Jumpy young squirrels...

[Mole2017]

I believe this young squirrel has put me on the alert three times already today, but her luck ran out that last time...

I think it was just after lunch that this squirrel first showed up. She was thinking about the far feeder, but she either didn't know that it had black sunflower seeds on it or was just too nervous being in my yard. She hovered on the side of the tree above it, but just couldn't convince herself to dig in. Instead, she poked a little at the ground behind the tree, and then went back up, snooping the top of a pine next to this tree. Then she moved northward and was up and down some trees. By this time, I was off the patio and waiting for her to hold still for a decent shot, but she just wouldn't stop. And then I lost her, which is to say, I think she gave me the slip.

Then while grilling supper, I see some hyper squirrel jumping around in the treetops in the northwest corner of the property. She worked her way southward almost to the "dirt pile pine" but was still pretty flighty. Was this that squirrel I saw earlier, now working her way back home? More than once I had the R10 ready in case she stopped on a branch out there, but she again never stopped. She almost looked like she might come closer, but I think she had seen me on the patio by then and thought better of it. She disappeared again somewhere in the northwest corner.

Finally, after supper I'm picking some things up and see something in the trees directly west of me. Some small squirrel is jumping around out there again, heading south again like I thought she might have done the second time I saw her. "Heading south" is kind of loosely used here--she was back and forth and up and down a lot. But at some point she was on to me and doubled back like she was looking for cover and keeping an eye on me too. But I was ready when she paused for a glance my way and let her have it through a couple leaves at about 20 yards.

The impact sounded good, but for a moment I wasn't sure I had her--too much motion still in the branches. But then I see her pause and fall out of the tree. I listen for any movement, but there is none. She's dead when I get to her. The shot was just behind the right upper arm and ran the length of her body, crossing over and stopping under the skin on the back of her right thigh. That explains how long she seemed to last before it was lights out.



This little gal was just 8 ounces. These youngsters can be really jumpy and skittish. I think I saw this one the other day and the response was the same: she put it in high gear to clear out before she was even within range for a shot! And with this youngster, the females take the lead back from the males: 65 to 64 since January 1.

And I'm pretty sure my fall run has ended. The rate has slowed, but it was pretty good. Another friend nearby took 20 squirrels in 17 days this month. I'm using my R10, but Jim is relatively new to airguns and has really done well. He started with a Crosman 2100, but then wanted to upgrade for faster follow up shots, bought a Gamo Swarm, and has really gone to work on the squirrels.

This year alone he has shot as many as he got in the previous seven years. At first, they were pests at his bird feeders and on the house. The battle was mostly a back yard thing. But then he saw how much they were tearing up his pines in the front yard and it was war! If I may quote him: "The Gamo has definitely improved my efficiency, but as importantly, my attitude about squirrels has also changed after seeing the damage they create."

[dk1677]

Nice shooting David! Got one today myself ( an adult) along with a chipper

[A.K.A. Tommy Boy]

Good Shooting David !

You got the big JUMP on that jumpy squirrel. 

I picked up a Gray today myself.


Best Wishes - Tom

[ranchibi]

David, great shot! That lil female sure tested your patience.

[Bicycleman]

Good story, David.  And I admire your record keeping system.  I missed your post yesterday because I was watching football on TV.  What a waste of time.       

[Wayne52]

Great shooting David !!!

[Mole2017]

Thanks everyone! For a moment today I thought I might have another, but I didn't get a second sighting to confirm it. I sometimes wonder if the squirrel fever makes me see squirrels that aren't there...

It was a beautiful day here and I tried my hand at groundhogs near sunset, as opposed to midday or middle afternoon. I saw maybe 5 or 6, but all were rather shy or I blundered into their presence and spooked them.

My friend was home, so in lieu of any groundhogs I brought 4 cans of expired soda. The other day I had plugged three of these at 68 yards with no misses and today I almost did the same. This time around we lined them up and I attempted to take them out one by one at 52, 67, 75 and 90 yards. Except for the 90, they were also "one shot, one kill". For the 90, I made the mistake of not sitting down (which helped the 75 yard shot; wasn't needed for the 52 and 67). This caused some misses, but I was also trying to work out the holdover at that range too. John was impressed with the R10. For that matter, I was too. I'm going to have to have another go at a NUAH target or two...

[BackStop]

In my own experience with tree rats, the young ones are the hardest to hit because they don't stay still very long and when they move, they move quickly with darts and bounds.

Nice shooting!

I still have one youngster, with a crooked tail, who has eluded me for several months.   He/she must be a runt, because I can't say that it has gotten much bigger than when I first spotted it.

[Mole2017]

In my own experience with tree rats, the young ones are the hardest to hit because they don't stay still very long and when they move, they move quickly with darts and bounds.

Nice shooting!

I still have one youngster, with a crooked tail, who has eluded me for several months.   He/she must be a runt, because I can't say that it has gotten much bigger than when I first spotted it.

Be sure to post a picture of that one when you do get it! Here's a specimen I shot a couple years ago by now. I called him Squirrel Nutkin:

[BackStop]

In my own experience with tree rats, the young ones are the hardest to hit because they don't stay still very long and when they move, they move quickly with darts and bounds.

Nice shooting!

I still have one youngster, with a crooked tail, who has eluded me for several months.   He/she must be a runt, because I can't say that it has gotten much bigger than when I first spotted it.

Be sure to post a picture of that one when you do get it! Here's a specimen I shot a couple years ago by now. I called him Squirrel Nutkin:

That one stays OUT of my safe kill zones.   Even now that I have expanded that to shots in the trees up to about 30 feet high (where the tree trunk is my backstop) he/she does not hang around long enough for a good shot.   I do see it in the front yard and other places, but I guess this one has learned (seeing so many other dead tree rats) to stay away and/or keep moving.

I sort of admire the little squirt!   However, as it passes its genes along, I may have a lot of very hard to kill tree rats in the future!  (chuckle)

[Wayne52]

The real jumpy ones are the red squirrels and I managed to nail one in the head this morning way up a hickory tree along with 2 fox squirrels.

[Mole2017]

The real jumpy ones are the red squirrels and I managed to nail one in the head this morning way up a hickory tree along with 2 fox squirrels.

We don't have any near my house. While camping in VT we heard them but almost never saw them, except for the movement of leaves and branches.