Winner, winner Squirrel dinner.

[BilletHead]

      Road trip about 20 miles Northwest of home for a little walk up a mixed pecan and oak tree line along a creek. Some places 100 yards wide. Not far from I-49 and with the east wind noise was terrible in the timber. You had to be pretty close to hear a squirrel so most of my time was looking ahead in trees and the canopy above. Grass and other short growing stuff in the timber anything on the ground you were right on top of them before you seen each other. In places it was like whack a mole and all you could see was a head pop up as the worked the forest floor. Squirrels were scattered but where you found one you could bet there was another close to it. fun hunt and it was a cool morning with very little wind. shots were from less than five yards to 40 plus. Constantly cranking up and down the scope power and focus but it went well.  A couple doubles on the ground or within a couple foot of the ground checking out what had just shot its friend. The two longer shots that scored were three chasing up and down in a tree. All head shots and never lost an ounce of meat. Man, I like this air rifle. I quit at eight and even quit looking for more and back to truck. I missed one shot trying to thread one through some junk. Another strange deal all were females. Three of those had big teats. The others looked like last winter/spring born. I did see one tiny fall born one which offered no shot. 

     Had a cooler back at the truck. Dead end road I found a tree that offered some shade. I sat on a bucket, hung my string from tailgate and cleaned and broke them down right there. 

      Into bags and cooler. At home I washed up the sections. Lots of good lean meat here. I literally love chasing and stalking these guys. Eating them too!

[jdmidwest]

Which air rifle was it?

You have wild pecans that far north?  We only have them around here in the bootheel along the Mississippi River.

[BilletHead]

16 minutes ago, jdmidwest said:

Which air rifle was it?

You have wild pecans that far north?  We only have them around here in the bootheel along the Mississippi River.

              The FX Crown in .25 cal. 

  Wild native pecans you bet ya. Vernon County is well known for them. The seedlings you get from the licking nursery are from Vernon County nuts. 

[Johnsfolly]

26 minutes ago, jdmidwest said:

Which air rifle was it?

You have wild pecans that far north?  We only have them around here in the bootheel along the Mississippi River.

I knew of and hunted several stands of wild pecans in conservation areas north of Columbia.

Shagbark hickories are/were my favorite mast trees to find squirrels. Those were usually late Aug or early Sept spots. By now those hickories are usually gone for some time.

[Johnsfolly]

@BilletHead what a great hunt. I miss chasing those guys in the fall. Always loved the smell of the woods this time of year. We have found a minimal number of squirrels in a NWR about 30 mins from us. Maybe not great long term hunting spot but will likely go out at least once or twice for bushytails. Once we have a deer or two down may work on the backyard squirrels.

[Carl1969]

Yum. I haven't eaten tree rat since I was a kid. We've got about an acre & a half of oak & hickory on our place, which butts up to 30+ acres of nice timber (that I have sole right to hunt). Been too busy since moving in to hunt, but would like to bag a couple squirrels. Had a big fox squirrel & several smaller greys running around last year, but we've had a couple big Broad-Winged hawks actively hunting the place & the rare squirrel I see is moving like his tail's on fire & his butt is catching.

As a kid in KS, we usually hunted them with shotguns in late fall & winter & I've got a nice little 20ga break action just for squirrels & such. Might go tramp the woods once the cold sets in & the ticks are gone. I've had a hankerin' to take up handgun hunting & may try zapping some off the back deck with one of several .22s.

[Ketchup]

Nice write up. I speak for wrench and myself when i say it’s nice to see another air gun hunter out there. I’ve got a 25 cal and it stays at the ready by the back door for the dang armadillos tearing up the yard, even after it’s been treated. If they are within 50 yards that gun will flip them. Put a nice Hawke scope on it and a great combo. 

[fishinwrench]

So cool !  👍 

I got permission to hunt a really good woodlot 2 years ago that was loaded with Gray's, and during my first scouting trip I came across some game cameras.   I asked the owner about them and he asked me to investigate them.  Turned out that they belonged to MDC, and only one was looking outside his property up a power line clearing.  The  landowner went ballistic.   I haven't been back since..... but I really want to go.    

[ollie]

Yeah, if you find a pecan tree to hunt around you have pretty much struck gold with the tree rats! I helped a guy put in some HVAC work on a house that had a big pecan tree in the front yard and there were so many running around it I lost count. Didn't see any other ones in the neighbors yards as well. I could have bagged my limit that day in like 15 minutes or less. lol

[Johnsfolly]

51 minutes ago, ollie said:

there were so many running around it I lost count. Didn't see any other ones in the neighbors yards as well. I could have bagged my limit that day in like 15 minutes or less. lol

it would be like being in a shooting gallery or video game😉