Squirrel Season
- Thread starter Richmond B. Funkenhouser
- Start date
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I pretty much only hunt what I’ll eat, except coyotes. Coyotes get shot and hung on fences to sow others coyotes they aren’t welcome.
Pistol, rifle, shotgun, 11yds, 1100yds…
I’ve been that way ever since an AZ G&F described coyotes eating fawns as their mama doe was birthing them.
Pistol, rifle, shotgun, 11yds, 1100yds…
I’ve been that way ever since an AZ G&F described coyotes eating fawns as their mama doe was birthing them.
I was just thinking that out here in the Pacific NW, I see lots of squirrels in the cities but never in the hills!
In fact, I think I know the exact squirrel who chewed through my ignition wire while I was parked on the driveway.
Oh and this is a jar. Full of squirrel testicles.
They're better than olives! Just kidding .. I have a workshop in the garage, with surgical tools. After I take the hides I do detailed anatomical studies and keep specimens in formaldehyde, working late into the night. I have lots of interesting specimens in vials and jars.
I spent many fall days hunting squirrels. It was a great time to harvest a few and also scout the area for signs of deer. Fried squirrel is oretty tasty! The funny thing was after spending hours hunting them and finding them quite elusive at times, I'd see hundreds of them in my treestand while archery hunting. And many a squirrel scampering through the undergrowth had me convinced a big buck was coming my way!
I've dissected lab mice and rats and studied them under the microscope at work for twenty years. I don't see this any differently, but I understand why some might.Sick !!!
In his classic book "The Old Man and the Boy" author Robert Ruark had this to say, in part, about squirrel-hunting:
"Jackie done treed hisself a squirrel," Pete said. 'Advantage of a dog like Jackie is that when the squirrels all come down to the ground to feed, ol' Jackie rousts 'em up and makes 'em head for the trees. Then he makes so much noise he keeps the squirrel interested while we go up and wallop away at him. Takes two men to hunt squirrels this way. Jackie barks. I go around to the other side of the tree. Squirrel sees me and moves. That's when you shoot him, when he slides around on your side. Gimme your gun.'
"Why?' I asked. 'What'll I use to shoot the ---'
"Mine,' Pete answered. 'You ain't going to stand there and tell me you're gonna use a shotgun on a squirrel? Anybody can hit a pore little squirrel with a shotgun. Besides, shotgun shells cost a nickel apiece.'
"I noticed Pete's gun for the first time. He had left his pump gun in camp and had a little bolt-action .22. He took my shotgun from me and handed me the .22 and a handful of cartridges.'
"'Nother thing you ought to know,' Pete said as we walked up to the tree, a big blue gum under which Jackie seemed to be going mad, 'is that when you're hunting for the pot you don't belong to make much more noise with guns than is necessary. You go booming off a shotgun, blim-blam, and you spook ever'thing in the neighborhood. A .22 don't make no more noise than a stick crackin', and agin the wind you can't hear it more'n a hundred yards or thereabouts. Best meat gun in the world, a straight-shootin' .22, because it don't make no noise and don't spoil the meat. Look up yonder, on the fourth fork. There's your dinner. A big ol' fox squirrel, near-about black all over.'
"The squirrel was pasted to the side of the tree. Pete walked around, and the squirrel moved with him. When Pete was on the other side, making quite a lot of noise, the squirrel shifted back around to my side. He was peeping at Pete, but his shoulders and back and hind legs were on my side. I raised the little .22 and plugged him between the shoulders. He came down like a sack of rocks. Jackie made a dash for him, grabbed him by the back, shook him once and broke his spine, and sort of spit him out on the ground. The squirrel was dang near as big as Jackie.'
"Pete and I hunted squirrels for an hour or so, and altogether we shot ten. Pete said that was enough for five people for a couple of meals, and there wasn't no sense to shootin' if the meat had to spoil. 'We'll have us some venison by tomorrow, anyways,' he said. 'One of us is bound to git one. You shot real nice with that little bitty gun,' he said. 'She'll go where you hold her, won't she?'
"I felt pretty good when we went into camp and the Old Man, Mister Howard, and Tom looked up inquiringly. Pete and I started dragging fox squirrels out of hunting coats, and the ten of them made quite a sizable pile.'
"Who shot the squirrels?' the Old Man asked genially, "The dog?'
"Sure,' Pete grinned. 'Dog's so good we've taught him to shoot, too. We jest set down on a log, give Jackie the gun, and sent him off into the branch on his lonesome. We're planning to teach him how to skin 'em and cook 'em right after lunch. This is the best dog I ever see. Got more sense than people.'
"Got more sense than some people,' the Old Man grunted. 'Come and get it, boy, and after lunch you and Jackie can skin the squirrels."
"Jackie done treed hisself a squirrel," Pete said. 'Advantage of a dog like Jackie is that when the squirrels all come down to the ground to feed, ol' Jackie rousts 'em up and makes 'em head for the trees. Then he makes so much noise he keeps the squirrel interested while we go up and wallop away at him. Takes two men to hunt squirrels this way. Jackie barks. I go around to the other side of the tree. Squirrel sees me and moves. That's when you shoot him, when he slides around on your side. Gimme your gun.'
"Why?' I asked. 'What'll I use to shoot the ---'
"Mine,' Pete answered. 'You ain't going to stand there and tell me you're gonna use a shotgun on a squirrel? Anybody can hit a pore little squirrel with a shotgun. Besides, shotgun shells cost a nickel apiece.'
"I noticed Pete's gun for the first time. He had left his pump gun in camp and had a little bolt-action .22. He took my shotgun from me and handed me the .22 and a handful of cartridges.'
"'Nother thing you ought to know,' Pete said as we walked up to the tree, a big blue gum under which Jackie seemed to be going mad, 'is that when you're hunting for the pot you don't belong to make much more noise with guns than is necessary. You go booming off a shotgun, blim-blam, and you spook ever'thing in the neighborhood. A .22 don't make no more noise than a stick crackin', and agin the wind you can't hear it more'n a hundred yards or thereabouts. Best meat gun in the world, a straight-shootin' .22, because it don't make no noise and don't spoil the meat. Look up yonder, on the fourth fork. There's your dinner. A big ol' fox squirrel, near-about black all over.'
"The squirrel was pasted to the side of the tree. Pete walked around, and the squirrel moved with him. When Pete was on the other side, making quite a lot of noise, the squirrel shifted back around to my side. He was peeping at Pete, but his shoulders and back and hind legs were on my side. I raised the little .22 and plugged him between the shoulders. He came down like a sack of rocks. Jackie made a dash for him, grabbed him by the back, shook him once and broke his spine, and sort of spit him out on the ground. The squirrel was dang near as big as Jackie.'
"Pete and I hunted squirrels for an hour or so, and altogether we shot ten. Pete said that was enough for five people for a couple of meals, and there wasn't no sense to shootin' if the meat had to spoil. 'We'll have us some venison by tomorrow, anyways,' he said. 'One of us is bound to git one. You shot real nice with that little bitty gun,' he said. 'She'll go where you hold her, won't she?'
"I felt pretty good when we went into camp and the Old Man, Mister Howard, and Tom looked up inquiringly. Pete and I started dragging fox squirrels out of hunting coats, and the ten of them made quite a sizable pile.'
"Who shot the squirrels?' the Old Man asked genially, "The dog?'
"Sure,' Pete grinned. 'Dog's so good we've taught him to shoot, too. We jest set down on a log, give Jackie the gun, and sent him off into the branch on his lonesome. We're planning to teach him how to skin 'em and cook 'em right after lunch. This is the best dog I ever see. Got more sense than people.'
"Got more sense than some people,' the Old Man grunted. 'Come and get it, boy, and after lunch you and Jackie can skin the squirrels."
I rarely squirrel hunt anymore but we did a lot of it when I was a kid. Growing up we ate a lot of deer, squirrels and rabbits. We still eat a ton of deer at my house. I honestly think squirrel hunting is about the most fun thing to do out in the woods. My daughter has been asking for a couple of weeks to go squirrel hunting so we’re gonna be going real soon. I told her we’d wait till October.
I also enjoy collecting mushrooms, snakes, spiders and insects. The woods have so much to offer.
Look who greeted me on my way to work this morning!
Look who greeted me on my way to work this morning!
Shot a couple this morning, I've got em resting in the fridge now.
I was going to save the testicles for @greeneyes, but these two didn't have any.
I was going to save the testicles for @greeneyes, but these two didn't have any.
The ones that don't have testicles usually have ovaries.
I'll spare everyone the photos but suffice it to say I have fetal embryos at various stages of development in vials as well.
I agree. You can see how their behaviors around people change in places where you're allowed to hunt them. Neighborhood squirrels are used to people and getting food off of them. Have to agree it's not as easy as people think it is.
I used to squirrel hunt a lot. Haven't gone back out ever since my illness from 7-8 years ago. Not sure why not.