Question about squirrel hunting????

[flintknapper]

A friend of mine called today to remind me that the East Texas squirrel season opens up about a month from now.

He said he knows a place that has a lot of “cat squirrels” (grays).




He told me they can be difficult to spot in the springtime with all the foliage…and he wanted to know if I knew anyone with a “dog”.

I told him: “I have a dog…..but he’s a bird dog…so I don’t know if that will help”.




What do you guys think, should I take him along?

[Cuerno Largo]

LOL

To keep some tech here, whatcha using to shoot dem cat squirrels? .22?

[flintknapper]

Originally Posted by Cuerno Largo

LOL

To keep some tech here, whatcha using to shoot dem cat squirrels? .22?

12 ga. and number 6 shot.

They are usually moving "90 to nothing" through the trees....and most often will be 60 feet up or more.

Fox squirrels...make a much larger target and are almost lethargic compared to the grays/cats.

We have both here in about equal numbers.

[wob]

Originally Posted by flintknapper

12 ga. and number 6 shot.

They are usually moving "90 to nothing" through the trees....and most often will be 60 feet up or more.

Fox squirrels...make a much larger target and are almost lethargic compared to the grays/cats.

We have both here in about equal numbers.

ahh, yes. Ol' sciurus niger niger

pretty cool critters....

[Cattledog]

Try using a .22 air rifle. Way fun, get two for a good lunch on the barbeque.

[highlandcruzer]

Originally Posted by wob

ahh, yes. Ol' sciurus niger niger

pretty cool critters....

Racist. Do they taste like fried chicken too?

[Lavarock64]

IMHO the best way to hunt squirrels is to sit in the middle of a concentrated food source on a calm day. Take a seat and wait. In 20 minutes or so they will start coming out. When they do, take your .22 and shoot ONCE. Leave the squirrel there and wait. If the squirrels don't see any activity, they will soon be back out. Repeat until you have a bunch.

[Landpimp]

anyone ever "bark" a squirrel? where ya dont shoot it, you shoot just below or by it and the bark of the tree knocks em out?

never done it but heard of it

I feed em now as they make me laugh

[Gundy]

I'd bet if you give the dog the idea of what you are hunting....say let him
scent/see the first retrieved critter....he could save you some rummaging
through the brush on the next ones.
Even if he doesn't retrieve 'em I bet he loves time in the woods.
Then again, the next time he goes bird hunting he could get confused.

[Fly Rod]

I preffer to catch them with a fly rod. That way I can keep em fresh till I eat them. Just throw a small mousecatear fly with some pnut butter on the tail. Make sure you tie the fly with a dropper hook near the tail. Works every time.

Be carefull with the big toms. They will rip you a new one if you try to remove the fly. Better to clip it off and remove when they are subdued.

[flintknapper]

Speaking of Squirrels, I went down to my shop this morning and a Baby Fox Squirrel comes wandering out from the bushes and starts following me....making this pitiful guttural barking sound.

We had a terrible storm here last Friday...and no doubt he was blown out of his nest. There is no sign of any nest left in the tree, no sign of an adult squirrel anywhere around, and no siblings (that I could find) around the Oak Tree behind my shop.

The Squirrel is about 4-5 weeks old (I'm guessing). He was cold and hungry so I took him up the to the house, washed him with flea soap in warm water, got the hair dryer...and fluffed him up (didn't like that).

Mixed some milk, salt and sugar together and found an eye dropper. Little bugger was definitely hungry. Fed him again a little while ago, and he's sleeping now. I'll get some real formula tomorrow.

Got him in a box with a heating pad in the bottom and an old shirt for him to get under.

He's a melanistic (black) phase Fox Squirrel, kinda cool. He's not black yet...just charcoal colored...but most will turn jet black later.

I'll get some pics of him tomorrow. Mrs. Flintknapper is having a fit over this, she "doesn't want that rat in the house".

But its pretty much just too damn bad, cause I'm not going to let the Squirrel die out there until it can at least fend for itself.

Gotta think of a name for him though (something that rhymes with Squirrel).

[highlandcruzer]

Earl.

[as in Scruggs]


"Pearl, Pearl, Pearl,....Don't give your love to Earl, He's as nutty as a squirel"........[Flatt and Scruggs]

[flintknapper]

Originally Posted by highlandcruzer

Earl.

[as in Scruggs]


"Pearl, Pearl, Pearl,....Don't give your love to Earl, He's as nutty as a squirel"........[Flatt and Scruggs]

Yeah "Earl" is good. I guess "Merle" would work too.

What else?

[highlandcruzer]

Is it a boy or a guirrel ?

[highlandcruzer]

Daryl. [Pronounced "Derl" south of the Mason-Dixon.]


Edit: Mods, we are "hunting" for names.

[flintknapper]

Originally Posted by highlandcruzer

Is it a boy or a guirrel ?

Hah.....clever.


It's a male.

[flintknapper]

As promised:

Here is “Earle”.

He is doing much better today...after a few good meals and a full nights sleep curled up on a heating pad.

Sorry for the blurry pic. I had to hurry and snap the photo because he does not stay still for very long.

[highlandcruzer]

That's cool Flint.

I've "rescued" and raised three grey squirrels, on separate occasions, that had fallen out of the nests. [and a couple birds]

The hardest part is keeping on a regular feeding schedule. It can become a big responsibility, much like a baby. They can turn for the worse quickly, if not fed properly, or often enough.

[Fly Rod]

Better erase this thread. PETA is going to get all over your ass for making a pet out of a wild animal. Cute little thing. Are you going to release it in a state park so it won't get shot?

BTW, I can't remember the name of the actress who is the spokes person for PETA. She has a big ranch on the Rogue river I row past every day of the season. She has pet llama's. Isn't that hypocritical? I guess she probably thinks they are free range so that is ok.

[lunyou]

I have had three pet squirels.........the first one was saved by my FIL b/c they had to cut his tree down as it was in a power line.......the next two were siblings but something was wrong with them and they died.

lunyou

[alex e]

I raised three. Keep a heating pad under his nest box with towels inside he can burrow under. You have to feed them every 2-3 hours and make sure you stimulate their privates so they will do number 1 or 2. Otherwise they poison themselves. Take a cotton ball dipped in warm water and wipe his privates with it to simulate Mom Squirrel doing her thing. He will most likely proceed to mess on your hand. This is a good thing. Also I dusted mine with kitten flea powder and changed nesting towels ever couple of hours until the fleas no longer were visible on the towels. Towels went into the dryer at max heat to kill fleas that clung to them. we fed them baby kitten formula from a bottle and they made little barking noises while gobbling it all up. It was sometimes a challenge to tell them apart.

If he makes it, he will never leave you alone. It will be funny when he stands at the window wanting to come inside.......mine went to an animal reintroduction farm and were released once big enough.

[flintknapper]

Originally Posted by alex e

I raised three. Keep a heating pad under his nest box with towels inside he can burrow under. You have to feed them every 2-3 hours and make sure you stimulate their privates so they will do number 1 or 2. Otherwise they poison themselves. Take a cotton ball dipped in warm water and wipe his privates with it to simulate Mom Squirrel doing her thing. He will most likely proceed to mess on your hand. This is a good thing. Also I dusted mine with kitten flea powder and changed nesting towels ever couple of hours until the fleas no longer were visible on the towels. Towels went into the dryer at max heat to kill fleas that clung to them.

If he makes it, he will never leave you alone. It will be funny when he stands at the window wanting to come inside.......mine went to an animal reintroduction farm and were released once big enough.

Yeah, tell me about it. His last feeding was about 1:00 am this morning then again at about 5:00 when I got up.

Went to town and got some Esbilac, a feeding bottle, some wood chips, some pet pads, some seed/fruit sticks. So $40.00 later I get back home...and feed him again. He eats way too fast..so I have to try and regulate that.

Fortunately, he is old enough to have figured out "relieving himself" usually on my shirt after his daily bath.

He likes to sleep a lot. Right after feeding...he'll head for his heating pad (under an old shirt)...and won't appear again for a couple of hours.

Wants to climb a little and explore for awhile before he starts "muzzling" indicating he wants to be fed.

I lost him inside the recliner this morning for about 5 minutes. He had crawled down beside my leg and the seat cushion....and first you know....HE'S GONE!

I reach down under the cushion only to find that the fabric is torn beneath it..and Earle has gone up inside the chair. Well Crap!

I reach up under there as far as my fat arm will let me, but no Earle. I can hear him clawing around in there and kinda (clucking), but I can't get to him. About the time I think I'm going to have to cut the back of the recliner open, he comes popping out the bottom of it.

No more feeding in the recliner!

I'll keep him a few weeks until he gets bigger, learns to climb...etc.

Maybe the mama squirrel will show up, I've been watching for her. I don't want to turn Earle out until I know he can get around pretty well or if the mother shows up (and not a Male). Another Male will kill him.

I live in the country so basically releasing him into my back yard is returning him to the "wild". I just don't him to be too imprinted with humans.

[flintknapper]

Earle awake on a limb (good Earle).





Earle asleep on a limb (bad Earle, hawk bait). We’re gonna have to work on this!

[romegadave]

This has been a fun thread! By the way, did you knap that point in your avatar? I work in archaeo and always respect people who have the patience. Never could make any barbs, serrations like that, etc. Good luck with the bushy tailed friend-Dave

[flintknapper]

Originally Posted by romegadave

This has been a fun thread! By the way, did you knap that point in your avatar? I work in archaeo and always respect people who have the patience. Never could make any barbs, serrations like that, etc. Good luck with the bushy tailed friend-Dave

Yes, flintknapping is a sometimes hobby of mine.

PM your email address to me and I'll send you some pics of some points I've made.