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

[snakebit]

I didn't read all 22 pages, but y'all have really made me jump on the "way back machine" and reminisce about 50+ years ago in Rocky Hollow, running around feral like Huckleberry Finn. My daddy always chuckled and said "we used to have lots of squirrels around here till I got Stanley that .22" (Glenfield model 60). Lol I just salivated about an endless supply of Grandma's squirrel gravy and biscuits, and had no thoughts about conservation. We had a little black Feist dog that could really find and tree them. We never named him, would just call "hey dog, come here." etc. Eventually he answered to that, no joke, his name became Hey Dog. I still tear up thinking about him, the little flea bit varmint, we were real pals. If I racked the slide on that rifle he would hear it and jump straight up in the air and bark and take off down the trail.

I used to see a lot more red fox squirrels, which I think is due now to less row farming and fence rows. It's gone back to big timber. Bobwhites gone, too. Maybe I'll pick me up a little bp squirrel gun or a kit, we'll see. Sorry for the rambling, old guys sometimes gotta do it. yellowhammer out.

Yep. I went without hunting squirrels for years. I dedicated any time to deer and turkey. Work/family ate most of my hours. I guess I justified it as I could get a lot more meals for the freezer with a deer. When I was young and feral, I lived to squirrel hunt because the season in my home state always opened in August before school started, and I definitely got my share. Now that I'm retired, and the kids are on their way, way, Ive come full circle. I don't get too excited about big antlers, just backstraps and tacos. But I get excited about squirrel hunting again. I think you would really enjoy squirrel hunting with a small caliber ML Yellowhammer, my 32's and New Englander shotgun got me back to it big time.

 

[snakebit]

Yep, way too windy here in Dauphin County today. I’m looking forward to September already.

I hear ya there Jim. Wind laid down here somewhat around 5 o'clock here in Union County. I'm going to start shooting the Crockett a bunch here in the next few weeks. See how she likes the Swiss. Depending on the time table, I may get a morning or 2 of hunting this August if we can make it to Illinois for the Reunion. I'll have to practice shooting with a bug net on my head

 

[longcruise]

Ended here today. Next week will be the beginning of war on squirrels!!

They do their best to destroy my pear and apple crop. So today I placed my order.

 

[snakebit]

Ended here today. Next week will be the beginning of war on squirrels!!

They do their best to destroy my pear and apple crop. So today I placed my order.

Yep. They love our apples. They love cutting through the fenced in part of the yard too. I think they do that just to torment the dogs. They don't pay any mind to them when they're on the feeders, but when they come into "their" fence, I'm afraid they're going to jump through the window to get to them.

 

[yellowhammer]

Ended here today. Next week will be the beginning of war on squirrels!!

They do their best to destroy my pear and apple crop. So today I placed my order.

I did the same thing when they declared war on my bird feeders. I thought geegads these squirrels have gotten very destructive - tearing feeders off limbs, etc. Well, it turned out they were a different species:

I trapped 6 before I got finished - a momma and 5 grown kits.

 

[ETipp]

I totally Fred. And thanks again to Ed for starting this thread. Some great guys posting on here, and very entertaining to follow. Will be looking forward to Ed posting in a few months of his successful spring hunts with his Crockett, and how he ran up the mountain like an 18 year old in boot camp.

Thanks, Tom. Fortunately, I’ve made some great progress in the last two days. With a little luck, I’ll be up and going soon.

 

[ETipp]

I didn't read all 22 pages, but y'all have really made me jump on the "way back machine" and reminisce about 50+ years ago in Rocky Hollow, running around feral like Huckleberry Finn. My daddy always chuckled and said "we used to have lots of squirrels around here till I got Stanley that .22" (Glenfield model 60). Lol I just salivated about an endless supply of Grandma's squirrel gravy and biscuits, and had no thoughts about conservation. We had a little black Feist dog that could really find and tree them. We never named him, would just call "hey dog, come here." etc. Eventually he answered to that, no joke, his name became Hey Dog. I still tear up thinking about him, the little flea bit varmint, we were real pals. If I racked the slide on that rifle he would hear it and jump straight up in the air and bark and take off down the trail.

I used to see a lot more red fox squirrels, which I think is due now to less row farming and fence rows. It's gone back to big timber. Bobwhites gone, too. Maybe I'll pick me up a little bp squirrel gun or a kit, we'll see. Sorry for the rambling, old guys sometimes gotta do it. yellowhammer out.

Not rambling, sir. Your post settles well with me and I’m sure others as well

 

[ETipp]

I did the same thing when they declared war on my bird feeders. I thought geegads these squirrels have gotten very destructive - tearing feeders off limbs, etc. Well, it turned out they were a different species:

View attachment 299767

I trapped 6 before I got finished - a momma and 5 grown kits.

Get em all, bro. No shortage of them here.

 

[snakebit]

Yellowhammers post got me thinking about how I got started in squirrel hunting. I guess like a lot of guys on here, that was the starting point in the progression, you know small game to bigger game and so on. I actually wanted nothing to with firearms when I was a little $hit. I've got some Indian blood in me from my mother's side, so that, westerns on TV, and a hand-me-down mustard yellow fiberglass bow was where it was at. My older brothers took me a couple times to be the retriever. And they always killed a limit. So I figured I better get with the program. Muzzleloadering ( gotcha Fred), wasn't a reality there at the time. One of my brothers had a savage model 42, 22/410 and I was so stinking jealous. I got a hand me down 22 single shot with a mostly shot out barrel and a washer to elevate the rear sight. It was explained by my old man that they had nicer guns because they had jobs and bought them. My response was I can't drive a car how in the heck am I gonna drive to a job, let alone I was about 6 or 7. His counter, figure it out. Where we lived was semi rural, so I went to every sweet corn farmer, and horseradish patch within 5 miles, and got pretty steady summer employment. Saved my cash and bugged the old man to take me to the gun shop so I could empty their racks of all the finest squirrel killing weaponry available with my 37 bucks I had. He takes me to his brothers house and told me my uncle had some guns he was looking to sell, and maybe we could make a deal. So my uncle trots out an Ithica model 66 20 gauge single shot, and a Winchester 22 semi auto, told me I could have either one for 10 bucks, but if I helped him out and took them both off his hands I could have them for 15. Deal. I had no concept of value or worth. I found out years later that the old man paid him ahead of time minus 15 dollars. He swung me by the hardware store and we got 4 boxes of 6 shot high brass, and a brick of 22 LR Winchester Wildcats. I was equiped and turned loose on the local squirrel population. My dear mother didn't eat squirrel, but if we brought it home, she cooked it. Poor lady went without meat on her plate quite a few nights when the season was in. I still enjoy squirrel hunting, especially with my ML firearms. But if Im being honest not nearly as much as I did when I was a feral kid in southern Illinois.

 

[Gum Slough Muzzleloader]

Yellowhammers post got me thinking about how I got started in squirrel hunting. I guess like a lot of guys on here, that was the starting point in the progression, you know small game to bigger game and so on. I actually wanted nothing to with firearms when I was a little $hit. I've got some Indian blood in me from my mother's side, so that, westerns on TV, and a hand-me-down mustard yellow fiberglass bow was where it was at. My older brothers took me a couple times to be the retriever. And they always killed a limit. So I figured I better get with the program. Muzzleloadering ( gotcha Fred), wasn't a reality there at the time. One of my brothers had a savage model 42, 22/410 and I was so stinking jealous. I got a hand me down 22 single shot with a mostly shot out barrel and a washer to elevate the rear sight. It was explained by my old man that they had nicer guns because they had jobs and bought them. My response was I can't drive a car how in the heck am I gonna drive to a job, let alone I was about 6 or 7. His counter, figure it out. Where we lived was semi rural, so I went to every sweet corn farmer, and horseradish patch within 5 miles, and got pretty steady summer employment. Saved my cash and bugged the old man to take me to the gun shop so I could empty their racks of all the finest squirrel killing weaponry available with my 37 bucks I had. He takes me to his brothers house and told me my uncle had some guns he was looking to sell, and maybe we could make a deal. So my uncle trots out an Ithica model 66 20 gauge single shot, and a Winchester 22 semi auto, told me I could have either one for 10 bucks, but if I helped him out and took them both off his hands I could have them for 15. Deal. I had no concept of value or worth. I found out years later that the old man paid him ahead of time minus 15 dollars. He swung me by the hardware store and we got 4 boxes of 6 shot high brass, and a brick of 22 LR Winchester Wildcats. I was equiped and turned loose on the local squirrel population. My dear mother didn't eat squirrel, but if we brought it home, she cooked it. Poor lady went without meat on her plate quite a few nights when the season was in. I still enjoy squirrel hunting, especially with my ML firearms. But if Im being honest not nearly as much as I did when I was a feral kid in southern Illinois.

His post did take me back also..

I had my Grandpa Cubb's
Steven Savage .410 .22 over and under.

Again a blast from the past....

Yellowhammer get ya a small BP Rifle and shoot some Squirrels with us.

 

[snakebit]

His post did take me back also..

I had my Grandpa Cubb's
Steven Savage .410 .22 over and under.

Again a blast from the past....

Yellowhammer get ya a small BP Rifle and shoot some Squirrels with us.

I couldn't tell you why Fred, but I was so jealous of my brother because he had one of those. Dumb kid I guess. Sometimes you have look back at where you started. I do regret I never got to properly thank the old man for doing that. He was already passed over before my mother told me the real story. I still have both of those guns. Haven't shot them in more years than I care to admit, but they do get taken out and wiped down with Hoppes #9. Just the smell of that takes me back.

 

[yellowhammer]

...Yellowhammer get ya a small BP Rifle and shoot some Squirrels with us.

Might swing by Old South Firearms down in Argo, AL and see if he has a Crockett.

 

[snakebit]

Might swing by Old South Firearms down in Argo, AL and see if he has a Crockett.

You won't regret it buddy.

 

[ETipp]

Might swing by Old South Firearms down in Argo, AL and see if he has a Crockett.

They are fun, economical and accurate little rifles. My Crockett has provided me with more enjoyment than all my other ML’s combined. I’ve really put mine through the test. In the steep, rocky and dark hardwood mountains, thickets, thick brushy areas, in the rain, cold and hot, humid conditions. One day I was out in the rain for 7 1/2 hours and she still fired just fine. Nothing covered the cap area except the hammer.

The Crockett is not, however, my ideal muzzleloading squirrel rifle. I simply got what I could find at the time. My ideal squirrel rifle would be a longer SMR in either .32 or .36

My guess is, you might have to purchase a Crockett from an online source.

Good luck.

 

[Jim K]

I was watching a squirrel hunt on YouTube. This guy had an orange hat with a squirrel on it. I liked it (we have to wear orange at all times squirrel hunting) I tried to find it online and couldn’t. But I found this one. I think it would make a good Sunday go to meetin hat. What do you guys think? I showed it to my wife. She just asked if I was getting it. She didn’t seem to impressed

 

[Gum Slough Muzzleloader]

I was watching a squirrel hunt on YouTube. This guy had an orange hat with a squirrel on it. I liked it (we have to wear orange at all times squirrel hunting) I tried to find it online and couldn’t. But I found this one. I think it would make a good Sunday go to meetin hat. What do you guys think? I showed it to my wife. She just asked if I was getting it. She didn’t seem to impressed View attachment 300019

I like it.
Thanks

 

[yellowhammer]

...'My ideal squirrel rifle would be a longer SMR in either .32 or .36...

Yeah I've been looking for an excuse to get a Kibler SMR in walnut.

What do y'all think about the Pedersoli [or Dixie] Scout 32?

 

[ETipp]

Yeah I've been looking for an excuse to get a Kibler SMR in walnut.

What do y'all think about the Pedersoli [or Dixie] Scout 32?

From the information I’ve obtained, Kibler is the best for the money, especially for a flintlock.

I’m fighting this one with all I have but my “Want Bumps” seems to be winning. Itching badly.

Wife already mean-mugging me and she doesn’t have to say a word.

 

[Gum Slough Muzzleloader]

Yeah I've been looking for an excuse to get a Kibler SMR in walnut.

What do y'all think about the Pedersoli [or Dixie] Scout 32?

I would go with Kibler for flintlock.
Crockett Rifle for percussion.

 

[ETipp]

I was watching a squirrel hunt on YouTube. This guy had an orange hat with a squirrel on it. I liked it (we have to wear orange at all times squirrel hunting) I tried to find it online and couldn’t. But I found this one. I think it would make a good Sunday go to meetin hat. What do you guys think? I showed it to my wife. She just asked if I was getting it. She didn’t seem to impressed View attachment 300019

I like it. I’m ugly but I’d look pretty good with one of those on my head.