Squirel hunting...what tips do you use?

[reddogge]

The bottom three were made from old 4 blade heads and work on squirrels and rabbits. Main thing is they stay in the body. They're all different because they broke differently.

   

[achigan]

Originally posted by ChuckC:
so where is the kill zone on a skwerl ?  Do you aim just above the front leg, waiting for the skwerl to take that step forward to open up his stance ?

             
ChuckC

Hit 'em in the eye, no wasted meat, just wasted skwerl.

[Gordon Jabben]

Mahantango, just curious what went wrong when you shot squirrels with field points.  I know squirrels are tough and you might have to shoot them again to finish them off but field point arrows usually stay in the squirrel and keeps them from getting away. I squirrel hunt a lot and have had good luck with field points.  These squirrels were taken with field points and I rarely have any get away after being hit.  
     

[mahantango]

The first that comes to mind is a squirrel running 20ft. up a tree with an arrow through it's ribcage only to hang up trying to get in it's hole, dying slowly and unretrievable. That was the last time I used a target point for hunting.

[Gordon Jabben]

I've had pretty good luck when they are shot through the ribcage.  Sometimes we have to go ahead and shoot them again and finish them off.  To each his own, I guess.  The thing I don't like about cutting heads, the arrow often goes through the squirrel and unless it is a good hit, the squirrel can get away into a nest or in a hole.  Alright if you're shooting them on the ground I guess.

[Frgvn]

I use a field points with the "Replacement Claws for the Tiger Claw blunts" behind the field points.  3R has them at $1 a piece.  I am using a low poundage bow, so I like the field point to initiate penetration.  The "claws" generally keep the arrow from passing through the squirrel.  I use relatively short 5/16 field points so I generally don't have problems with the arrows sticking in the trees.

[toddster]

years ago, I use to take a .38 casing, slowly use a drift pin and "roll" the rim of the cartridge over, then file it somewhat sharp, worked great.

[Ron LaClair]

I've used just about everything from steel blunts to cut off broadheads on squirrels. They all will work if the squirrel is hit properly. I like the Game Nabber, it's as close to the perfect head for squirrels available IMO. They will penetrate the tough hide and won't stick in the tree. The flares at the back of the head holds the arrow in the squirrel so he can't crawl in a hole to die.

Lancaster Archery carrys them.

 

[ChuckC]

I use a two part system.  I make and use "nutters" (see historical posts).  When I hit a skwerl in the head or chest with a nutter, they come down.  They often come back to life in a few minutes tho, so part two of my system includes a Shrew Hawk, nicely sharpened.  Lay skwerl against tree, remove head, keep hunting.
ChuckC

[STICKBENDER98]

Thanks again guys, have alot of food for thought here.  ChuckC, you just gave me another reason to get a Shrew Hawk...was looking at them this past weekend wondering why I hadn't bought one yet.

[Archie]

The last squirrel I shot, I whacked him with one of those cheap judo copycat heads at 28 paces, with my 48@31 longbow.  The funny thing is, the head did not even break his skin, yet he fell instantly, as dead as a doornail.  Cardiac arrest, I guess.

[ronp]

A hard hitting little long bow and a blunt with a small flat washer behind it works.  It's great fun, by the way.

   

[The Ole' Bowhunter]

I use regular glue-on blunts, judo polnts oe an empty .38 cal. casing glued on to cedar shafts.  They all kill squirrels and cottontail rabbits quickly if hit in the chest area.

[The Ole' Bowhunter]

Nice shooting Ron...what was on the business end of your arrow?
Also, what kind of material was your arrow made from.

[Marshallrobinson]

Went out today with zwickey heads. I don't go for the blunts and such as a mid body shot can mean nothing more than a dead squirrel later on in the day. Old broadheads are my go to.

[Slickhead]

My cousin shot one thru the chest (dead on) with a broadhead.
It chewed on his arrow for a few minutes, flipped him the middle finger ,and then ran to the top of an old oak tree to die.

Never got anything back but a chewed on arrow.

These are fun to chase with stick and string. But you dont want to invest a lot in an arrow you are not willing to lose.
Homemade wooden shafts and homemade heads are often the best to use.
I like the PDP but you can easily make your own variant.

[Marshallrobinson]

Originally posted by Slickhead:
My cousin shot one thru the chest (dead on) with a broadhead.
It chewed on his arrow for a few minutes, flipped him the middle finger ,and then ran to the top of an old oak tree to die.

Never got anything back but a chewed on arrow.

These are fun to chase with stick and string. But you dont want to invest a lot in an arrow you are not willing to lose.
Homemade wooden shafts and homemade heads are often the best to use.
I like the PDP but you can easily make your own variant.

HAHA!. Well that was one mean critter there!
Was it wearing a cape with a big red S on it?.  :D

[ronp]

Originally posted by The Ole' Bowhunter:
Nice shooting Ron...what was on the business end of your arrow?
Also, what kind of material was your arrow made from.

I used a plain old 125 gr blunt tip on a footed 1916 aluminum shaft.  Nothing special, for sure.  I did put a small flat washer between the blunt and the shaft, though.  It was maybe twice the diameter of the shaft.

[Steve H.]

I agree with the Oklahoma boys, hard to beat field points with wood. I make sure and have a big ole' goob of extra hotmelt. I hunted grays pretty hard when I lived in the lower 48.

[tomsm44]

I made my own this spring.  Haven't had a chance to try them yet but they look like they oughta do the trick.  I had these 100 grain 4 blades left over from my compound days.  I'm shooting either 150 or 190 grain points on my recurves now.  I cut part of the main blade off with a fiberglass cuttoff wheel and used empty pistol brass to add weight and also a little extra blunt force trauma.  Got VERY lucky on weight.  A .357 mag case gives me 148 grains total and a .44 mag comes out to 193 grains total.  Below is before and after.

Matt