2013 Squirrel Season

[comanche]

hunting season starts tomorrow here...lil turds are eating all my peaches before they are ripe...their gonna die...
then clean em and eat em....

 

[buckstopshere]

I want to take my daughter for her first hunt. Have to find some public land.. Any safe recommendations in central Indiana?

Morgan Monroe would be a good spot.

 

[mbills2223]

But they're so fluffy

 

[Shootin'IN]

RE: 17HMR. Yes. headshots only. occasionally you'll lose a shoulder. Body shots are a no-no unless very distant.

Yes I found out the hard way that "Body shots are a no-no"
After dropping the first one with a head shot from about 100 yds away, I had just recovered my kill when another ran across in front of me, I pull up my 17 & without thinking popped him dead center.
He just flat exploded there wasn't enough left to skin, there was a head, tail, & four paws.

 

[M4Madness]

My rifle is primed and ready.

 

[Mad Dog]

I'll be absolutely ready for Aug. 15! I had more fun last year squirrel hunting, than I'd had in decades. For me, it's getting more fun than deer hunting, anymore. I've picked up several new woods to hunt, this year. I think I can count on 1 hand the number of guys that hunt them around me, these days.


Mad Dog

 

[Double T]

Bought my combo license yesterday. Looking forward to tree rat stew

 

[Pinchaser]

If you're old-enough to remember when squirrel season ended almost as soon as it started, the new dates sure do make it easier. I much prefer to just wait now and let it cool off and some leaves drop.

 

[Pete]

ZbornacSVT, look me up. I'm only 65 miles from you & I have 114 acres of woods around my house. If that's not enough there are 40 more across the road & 35 down the road.

Also I might have some Bobcat steel hanging around.

Pete

 

[Hank in Indiana]

I can't wait to actually hit the woods with my suppressed .22 rifle.

I don't mean to rain on your parade but my old Indiana hunting and trapping guide clearly states, " It is illegal to possess a silencer while hunting." You might want to check if the law has been changed before you show the nice CO your suppressor and bag of squirrels.

 

[cedarthicket]

As a matter of fact, the law has been changed. As of July 1, 2013 it is no longer a violation of Indiana state law to hunt with a suppressor/silencer. However, you must still follow whatever federal laws apply to suppressors/silencers.

 

[03A3]

I'll go a few times thoughout the season. In early season I could do without the mosquitos ect, but on the other I battle them daily as it is so I suppose it doesn't really matter.
Late season hunts are a my favorite. The dog and I will take us (him) something along to eat and stay in the woods for several hours.
I'm looking forward using a suppressed 22 RF. I need to be practicing shooting from field positions. I've gotten a little rusty these last few months.

 

[CharlesGoodnight]

Has anyone hunted at Atterbury? I too am looking for land to hunt. I have not been squirrel hunting since I was a teenager (30 years) and I would like to get back into hunting, in general. I thought I would start with Squirrels.

Another question - do you need to wear hunter orange now to squirrel hunt?

 

[bdybdall]

Has anyone hunted at Atterbury? I too am looking for land to hunt. I have not been squirrel hunting since I was a teenager (30 years) and I would like to get back into hunting, in general. I thought I would start with Squirrels.

Another question - do you need to wear hunter orange now to squirrel hunt?

You don't need hunter orange in the early season but when the other seasons come in you do, check the DNR pamphlet for dates. You can hunt Atterbury DNR area but I'm not sure about the military side. There was a place in area 5 that was overrun with grays but the last time I was there it had been clearcut and made into a training area.

 

[Rfrantz3]

Does a shotgun do to much damage to them or is it better to just get a .22?

 

[patience0830]

Shotgun is less of a challenge. Rimfire is much more satisfying and I don't have to worry about biting into any shot or hair. Lots of old timers prefer the shotgun because their eyes aren't what they used to be.. Rifle with a scope for me. Sometimes its a pistol and a scope.

 

[cedarthicket]

Here is another way to make a squirrel hunt a little more challenging with a shotgun:

The morning of October 5, 2011 was simply great for hunting squirrels. Conditions included: temperature in the 40s, clear sky, little to no wind, and no mosquitoes.

On this trip I took an old single-shot Remington rolling block shotgun in 20 gauge (excellent mechanical condition with a pretty good bore). I have owned that old gun (made in the 1870s to 1890s) for many years, but this was the first time I took it hunting. I had previously patterned it with #5 and #6 shot. Problem was I forgot my ammo when packing the truck for the hunting trip and some other business in southeastern Indiana! Fortunately, a Wal-Mart was on the way, but I had to settle for Winchester shells with 7/8 ounce of #7-1/2 shot. Oh well, I would just need to be even more careful to aim for the head and not take any shots beyond 25 yards.

Long story short, I managed to bag the legal limit of 5 squirrels in about an hour and a half. Four were feeding on acorns (red oak) or were near “active” oak trees. The fifth squirrel was feeding on a pignut hickory. Shots were taken at 10 to 20 yards. All 5 shots resulted in clean kills. Only one gray had a great deal of shot in the front half. I suspect that is because of the somewhat heavier than normal trigger pull and my failure to get the bead on the squirrel’s head or the tip its nose when I fired the shot at relatively close range.

Before shooting any very old gun it is recommended that it be checked out by a qualified individual, typically a gunsmith. Hunting with an old gun can be a challenge, but I find it quite rewarding to bag some game with a gun that was first used well over 100 years ago.

 

[cedarthicket]

Another shotgun challenge:

I decided to go squirrel hunting the morning of September 14, 2011. For the first time in many years I would use a shotgun. Not just any shotgun however, but a vintage bolt-action, single-shot Winchester Model 41 in .410 bore that I bought at an auction a few years ago. It has a full choke barrel and takes only 2–1/2 inch shells. I had reloaded some relatively new plastic hulls with the standard one-half ounce of shot. I patterned both #5 and #6 shot at about 25 yards. I would have used #5 shot but #6 shot gave more consistent and denser patterns that I judged to be adequate for squirrels up to 20 yards, but not much farther.

I managed to get 4 squirrels, all male, 2 foxes and 2 grays. Distances varied from about 10 to 20 yards. All were clean kills. For the closest one I carefully aimed at his head and all pellet hits were in the head and neck area except for one in a front leg.

Four shots got me 4 squirrels -- a great morning with an old gun and reloads. Isn’t it great to live in Indiana where we can enjoy hunting squirrels on a cool September morning?

 

[patience0830]

Amen, Brother. Can I get another witness?

Nice clean harvests with a couple of old shotguns. Well done sir!

 

[cedarthicket]

Thanks. And very nice shooting on your part as well!!