How to shoot squirrels??
A lot of folks on this board talk about shooting squirrels in trees with various rifles. How can you do that safely??
God Bless America and...
NEVER Forget WACO
NEVER, EVER Forget 911
God Bless America and...
NEVER Forget WACO
NEVER, EVER Forget 911
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The best part of the squirrel is the jowls, and you don't want to ruin them with a bullet, or the rest of the sqirrel for that matter. So you shoot the bark off of the tree right underneath of him and he is stunned and falls to the ground where you go and pick him up. Seriously, though, it is not safe to shoot into the trees, and I personally can't get my conscience past that part. 0 -
The safety question must factor in where you are hunting at, density of population, remoteness, etc. I shot a lot of them when I was a kid with a Stevens 15A single shot .22 rifle, but we owned 160 acres in the middle of a national forest with the nearest neighbor 1 mi. away in one direction, and the next one 4 miles away in the other direction. However, what's wrong with using a shotgun in less remote areas? 0 -
I agree, gotta consider where you are....shotguns solve the problem, but waste more meat and require you to sneak in closer...use your judgement...
shoey0 -
I stopped using a 22 for just that reason. I now carry an old, beat up single shot .410. It's not near as sporting, but I need not worry about where the buulets will land.
TD0 -
Old Jen used to grin 'em down but the years haven't been kind to her and she now busts them up too bad. I have reverted to a 12 ga shotgun with #6 HiBrass.
timbroman@aol.com0 -
I use a .22lr/.410... I use the .410 when facing the highway ('bout a half mile away), and the .22lr for lower shots where there is more woods for the bullet to strike.
As others have stated, it depends on where your at and what's around ya. It's not impossible to get them down to you either. Another alternative is to climb up the tree with a climbing deer stand and then you'll shoot more towards the ground more often.
Good luck...0 -
We have tons of walnut and almond trees around here as well as thousands of squirrels. The ranchers don't like having their trees shot up and there are residences scattered around the orchards. I've found using pellet rifles like the FWB's, Beemans, etc. to be the ticket. They are accurate, relatively quiet, and deadly on squirrels and rabbits. 0 -
I use a 45 cal long rifle flinter to bark squirrels myself but I have 2 farms that are reletively very rural and one has a 6000+ acre WMA across the road. rsnyder55 has the right idea if you are hunting them in a metro area and are worried about safety and noise. Many air rifles cost as much or more than some expensive firearms and they do a great job on squirrels, rabbits, or other small game.
God protect me from my friends, I can take care of my enemies...0 -
I am so glad that I live in a rural setting!!!!! GHD PS: I have for years, and still do use "shorts" for squirrels!!! And don't really have to worry about where it's going to land! Somewhere nearing 100% land in a squirrels head!!!! 0 -
Personally, I use a Win. 62 most of the time, .22 LR with CCI Mini-Mags. Also, personally, I'm usually in the middle of several hundred acres of woods with about 4 miles to the nearest town. But I wouldn't hesitate to use it if I were a quarter mile from the nearest dwelling. As long as I have a canopy behind my shot, the bullet will be dust before it lands. Common sense has to prevail.
When I hunt public land I generally use a Stoeger SxS .410.
D'oh! That's 10 posts, Kirk's going to lock it up!!!0 -
Safety requires that shooters consider the bullet's trajectory and likely point of impact; it is one of the commandments of firearms safety. Any time you are hunting you have to use good judgment.
I am with bambihunter in using Stevens Model 24s to hunt squirrel. As a boy I dispatched many for the pot with my old Winchester boy's rifle. I have also used .22 handguns. I often use .22 shorts, safer and less noise is a plus. Makes a real difference with handguns.
Recently I also have used a little call. It is a whistle that can be used to simulate a baby squirrel in distress. It does get them moving and barking, making them much easier to spot. As bambihunter says, getting them on the ground makes for safer shots. If I am still enough I can bring them quite close. I only tried it because I picked up the call at a gun show for a buck, but now I am on the scout for squirrel calls.
redcedars0 -
when useing calls a small squeak toy works good for calling squirrels.
Growing up in the "Show Me" state I took many a squirrel useing a .410 shotgun and #4 or #5 shot.
We did use 22 cal rifles also but we were living in the Ozarks, dense woods, lots of hills and valleys, few homes gennerally a mile or more apart.
If you ain't got a sense of humor you got no business bein here!0 -
Like Warcob, I grew up in the show-me, and hunted in the central part of the state. I used a .22 on farms in hilly country where there were no worries about the bullet hitting anything but the squirrel, a tree or the ground. It would be different there now, and I would likely use my 28 gauge. I miss squirrel hunting a lot. saw a lot of wildlife, ate a lot of black and goose berries, and likely got a nap or two. I was taught to shoot them only in the eye to not waste meat.
My heros have always killed cowboys.0 -
I am with GHD, I use shorts or CB's whenever practical. The rifle holds 22 rounds, don't have to reload to shoot all day and the report is so mild, especially with the CB's that if you miss, you can get an extra shot if needed. I try to keep the range under 25 yards with the shorts and 15 or so with the CB's otherwise it is like shooting a 45-70 at 1000 yards.
My border collie is smarter than your honor student.0 -
I generally use a Ruger MKII 5.5" bull barrel for tree rat hunting. The area I hunt is remote with the nearest house over 1.5 miles away. I Hunt in an area that is shaped like a bowl and have a tendency to stay up near the rim of the area and often end up shoot down or across. In other areas, I use a .410.
Guns only have two enemies: Rust and Liberals....0
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