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

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ETipp said:
Guys, this post is about some different winter time squirrel hunting tactics I've tried, as well a report on some gear.

Considering winter time squirrel hunting can be quite difficult, for the most part, I've tried a couple of new tricks. Neither one was with a traditional ML, but the tactics are the same. The first one tried last week. Reason being, one newer location where I found some squirrel activity is fairly open but has a lot of thicker saplings and brush. It is darn difficult to get a shot at one of those squirrels as a result. What to do? Well, after pondering on it for a few days, I came up with a plan to take my climber stand in there one morning and climb only as high as I thought I needed to see well enough down into that thicker brushy stuff, then simply wait.

Due to how spooky the squirrels are in there, I knew I needed to be all settled in up in a tree before daylight. I hadn't been in there for a couple of months and then it was just a couple of times. I parked my truck, slung my stand over my back and headed out in the dark. Arrived at about where I thought I had seen some squirrels and den trees, but it wasn't.

After daylight I realized I was uphill too far. Too late to move by then so I stuck it out. I kept looking the best I could behind me and sure enough, there were some squirrels downhill a ways, as well as some den trees. All of the squirrels were out of range. Finally one squirrel was reaching for some buds up in the very top of a tree that was in range. I had to offhand shoot but managed to get the squirrel. One other squirrel walked out of a downed treetop, looked right at me, turned around and went back downhill out of range. That was the extent of my hunt for the day.

Even tough I came in uphill too far (in the black dark) it proved that that tactic works pretty well for thicker grounds during the winter time. It definitely gave me the edge I had been searching for. I could actually see pretty darn well down into the thick stuff even though I was only up maybe 15 feet at most.

The second tactic is, after I came down from the tree in my climber stand, I walked downhill a ways in fairly close proximity of those den trees where some squirrels hang out. There were no good trees to climb, so I decided this would be a good time and place to try out my tree seat. Suitable trees were few and far between so I settled on a small diameter tree that was facing those den trees. Its much more open over there and as spooky as those squirrels are, I knew that I didn't want to be sticking out and easy to see. So, I went to work finding some old down limbs and brush and brushed in part of the area on the side facing the den trees. It is on the side of a very steep hill. On the way out, I placed a couple of trail markers in some trees then went home.

A few days had passed since then and the weather was right this morning. I made sure to leave extra early to find my brushed in spot in the dark. Considering its only about 25 to 30 yards to a couple of those den trees, I placed some black duct tape over my LED then opened just enough of a hole in it to emit enough light for me to see a few feet. I found my brushed in, small tree, secured my tree seat to it, got put my Trigger Sticks in front of me, grabbed my rifle, then set there in the dark for about 35-40 minutes. At barely daylight I saw my first squirrel, but only due to it being skylined. Then, in the den tree about 20 yards southwest of that first den tree I saw two squirrels run up high, but again only by them being skylined.

I sat there for about 15 minutes more until one of the squirrels stopped on a large limb. It took a minute or so for me to move the Trigger Sticks around a little to line up for a shot. Due to being on a steep hillside, event though the Trigger Sticks are made for such, it still required a little work to get things as good as I could, took aim and fired. Down came the squirrel. Cool!

Remaining as still as I could, I noticed at least 5-6 more squirrels running and jumping around in nearby trees. I was in total camo, just like turkey hunting. Even a camo face mask, camo gloves, and my squirrel tool is now total camo as well. Gotta love camo duct tape.

A few minutes later I got a shot at my second squirrel. So, I had two down before 0730 hours. The nearby squirrels knew something was up and when I moved just a little, I got busted. I had a chance at one more squirrel and just about the time I was ready to fire, it jumped up into a den hole. I sat there for another hour and saw only one more squirrel, and it came up from behind. The party was over in that area for the day.

So, the climber stand definitely works this time a year and is a great option. However, I found out that unless a person climbs high, squirrels can still see you up there even when with all camo on. It definitely helps one when hunting this time of year in areas with few trees and lots of brush/saplings.

The tree seat worked out quite well, even though I was on a steep hillside and around a small, uneven tree. The back of the seat (behind the tree) was darn near on the ground, yet my legs were stretched out a bit to keep my feet on the ground. That small tree was, I think, a maple. It had slick bark and the rope was having a difficult time biting into the tree to stay on. So, I got a couple of my small, screw-in hooks that I use for up in a tree stand to hang my backpack on and screwed them in just below the rope on the back side of the tree. That prevented the rope from sliding down. I'm happy with the tree seat. For certain applications, its going to be great. Thank you, Tom for the recommendation.

Next up is, I gotta tell it as it is and fess up. I am now officially a proud cheater. Yep, my cheater sticks made all the difference in the world. Easily adjustable for all kinds of different positions, and I think I used just about every darn one of those this morning due to the steep location and being crammed between my tree and the down tree log that I used as the main part of my brushed in blind. I was as steady as one could expect under that situation. Very happy with my sticks. Thank you Jim K, aka "old wise one".

So there you have it. There's no denying that for late winter squirrel hunting, when those little furry things can see a mile through the woods, as well as being very spooky, it definitely helps a lot to try some other tactics and equipment to help your odds.

Pics on the way. Continued.
Click to expand...
Now that is serious dedication!
 
10 spot said:
310rb, swiss3f at 25grn by weight
Pillow tick .018. This was not a Crockett rifle, T/C Cherokee.
Click to expand...
I skimp with 20g 3F but otherwise identical and have similar accuracy. I started using TotW mink oil for my lube but had good accuracy with 50/50 Dawn and water. I would prefer a .315 ball and .012 patch. I haven't resorted to fabric stores yet.
 
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Ditt44 said:
I skimp with 20g 3F but otherwise identical and have similar accuracy. I started using TotW mink oil for my lube but had good accuracy with 50/50 windex and water. I would prefer a .315 ball and .012 patch. I haven't resorted to fabric stores yet.
Click to expand...
20gr is what I shoot with my Crockett, and mink oil lube with pillow tick. Very similar, BP rifles differ from
One to another, a big guessing game
 
Yep. .315 and .015 was too tight. Mistakenly ordered. 310 balls so with 200 of them had to work it out and the .018 patch is very good. I think I'd be better at .315 + .012 but then I need to become one of those creepy old white guys fondling cotton in the fabric store.....
 
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Ditt44 said:
Yep. .315 and .015 was too tight. Mistakenly ordered. 310 balls so with 200 of them had to work it out and the .018 patch is very good. I think I'd be better at .315 + .012 but then I need to becone one of those creepy old white guys fondling cotton in the fabric store.....
Click to expand...
Yep, but it's A good time though,
All the odd looks you get, put'n
Caliper to pillow tick and utility cloth.
🤣😂😆😂
 
Ditt44 said:
Yep. .315 and .015 was too tight. Mistakenly ordered. 310 balls so with 200 of them had to work it out and the .018 patch is very good. I think I'd be better at .315 + .012 but then I need to becone one of those creepy old white guys fondling cotton in the fabric store.....
Click to expand...
I will say, experience and Kno how I do not have, or very little, I got lucky
That was the first time out with that rifle, I hit the load first time, (rare)
For me any way, that's the way it all
Went down, there's lots of knowledge here. ETipp, SGM, jimK
Snakebite, yellowHammer, and more
They have all helpedme out.
The things I kno, I owe it to those guys.
 
Ditt44 said:
Yep. .315 and .015 was too tight. Mistakenly ordered. 310 balls so with 200 of them had to work it out and the .018 patch is very good. I think I'd be better at .315 + .012 but then I need to becone one of those creepy old white guys fondling cotton in the fabric store.....
Click to expand...
As long as it ain't drawers on a mannequin, nobody'd probably even notice Ditt 🤣
 
Ditt44 said:
I skimp with 20g 3F but otherwise identical and have similar accuracy. I started using TotW mink oil for my lube but had good accuracy with 50/50 windex and water. I would prefer a .315 ball and .012 patch. I haven't resorted to fabric stores yet.
Click to expand...
Ditt, without doubt the most accurate patch lube is conducive. However, speaking for myself only, I would be very cautious of using that much water in any hunting load. I would think that as long as it would definitely be shot that day, that it would be okay. I certainly wouldn’t want to keep it in the rifle overnight or longer.

I can definitely understand how that lube mixture would reduce fouling.
 
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Ditt44 said:
Yep. .315 and .015 was too tight. Mistakenly ordered. 310 balls so with 200 of them had to work it out and the .018 patch is very good. I think I'd be better at .315 + .012 but then I need to becone one of those creepy old white guys fondling cotton in the fabric store.....
Click to expand...
Funny. FWIW, I've found the "geezer in distress" approach to be very helpful. I go into the store with Vernier in hand and ask for pillow ticking or something similar. The women that work in these places always drop what ever they are doing to give me a guided tour of their suitable inventory. So far I've found great deals on Indian made 0.018 and 0.020 pillow ticking at both Walmart and Joanne Fabrik. I've got about 8000 patchs worth of yardage now and need to stop. :)
 
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