how did you do on the squirrels ?

Squirrels

I to am new to this site, we in Mich. are enjoying a good squirrel season with the warm weather. Hoping to meet some squirrel hunters here in Ind.

 

Indiana's squirrel season ended Dec 31. I think the Indiana DNR needs to look at extending the season. Its pretty clear from research most wildlife populations are limited more by habitat than over hunting. I think in Indiana squirrels are an underutilized wildlife resource. They sure taste good!:tongue:

 

We can still hunt Squirrels below U.S.40 but As Goggleye57 stated the season just went out 12-31-2004 for all areas above it.Sure like hunting them busytails, in fact they are my favorite small game.There is hardly a better breakfast than Squirrel and gravy.The tails also make decent Fly and Jig dressings.What weapon do you guys like hunting them with and what time of the season do you prefer to hunt them?

 

We in mich. do enjoy a long season, Sept.15-Mar.1 I prefer nov.-dec. but have to tip toe thru deer hunters, normally I won't hunt during the firearm season, so that gives me 6wks of squirrel hunting. I ran a small fiest thats 3yrs only shoot a single shot 22 bolt action, with cci-minnie mags, head shots only their deadly. In Jan. it's normall to see breeding activity, so I leave them alone, just me,

 

This season was terrible,(grin).

I've lived and hunted squirrels here for five years now. Killing all I care to eat right from the front porch. Always had plenty to eat and plenty to shoot at.

I made a big "mistake" this year. Bought one of those 17HRM Marlin rifles.

I think I may have killed them ALL!

 

A buddy of mine had to have 17 an I'll tell ya, you have to hit above the shoulders, a lot of over kill there.

 

Do people shoot them anywhere else?

 

I don't usually put my shoes on until I've finished my Cheerios and have to go out and pick up the days limit. 5 a day is all we are allowed.

 

Hi ontario boss gobler,Floyd D and Jack Ryan ,Good to hear from a group of Squirrel hunters.I am also a Deer Hunter so most of my Squirrel hunting is done after Deer Season in December.When I was a kid I could never sleep the night before Squirrel season came in.I was just too excited and ready to hunt.I still enjoy Hunting them to this day.I guess I have shot them with about every weapon.Bowhunting them is great fun but I get real hungry before I can get one but every now and then I do get one.I mostly use a scoped 22 bolt action rifle and shoot 36 gr.Mini Mag Hollow Points.If I am in smaller Woods or near houses I use a 12 ga. mossberg ulti-mag with # 6 field loads. Ontario Boss Gobler my Squirrel and gravy recipe is pretty simple.I put the cut Squirrel pieces in to a pan of salt water and after it comes to a boil I leave them there for 15 minutes.I then change the water on them 3 times before flouring the pieces and slow frying them.When they are done,I turn the heat back and add 3 tablespoons of flour to the skillet mixing it with the contents.When it gets thicker I add as much milk as needed to make a healthy serving.Turn the heat back up and stir constantly until it begins to thicken.The trick is to take it off the heat before it gets too thick.It will get thicker even after being removed from the heat.Put it on some drop bisquits and your in business.Jack D,I bet hunting squirrels with a dog is great fun.I have owned a dog or two that would tree a Squirrel but I have never had a real good one.Jack ryan,it sounds like you are over run with Squirrels in your neck of the woods.Must be nice,I don't see how you could have too many though.Just keep eating them.How do you like that 17 H.M.R.?If it isn't a head shot I bet it tears them up pretty bad doesn't it?Well,looks like I have wrote a small book.Catch you later.-Scotty

 

Opps,sorry Jack d.You made your post before I made mine and I had not seen it.Good pictures and great shooting.

 

Nothing there I see to be sorry about.

Sounds great to me. Wish I had you around to cook them. I don't usually get to fancy, just soak them in a little salt water and flour them like chicken or change the water once and put them in the freezer.

If I'm in a gourme, gormay, gor something or other, I'll coat them with some kind of fish batter. Beer batter or shore lunch something like that and fry like chicken.

Don't really know what a body shot would do to them but it took a special effort to get all five laying so it could make a decent picture. Most head shots with this aren't very pretty. If you don't limit your self to head shots I believe you really could kill them all.

I have shot them with everything from bb guns, shorts all the way to 22 mag depending on how far I want to shoot. Where I live now it's 200 yards to the mail box by the road and I was only hitting about half what I shot at past 100 yards. So I wanted something better.

I read a lot about those pea shooters but I really wanted a Marlin 22 mag bolt action. The old one was a Mossberg. Well I searched for a couple months and didn't run across one, but Walmart had this 17HRM every time I walked in there.

I was at the point of ordering the 22 mag in stainless. Exactly what I wanted...

Until they told me it was 269 dollars. That made the 917V at 179 look pretty darn good and I'd read some pretty outlandish claims for their accuracy.

Bottom line is in those pix. I wouldn't trade now for every 22 mag I've ever owned now. Some of those heads were shot at over 150 yards and I didn't shot a squirrel for the last 2 months because new ones just started showing up the last week or two.

 

I have been hearing good things about the 17H.M.R.and I think you have convinced me.A 150 yard head shot on a Squirrel is very impressive indeed.I bought a 5mm magnum the year they were first introduced to hunt Ground Hogs with.My reason for buying it was the noise facter.Sometimes around more populated areas less noise is better.I shot 14 one shot Ground hog kills with it out to ranges exceeding 125 yards and then let a guy trade me out of it.Wish I had It back sometimes.I may just replace it with a 17H.M.R..

 

Check out what they are saying on Rimfire Central. That's where I got my info.

Everything I've gotton from those guys was straight up. No bull. Just good reliable information.

Varmint Al seems to have done some pretty extensive research on the 17 as well.