I was able to get out a after dawn. Once I finished a cup of coffee, I went back out into the thicket where I spotted and lost the squirrel yesterday and went into the woods a bit. In a mostly young tree stand I began glassing the canopy with my binos. 
Maybe 15-20 minutes in I heard a few squirrels moving through the trees coming from different areas. It wasn’t long before I spotted one about 30 yards out headed towards me. I set my scope magnification on 5x and tracked him with it. As I’m adjusting the parallax knob he takes to a young oak about 5 yards in front of me and he begins climbing up. Now I’m tracking him vertically from a kneeling position and he just kept climbing. When he sat still long enough I took a shot and hit a branch. Cocked and lined up my next shot and *thud,* I hit the body and he made a faint squeak/bark before he started falling over. He hind foot grabbed the branch swinging him back and forth once or twice sending him tumbling down. By the time I made my way through the vines he was not moving.
The next gray came along in a similar fashion within 4-7 mins, but she was a lot tougher. Caught her near a crotch in an oak probably 20-23 yards away and traveling towards me. I may have shot her about 12 yards out and hit her in the body. I heard the pellet hit, and she scooted into the crotch around some vines and the main branch. All that was visible at that point was her tail. I thought, “Damn, don’t die in the tree.” I then moved around a little and saw her hind quarters. I kept moving hoping to see the back of her head when she fell over and grabbed a vine with her back foot. She held on for a little while then I heard her falling. The shot entered her side and lodged in her intestines. When I got to her she was still alive. She wasn’t moving, only trying to breathe. I tried to end it with a head shot and she was still breathing afterwards. I felt like crap. I took my knife and cut her throat hoping it would end it soon for her. I hate having to do that because it isn’t quick enough.
When you guys post about how tough squirrels are and how many shots they can take, I didn’t quite understand. Now I have some experience to apply to my target practice. This was NOTHING like punching paper. Shots came from completely different angles, with branches in the way, and they don’t sit still too long. I learned a few things this morning. All in all it was an educational first successful squirrel hunt (edited to add this detail. I don’t want people thinking I had the best luck my first time out). I’d gone out a couple times before in the evening and barely saw about three squirrels that didn’t stop moving. One day I went out to observe and another to hunt. I definitely didn’t have an opportunity to take any shots the other times out. So I’ve found (and read) that mornings are better. After this I imagine there will be many more to follow.
Gear: .25 Edgun Lelya 2.0, Midway single point sling, Vector Veyron 4-12x FFP scope, shooting .25 JSB Match Diabolo King 25.3 grain pellets. The Lelya is currently tuned to shoot these at about 775 fps.
Maybe 15-20 minutes in I heard a few squirrels moving through the trees coming from different areas. It wasn’t long before I spotted one about 30 yards out headed towards me. I set my scope magnification on 5x and tracked him with it. As I’m adjusting the parallax knob he takes to a young oak about 5 yards in front of me and he begins climbing up. Now I’m tracking him vertically from a kneeling position and he just kept climbing. When he sat still long enough I took a shot and hit a branch. Cocked and lined up my next shot and *thud,* I hit the body and he made a faint squeak/bark before he started falling over. He hind foot grabbed the branch swinging him back and forth once or twice sending him tumbling down. By the time I made my way through the vines he was not moving.
The next gray came along in a similar fashion within 4-7 mins, but she was a lot tougher. Caught her near a crotch in an oak probably 20-23 yards away and traveling towards me. I may have shot her about 12 yards out and hit her in the body. I heard the pellet hit, and she scooted into the crotch around some vines and the main branch. All that was visible at that point was her tail. I thought, “Damn, don’t die in the tree.” I then moved around a little and saw her hind quarters. I kept moving hoping to see the back of her head when she fell over and grabbed a vine with her back foot. She held on for a little while then I heard her falling. The shot entered her side and lodged in her intestines. When I got to her she was still alive. She wasn’t moving, only trying to breathe. I tried to end it with a head shot and she was still breathing afterwards. I felt like crap. I took my knife and cut her throat hoping it would end it soon for her. I hate having to do that because it isn’t quick enough.
When you guys post about how tough squirrels are and how many shots they can take, I didn’t quite understand. Now I have some experience to apply to my target practice. This was NOTHING like punching paper. Shots came from completely different angles, with branches in the way, and they don’t sit still too long. I learned a few things this morning. All in all it was an educational first successful squirrel hunt (edited to add this detail. I don’t want people thinking I had the best luck my first time out). I’d gone out a couple times before in the evening and barely saw about three squirrels that didn’t stop moving. One day I went out to observe and another to hunt. I definitely didn’t have an opportunity to take any shots the other times out. So I’ve found (and read) that mornings are better. After this I imagine there will be many more to follow.
Gear: .25 Edgun Lelya 2.0, Midway single point sling, Vector Veyron 4-12x FFP scope, shooting .25 JSB Match Diabolo King 25.3 grain pellets. The Lelya is currently tuned to shoot these at about 775 fps.
