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Brokennock

Cannon
Joined
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Location
North Central Connecticut
These pics are from late September or so. I went out "squirreling" with my 20 gauge smooth rifle and premade shot cartridges of 1oz #5 lead shot. Wandered thru a state forest with a mix of old pines and mixed age Oaks and Hickories, with some ash, tulip poplar, some beeches, and a bunch of maple thrown in. Plenty of the little annoying red pine squirrels barking if I moved too quick through the pines, especially near old rock walls where they and the chipmunks watch eachother's backs. I think the greys use them as a diversion trying to get me to waste ammo. My distance vision isn't the greatest, but my peripheral is, and I pick up any movement within vision quickly. So my usual squirrel tactic is to not worry about being super stealthy, move quietly, but not stalking slow, and home in on movement or squirrel talk. When I hear a grey vocally protesting I move in on the sound then sit or stand against a tree and wait them out. Once they come back out to play or feed, bang. I had shot an average size squirrel and was moving along, trying to tune out the reds and chipmunks when I heard a grey and moved toward the sound, spotted him in a smallish maple as he climbed to safety. Conveniently a downed tree was against the maple so I sat there and waited. Sure enough I'd only had a few puffs of my pipe when I heard a grey barking really close. I searched all the trees it sounded like he should be in. I could not see him. Bark, bark, bark, he kept up his protest. Finally I looked straight up the tree I was sitting against and there he be, part way down, head downward, above my head protesting this lump blocking his way to the ground. I brought the gun to full cock, stood, set the trigger as the muzzle lifted and buttplate came to shoulder, bang, tipped my face down and my color up to protect from the shot coming back down after reaching max height, and from falling squirrel, I heard the thump before the smoke cleared. Just glad I looked up before he decided to force his way through. Honestly if I had a better look at him, I wouldn't have shot, small for a grey, and plenty more. That shot also set off 4 barred owls, very close by, to hooting like mad. I cleared the area and made my way to more quiet hardwoods for the last hour of light. 2 more shots, yes, one miss, but not enough light for more pics.

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The game bag was made of some bulk fishnet sold for decoration or for attaching burlap and such to make 3d camo. I cut a rectangle of it and folded the bottom up, leaving about an 8th of the length at the top to flop over as a top flap. Closed the edges with a series of knots, then applied ties to the upper corners at the base of the flap. These ties are used to attach the bag to my oil cloth shoulder bag when game is taken. It resides rolled up in the shoulder bag til then. Certainly not fancy, but very functional.
 
Jut remember the younger the more tender! :wink: Good job by the way. Like the game bag too...reminds me an old gentleman I knew as a boy. He wove cast nets and had made the boarding nets the Navy used during WWII. He'd be sitting there running his shuttle and I'd ask...
"What are you doing Mr. Byrce?"
"Oh, just catching holes and tying them together!"
 
Ha haaaa! Great answer. I've made a few nets. Just didn't have the patience for it for this project. Net making is one of those skills I'm glad I know, but rarely practice, and have no desire to make a hobby of. The gentleman who taught me how loves it and it's one of his more practiced hobbies.
 
Wes/Tex said:
Jut remember the younger the more tender! :wink: Good job by the way. Like the game bag too...reminds me an old gentleman I knew as a boy. He wove cast nets and had made the boarding nets the Navy used during WWII. He'd be sitting there running his shuttle and I'd ask...
"What are you doing Mr. Byrce?"
"Oh, just catching holes and tying them together!"
:applause: :thumbsup:

B.
 
Great story and pictures. :thumbsup: :hatsoff:

I hunt squirrels the same way you describe, moving along slowly, then honing in on barking or one that is seen. I carry a squirrel call and if it's a slow day, I can sometimes get one barking if I use the call.
 
Does the call sound like a squirrel or like something else that gets them barking? I seem to recall seeing one in a store, many years ago, and not really paying it any mind.
 
Congratulations on a successful hunt and a well told story of it. :bow: Your load is identical to what I use. One ounce of #5's is the right medicine in a 20ga both traditional and modern. Thank you for sharing. Keep yer powder dry.......robin :wink:
 
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hanshi said:
Spikebuck, I get success by making the sounds of a nut in distress. :shocked2: :idunno:

If a nut is "nuts" does that mean he's cracking up?

On the serious side, hasn't someone on this forum mentioned rubbing two walnuts together, or some such thing, to imitate a squirrel chewing on a nut for calling them?
 
Seen 'rattling' for bucks but never 'scraping' for squirrels! :wink: :haha:
 
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