Squirrel family elimination...they just don't stop coming

[Mole2017]

My last post mentioned I've had a run on squirrels this month. It also speculated that it must soon end...well, not quite done yet 

All was quiet Sunday and Monday. I laid 12 squirrels to rest last week (two posts about them), so I figured it would be a few days before someone showed up. But I do the patrol this morning. I had an excuse too--had to take something to the basement anyway 

I actually didn't see anything in two passes up and down the side of the house to the shed, but on the final pass heading back in, I looked west and saw a squirrel taking a break on a tree on the property line. Well, well, I get one after all, I think to myself. Then she jumps away before I can get my aim on her from behind the shrub next to the path.

But she is headed south to another tree that usually affords a better line of fire and backstop anyway. However, as she jumps into that tree a chase ensues! There are two of them! Now I step out from cover for a better view of this tree. They are up and down the tree a few times before one jumps off to a smaller tree to the north side. I don't give her much time to think about what's next and take a maybe 22 yard shot. (It's not 20, it's not 25...must be about 22...)

That clomps her and she drops like a rock. I reload and look for the next, which in fact jumps on the branch I just killed her on. I take the shot--Ffftt! Oops, forgot that magazine was already on its last shot. I quickly grab the spare in my pocket to reload, however, she then jumps away, heading south. She actually gets through a few other trees before she pauses and I take her with a shot that drops her nicely, also about 22 yards.

I pause to look around--you just never know sometimes--and spot the silhouette of something huddled on a branch below where these other two had jumped off the pine. Through the scope I can see a small squirrel hunched up on a stub of a branch. I take the shot, but I sway slightly and put it through the top of her snout from about center to over the left eye. Actually a survivable shot with nothing worse than a scar later--if she can avoid the follow up shot....

While she tries to shake that off, I give her a follow up that is through the head properly this time. She drops in front of the pine and I head in to recover. I can't believe I managed a group of three; normally you only get one in a chase like this, sometimes two.

Here I discover that the momma, the first squirrel, has a bad frontal lobe injury from forehead to a spot in front of the right ear that has left her spazzed--a couple legs sticking out straight and stiff and her head at a funny angle. She does move a little as I pick her up. I hate follow up shots at close range--they make a mess and hurt my ears--so this one gets the chest compression.



I tote them to the basement for exam. Number two (upper left in picture) had taken a nice hit from right cheek to the left ear, and the second shot on number three (lower left in picture) was from left cheek to just below the base of the right ear. 17, 8, and 6 ounces. I take one last look around and head in to collect my stuff for work. Ah, dawdling a little, I take one last patrol around the house to the pecan tree. Here I discover I had left some lumber out over night--I had moved it to get at my tools, but meant to put it back in to keep it out of any rain that might spring up...

As I start back, I hear something dropping. It isn't really busy feeding like the acorns or pines when those are green, but it ain't caterpillar poop either (they feed on the oak leaves). Then I think I see something fall from that pine at the southwest corner of the dirt pile. Hmm...

I get on the dirt pile and easily find a squirrel up in that pine, munching away. She may not see me, as there is a twig next to her and she isn't facing me. I try for the shot with 1 mildot hold under because it's that 80 degree shot again. I end up snipping the twig 

She jumps away on the alert. Something happened and she's trying to figure it out, jumping about up there, pausing with her tail flicking. She finally jumps almost to where she was at and is now facing me as if to say "What, you?" and I give her something to think about...the shot hits her on the right side of the throat, about as close as you can get to the jaw and exits the top of her head, just inboard of the left ear. She drops to the ground without any bonus points off the "bumpers". 16 ounces. I felt like this morning I haven't been quite as steady a shot, but we've managed ok on four more females.

A note about the pine. When the squirrels feed on this earlier in the season, it seems like they shower the area below with a stream of peelings. But later in the season now, it must be more work, as the debris is coming off in smaller pieces and at a slower rate--makes them harder to detect.



I won't say the rush is over yet, but how long can it last? However, I'm not the only one to notice. A friend of mine is shooting up a storm of squirrels in his yard too. Then at work yesterday, the first thing one guy says to me is that he's never seen so many squirrels. So, maybe we're good for a few more...

[Orion]

Wow really nice post, I enjoyed a lot reading it, and those are a lot of squirrels right there! Thanks for sharing

[Wayne52]

Big congrats on all those grey's David !!! You've been getting a lot of them!

[A.K.A. Tommy Boy]

Wow David !      That's Fantastic !

Good hunting and shooting.



Best Wishes - Tom

[ranchibi]

David, they just keep coming and you keep on accommodating them! Great shooting!

[dk1677]

Nice ones David! It can go on for years if you in a wooded area, they keep moving in. One here today