HANK STRONG First Serial Rights

5506 BRISCOE LANE 18 May 2002

LOUISVILLE, KY 40219 COPYRIGHTED 2002

hstrong347@aol.com

Bushytail Time

When I was boy going up in the Ohio Valley, the ultimate hunter to my father and uncles was a successful squirrel hunter. I’m sure that sounds funny in this day and age of deer and turkey hunting, but you must remember that back in those days there wasn’t a lot of deer or turkey hunting.

There is another reason the old timers elevated Old Bushy Tail to such an august status; you see the squirrel is one of nature's toughest critters to hunt. The old timers knew if a hunter could master hunting squirrels he could easily hunt whitetail and wild turkeys successfully.

The name squirrel comes from two Greek words that mean shadow tail. They acquired this name from the habit they have of curling their large bushy tails over their backs covering themselves in shade. Just about everything in the forest is a squirrel's enemy, from dogs, to coyotes, foxes, bobcats, birds of prey and man. This has made ‘Ole Man Bushy Tail a wary little critter. A squirrel’s instincts are such that the least bit of movement or noise out of the ordinary sends him scampering off across the tree tops, or to move quickly behind a limb or tree trunk to seek concealment from an enemy. Then they poke their head ever so slightly from behind cover and bark, as if saying, “What do you want?” or “What are you doing scaring folks?” That is the main reason old time hunters respect this little guy, and he has survived, and even thrives while living close to his worst enemy, man.

Like most wild game, once you locate what Mr. and Mrs. Squirrel are feeding on hunting tactics aren’t so hard to figure out. A squirrel will feed on berries, corn, grain, nuts, wild grapes and even mushrooms when they are available. But by far his favorite food is some sort of nut, especially in the fall and dead of winter. Because nuts are high in fat and protein they give this little guy a lot of energy which he needs to survive. When you locate hickory nuts, acorns or beechnuts in abundance you will usually find squirrels.

Once I locate a stand of hardwoods I like to walk through them very slowly before the season opens looking for ‘Ole Bushy Tail’s calling card. When a squirrel feeds they will drop pieces of the shell to the ground. These droppings are called cuttings. You usually fined them around the base of a mast tree. Mast is just another name for tall nut bearing trees. Sometimes you will find cuttings a few feet out from the base of the tree when the squirrel has been feeding out on the limb of hickory or oak tree.

Once you have found cuttings then you know squirrels have been feeding in the area. If the cuttings look like fresh wood chips that have just been cut then you are just a few steps behind Mr. and Mrs. Squirrel. However, if they are starting to turn brown on the points or edge of the cut then they could be a few hours old. Look around. Are there still plenty of nuts in the tree or on the ground? If they are then there is a good chance you have located Bushy Tail's grocery store.

Another place to check is along the edge of a cornfield. Walking along the edge of a corn is good place to look for squirrels when the corn is still in the field. If you are lucky enough to find a corn field that has a tree line around a corner in a secluded spot. That’s a good location to look for squirrels.

Squirrels won’t ride the stalk down just get to an ear of corn. They will let Mr. Coon do that for them and then feed on the leftovers. A corner offers the little critters protection and shelter from predators as it’s difficult to see them but they can hear or see an enemy long before they have a chance to attack.

Like I said earlier, hunting squirrels is not unlike hunting whitetail. Once you have located where the squirrels are feeding then you must figure out a way to get into hunting position quietly. The position has to be one that will enable you watch must of the area. While camouflaged clothing is helpful it’s not a necessity. A hunter should wear dark clothing to blend into the background and break up their outline. By all means be sure and wear some hunter orange. Better safe then sorry.

In some parts of the country squirrel season comes in late in August when the trees are still full of leaves and there is still plenty of greenery around. If you have a camo mask lying around from turkey hunting use it. It will break up your outline and can keep the gnats and mosquitoes away from you while you are hunting. A little insect repellent isn’t a bad idea either. Just be sure and not wash in perfumed soap or wear after shave or deodorant into the field. Anything that smells good is guaranteed to draw bugs.

While the fox squirrel will feed throughout the day, the gray squirrel feeds mainly early in the morning then retires to its nest. Most squirrel hunters use one of two methods to hunt these tough little critters, stand hunting or stalking. Either method is good but you have to be in the woods early well before daylight and be into position at first light.

Ideally you located a tree during your scouting that will allow you to sit with your back against it, thus breaking up your outline. Now it becomes very important to be quiet and move as little as possible. Or in the words of an old hunting friend named Gumby, "To become one with the woods." As the sun comes up the squirrels will start to feed so stay alert for movement in the tree tops or the sound of a squirrel cutting nuts high above. Don’t be surprised if you feel bits and pieces of cuttings dropping on or around you. If so, you have become one with Mother Nature.

At some point you will probably have to move to get into a shooting position. Now it becomes important to watch were and when you take each step in the woods. A heavy footed hunter will scare ‘Ole Bush Tail away from his feeding area. Generally when these guys are feeding they aren’t quiet and they like to mix fun with feeding by jumping around from tree to tree chasing one another. This means that you have to move slowly, deliberately and quietly into a shooting position. Always stay alert; these guys seem to have eyes in the back of their head.

Basically there are two schools of thought on what to use when you’re hunting squirrels. One side believes the shotgun is best while the other side is adamant about hunting with a low powered small caliber rifle. Time was when most people hunted squirrels with a .22 caliber rifle and scope and it still is an excellent choice. However, a lot of farmers object to this set up because a .22 caliber bullet can carry for a mile. Therefore there is always the chance of injury to livestock, or worse, to somebody.

Of course my hunting choice would be with a muzzleloader. I would prefer a .32 to .40 caliber rifle with a scope for my old eyes, loaded with a patched round ball pushed by 25-40 grains of Pyrodex new Triple Seven Powder or 3 fffg pistol grade blackpowder. However, if you prefer to hunt with iron sights then I’d suggest a Lyman target peep sight. Peep sights are easier and faster to accurately line up on a target. Another excellent choice is a pair of fiber optic sights, such as the Illuminator from Connecticut Valley Arms. These sights are very easy to line up under low light conditions.

Shot gunners can make a strong argument in their favor. First, shot doesn’t carry as far as a .22 caliber rifle so there is less chance of injury to humans and livestock. However, this is somewhat negated when hunting with a muzzleloading rifle because the load can be easily adjusted for close range targets. Second, it is easier to knock down a moving target in dense foliage than with a rifle. Third, A double barreled 12 gauge shotgun loaded with 1 1/4 to 1 5/8 ounces of shot pushed by 75- 95 grains of powder provides enough power to punch through dense foliage, small limbs and vines to effectively put a squirrel in the pot. A powerful load will enable a hunter to take game quickly and cleanly high in the tops of mast trees. While this may sound extreme to some, you have to consider that you are hunting in dense foliage were most of the shot is dissipated, thus greatly reducing the killing power of the load. A double barreled 12 gauge with a full and modified choke enables the hunter to quickly select the best shot pattern for the target.

Good luck and remember be safe in the field. Squirrel hunting is a great way to introduce someone to hunting and to learn the basics for whitetail hunting, which is just around the corner.