sure shot
Well-Known Member
good read
Squirrel limit tips.... (long read)
- Thread starter redblood
- Start date
i have tried 3 times to go since i broke my foot and couldnt get into the woods due to pain. but by the grace of god, i finally have full mobility back so sunday morn, i should be able to add another limit.
TheLBLman
Well-Known Member
Great post Redblood.
Not much to add to all this.
But just a little . . . . . .
Fox squirrels have a tendency to not be as active in the early morning as gray squirrels; fox squirrels are more likely to be active during mid-morning than gray squirrels. Unfortunately, seems to be mostly gray squirrels most of my best squirrel woods.
You can see squirrels at all times of day, but I totally agree with Redblood that if you don't have your limit by around 8:30 or 9:00, you probably have about all you're going to get even if you hunt hard on until noon. It's not just an issue of the squirrels becoming less active, but an issue of the wind picking up and other factors making squirrels harder to hear, harder to see, and harder to hit.
A "cutter" in the typical morning early "calm" can be heard from a considerable distance, and easily killed when seen. But put him on a limb blowing in the wind, he's much harder to hit if seen, while you're more likely to never hear or see him. Need to have 6 to 8 squirrels by 8am to have a great chance of a limit by 9am.
Not much to add to all this.
But just a little . . . . . .
Fox squirrels have a tendency to not be as active in the early morning as gray squirrels; fox squirrels are more likely to be active during mid-morning than gray squirrels. Unfortunately, seems to be mostly gray squirrels most of my best squirrel woods.
You can see squirrels at all times of day, but I totally agree with Redblood that if you don't have your limit by around 8:30 or 9:00, you probably have about all you're going to get even if you hunt hard on until noon. It's not just an issue of the squirrels becoming less active, but an issue of the wind picking up and other factors making squirrels harder to hear, harder to see, and harder to hit.
A "cutter" in the typical morning early "calm" can be heard from a considerable distance, and easily killed when seen. But put him on a limb blowing in the wind, he's much harder to hit if seen, while you're more likely to never hear or see him. Need to have 6 to 8 squirrels by 8am to have a great chance of a limit by 9am.
WMAn
Well-Known Member
redblood said:
I once had an ingrown toenail that kept me from hunting the KY juvenile deer hunt, so I feel your pain. Except in my case, it was more my mom than the pain that kept me at home.
I'm up working this morning so that I can go squirrel hunting on Monday morning.
This time last year, the squirrels were really in a grove of beech trees on a north facing river bluff. That's where I'll be headed.
monday looks prime. good luck to ya. sunday looks nice, but i am worried about a bit of north wind behind the front. i would say the conversion from hickories to oaks has begun. i have killed quite a few from beech trees over the yrs. it seems they have a small window of attraction, but that attraction is strong.
WMAn
Well-Known Member
fishboy1 said:
I have never noticed that fox squirrels have an affinity for pines. My experience is that fox squirrels are hit or miss. Certain woodlots have them others do not. I have noticed that along the Duck River fox squirrels really like river bluffs.
WMAn
Well-Known Member
Redblood,
How did you do this morning? The wind appeared to pick up a little bit here at the house around 7:30.
I ended up getting to go yesterday afternoon. I hunted from a kayak on the duck river. The wind made it tough. I managed just one gray squirrel out of the five squirrels I spotted.
I'll be back at it in the morning.
How did you do this morning? The wind appeared to pick up a little bit here at the house around 7:30.
I ended up getting to go yesterday afternoon. I hunted from a kayak on the duck river. The wind made it tough. I managed just one gray squirrel out of the five squirrels I spotted.
I'll be back at it in the morning.
TheLBLman
Well-Known Member
Redblood,redblood said:
Would you mind elaborating more on how you chase those "travelors"?
I've always preferred pursuing the "cutters", but maybe if I can learn better how to get the "travelors" . . . . . . . . .
Seems I do take as many "travelors", but usually while I'm waiting on a "cutter" to show himself, rather than deliberately pursuing a "travelor". Seems while I'm on to a "cutter", some "travelors" travel my way.
Wes Parrish said:Redblood,redblood said:
Would you mind elaborating more on how you chase those "travelors"?
I've always preferred pursuing the "cutters", but maybe if I can learn better how to get the "travelors" . . . . . . . . .
Seems I do take as many "travelors", but usually while I'm waiting on a "cutter" to show himself, rather than deliberately pursuing a "travelor". Seems while I'm on to a "cutter", some "travelors" travel my way.
i try to them off, by trying to locate a good rest tree in their path. if they are moving fast without pausing i let them go
JAD
Well-Known Member
Redblood, have you ever tried using a mono/bipod as a rest? I also like to find a tree to rest the gun on, but sometimes getting to one that provides a clear shot causes me to get busted....and things usually go south from there.
i use mono pods for note calling but have never for squirrels
LA man
Well-Known Member
Great info, thanks for sharing
ROUGH COUNTRY HUNTER
Well-Known Member
great post
I guess Its that time of year again.
JAD
Well-Known Member
Looking forward to it, haven't missed a squirrel opener in many years.
TheLBLman
Well-Known Member
YES IT IS!!!redblood said:
A few very key things you pointed out, and for which I wholeheartedly agree . . . . . .
And it is often just 2 or 3 individual trees from which you take 10 squirrels. You may not actually take all 10 directly from those 2 or 3, but they are often "traveling" to or from those 2 or 3.redblood said:
While I agree with you, I enjoy the actual hunting of "cutters" most. About half my limits are typically "cutters" and half "travelers". Fewer than 1 in 10 will be a "barker". I've learned to just ignore distant barkers, looking only for those barkers that sound within close shooting range of current position. And then, if they stop barking, move on, as you need to cover some ground.redblood said:
My take is that many I would classify as "cutters" become "travelers" soon as I take that first one or two "cutters", which begin "traveling" away from that dangerous hickory tree. I often hunt in a large circle, but making it twice before 9AM. This allows a re-visit to a good hickory visited an hour or two earlier. Take what you can quickly, then move on, but reserve the option to come back to a good tree before 9A (really best before 8A).
The magic harvest time has been best for me between 6:30 am and 8:00 am. I see more then (late August to early September) than the entire rest of the day. Realizing this, this is what can mean the difference between spending too much time trying to see a "cutter" high in a huge hickory vs. simply not spending too much time with any one squirrel. Sometime around 8am to 9am, most squirrels simply become inactive during the early fall season.
I agree.redblood said:
It's a shame so many start out deer hunting only, only to give up hunting because they never really learned so much about basic "hunting" skills which may be more enjoyably acquired by hunting small game such as squirrels. Become a good squirrel hunter and you will more quickly become a better turkey and deer hunter.
TheLBLman
Well-Known Member
I can't think of a better "hunting" opportunity to introduce a young or novice hunter, than a morning squirrel hunt.
IMO, it allows much more opportunity for an inexperienced person to come to enjoy the hunting experience, especially those who may have less patience and more distractions. The morning squirrel hunt is typically only about 2 or 3 hrs total time afield, there is no worry about scent or wind direction, it's more "active" than sitting in a blind or a stand, typically much more shooting and much more "hunting" than just sitting watching a food plot.
IMO, it allows much more opportunity for an inexperienced person to come to enjoy the hunting experience, especially those who may have less patience and more distractions. The morning squirrel hunt is typically only about 2 or 3 hrs total time afield, there is no worry about scent or wind direction, it's more "active" than sitting in a blind or a stand, typically much more shooting and much more "hunting" than just sitting watching a food plot.
TheLBLman
Well-Known Member
I agree.Mud Creek said:
I just think squirrel hunting in particular can be of more value in learning good basic "hunting" skills. But I'm all for starting with a smorgasbord of small-game hunting as being the ticket to developing lifetime hunters.
In Tennessee, squirrel hunting is probably the most-widely available small-game opportunity, and can be participated with relatively little expense. In times past, squirrel hunting was the most popular type of hunting in Tennessee.
