Hunting & Fishing Talk to me about squirrels

[texasplinker]

Over this spring and summer I plan to scout out some better squirrel woods. I live in central KY and only really have access to national forest land. Primarily the daniel boon.

What are the types of terrain and areas squirrel trend to prefer? Ridges? Bottoms? Creeks? Near open area?

Thanks for the help!

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[softcock]

I'll talk to you about them . the little furry shits that are all over my backyard and neighborhood, running up and down the phone lines power lines like it there own personal Hwy. system . Burying shit like hazelnuts, walnuts and peanuts all around my yard from all the fucktard neighbors that feed them like pets and then they just keep popping out litter after litter with a never ending food supply . Bastards fought with and bit my Cats foot and it got infected and cost me 260-$ this year .The only pleasure that I get from those nasty rodents is with using my suppressed .22 .
.

 

[texasplinker]

Haha! Tree rats! Take the fight to them!

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[lancetkenyon]

My kids' (14 25, & 28 years old) favorite things to hunt. They are everywhere.

 

[coldboremiracle]

I shoot em when I can, they are great practice.

And they dont taste bad either:

 

[Rthur]

17hmr, great squirrel medicine.
It is an acquired skill to be able to skin those little bastards quickly.
The bane of bow hunters...

R

 

[texasplinker]

Yep! On my last outing I took one with a ~50yd head shot. My hiking buddy thought I was nuts to take the shot. But we enjoyed some tasty fire roasted squirrel legs that night.

What is the ideal habit in the south east?

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[athanasios23]

Best way I have found to find them is to go to one of your favorite hunting spots. Sit and wait. They will show up and annoy the shit out of you. I deal with those little fuckers every fall while archery hunting. I hunt in the NE so thick woods. NY and PA. Gives me a reason to walk around the woods with my .22.

 

[WeiserBucks]

Shoot them in the face , frying pan, enjoy.

 

[Mr. Z]

Avoid the open areas. Stick to the lower sections of hills. Best bet is oak, hickory, chestnut and walnut trees. South facing slope where they produce the most are preferable. Sit and wait while the leaves are mostly on the trees and chase the little bastards when they fall. Also helps when chasing them to hunt with a partner, or a dog, that can get their attention on the opposite side of the tree from you. They scurry around to the side your on and make it real easy to plug em in the back of the noodle. Happy hunting!

 

[Redmanss]

Summer months they tear into the pine cones here in eastern Virginia pretty hard as their main food source, the acorns aren't mature enough and most the ones they buried were dug up or sprouted. I have the spring season here in June, I'll be culling the shit out of them at the house with my Diana 48 .22 air rifle again, 19gr Baracudas drops them hard with little downrange worry.


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[texasplinker]

Air rifles like the Diana are perfect for the backyard. I used a falcon for years. It worked quite well in the field as well.

Mr zick, you may have pointed out one of my errors. I've often worked ridge/hill tops, not the lower sections of hills.

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[Mr. Z]

Air rifles like the Diana are perfect for the backyard. I used a falcon for years. It worked quite well in the field as well.

Mr zick, you may have pointed out one of my errors. I've often worked ridge/hill tops, not the lower sections of hills.

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Just my experience, 25 yrs worth of fried quarters and squirrel with dumplings doesn't lie though. Also note all that time was spent in southern WI where season opens mid September and closes January 1.

 

[K-tech]

I'd look for any decent hardwoods where there's good food source that hasn't been ravaged by predators. I'm also from southern Wisco' so maybe it's a bit different where you're at; they make a nice substitute for rabbit in hassenpfeifer, though their a pain to skin. Also, a case of beer makes it less of a chore

 

[Tucker301]

In the early season (September here in central VA) they'll be in the hickories. Canopy is still intact at that time, but if your hearing is good, you can creep through the hardwoods and hear them cutting in the treetops.
Another good tactic is to hunt after a rain. Every time they move on a small branch they create a small downpour that gives away their location.
Later in Fall, it's the oaks if the mast crop is good. We see good acorn production every other year, and last season was a bumper crop, so I expect way less this year. If that's the case, they'll get what acorns they can find cleaned up pretty quick and then take to the pines.
A good squirrel dog can be a crapload of fun.

 

[Sinocopa]

They are pretty nutty creatures lol

 

[tcole75]

I’ve yet to try squirrel. I live in southwest Oklahoma and on my property I only have a few trees that they stay in. I plan to shoot a few this year to try them. My sons new savage rascal should work perfect for this.

 

[JG26_Irish]

Texas Plinker - are you still looking for squirrel hunting grounds? This is my favorite small game to hunt. 22 or 17 and hit the woods. I live in Morehead beside of the D. Boone Forrest. I know some good spots there near Cave Run. I also have a farm in Southeast KY that is thick with them. They like the ridge tops there as long as the food holds out. Late season they will venter deeper into the valleys. Near Morehead, I see em at all elevations. Even down in the river while I am trying to fly fish. The last two years, the mast was damaged in central KY by late winter frost/ice and the lack of food source forced most of the little squackers to migrate to other areas. They are back now and I have em on my cabin porch raiding the bird feeders. If you are interested, PM me and we can try to organize a hunt or two in the fall. I am older than you and not as energetic as I once was but still like to go. I have access to about 6 decent hunting spots within an hour of home.

Irish

 

[W54/XM-388]

Try your local suburban neighborhood around here and use a nice air rifle.
Our town is totally infested with them, they eat their way into your attics and don't touch traps or bait, then the Norwegian roof rats follow in the nice holes they made. Those buggers have cost be thousands in damages.

My dogs tree at least 3 or 4 each walk, unfortunately the neighbors would freak out if I killed any, so it's a race to see if dog with owner in tow or squirrel makes it to the tree / fence first... unfortunately usually (but not always) the squirrels make it to the trees.

Just sit watching your back yard and a few will before long be jumping on your fences and roofs.

 

[Olen_4504]

they are everywhere I try to deer hunt....

i've never been in a spot in the woods where i didn't see a million squirrels. sit still long enough and they'll be everywhere

 

[300wmSlick]