Well, I have been meaning to write up my little excursion from this fall. We have a small farm in ne Texas that is near a large amount of public hunting land that I grew up on. We have recently started an annual squirrel camp with family, so the night before season opened was spent around the campfire laughing, cutting up, and telling tales from our youth.
Opening morning was crisp, about 42 deg and clear. I caught a bit of ribbing when I came out with my TVM fowler, hunting frock, and long hunters flop hat. It was all in good humor. But we each slipped off our own direction. I found a nice draw that was about 400yds from the lake and eased down into a pin oak flat. I slipped up to the base of a 36" dia tree and nestled down into the duff around the base. It was just getting light enough to be see, so I eased out of my hunting bag and made myself comfortable. Watching my breath in the air, listening to the woods come alive.
As the first rays of sunlight were appearing on the tops of the trees, the little tree rats were beginning to become active. I was flabbergasted. It was like an Alfred Hitchcock movie. There were squirrels in the trees, squirrels on the ground, squirrels everywhere. It just so happened that there was a stump about 15 yds from where I was sitting, in front and slightly to the left of me. One of the tasty little buggers jumped up and sat there. OK, I figured it would be a one and done, since my shot would inevitably run off the other 15 squirrels in the area. So I eased the fowler to my shoulder and touched her off. After the report, the woods were silent, for about 30-45 seconds. Apparently none of the little guys had run off, they had just frozen. They went back about their merry little business. Scurrying around, digging, chittering, chasing each other up and down the trees, basically oblivious to me. SO I thought that my reloading would be the death nell for another shot.
Well, I sat at the base of that tree, slowly reloading (using 60gr 3f and equal amount of #5's), keeping my movements very deliberate and methodical, and got her reloaded. About the time I did that, another bushy tail jumped up on the stump. Well this happened 4 more times!! I ended up leaving the woods with 5 nice squirrels. They just kept jumping up on that same stump. Had a great morning, little TVM did wonderful. After shooting the last one, I watched them play for another 30 min or so and they all just faded away. Didn't ever seem to run from me, just left. I dozed off about 10 min, then woke up with a numb back side. I figured I had pretty much a perfect morning so I went and gathered my harvest and headed back home.
I know it is nothing that great in the grand scheme of things, but to me, was pretty much a perfect morning.
Doc
Opening morning was crisp, about 42 deg and clear. I caught a bit of ribbing when I came out with my TVM fowler, hunting frock, and long hunters flop hat. It was all in good humor. But we each slipped off our own direction. I found a nice draw that was about 400yds from the lake and eased down into a pin oak flat. I slipped up to the base of a 36" dia tree and nestled down into the duff around the base. It was just getting light enough to be see, so I eased out of my hunting bag and made myself comfortable. Watching my breath in the air, listening to the woods come alive.
As the first rays of sunlight were appearing on the tops of the trees, the little tree rats were beginning to become active. I was flabbergasted. It was like an Alfred Hitchcock movie. There were squirrels in the trees, squirrels on the ground, squirrels everywhere. It just so happened that there was a stump about 15 yds from where I was sitting, in front and slightly to the left of me. One of the tasty little buggers jumped up and sat there. OK, I figured it would be a one and done, since my shot would inevitably run off the other 15 squirrels in the area. So I eased the fowler to my shoulder and touched her off. After the report, the woods were silent, for about 30-45 seconds. Apparently none of the little guys had run off, they had just frozen. They went back about their merry little business. Scurrying around, digging, chittering, chasing each other up and down the trees, basically oblivious to me. SO I thought that my reloading would be the death nell for another shot.
Well, I sat at the base of that tree, slowly reloading (using 60gr 3f and equal amount of #5's), keeping my movements very deliberate and methodical, and got her reloaded. About the time I did that, another bushy tail jumped up on the stump. Well this happened 4 more times!! I ended up leaving the woods with 5 nice squirrels. They just kept jumping up on that same stump. Had a great morning, little TVM did wonderful. After shooting the last one, I watched them play for another 30 min or so and they all just faded away. Didn't ever seem to run from me, just left. I dozed off about 10 min, then woke up with a numb back side. I figured I had pretty much a perfect morning so I went and gathered my harvest and headed back home.
I know it is nothing that great in the grand scheme of things, but to me, was pretty much a perfect morning.
Doc
