HD Tactical

My opening day of Florida squirrel season

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  • Daezee

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    Wake up to ringing phone...daughter calling...I should have gotten up an hour earlier, but I was tired from having been hog hunting with Sawman last night. (No hogs seen.) Did see ~20 deer which our presence scared out of the peanut fields eating peanuts. Deer have learned to paw up peanuts and eat them about the time they are ripe for harvesting.

    Gotta find my shotgun, grease pivot points and put together. 20gr side by side CZ Bobwhite. Had degreased the pivot points, put rust preventative on it and stored it after last year's squirrel season. Duh, I should've prepped it yesterday in-between guys coming to pay and pick up the bullets they bought, but gotta watch that soap opera with my wife. Now where are my shells? Oh, no problem this time...I'm friends with a gun shop owner. People bring in ammo to be disposed of, she gives it to my shooting group, we divide it up. Last week's ammo "deposit" was 12 Winchester 20ga high brass 1 oz #6's...perfect for squirrels and I was given all 12 since I'm the only squirrel hunter. Price on box was $5.49, so not real old, but not recent either. FWIW, Thursday Pace Walmart had no 20ga shells. I try to get #6 20ga whenever I see it for the next squirrel season; it's as hard to find as other ammo.

    Get dressed in camo. Walk about 30 seconds and I'm in the neighbor's woods. Have squirrel permission from opening day through Oct 31st, but only in a small area of his property across the street from my property. No squirrel hunting after that as he doesn't want the deer he hunts disturbed. No problem, I'm happy to have a place with lots of oak trees. Sitting quietly, it's common see deer early morning or late afternoon.

    Perfect day, cool so no sweating. Quiet so I can hear any acorns dropping. No breeze so I can better see movement. 10 minutes of sitting and movement is spotted...a squirrel. I have to move about 10' to get a clearer view. IC choke tube in right bbl and Full choke tube in left for close or far shooting. Squirrel is "far" and I shoot the left bbl. Squirrel drops. Reload. With no wind when gun is opened and shell removed, the smoke lingers a few seconds. The smell of a fired factory 20gr shell immediately takes me back to being a youngster in Indiana and "hunting" with my grandfather. He used a single shot 20ga. Too young and inexperienced to hunt on our own, my brother and I would go with him. He taught us to be still and which trees would have squirrels. But we'd never see the squirrels...all of a sudden my grandfather would shoot...now where the heck did that squirrel come from?...we never saw them until he shot and we could see the falling squirrel which we'd run to retrieve. A few years later, something just "clicked" and now we could spot squirrels; we then began to hunt on his farm by ourselves.

    Wow, back to reality. Walked to the tree the squirrel fell from...no squirrel. In my daydream I'd forgotten which tree. OK, there's the tree a few feet away and my first squirrel of the season.

    Waited another hour and saw two more. One vanished into the tree somewhere. The other went from tree to tree and ended up in an old oak about 20yd outside the designated squirrel hunting area. I watched it, but it didn't seem like it would come back into the shoot area. Went back to my folding chair, picked up my squirrel and walked the short distance home. Now to clean him.

    5C035B34-9DB1-4D09-AF38-766B5A3CA42E.jpeg
     

    SAWMAN

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    - - -> Full disclosure - -> Bruce has never invited me and my "inside of a nickle" 10/22.
    Bruce was over one day. It was squirrel season. There was a tree rat in my back yard.
    I went in and got my older Savage and some CCI CB EE''s. Popped the rat,gave it to Bruce,he took it home,and I will allow him to tell the rest of the story. --- SAWMAN
     

    sj1

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    Great descriprion of a great hunt. Squirrel hunting is my absolute favorite kind of hunting. Season here in Alabama where I go has been open since September 11, but I've been busy, and/or fishing. I have packed my Crosman along with the fishing gear lately. I'm inspired now.
     

    Duckyou

    I don’t give a Weiner shit!
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    How do you clean them? I have not shot one in 20 years but my friend would clean them as he could do it in about 30 seconds.
     

    Daezee

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    Darn, that's quick! I cut the slit in the hide on the back and peal hide towards head and tail. Cut off head, feet, and tail. Gut and cut squirrel in half. Soak in salted water a couple of days, hoping to get more. Freeze in packages of 4 squirrels.

    This old made squirrel had a VERY tough hide.
     

    Rebel_Rider1969

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    - - -> Full disclosure - -> Bruce has never invited me and my "inside of a nickle" 10/22.
    Bruce was over one day. It was squirrel season. There was a tree rat in my back yard.
    I went in and got my older Savage and some CCI CB EE''s. Popped the rat,gave it to Bruce,he took it home,and I will allow him to tell the rest of the story. --- SAWMAN
    I hear airguns work too...... :cool:
     

    SAWMAN

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    Absolutely.
    My old pump up Crosman has taken 100+ i would say.
    Open sights,opened up rear notch a little,tweaked some,keep oiled/greased,shoots MOS at 25yds(back yard). ---- SAWMAN
     

    sj1

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    Yep. Very inspiring thread. Got this one yesterday, first blood with the Crosman 2240. It's got some upgrades, too.
    Hopefully, I'll get enough to make gravy with before this one gets freezer burn.
     

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    Rebel_Rider1969

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    Yep. Very inspiring thread. Got this one yesterday, first blood with the Crosman 2240. It's got some upgrades, too.
    Hopefully, I'll get enough to make gravy with before this one gets freezer burn.
    Seems like you can mod those to pcp. Stocks as well.
     

    Bearkat

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    When you get 4, put them in the crockpot, season and cook them low and slow, pick all the bones out and freeze the meat. Cook it up in a skillet, make white gravy, and biscuits or with rice and brown gravy. Tastes so good it'll make your tongue knock out your front teeth tryin to get at it!
     

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