Shooting squirrels while waiting on deer

[GeronimoKY]

Got another opportunity to chase the big buck today and decided to take my bulldog and my .30 Maverick for squirrel. Still learning the notos I bought a couple weeks back but usually sit in one place while deer hunting so shots on squirrels well past 50 yards aren’t uncommon and I think the Maverick is much better suited for that task. It’s the sniper version so it gets a ton of shots while putting out well over 100 fpe so the occasional coyote or groundhog are up the creek if noticed. I started the day strong smacking 3 in the first hour. Activity slowed down and only had 4 by lunch. Knew they’d start to get back out mid afternoon so I patiently waited and got lucky with an opportunity to take the last 2 off the same tree. Shot the first one and the second one appeared almost instantly to see why its buddy was flopping around on the ground. He found out why. Would be the perfect day if the 12 point buck would step out about 50 yards in front of me so it’s a no thinking just hold and squeeze type shot with my bulldog. Fingers crossed

 

[OldSpook]

As long as you're making all that racket shooting at squirrels that 12 point buck isn't going to come within a half a mile of you. So you should probably just consider yourself a squirrel Hunter and enjoy what you got going on. That buck didn't get 12 points by being stupid.

 

[Nealgl1985]

I agree with the above statement. That deer didn't get that big by being stupid. The rut will encourage movement so you never know.

I take my pcp out there also but im more worried about enjoying being out there then if I'm shooting a 12 point. It's all meat in the freezer for me and the younger bucks taste great.

I've shot squirrels from my treestand and shot nice bucks that same day. What my definition and your definition of a nice buck might be different. Good luck out there and remember, as long as you are enjoying yourself, that's all that matters.

Ps no 12 pointers on my wall but im still a happy hunter...

 

[GeronimoKY]

Wow old spook thanks for the name calling and proving you don’t know near as much as you think. Here’s a picture of the 11 point buck I shot a few years ago while smacking squirrels. I probably pass on more deer than you see in a season because I target specific deer and I actually dual hunt 90% of the time with great success. Maybe ask if that works out in my area before you assume you know everything.

 

[GeronimoKY]

Notice the fox squirrel tail between me and the deer’s neck? Shot five that day and the last one was less than 15 minutes before the big guy showed up. Might not work where you hunt but it’s how I do it around my properties and permissions

 

[OldSpook]

Wow old spook thanks for the name calling and proving you don’t know near as much as you think. Here’s a picture of the 11 point buck I shot a few years ago while smacking squirrels. I probably pass on more deer than you see in a season because I target specific deer and I actually dual hunt 90% of the time with great success. Maybe ask if that works out in my area before you assume you know everything. View attachment 407524

So "squirrel hunter" is "name calling". Bit thin skinned, eh?
Nice buck, fair rack....

 

[GeronimoKY]

So "squirrel hunter" is "name calling". Bit thin skinned, eh?
Nice buck, fair rack....

I apologize I re read your response and put two different sentences together. I thought you were calling me stupid for the way I hunt. I hosted a guy a few years ago that came from another state and tried to tell me the entire time I didn’t know what I was doing even though he hadn’t had near the success with either species in his home state. I think I have ptsd from that experience

 

[OldSpook]

I apologize I re read your response and put two different sentences together. I thought you were calling me stupid for the way I hunt. I hosted a guy a few years ago that came from another state and tried to tell me the entire I didn’t know what I was doing even though he hadn’t had near the success with either species in his home state. I think I have ptsd from that experience

It takes a good man to claim a mistake! .

If you can make that work for you, run with it. I killed one once while hunting quail in west Texas. Always kept my double loaded bird / buck when hunting quail. One day the Britany kicked a small buck out of the brush and he ran straight at me. At about ten feet I gave him the buckshot and he went down. He was kicking a bit so I stepped up on his neck and told my buddy, "this will put him out pretty quickly". When I cleaned him, there were three shot that had passed through his ear. Nothing else had hit him. I choked that deer out by standing on it's neck. Didn't know he wasn't shot till I cleaned him...

 

[bowwild]

I've toyed with the idea of taking an air rifle to my tree stand when bowhunting for the occasional squirrel. I do like to squirrel hunt and eat em. I haven't done it yet though. I'm often afraid the deer I'm after, or one that would spook the deer I'm after is "just around the bend or bush". I'm sure my concerns are inflated.

Very nice rack on that 11-pointer by the way. KY is king!

 

[rcs9250]

Here in Ohio we are only allowed one “hunting implement” while hunting.

 

[N2 Shooter]

Here in Ohio we are only allowed one “hunting implement” while hunting.

Sucks doesn't it!

Can't even keep a PP750 while crossbow hunting for deer.

 

[rcs9250]

Sucks doesn't it!

Can't even keep a PP750 while crossbow hunting for deer.

Yeah it does. Squirrels are all over the place when I’m deer hunting. And vice versa.
One thing I really wish they would change though is being able to hunt turkeys with airgun. Even if they put a minimum caliber like say .25.

 

[Contndr35BB]

Got another opportunity to chase the big buck today and decided to take my bulldog and my .30 Maverick for squirrel. Still learning the notos I bought a couple weeks back but usually sit in one place while deer hunting so shots on squirrels well past 50 yards aren’t uncommon and I think the Maverick is much better suited for that task. It’s the sniper version so it gets a ton of shots while putting out well over 100 fpe so the occasional coyote or groundhog are up the creek if noticed. I started the day strong smacking 3 in the first hour. Activity slowed down and only had 4 by lunch. Knew they’d start to get back out mid afternoon so I patiently waited and got lucky with an opportunity to take the last 2 off the same tree. Shot the first one and the second one appeared almost instantly to see why its buddy was flopping around on the ground. He found out why. Would be the perfect day if the 12 point buck would step out about 50 yards in front of me so it’s a no thinking just hold and squeeze type shot with my bulldog. Fingers crossedView attachment 407501View attachment 407502

We can't overlap like that here , but that would be neat to do so . Good job .

 

[AmosBurton]

That's a nice haul of squirrel. Too bad the buck didn't show.

Here in Ohio we are only allowed one “hunting implement” while hunting.

Same in IL and I can't imagine hitting a squirrel with a bow! Talk about jumping the string!
And if I actually hit one it would get cut in half buy the expanding broadhead if it opened.

 

[JakeRico]

GeronimoKY
I’ve often thought about doing the combo deer and squirrel hunting, but was afraid as others have said in regards to the additional noise while bow hunting.
You’ve inspired me to give it a try. Congratulations and good shooting on the squirrels.

 

[Vetmx]

You must be hunting from a blind in order to take the risk of being caught with your pants down, wrong weapon in hand when the buck shows up. That’s a big risk on a mature animal. It would be fun to pass the boring hours on stand by plinking squirrels but I believe enough deer slip by undetected because our noses are glued to our phones. Adding another distraction is just too risky for me. But at least in your case most trips to the woods can be productive. You get to kill stuff.

 

[dv8eod]

That's a nice haul of squirrel. Too bad the buck didn't show.


Same in IL and I can't imagine hitting a squirrel with a bow! Talk about jumping the string!
And if I actually hit one it would get cut in half buy the expanding broadhead if it opened.

I used to take squirrels with judo points until one day, a squirrel held on to it an ran up a tree. When I went to recover it, he decided to let it go and it landed right top dead center of my cranium. Needless to say, hunting was over for that day as every animal had left the county from the hooting and hollering that immediately ensued.
And to top it off, I Still didn't get the squirrel.

 

[moodyblues]

I’ve been toting a squirrel gun for a few years while deer hunting. I don’t go in the woods without one of my boys with me and it does a really good job keeping them engaged and hunting while sitting. We run either a 177 or a low power 22 to reduce the impact noise. We’ve had deer in sight multiple times while taking a squirrel and haven’t spooked one yet. I think the small pop isn’t something that sets them off to bad. A 30 cal seems a bit excessive, but can’t argue with results.

Beau

 

[Joedirt199]

I shot my deer this year with a suppressed 300 BO shooting 110 Vmax super sonics. Half the deer ran away but the doe that was walking with the doe I shot just walked off quietly. It was about 20 yards from the one I dropped with a head shot.

A couple years back I shot 2 right next to each and didn't even know it. Had a single shot 308 H&R that time. Head shot one from the stand. Started walking up to the deer and saw another head pop up. Thought it was the same deer since I didn't see the first one drop. Shot that one in the head and when I got up there I had 2 deer down right next to each other.

 

[sasquatch]

It's very tempting at times to take the airgun into the tree stand. In NC the skwirrel usually rut in November and there is heightened activity at dawn and dusk like deer. I have let myself down and shot some skwirrel from the deer stand. I tried with the bow this year but missed 3 times. Eventually when I hit them with the arrow it will make for a nice video.

That's a very nice deer