As Deer Season Winds Down.... Squirrels Anyone?

[Bud B.]

Post up your squirrel hunts, photos, recipes, and anything else squirrel.

I figured I'd go after squirrels when deer season ends and while scouting the rest of the season when deer seemed to have vanished from the area.

I have often wondered if squirrel hide would make a good shelf material. Prep the hide hair-on and you'd have a thin hide with a short hair layer.

Any thoughts on that?

[xtrema312]

I was after them yesterday while scouting around mid day.  I have passed up many shots on stand this year.  I plan to go out tomorrow with a good supply of arrows and get after them in one spot where I have had nonstop squirrel activity every time I have been there. Now that I am down to just my last doe permit and gun season opens Tuesday I figure it is time to give the deer a break.

[KentuckyTJ]

Shot this guy a few weeks ago. 12 steps from my tree, he never flinched. I enjoy shooting at them. Just another reason to love trad.

 

[Covey]

I have a year old Fox terrier that I need to get going. He will run and tree but not great. I'm gonna focus on getting him started good. Just another excuse to pack the recurve around.

Good hunting, Jason

[hawk22]

I've shot three so far.  I always get to my stands in the afternoon a few hours early just so I can get a crack at some squirrels.
 
 

[Claym]

Only one for me so far.

 

[waiting4fall]

Here's a hunt you should enjoy.

 

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RqagzoZuD1c&feature=related

[Bud B.]

Gonna mix it up with the gun hunters this afternoon with focus on squirrels, but a broadhead or two will be in the quiver just in case.....  

Uwharrie here I come.

[gonzoso]

I've killed many a squirrel with other means in the past.

As far as killing a squirrel with my trad bows, I have yet to succeed.  I wouldn't call it hunting so much as terrorizing them.  But I'm still trying.

I find it is greatly improving my overall accuracy.  I have taken shots at running squirrels and gotten withing fractions of an inch of them but never connected.  But I can now always hit within 3-4 inches max of a squirrel out to thirty yards which bodes well for my big game accuracy.

[2Blade]

Nice shooting fellas. I still havent manned up yet and tried a squirrel. Im worried I wont like it, then I cant just throw it out. If I did shoot them still id have my bag limit I have huge greys that run around my woods and are very pleantful.

[cbCrow]

In the past couple of years I've really have gotten into hunting them. So far this year I've gotten 2 while firing about 16 arrows at the tricky little devils. However its great fun!! I've been using hex heads or bludgeons.

[Bud B.]

I got stalked by a brown nosed grey squirrel this evening. I was sitting up against a tree and heard a bounding right behind me. I turned and we were eye to eye. Not sure who got surprised the most!

He was gone in a flash.

Not sure why his nose was that dark. Strange looking fellow for sure.

[huskyarcher]

Nice tree rat with "Hope"  

[TxAg]

I got my first longbow squirrel this weekend. What fun!

I didn't get a pic though. I was deer hunting, and didn't go grab him when I had the chance....he managed to get up a tree.

[Cyclic-Rivers]

I should really shoot at them! When I am deer hunting though I tend to refrain! Often I get chip shots and have to talk myself out of it  

[GWV]

Great pics people!

[jonsimoneau]

I hunt squirrels after deer season and have a great time doing it.  Here is a tip for guys concerned about losing arrows.  Just buy yourself some parallel wood shafts. (Cheap)  Then I go to ace hardware and buy some blaze orange paint.  Paint those suckers blaze orange, and you will never lose a shaft again.  I don't even bother to seal the shafts.  Keeps the cost down, and they still shoot great.  This way, I don't worry about losing an expensive carbon arrow.  I shoot at them up in trees all the time, and when I miss, I can always find them.  Works great.  I'm also partial to ace hex heads for squirrels, but I have seen that there are a number of good squirrel thumpers being made these days. Hex heads normally bounce off the tree if I miss the tree rat.  Sometimes the shaft breaks, but that is to be expected.  Squirrels are a great game animal that many of us used to hunt when we were younger with rimfire rifles or 410 shotguns.  Hunting them with guns would no longer be fun to me, but they are alot of fun with bows and arrows.  Go get 'em!

[Bowhunter4life]

From a thread I started back in Jun...

Out shooting a bit near the house, ran accross this "Barker" and managed to put a good hit on him.  One blade from the Big Jim 300 grain VPA hit him accross the bridge of the nose at 18 yards.  Few small twitches and it was over.  58" Widow PSA II, 70# @ 30", shooting 31" Gold Tip 75/95's tipped with the a for mentioned Big Jim Big 3.

               
           
           

Jun 12, 2011
 Was out shooting again today and got another one with the Kwyk Styk, 58", 61# @ 30", shooting a 31" Gold Tip 55/75 with a 200 grain Snuffer on the end.  Just over 15 yards and literally within 2 yards from where I shot the one the other day...        
     

Jun 14, 2011
Went out again today... Took the Morrison Shawnee, 62", 64#, shooting 31" Gold Tip 55/75 with 175 grain Judos.  16 - 17 yard shot downhill caught him right between the shoulder blades facing me, exit out the left hip.  Had to step on him to finish him a bit quicker.

Three males in three outings with three different bows and three shots.

     

Jun 16,2001
Went out again today, took my 60" MOAB, 62#, shooting 31" Gold Tip 55/75 with 175 grain Magnus 1 on the end.  And where there are Males, there will be Females...  Missed her with the first shot at about 12 yards and got a second shot on her off the side of a tree while she peeked around it trying to find me, maybe 19 yards.  You can see the damage...

     

28 Jun 2011
Went out today before it rained, took this one with my 56" Kwyk Styk, 62# @ 30", shooting a 31" Gold Tip with a 200 grain Snuffer.  14 yards right through the left shoulder and out the right lung.

     

30 Jun 2011
Took my 60# Morrison Shawnee today, shooting 31" Gold Tip with 175 grain Magnus 1 on the end.  This was about an 8 yard shot, caught him at the back of the lungs on the right side angling forward and pretty much took out everything on the left side.  (This is the cleanest side you are seeing here...).

   

I've only got one more bow in the rack that I haven't used to take a Squirrel this year... Guess what I'll be carrying the next time I head out...            

July 7, 2011
 Well, after a weekend camping and fishing with the family I got a chance to head out again tonight.  Never been out there at this time of the day, didn't see any Squirrels, but did see a few Voles...  I was shooting my 68# MOAB with 31" Gold Tips and 175 grain Judos.  This shot was about 7 yards and I had to hold at full draw for about 15 seconds to pinpoint him in the fading light... I hit him in the head but truthfully was just looking at center mass...  Even so, with the tangle of stuff he was in I had to blood trail him for about 4 feet to find him, luckily I still had a flashlight in my Arrowmaster from the Solana hunt...