2024/2025 Squirrel Hunting Thread...........

[ETipp]

Yes, as well as cottontails, Jack's and of course the little pineys.

Many eschew Jack's and even snowshoes as poor eating but that hasn't been our experience. My very first "rabbit" kill was a snowshoe with my solid glass bow and a "kid" arrow that I'd fixed up with one of dad's broadheads. He was so proud he made a near ceremonial meal out of it.

I used to hunt snowshoes more than anything else out west. And I have never gotten a bad one to eat. I was told by some family members that lived in Michigan near the Mackinaw bridge area that snowshoes picked up a bad taste towards the spring after they had been eating on cedar bark due to the snow being so deep.

Snowshoes is my favorite rabbit. Used to use my snowmobiles to ride up to the higher country then strap on a pair of snowshoes on my feet, then take off. Loved it and I love snowshoe rabbits.

I think I only killed one with a bow was up north of Steamboat Springs. All the others were cotton tails.

At any rate, I'm sorry you didn't get out for one last hunt.

 

[longcruise]

At any rate, I'm sorry you didn't get out for one last hunt.

Oh, there will be more but the Aberts season is over at the end of the day.

North of Steamboat is some of my favorite country. Started hunting there in '64. It's a draw unit now for all deer and elk so not as often as previously.

 

[snakebit]

No doubt.

Ya know, a few days ago I watched a different squirrel climb up to the top of his den tree, above the den, and up to the very top to a dray. He was clearly carrying something in his mouth that looked to be about the size of a walnut. He carried it in there and I got busy doing other things so I did not see him come back out. So, to me this shows he either stayed up in the dray and ate the walnut or stashed it and came back down while I wasn't watching. I didn't think squirrels would still be packing nuts to stash this late in the year. There was some bad weather on the way so perhaps that had something to do with it.

I'm forever watching those little fellas trying to figure them out.

Lord knows I try Ed. I keep 2 feeders out back, and on the days I go heavy on the peanuts, they seem to stash more than feed. I tracked one from the feeder, around to the front. I don't have any trees out front, so they stash them in the mulch beds. They rarely go back for them. But in my small strip out back, I find their caches all the time. See them by the dozens in bow season, go back to hunt them, it's a ghost town. I give up trying to figure them out

 

[ETipp]

Lord knows I try Ed. I keep 2 feeders out back, and on the days I go heavy on the peanuts, they seem to stash more than feed. I tracked one from the feeder, around to the front. I don't have any trees out front, so they stash them in the mulch beds. They rarely go back for them. But in my small strip out back, I find their caches all the time. See them by the dozens in bow season, go back to hunt them, it's a ghost town. I give up trying to figure them out

Squirrels can definitely be difficult to figure out. About the time I think I do have them figured out, they throw me a curve ball.

Their general habits and times are fairly consistent. But…….

Right at dark tonight I looked out and saw that same squirrel. It was snowing, cold with a breeze. I hadn’t seen him out in two days but for whatever reason, he decided to go out right at dark in those conditions.

Go figure!

 

[ETipp]

Well well.

The sun came out and a few minutes later look who else came out. Still cold be he’s enjoying the wam sunshine anyway.

If you look closely at the hole in the tree, you will see another ones nose kind of stinging out.

There’s another den tree about 30 yards away but I haven’t seen anything stirring in there so far.

I love watching those little fellas.

 

[snakebit]

Well well.

The sun came out and a few minutes later look who else came out. Still cold be he’s enjoying the wam sunshine anyway.

If you look closely at the hole in the tree, you will see another ones nose kind of stinging out.

There’s another den tree about 30 yards away but I haven’t seen anything stirring in there so far.

I love watching those little fellas.

Why don't they sit on limbs like that when I'm leaning against an oak while applying slow steady pressure to the set triggers on my Crockett rifle? Id definitely use less lead

 

[ETipp]

Why don't they sit on limbs like that when I'm leaning against an oak while applying slow steady pressure to the set triggers on my Crockett rifle? Id definitely use less lead

Ha, good question my friend.

This is the main reason why I consider winter time squirrel hunting to be the toughest of all. The little buggers just sit tight outside their den trees and just watch. They can see you coming for a hundred yards or more. Then when you get almost close enough for a shot……zip…….they disappear into their den holes.

Whenever that happens, I feel like Elmer Fudd……..Ooooooooooooo

 

[ETipp]

And there’s ole slick. He finally came out of his den hole in the other tree. Just sitting and watching.

 

[Gum Slough Muzzleloader]

And there’s ole slick. He finally came out of his den hole in the other tree. Just sitting and watching.

I think he's watching you, Ed

 

[Jim K]

Ya know we got about 4” of snow last night and cold temperatures . I have a bird feeder outside my shop window. The squirrels have been hitting it pretty hard. I don’t know if I saw any out there today.

They seem to have holed up for the day unlike the birds. I’ll be interested to see if they’re around tomorrow.

I have noticed other winters that they’ll be active at the feeder in the mornings and absent in the afternoons. Not sure why.

Last year in the late season, I only hunted afternoons after it warmed up. I did not do well seeing squirrel activity.

Ive been braving the cold and hunting mostly mornings lately.

I don’t like snow at all except for squirrel hunting. I do enjoy looking for tracks and hunting sign. I plan to get out and do some hunting before it melts.

Anyone else notice lack of activity in winter afternoons? I don’t have a reason for it.

 

[ETipp]

Ya know we got about 4” of snow last night and cold temperatures . I have a bird feeder outside my shop window. The squirrels have been hitting it pretty hard. I don’t know if I saw any out there today.

They seem to have holed up for the day unlike the birds. I’ll be interested to see if they’re around tomorrow.

I have noticed other winters that they’ll be active at the feeder in the mornings and absent in the afternoons. Not sure why.

Last year in the late season, I only hunted afternoons after it warmed up. I did not do well seeing squirrel activity.

Ive been braving the cold and hunting mostly mornings lately.

I don’t like snow at all except for squirrel hunting. I do enjoy looking for tracks and hunting sign. I plan to get out and do some hunting before it melts.

Anyone else notice lack of activity in winter afternoons? I don’t have a reason for it.

That is interesting indeed. Here I sometimes see just the opposite. I’m wondering if this may be a regional thing?

I can understand why squirrels come out of their dens when the sun is bright, but like you, but in the opposite direction, I can find no explanation as to why they come out just prior to dark when it’s cloudy, cold and sometimes with a cold breeze. Yet they stay holed up all day long. Perhaps it’s simply because they need to get out and stretch a little, maybe relieve themselves, before the long night after being holed up all day and the previous night? Also, perhaps they did come out of their dens during the day but I simply didn’t see them?

One thing is for sure, squirrels can be difficult to decipher sometimes. Try as I have, for years now I have watched them out my windows during all seasons and different weather conditions and I still cannot figure them out completely.

 

[ETipp]

I think he's watching you, Ed

Maybe so. I know he can see me through the window.

 

[ETipp]

Interesting.

Just after daylight this morning. He came out of his den, sat on a branch for a minute or two, climbed up the tree for just a little way, turned around and went right back into the den hole.

Must have said “the heck with this stuff, I’m going back in where it’s warm”.

 

[longcruise]

I sometimes find the little pineys to be extremely active sometimes. Almost continuously in sight with constant chattering going on near and far. Usually during deer and elk hunting when I'd prefer they keep quiet.

But other times those exact same spots are completely devoid of squirrels. They are there for sure. They live and stay in very in fairly small territories.

But here I'll relate an experience my grandson and I had. We were hunting cottontails moving slowly up a narrow drainage that was filled with spruce and fir. There was some snow but it was old.

We weren't finding any bunnies. In fact it was one of those days when nothing seemed to be alive. Then we crossed a very fresh coyote track. I had in my pack a homemade electronic call. I don't remember why I thought to put that in my pack that day. I also had a few CDs of calls that I put together. We decided to try to call that coyote back. I started a very raucous call that played continuously without silence. It included crazy rabbit distress along with occasional coyote noise. It was better suited to a Halloween prank than anything.

Within minutes the trees around us were going crazy with squirrels chattering and generally going wild. The coyote never showed up. Probably heard us shooting squirrels.

 

[ETipp]

Had in interesting visit a couple days ago. One of the upper PT guys came to release me from home PT after post knee replacement. After we went over all the important information, he noticed a squirrel book I had on the table, and said “ I see you like squirrels”, me too”. Come to find out, he was raised in east Kentucky and grew up squirrel hunting. He still hunts them today with squirrel dogs. Expense does not seem to be a factor, in terms of his squirrel dogs. He has several mountain cur’s.

Ya know, as interesting as it is, as soon as he sat down at the table and before he even mentioned squirrel hunting, to me he had the appearance of a southern Appalachian man with his tall stature, somewhat long face and short beard. Considering all of my family on both sides were from that region, I reckon it’s simply something that stands out in a person and makes it obvious.

We went over a lot of things about hunting in general but mostly focused on squirrel hunting and squirrels. After looking at my Crockett squirrel rifle he said he would like me to come along on some of their squirrel hunts with dogs and see me shoot a squirrel with it. He knows nothing about muzzleloaders.
If this happens, it will have to be next winter but at least I have finally found someone else that squirrel hunts. Up until now, I’m the only person I knew of that squirrel hunts in Kentucky.

This fella has family where he was born and raised in east Kentucky. Evidently, squirrel hunting is still fairly popular in that part of the state. I knew squirrel hunting is still somewhat common in the Appalachian region but I did not know of any particular location. He assured me that in that area, squirrel hunting is still alive and popular. So much so that his dad turned down $12,000 for one of his squirrel dogs.


He is a Christian man that has taken it upon himself to teach kids from his church how to bow hunt as well. He is a very successful bow hunter. My gosh, you ought to see some of the huge buck mounts on his wall, all taken with a bow. Several that scored 170” plus. He is not a bragger, rather a polite, down to earth, educated successful man.

So yeah, at least I have met a new friend that’s a squirrel hunter. He told me he will get back in contact with me soon because we have much to talk about.

I look forward to our next visit.

 

[Jim K]

That’s pretty cool Ed. I look forward to your report of hunting with him and his dogs. I’d like to do that.

One time I had a buddy and his son with me fox squirrel hunting. I was sitting at a spot when I started hearing a dog barking. Finally it dawned on me that it was a squirrel dog. I hustled down there and sure enough it was a couple guys with squirrel dogs. I talked with them awhile and they invited me to hunt with them. I couldn’t as I had friends with me. If I’d have been alone, I’d have taken them up on it.

That’s as close as I’ve come. I have watched a good bit of it on YouTube. Looks like fun.

 

[Gum Slough Muzzleloader]

Ed, that's great. I'm happy for you to have met that fella.
Funny how one's paths crosses with another's.
Both have alot in common, yet many differences. it's cool he shows interest in Muzzleloading.
Ya got one Hooked Ed, keep on the line.

Like Jim K, I too will look forward to reading about The Hunt....

Thanks Ed..

Take Care Stay Safe

 

[ETipp]

That’s pretty cool Ed. I look forward to your report of hunting with him and his dogs. I’d like to do that.

One time I had a buddy and his son with me fox squirrel hunting. I was sitting at a spot when I started hearing a dog barking. Finally it dawned on me that it was a squirrel dog. I hustled down there and sure enough it was a couple guys with squirrel dogs. I talked with them awhile and they invited me to hunt with them. I couldn’t as I had friends with me. If I’d have been alone, I’d have taken them up on it.

That’s as close as I’ve come. I have watched a good bit of it on YouTube. Looks like fun.

Well Jim, I do not have much experience squirrel hunting with dogs. Only a couple of my old hounds when I lived up in the mountains of TN. And they were not great squirrel Dogs, but they did tree a few and I was able to get them.

It is fun for sure m. A bit of a departure from my normal squirrel hunting method, but it is fun.

 

[ETipp]

Ed, that's great. I'm happy for you to have met that fella.
Funny how one's paths crosses with another's.
Both have alot in common, yet many differences. it's cool he shows interest in Muzzleloading.
Ya got one Hooked Ed, keep on the line.

Like Jim K, I too will look forward to reading about The Hunt....

Thanks Ed..

Take Care Stay Safe

Thanks,Fred. Not so sure if he’s actually interested in ML’s all that much but we have much to talk about in the future. So we shall see.

 

[Gum Slough Muzzleloader]

Ed, after he sees the Crockett Rifle bring down a squirrel, and how it all comes together, he'll be teaching the young ones about muzzleloaders hopefully...

Take Care Stay Safe