Keith Lusher 02.21.25
In terms of searching squirrels, each season within the woods appears to show me a brand new lesson. After thirty years of chasing bushytails, I’ve discovered that success comes right down to adjusting your ways because the pages activate the calendar. These early days of stumbling across the Pearl River woods in Southeast LA have taught me extra about what to not do than what to do. However these arduous classes caught. Now I’m passing alongside what works when it really works and why it really works – stripped right down to the necessities that can make it easier to put extra squirrels in your bag.
Searching Squirrels – Selecting Your Gun
The controversy between the shotgun and .22 for squirrel searching actually comes right down to timing. Every has its place within the woods, and figuring out when to make use of which one will fill your recreation bag quicker.
In early fall, a .22 is your finest wager. When the leaves are nonetheless thick and squirrels are staying excessive within the timber to chop nuts, you want the accuracy and vary of a rimfire. A .22 provides you the attain and accuracy for those who’ve mastered the artwork of maintaining invisible within the treetops. Any high quality .22 that may constantly put rounds in a golf ball-sized goal at 50 yards will do the job. The bonus is that rimfires are quieter than shotguns, so that you gained’t clear the woods along with your first shot. Head pictures with a .22 additionally imply clear meat with none pellets to pick later.
Come winter, particularly in February, swap to your shotgun. When the timber are naked and squirrels are spending extra time on the bottom searching for fallen nuts, you want one thing that may deal with transferring targets. A 20-gauge with #5 or #6 shot will get the job achieved out to about 40 yards. Skip the .410 – it’s simply too gentle to be dependable. Keep on with a modified or full choke to maintain your sample tight sufficient at typical winter searching ranges.
Some hunters clear up this drawback by carrying each. A combo gun just like the Savage Mannequin 24 with a .22 on prime and 20-gauge on backside covers all of your bases. It’s not essential, however it’s efficient for those who don’t thoughts the additional weight
Your strategy to transferring via the woods wants to vary with the seasons. Early season requires a special recreation plan than late winter searching, and figuring out the distinction will put extra squirrels in your recreation bag.
Searching Squirrels – Nonetheless Searching vs Stalking
In fall, you’ve bought choices. You may still-hunt or stalk, however both means, it is advisable use these leaves to your benefit. When still-hunting, choose a spot close to some nut-dropping timber and plant your self there for at the very least 30-45 minutes. A easy cushion beats a chair – it’s simpler to scan the cover once you’re low to the bottom. If nothing exhibits after 45 minutes, slide over about 100 yards and arrange once more.
Stalking in fall means taking it sluggish. Actual sluggish. Each 10 steps, cease and scan. Use these binoculars as an alternative of your scope – it saves arm energy and retains your motion minimal. A dry creek mattress or recreation path provides you the silent strategy you want. The secret is expecting tail motion within the leaves and listening for slicing sounds. These quarters in your pocket could make an ideal nut-cutting sound that’ll typically get a response.
Winter searching is a special ball recreation. The leaves are down, and people bushytails can spot you from 100 yards out. This isn’t the time for transferring round – it’s ambush season. Discover areas with heavy monitor exercise within the snow, or if there’s no snow, take a stroll the day earlier than your hunt to identify the place they’re working. Then get again there early the following morning and arrange.
Assume mini-ambush spots. Decide a central location the place you’ve seen exercise and stick there for an hour or extra. These late-season squirrels are the sensible ones – they’ve survived this lengthy for a motive. Don’t chase after the primary one you see. Allow them to come to you. When you’re affected person, you would possibly get an opportunity at a number of squirrels working the world. When that occurs, take the farthest one first – the nearer one will typically freeze after the shot, supplying you with a clear follow-up
Searching Squirrels – The place to Discover Them
Discovering squirrels comes right down to discovering their meals, however that meals supply modifications with the season. Get this half proper, and also you’re midway to filling your restrict.
In early fall, hickory timber are your gold mine. Shagbark, shellbark, pignut – doesn’t matter which sort, squirrels hit all of them arduous. Scout the bottom underneath these timber for recent cuttings. When you discover piles of shredded nut hulls, you’ve discovered your spot. Beech timber are your subsequent finest wager, however squirrels get choosy right here – they’ll hammer one tree and utterly ignore one other fifty yards away. Test for empty hulls underneath every tree earlier than committing your time.
Don’t overlook the small stuff in fall both. Dogwood berries, wild grapes, and even subject corn can draw squirrels after they’re obtainable. And timing issues – gray squirrels get transferring at first gentle, whereas fox squirrels sleep in till good daylight. No have to freeze at the hours of darkness for these crimson ones.
Winter modifications all the things. By now, most prime nuts are gone and these survivors get inventive with meals sources. That is when it is advisable suppose like a deer hunter. First, sleep in – squirrels don’t transfer early within the chilly. Get on the market round 9 a.m. when the solar’s had an opportunity to heat issues up.
Search for den timber and massive leaf nests – that is dwelling base for winter squirrels. However don’t spend all of your time wanting up. These bushytails are floor feeders now, digging via snow and leaves for buried nuts or raiding their very own meals caches. Area edges change into prime spots, particularly if there’s a cornfield close by. Test 50-100 yards into the woods from agricultural fields – you’ll typically discover corn cobs dragged again into the timber. That’s a lifeless giveaway you’re in the appropriate spot
Searching Squirrels – Greatest Instances to Hunt
Timing your hunt proper can imply the distinction between success and freezing your tail off for nothing. Fall and winter require completely different schedules, and figuring out when to be within the woods issues as a lot as figuring out the place to look.
Fall searching is easy – get out early. First gentle is prime time, particularly for gray squirrels. They’re up and slicing as quickly as there’s sufficient gentle to see, typically earlier than you can also make out your entrance sight. Fox squirrels are completely different – no have to rush for them. They’ll begin transferring as soon as the solar’s nicely up, they usually’ll maintain at it via mid-morning.
Winter searching flips the script utterly. Go away that alarm clock set for later – squirrels don’t transfer early within the chilly months. The candy spot is between 9 AM and midday, and solely on sunny days when the temperature will get above freezing. If it’s bitter chilly or the wind’s howling, keep dwelling. These bushytails are holed up tight, and also you’re simply burning daylight.
The very best winter days are when the solar’s been up lengthy sufficient to heat these hardwood ridges. That’s when squirrels come right down to dig up their cached nuts. They’ll maintain working so long as the climate holds, supplying you with loads of time for clear pictures. When you’re seeing squirrels on one ridge, keep it up for at the very least half-hour. They typically work in cycles, and persistence often pays off.
Searching Squirrels – Last Ideas
From these first hunts years in the past to now, each journey to the woods has taught me one thing new. The ideas I’ve shared right here will put you on extra squirrels, however there’s no substitute for boots-on-the-ground expertise. The extra seasons you spend searching squirrels within the timber, the extra these rodents will present you about their habits. Fact is, squirrels are nonetheless instructing me new tips – and that’s what retains me coming again season after season.
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