Christmas break squirrels

[Johnsfolly]

I'm borrowing a friend's muzzleloader for the alternative deer season, but with several guests at the house and none with alternative weapons I didn't feel right abandoning them to go hunt deer. Instead I took out my daughter's boyfriend, Jeremiah, for small game. We went our Christmas afternoon, him with his 22 LR pistol and me with my 22 magnum rifle. I didn't expect much with the windy conditions. So we hunted a small piece of Nat'l forest land near my house. I got the first opportunity at a squirrel 45 yards from me. It was pretty open between it and myself. So I couldn't move closer. The little round dot that appeared on the trunk high and to the right of the squirrel let me know that I just missed. It took off up the trunk and into it's nest, which in my mind is like base in a game of tag. I went to look for some others. I saw and heard a few others, but no shot before it was too dark. Jeremiah also missed one on the ground with his pistol. He also bumped a big bodied 8-pt.. This is a small patch of timber that I don't routinely hunt. So we planned for another hunt yesterday morning.

With that buck on my mind and the day off on Weds, I took us to a different and larger Nat'l forest property that I had success back in Aug with my daughter (see the giant Chant thread) and again in October during turkey season. This time I had the 12 ga and not my rifle. Just at dawn, I saw three off in some distant trees heading towards Jeremiah. I kept waiting for a shot when one came in front of me on the ground. I don't like shooting them when their full body is exposed to the pellets, but it left me no choice and crumpled at the shot. I could tell that the front legs were pretty bad and one of the rear legs had a broken femur from the pellets. At least I should be able to get some meat from this one. I heard Jeremiah shoot and figured that we had two on the ground. I missed two shooting opportunities with one ducking into a knot hole in an oak and the other making a mad dash up and down through the cedars. Then went and got Jeremiah for a move. He missed one on the ground, but had seen several in the cedars. We headed along that ridge line to where it drops down to the creek bottom. There is a row of cedars along that hillside above the creek. 15 minutes after setting up, I see one about 100 yards down slope to my right and lost sight of it when it got to the ground. I slowly walked down towards that squirrel and got spotted by an unseen squirrel that was downslope and to my left. It started barking, but I could tell that it was pretty far off. I felt better about going after the barker than the one I could no longer see. I eventually caught site of the barker and it was 80+ yards away and I would have to pass through some fairly open timber to get close to it. I started down hill towards it, trying to keep bigger trees between myself and that squirrel. On the way down another started barking near but downslope of Jeremiah. Once I got within 40 yards of the tree that I last saw my target, could not find it anymore. Now I was down at the creek bottom and the woods got quiet. So I started along a heavy deer trail, that was quiet walking towards the last barking squirrel. I finally caught sight and shot it. As I was picking it up, another ran along a tree that crossed the creek and down on the other side. I shot when it was on the ground and missed. Since it was about 9:30 we left with the two that we had. Jeremiah saw four or five, but no shot with the pistol. I told him to bring his 22 rifle or a shotgun the next time.

I must like the kid If I'm even considering a next time.

[Terrierman]

I broke out the .22 and.22 mag yesterday to check the sights.  Both are dead on with the mag shooting just a hair tighter group.  I'm going to the woodlot tomorrow - have a real hankering for fried squirrel, scratch biscuits and gravy and some corn.  Lovey is going to Vegas so I am going to scratch that itch, squirrels willing.

[Johnsfolly]

18 minutes ago, Terrierman said:

I'm going to the woodlot tomorrow

Good luck sir. they have been the only game that I have been successful harvesting so far. Still working on a deer for the freezer. No luck with the MZL. Thinking about rabbits.