Thursday Evening Squirrel hunt with the TF 89

[Atchman2]

This morning I went hunting about nine or so after the wifey went to work.  I had to be back fast since I had a conference call at 11.  Chip the Wonder Dog went along with me, but he DIDN'T like it!  He is scared of guns after going out to Jim's house with me while I was sighting in the .223.  That was the start, the next time was the Hope Church fun shoot.  That is too much for Chip.  I had to DRAG him out of the car. 

There were squirrels everywhere but I just didn't have time to properly hunt them.  I was just hoping one would present an easy shot.  The squirrels wouldn't cooperate.  With work calls ringing in constantly and Chip really uncomfortable, I abandoned woods and went home. 

After I returned I took off the the Centerpoint 4 x 16 scope and put on my Leapers 3 x 9 non-AO scope back on the TF 89.  I've been missing too many shots because of forgetting to focus the scope.  It only took about three shots to get it punching the same hole!  

My wife was getting her haircut down near my parents house.  She offered to drop the kiddos off there while I went hunting! GOT TO LOVE THAT!  I grabbed the recently sighted in rifle and headed off to "The Bluff"; a subdivision without houses (so far).   

I started off by driving to the top of the ridge and walking it.  It seems the squirrels are active up there in the morning but not the evening I suppose.  I'm glad I brought my canteen!  It was about 90 degrees today with a very high humidity.  I was exploring another four-wheeler trail when a squirrel burst through the underbrush, but I didn't get a shot.  I was so hot and exhausted from the walk.  Perhaps if I was moving a little slower I would have got him. 

Up the hill I went, and grabbed the Durango and headed down to the actual bluff to hunt.  I grabbed the canteen and rested a bit.  No sooner than I got the gun out of the car, a squirrel went hopping through the trees.  I thought I had him, but he made a fast getaway.  I took a shot on the running target, but missed high.  He quickly hid in in a tree covered with wild grape vines.  As the light was starting to go, I left him alone.

Back into the car, I went and down to the other end of the bluff.  As I was driving up, a squirrel bounded across the road.  It seems that towards the evening the squirrels feed closer to the ground through this area.  I looped around a big clearing seeing nothing then started back to my car.  As I turned I saw a squirrel rush up a tree to my right.  I quickly moved up to see if I could get a shot, but he had already disappeared into the thick foliage.  However, his little buddy wasn't quite up the tree!  I had him pinned in a lone tree, or so I thought.  I could catch glimpses of him moving through the leaves.  I took a shot at his head, but shot high.  However, I quickly reloaded as he jumped to the next tree and froze.  I took an offhand shot at 15 yards or so and hit him just behind the right foreleg.  That knocked him to the ground.  At that time I thought he was dead, but when I arrived I finished him off with a shot to the head.  He was pretty much done, but I wanted to be sure. 

I had to climb down yet another steep slope, through briars, poison ivy, and the usual TN junk at the bottom of hill.  The last time I did this I couldn't find the squirrel I shot, but I was able to pinpoint the exact tree. He was about 5 feet from the bottom. 

Here is where I found him: 



There was an electric transformer nearby, so I took a picture with my phone camera.  Here is the TF 89 with the gun camera mounted on it. 



I managed to get the hunt on the gun camera.  However I didn't have time to try and zoom the camera so I'm not sure if you can see what is going on or not. 



It isn't great, but I tried  

Tonight I heard the ding donger go off while watching television.  I went outside and saw shapes moving in the lowlands.  I grabbed my raccoon call and blew it.  THREE of the buggers rushed into the clearing!  I didn't have my night camera on The way the ran to the call was amazing! 

I'm going to stay up for awhile.  I think tonight I'll get my first bandit or country rat of the year! 

 

[dk1677]

Thanks for the video! Nice shooting!

[Lochlainn]

Nice shooting! Another one for the pot. Congratulations

[only1harry]

Wow you really had to work for this squirrel Randy!

Great shooting off-hand and video.  It must be harder than usual to shoot with that extra weight on the left of the rifle.

[longislandhunter]

What a great video Randy, I really enjoyed that.  Makes me wanna get up at first light and go hunting

Congrats on a fine harvest.  Excellent job with the shooting and video documentation. 

Jeff

[1377x]

nice pics and video
great shooting

[shadow]

Great shooting and vid of your hunt brother, will be looking for more. Ed

[Atchman2]

I hardly ever shoot squirrels with a rest.  They move too fast for me so 95% of the time I have to shoot offhand.  I just want them to stop long enough for me to get a shot!  Maybe a whistle or something would freeze them?  I'll have to try it the next time. 

I know that if I blow my coyote howler it will make the move again.  That isn't doing me any good because I think they accelerate to warp speed when they hear it!  

[Jman]

maybe a hawk squeal. I think I remember my dad saying the squirrels stop to them, and by stop I mean freeze.haha