"Great squirrel migration". But where do they go?
I decided not to go out in 19 degree weather after work. Here in the urban fringe of metro Atlanta the little nutters are all over my office and the older neighborhoods that still have hardwood trees. Sitting within 10' of you on your side of a tree. Been tempted to carry a slingshot or pocket of rocks if I thought I could skin one before any cityslickers noticed.My experience on stand has been same, carry a PB or crossbow and see tons of squirrels. Last year this time I was carrying the Notos and getting sightings on public land at 50 yards and very skittish. Saddle hunting I get sightings at 40 yards but none have sat still (in cross hairs) long enough for a 35gr Condor inserted headache pill.I even took my sister on a nature hike on my favorite public land permission and said I feel naked without an AG, etc. we sat still by the lake about 20 minutes and I told her squirrels would come. Sure enough at 20 minutes I heard them crushing leaves, but at 30 minutes an 8 point walked towards me within 20 yards, then around the edge of a low lying area I've sat stand several times towards a doe waiting to greet him......go figure
Quote from: 2A Georgia on January 21, 2025, 09:15:48 PMI decided not to go out in 19 degree weather after work. Here in the urban fringe of metro Atlanta the little nutters are all over my office and the older neighborhoods that still have hardwood trees. Sitting within 10' of you on your side of a tree. Been tempted to carry a slingshot or pocket of rocks if I thought I could skin one before any cityslickers noticed.My experience on stand has been same, carry a PB or crossbow and see tons of squirrels. Last year this time I was carrying the Notos and getting sightings on public land at 50 yards and very skittish. Saddle hunting I get sightings at 40 yards but none have sat still (in cross hairs) long enough for a 35gr Condor inserted headache pill.I even took my sister on a nature hike on my favorite public land permission and said I feel naked without an AG, etc. we sat still by the lake about 20 minutes and I told her squirrels would come. Sure enough at 20 minutes I heard them crushing leaves, but at 30 minutes an 8 point walked towards me within 20 yards, then around the edge of a low lying area I've sat stand several times towards a doe waiting to greet him......go figureCharles, I'm convinced that "Murphy's Law" was conceived in the hunting woods by a wise old hunter ThxRay
Not about squirrels, but a friend who is a single mom with three kids in Alaska just put three deer in her freezer. Maybe the frontier has moved up there.
We have noticed similar situations on public ground we hunt. We have changed our tactics such that we no longer move supper slow, and we don’t bother sitting and waiting at all. We move quick trying to spot them at distance and stalk close for a shot. Early season that means listening for cuttings and moving in. It’s not uncommon for those in my group to walk up to 8 miles in a morning. But. We usually fill the limit! 5 per hunt. Guess you could say we are having to walk a lot to find the dumb ones. lol.
Anything to distract the squirrel: On my Permission #2, the owner has cattle. And those cattle love to follow me while I move. When I stop, they will often gather around me. As I start moving again, some will be ahead of me. A couple of times, those ahead of me distracted a squirrel and allowed me to get a kill. I call them 'squirrel cows' [like squirrel dogs].