted 35 times - mostly at the #1 Permission. Early in the season, I decided to give the Eastern Fox Squirrels a pass for this season in hopes their numbers would increase by next winter. So most of the squirrels I killed were the Grays. I ended with four Fox Squirrels I took early before the pass was initiated. Along with those, I had 35 Grays, for a total of 39 squirrels. Most were taken with the Marauder .25 shooting JSB 25.39 gr Diabolo pellets. I took a few with the Stormrider .22 shooting JSB 18.13 gr Diabolo pellets. I notices a definite slow time in January - four hunts in a row, I saw very few squirrels and killed NONE on those four hunts. But things picked up the second week in February, and continued all the way through the end of my season.
I want to thank everyone who followed this thread and those of you who have replied. Now the equipment will be cleaned and put away. The hunting clothes will be washed and folded in preparation for next season. And the memories will be relived often.
Stay well everyone.
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Mike, great season of hunting! I really enjoy reading your posts and conversing with someone as personable as you! Stay safe and at the ready for the next hunting season! Safe journeys with your son tomorrow.
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Congratulations Mike on a fantastic hunting season this year.
Good times and wonderful memories were enjoyed.
Next season will be even better.
Best Wishes - Tom
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Thanks for sharing your hunts with us Mike.
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Congrats on a great season Mike!
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Wow, what a season! I think I got more squirrels than you, but they are all pine squirrels. Those fox squirrels are a real treat.
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Thanks again Mike for sharing your wonderful season with us. Look forward to following your exploits next season.