Crappy Day Hunting

[Ezana4CE]

I spent hours hunting squirrels today and the most saw was a glint of a squirrel running away through fallen leaves. I heard another one running away, but didn’t see it. With all of the leaves on the ground, it’s very difficult for me to see them. When the leaves on the ground are wet they defiantly have an advantage over me. 


I’m not sure if it was the cold 38F - 47F, the hawks, the slight wind gusts or what. I thought they were supposed to be headed into mating season. I’m trying to figure out where they get it on because I didn’t see a damned thing that I read about concerning squirrel lovin’ happening today. Do they tend to do more screwing in the trees or on the ground?


Hawks flew over a couple of areas screeching and the crows came to mob one of them. I was watching the trees for a reaction from the squirrels and I didn’t see any movement in the trees. Anyone have any idea what temperatures are too cold for them to come out? I know I haven’t killed enough squirrels in the area to have put a significant dent in the population. I walked over two miles today and nothing. Then I almost dropped my rifle and fell into a creek bed crossing it on a downed tree. This sucks. I’m trying to figure out what’s going on with these squirrels. Any ideas?

 

[nervoustrig]

Here in the southeast, the grays come out plenty in the 20s and 30s and 40s F. And guys who live in colder climates guys are sometimes out shooting them in the snow so the temperature doesn’t seem to make much difference. However they tend to stay hunkered down when it’s windy or rainy or both. 

 

[Ezana4CE]

@nervoustrig I didn’t think it was too cold or windy. I’m not quite familiar with their behavior. I was expecting it to be easier to spot them in trees when the leaves fell. I didn’t see any in the trees and spotting them on the ground is now a lot more difficult. I’m trying not to bait them, but I did go by a deer feeder that has corn in it. I didn’t see any around. I really expected to see boars chasing sows around or to at least hear some activity. I was surprised to see nothing. 


I’ve also been playing with mimicking a warning call I’ve heard them make several times. I did it the other day and a squirrel descended from a tree that was virtually over my head and ran off before I could take a shot. When I did it today I saw nothing. I kinda feel insulted going out and not seeing some squirrels.

 

[jdh2550]

When the temps turn below 50 degrees the afternoons produce better in my area. I get in the woods around noon. Windy days look for areas that may be more sheltered. Lower elevations sometimes make a big difference. Think back to the early fall, and hunt areas that had large acorn/nut crops. Basic tree identification skills are beneficial. Find an area to sit and get concealed. Sometimes sitting for 30 minutes is much more productive than still hunting. Get off the beaten path. 50 to 60 yards is all it takes in some cases, especially in heavily hunted areas. When concealed, use binoculars. Squirrels will often remain motionless for 15 minutes or more, sunning themselves to soak up the warmth. Glassing the top of sunny branches can be very productive. Get yourself a squirrel whistle and follow the instructions. Two quarters can also work. Rub the ribbed edge of the quarters together to make teeth on acorn sounds when it is quiet. Best advice of all, try different areas.

 

[Ezana4CE]

When the temps turn below 50 degrees the afternoons produce better in my area. I get in the woods around noon. Windy days look for areas that may be more sheltered. Lower elevations sometimes make a big difference. Think back to the early fall, and hunt areas that had large acorn/nut crops. Basic tree identification skills are beneficial. Find an area to sit and get concealed. Sometimes sitting for 30 minutes is much more productive than still hunting. Get off the beaten path. 50 to 60 yards is all it takes in some cases, especially in heavily hunted areas. When concealed, use binoculars. Squirrels will often remain motionless for 15 minutes or more, sunning themselves to soak up the warmth. Glassing the top of sunny branches can be very productive. Get yourself a squirrel whistle and follow the instructions. Best advice of all, try different areas.

Thanks for the tips! I had my binos with me and was looking for them to be out sunning this morning. I was glassing the oak trees from as close to the ground as I could see to the top of the canopies. Should I also glass the pines? I typically don’t spend much time looking in the pine trees. I have also noticed that there are still acorns on the ground. I didn’t see a lot of new holes where they buried any this morning. I generally try to stay around oaks when squirrel hunting. I really came out expecting to see a difference in their behavior because I read mating season should be beginning right about now. I’ve been trying to avoid the calls (aside from me mimicking their warning calls with my mouth), but I’m about ready to try one. I went out this morning for about 4.5 hours and for about 1.5 hours this evening. I got out around 7:15am came in around noon and got back out around 3:45pm and came in around sunset. It was around 47F when I came in around noon. It was probably 52F this evening when I went out. 

 

[jdh2550]

In my area, I would skip the morning and hunt from noon to 3 pm. Unless the air temp is higher at another time of day. Hunt the brightest and warmest time of day over the winter months. I've never seen many in the pines (unless they were just passing through).

In the fall the game is different, more activity within an hour or two of sunrise and sunset. 

Hawks will get them running for their nest. Small wooded areas near farm fields are a good place to try as well.

 

[Ezana4CE]

@jdh2550 That makes sense. I will adjust my times and see what happens. Thank you. How about this mating business. How do you hunt them during mating season? I read it’s supposed to be easier since they’re more focused on reproducing. 

 

[jdh2550]

I can only speak of Pennsylvania squirrels. In the mating season. They are so busy chasing other squirrels its tough to get a shot opportunity. Maybe I'm just slow,but from the time I spot them, range them, get a steady rest for a head shot they move far enough I am back at step 1.

Fall is easier for me. It's easier to see a branch with leaves moving with squirrel activity than a limb with no branches. Their eye sight is good, they can spot you a long ways off. Good camo and getting concealed for a half hour sit and glass session is helpful.

Don't be too hard on yourself, winter squirrels are tough and the shots are farther. Give the thick brush areas a try, they often feel safer in the briar areas when there are no leaves on the trees. Probably protection from flying predators.

Don't give up, some days are a bust. Keep at it and you will be rewarded.

 

[thedog]

I can commiserate with your day, was out for 4 hrs saturday afternoon and didn't see a one

overcast, some wind, and then at 4 pm it started to drizzle, not a good day for me either 

 

[dan_house]

A bad day hunting is better than a good day in the office

 

[rgpointer62]

Mr. Ezana4ce I am not very good at this typing. But I Pretty sure I could help you out I will pm you my ph#. Now that I know what a pm means. Yeah you are not dealing with no Genius. But atleast I will admit it. We are lucky here in mid Mo. As the late and great Mr. Justin Wilson said- Them their squirrels were so thick some of them had to sleep on the ground. I miss me some Mr. Wilson what a great story teller he was. Ronnie

 

[TiredRooster]

Ezana4CE....You have had a day like many of us have at times hunting those grey ghosts. Some days can be like a shooting gallery, and some days it's like they just took the day off. I'm sure it's different in various parts of the country. But, down here the temperature has little to do with squirrel movement really. I never hunt them until after the first hard freeze/frost anyway. That insures that the wools have fallen out of them. Cold weather is best.....for me! Real windy days are not good....they will hold up then and not move. If they do move on windy days they will normally be on the ground. If it is a calm still day and very overcast....they will normally move all day and be in trees a lot. If its a sunny day......they seem to move early morning and late afternoon. I don't really know answers as to the why of all this.....some I do, but not all. But these are observations I have made hunting them here in Alabama.....for more years than I care to count. I kill more than a bushel of them every year.........Don't get discouraged!!!! Hunt them and learn their patterns in your area and just enjoy the woods!!

TR

 

[PelletPushingPaisano]

Yeah, they hunker down real good here in the PNW also when the wind and rain are up.

 

[Ezana4CE]

Today was better. I posted up in two different areas before seeing a squirrel in the third location. This was taken at the second location. I don’t think I took a photo at the first spot.

At the second location part of a herd of cows began to come into the woods towards the creek below me as I began moving in the opposite direction using the sound of their movement to cover my own. 

I saw one squirrel and we squared off for about 45 mins. When the cows started to come back my way I started to move as they did, mooing and the whole nine. I first spotted a small squirrel descending a tree in front of me that I was unaware it was in. I followed it to an old oak, moved in closer beneath the tree, found a pretty clear shot at its head, lined up my reticle squeezed and missed. It moved around into a crotch and I took another shot. This one made it jump the oak tree and into a cedar.


I glassed the cedar with my binos and I could not find the damn thing. Then I glassed the trees with branches overlapping the cedar branches. I was confused, but thought that I’d have heard something if it jumped. I tried to wait it out, but I got impatient and my wondering if it had crept out of the cedar got the best of me so I started mimicking a squirrel distress call. I’ve actually gotten pretty decent mimicking this sound. The call flushed it out from the top of the cedar and I took another couple of shots as it descended the tree. Eventually it ditched me coming out of the skinny cedar behind the oak (this oak is the one on the right in the last photo). Then I tried to chase it, literally, as it jumped from branch-to-branch, tree-to-tree, but there were too many vines in my path. I just couldn’t keep track of the squirrel running through the canopy while looking down occasionally trying to dodge tangled up briars. It was a sporting pursuit. I’m just not seeing many, but this one gave me a good chase. I had it and blew a damn good shot. 

Edit to add photos 

 

[jdh2550]

The picture you painted in my mind made me laugh! Good try. I hope your pellet finds its mark next time. Its not always as easy as it appears.

 

[Ezana4CE]

The picture you painted in my mind made me laugh! Good try. I hope your pellet finds its mark next time. Its not always as easy as it appears.

I had a ball!! I eat them but the sport of the hunt and a good chase makes it even more enjoyable. I’m trying to avoid the older established den trees that I know about. Seeing one today was good enough for me. At lleast I wasn’t out there for nothing. I’ve been practicing my angled shots and I’ve improved out to 35 yards shooting pine cones still in the tree. I need to practice steep-angled shots up close because I’ve encountered a few squirrels overhead or descending trees that were less than 10 yards away from. I haven’t practiced to figure the holdunder for those shots yet. Plus the parallax adjustment on these shots seem to keep getting me hung up. 

 

[BackStop]

The picture you painted in my mind made me laugh! Good try. I hope your pellet finds its mark next time. Its not always as easy as it appears.

I had a ball!! I eat them but the sport of the hunt and a good chase makes it even more enjoyable. I’m trying to avoid the older established den trees that I know about. Seeing one today was good enough for me. At lleast I wasn’t out there for nothing. I’ve been practicing my angled shots and I’ve improved out to 35 yards shooting pine cones still in the tree. I need to practice steep-angled shots up close because I’ve encountered a few squirrels overhead or descending trees that were less than 10 yards away from. I haven’t practiced to figure the holdunder for those shots yet. Plus the parallax adjustment on these shots seem to keep getting me hung up.

Believe it or not, shooting from my "sniper window" has forced me to be better at some very uncomfortable angles and shooting positions. Imagine shooting out of a window at a ~60-70° angle while "sitting" on the floor (well, sort of sitting, but mostly just trying to stay upright enough to stabilize the gun for the shot while my body is in a very awkward and unnatural position).

I do this so often, I have calluses where nobody should ever have them! LOL!

Even though my property is residential and only about 1/5 of an acre, my count this year is 72 chippers and closing in on 1 per day average for tree rats for the year. I don't think I will actually get to exactly 1 per day on tree rats because they simply aren't coming into my backyard lately and the kids next door are out of school for the holidays and there aren't many days left in 2021... (sigh)

And it is too bad I can't shoot in my front yard! (chuckle)

 

[jdh2550]

My hunt today was a typical experience for me. I picked up my Dad this morning and we drove an hour to hunt a state game land I had limited out on before. I know there are a ton of squirrels there. We hunted hours and only saw a glimpse of one, not able to get a shot.

Drove Dad home and decided to take a quick evening walk on a close by state game land that is hit or miss for squirrels. Within an hour I had shot 3, and saw another 4. Just when you think you have them figured out, they prove you wrong.

 

[thegoldenratio]

I've only been squirrel hunting for a couple months now, so I am by no means an expert. However, I feel like there is no rhyme or reason as to when there will be squirrels out and about. I've had sunny warm days in the 70's where the woods is crawling with squirrels and you can hear them every where, and similar days where the woods are dead. Warmer days do tend to be better than cooler days though. In fact, I don't think I ever had luck on cooler overcast days. 

The hardest part for me is seeing them. I can hear them all over the place sometimes, and I know they're close, but all the Spanish moss in the trees makes for perfect cover. 

 

[Blackpaw]

38ish cold, I wish. Tomorrow it is supposed to be ZERO F here. I would kill for 37 F.