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I thought she was dead

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kayaker

kayaker

Member
Feb 15, 2018
1,752
368
Ridgefield WA., United States
I spooked her off the feeder and she ran under my cedar trees but she left a small opening where I could still see it's shoulder. So I took the shot and went to retrieve it and this is what I found. It didn't appear to be breathing and I even poked it with suppressor no movement ! I then decided to get my grabbers instead of trying to work my way into it. I came back about three minutes later an it was GONE ! WTH after a few minutes of searching I did recover her about twenty feet away. It appeared I had walked just past it in the OPEN LOL the second time I went back.
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Never had one do that but I shot one in the throat with my P35-177 once. It fell nearly immediately and I went to go get it. It was not on the ground but there was blood where it hit. I started looking and my dog was looking up in another tree and I saw it about 10 feet up. It was very wobbly and soon fell. My dog grabbed it and gave it a good shake to finish it off. She gets there before I do and if the squirrel is not dead yet she enjoys grabbing them and giving them a good shake. If they are dead, she just licks the blood off. Usually when they fall they are dead, however. But I have also seen them claw at the air on their way down before. My little doggie finishes those.
 
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@kayaker I believe you. Hell I had one climb back up the tree. I thought it was done when it fell on it's side and just laid there. After seeing that I stayed in my post to track another. When it was time to search for the first one, I couldn't find it anywhere. So I heard something in the tree and looked up. It was tucked away behind leaves and branches in a crotch. I had to lay on my back beneath the tree to hit it. @JimD 's story seems sort of similar.
 
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My dog is quick enough she doesn't get bitten. The one I commented on tried to bite her but she just dropped it and grabbed it again further down it's body where it couldn't reach her. She also bit a raccoon as it traveled across the back yard one time. It was trying to bite her back but wasn't quick enough. She's better than me poking the squirrel. (The raccoon got a pellet between the eyes)
 
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kayaker said:
I wonder just how many people have gotten bit by one thinking they were dead lol
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I actually have had 2 close encounters with zombie squirrels. One, I poked it with the barrel of my marlin 60, and it grabbed ahold of the barrel/mag tube and started climbing up the barrel towards my fore grip hand. I started swinging the rifle around and it just kept rolling with it and slowly getting closer to the action. I then stuck the muzzle down and stomped kicked it off the gun. It tried icing through my boot, and I popped it point blank then. Messy.

Second one was with my Benjamin discovery. I had shot a fat gray male and he dropped DTR. I should've know by no twitching, but a clean head shot surely it's dead. I picked it up by the tail, walked about 10 feet and I feel it gyrating in my hand. I look down, and he was climbing up his own body head coming up the base of the tail, completely missing his nose/muzzle. Gave him the drop and stomp.

They are tough little chits.
 
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weevil said:
Maybe 30 years ago. These days, you would need to ask the squirrel what sex it identifies as before shooting it.
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Nuh-uh, not for small game.
That's only for big game, and they're supposed to show their sex by how horny they are:

Mammal Hunting Regulations: Big Game

California Code of Regulations; Title 14 Natural Resources; Division 1 Fish and Game Commission - Department of Fish and Wildlife; Subdivision 2 Game, Furbearers, Nongame, and Depredators; Chapter 3 Big Game
fgc.ca.gov
 
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Berserkeley Mike said:
Nuh-uh, not for small game.
That's only for big game, and they're supposed to show their sex by how horny they are:

Mammal Hunting Regulations: Big Game

California Code of Regulations; Title 14 Natural Resources; Division 1 Fish and Game Commission - Department of Fish and Wildlife; Subdivision 2 Game, Furbearers, Nongame, and Depredators; Chapter 3 Big Game
fgc.ca.gov
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I guess that joke was a little too subtle
 
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I've had moments where I dropped it right where it was shot (usually what I perceive as a clean headshot but it went through its jaws and out the side of the neck) and as I approach to retrieve, it starts slowly hobbling away. And being me who like to be discreet when retrieving my loots, don't usually carry my rifle on me so I would have to grab whatever is near me to finish the job. Usually that's a 10 lb boulder in my neck of the woods or a large dead fall stick. I always carry my pocket knife on me but who really wants to get their knife all bloody if they don't have to. I reserve that for braining/bleeding fish when I'm at the lake/river where I can quickly clean my blade after using it.

There's also times when they start doing the slow injured hops while crying and I have to quickly do a follow-up body shot to get them to stop moving so much and possibly up a tree behind cover where I can't reach em for them to do a slow painful death. These things are tough and not just on your dinner plate but very hardy, a reflection of climbing trees their entire existence doesn't make them any more tender than you'd expect.
 
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None of the 54 squirrels I've shot with my PCPs have made a significant noise after impact. The others I shot with PBs were quiet too. I'm not saying it doesn't happen but it must be rare. I've wished I'd brought the PCP with me when I went to go pick some up too, however. Like the one I shot in the throat. I'd have shot it again if I had the gun with me. But if fell again pretty quickly. I've never had to finish them off another way but I probably would have if I didn't have a dog.

I pressure cook them for an hour and they are always tender when I eat them.
 
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