Tennessee's Toughest Limit....

[redblood]

bout that time of year again.

I try to post this every yr. with all my obligations i am a little late this go around. My passion for squirrel hunting has always been strong. From my first 2 squirrels, a pair of fox squirrels, from the same crooked hickory in an island woodlot- i was hooked. However it was an article I read in the early 1990's in my high school library, that truly fueled my addiction. It appeared in the TN Sportsman (i believe) and it was entitled TN'S Toughest Limit. in the article, the author stated that a one hunt limit of 10 squirrels was not only a challenge but it was toughest feat in all of volunteer state hunting. to do it with a rimfire, bordered on impossible. The desire to prove the authors notion false, fueled me to be a better hunter and rig myself with better equipment. I came close many times before reaching my goal on mid september morning, my freshman yr of college. since this time, my love of squirrel hunting has increased each yr. 20+ LIMITS later, i still feel like that kid with an ol marlin 39 carbine. And you can bet that i will be under a hickory tree somewhere. I hope u will too

 

[catman529]

Not sure if ill get a limit ever because I just squirrel hunt to pass the time. But it sure is tough to get more than a few. Most I got was 7 in one trip, I think it was with that old model 60. That gun must need serious cleaning because I tried to sight in the other day and it was all over the place


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[AT Hiker]

I have never hit my limit. When I was still in school I would try everyday after school and was lucky to kill one. It would take me a week to kill enough to eat. One thing is for sure, I shot at plenty of limits with the ol .22!


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[JAD]

Never even been close to a limit with a .22, but for me it's by far the best way to squirrel hunt. Will be out there opening morning............with my .22!

 

[gat51]

I remember that article in Tennessee Sportsman on the squirrel limit. Great article. Hunting magazines always has squirrel hunt stories in them before about 20 years ago. Hardly ever see one now. If you do it's usually about how squirrel are under utilized and more people should hunt them. I saw the September issue of Field and Steam and couldn't find the word "squirrel" in there anywhere. September and no mention of squirrel hunting? That magazine is not what it use to be.

I've searched on the net for that article on the Tennessee Limit but have not been able to find it. Anyone know where it can be found? Tennessee Sportsman should re-run that.

 

[redblood]

I remember that article in Tennessee Sportsman on the squirrel limit. Great article. Hunting magazines always has squirrel hunt stories in them before about 20 years ago. Hardly ever see one now. If you do it's usually about how squirrel are under utilized and more people should hunt them. I saw the September issue of Field and Steam and couldn't find the word "squirrel" in there anywhere. September and no mention of squirrel hunting? That magazine is not what it use to be.

I've searched on the net for that article on the Tennessee Limit but have not been able to find it. Anyone know where it can be found? Tennessee Sportsman should re-run that.

i agree. i did find reference years ago, but not since

 

[KPH]

I remember that article in Tennessee Sportsman on the squirrel limit. Great article. Hunting magazines always has squirrel hunt stories in them before about 20 years ago. Hardly ever see one now. If you do it's usually about how squirrel are under utilized and more people should hunt them. I saw the September issue of Field and Steam and couldn't find the word "squirrel" in there anywhere. September and no mention of squirrel hunting? That magazine is not what it use to be.

I've searched on the net for that article on the Tennessee Limit but have not been able to find it. Anyone know where it can be found? Tennessee Sportsman should re-run that.

people don't know what they are missing

 

[RUGER]

Since I can't get anyone to work on the duck blind I might just go this year myself.

Doubt I have the skill anymore but I just might have to try.

Hardest part for me is actually finding a place to hunt.
Never in my wildest dreams would I think that getting permission to squirrel hunt would be a problem.

Saddest part is, it isn't because anyone hunts there, people have just been ruined by the world we live in and don't trust anyone anymore.

 

[redblood]

ttt

 

[fairchaser]

I love to squirrel hunt. Sneaking through the early morning woods with my Marlin and a pocket full of 22's on a crisp morning watching for any sign of movement in the treetops, gets me Christmas morning excited. I just haven't done it in years because I don't know what I would do with dead squirrels. Once my grandson gets old enough to go, I'm sure I'll be looking forward to going again. I'll definitely be in the woods opening day but to run cameras for deer season. That's our opening day at Ames. Just to be in the woods again is awesome.

 

[Mike Belt]

I grew up squirrel hunting. For this kid, the anticipation of opening morning far outweighed Christmas morning. I basically spent my youth in the woods and fields. As I grew older that cursed deer hunting got into my blood and I abandoned squirrel hunting.

Just at the end of my street and across a field next to the Loosahatchie was some of the best squirrel hunting in Shelby County. I used to head to the barn, round up my horse, and bareback it down to edge of the woods under cover of darkness where I'd tie him off and wait for sunrise. I knew every tree up and down that bottom and when the squirrels would start cutting on them. It was nothing for me to limit out every morning and every afternoon and many times I'd just sit on a log and watch them move because I already had my limit. Unfortunately they cut down trees to run TVA towers next to the river and then a sod farm bought the place and cut down most of the rest.

 

[Ruff Hunter]

I'm not saying that a limit of squirrels is hard to obtain but it's clear the author of the article and the people who put out Tennessee Sportsman have never hunted the King of the Upland Game Birds...... The ruffed grouse

 

[Ruff Hunter]

And I want to assure everyone that I'm not knocking squirrel hunting.

 

[MidTennFisher]

I don't like it enough to hunt the opener unless we get an early blast of cooler weather. I like squirrels, but not enough to hunt them in the heat. I am definitely looking forward to those mid October cool mornings sitting against a tree watching for them. It really is a lot of fun.

 

[redblood]

most early season mornings- late august, early September- temps are usually around 65 or so at sunup. not too bad. I try to have my limit by 730 or so, so the heat aint too bad

 

[FOX FIRE]

Im with MTF, dont care to hunt with sweat dripping off my eye brows, do love me some squirrel hunt'n tho, nothing better to make you feel like a kid again, really look'n forward to fall.

 

[Buzzard Breath]

The start of squirrel season signals the start of hunting season for me. I never manage to kill my limit; mainly because I'm content just killing 2-4 to make for dinner the following night. It's easy for me to stop and hunt on my way home from the office in the evenings. I'm going to stop and run or hike anyways, so why not carry a gun.

I don't mind the heat. It's a casual hunt and I don't normally get too hot, even hunting afternoons (keep in mind, I HATE cold weather). A Thermocell and having my clothes sprayed down with permethrin makes all the difference in the world.



16 days and counting

 

[MidTennFisher]

It's easy for me to stop and hunt on my way home from the office in the evenings. I'm going to stop and run or hike anyways, so why not carry a gun.

16 days and counting

Yea my office is a few miles from JPP land so I'd love to keep the .22 in my Jeep and go squirrel hunt after work on those nice October afternoons while at the same time scouting a good spot to deer hunt. Unfortunately, we're not allowed to have a firearm in our vehicle. I guess the solution is to park across the street!

 

[Mike Belt]

In the early years of my hunting squirrel and dove both opened on Sept 1. I'd squirrel hunt in the morning and dove hunt that same afternoon. As the first day's shoot would end towards sundown I'd always sit there and watch the sunset and was ever so thankful that hunting season was cranking up again. During school days it was always an added bonus if the 1rst was on a Saturday and you got 2 days back to back on the opener.

 

[Dodge Man]

My first time ever killing a limit of squirrels was with a 22lr. I killed a few fox squirrels walking fence rows on my way to a small woodlot. At the corner of the woods was a very large hickory and it was raining cuttings and the whole tree top was shaking, so I picked me a tree near by it and sat down. After a few mins I saw one gray squirrel came into an opening and I dropped him easily. I sat there and in maybe 20 min I finished off my limit from the 1 tree. I killed 8 grays from that one tree and I know for sure 5-6 more left the tree while I was shooting and a few more were left when I collected my limit. I have never seen anything like that many in 1 tree.