|
So,
deer season is over and you have settled in for the winter. A great
time for lazing around watching football and maybe working a little
overtime to keep the boss off your back when the turkeys are gobbling
and the crappie are moving into shallow brush this spring. The coffee
table is littered with Outdoor Life, Field & Stream and outdoor
catalogs. Thoughts of the past season still fresh in your mind, you
are content, or are you.
Football
season is winding down and your team has already been eliminated,
your boss is starting to expect you to be at work everyday and your
wife is piling on the chores. It is time to get out of the house and
what better way to spend the day than sneaking up on some bushytails
on a cold sunny day.
Squirrel
hunting can be a very relaxing endeavor after sitting motionless in a
tree waiting for the elusive whitetail. Those long hours on stand
should give you an idea of where the squirrels are hanging out or at
least some good places where the acorns are plentiful. Squirrels may
be using that area now even if they were not early in the year. This
is also a good time to reverse this scenario and use your day a field
to locate some great stand locations for next deer season.
A
comfortable fanny or backpack is essential for squirrel hunting. You
need enough room for your calls if you use them. A thermos of hot
coffee if you drink it and a book if you read. A lunch is important
in cold weather if you plan to hunt all day. Late season usually
means very few hunters afield allowing you to wander freely and
explore your hunting area while providing you and yours with some
great game for the dinner table. If you do wander deep into the
woods, far from the truck, that thermos of coffee, lunch and a good
book or magazine will come in handy as the bushytails tend to go
inactive sometime during the day and unless you plan on trekking back
to the truck to wait for the evening feed then these items will make
your wait much more enjoyable.
Late
season usually means the breeding season is over and squirrels
usually don't travel far from home as they feed on the stockpile of
nuts they buried in late fall. For this reason spot and stalk is
usually the best way to harvest these tasty critters. Squirrels can
be hard to see at this time because they are digging in the leaves
for previously buried nuts. Since the nuts are buried close together,
and in large quantities, movement is kept to a minimum therefore
adding to the difficulties in spotting them. You may hear a squirrel
rummaging in the leaves, if they are dry, and even though you know
the squirrel is just ahead, you just cannot see it. A good set of low
power binoculars come in handy for spotting squirrels that are
digging. The leaves they are moving in search of nuts tend to
surround them making it even more difficult to see them and the
binoculars can help spot the moving leaves.
This
time of year squirrels are very skittish, as breeding subsides and
hunting pressure continues, sneaking up on a squirrel takes patience.
Late season tactics often times does not include calling. The
squirrels are just too close to their den and tend to bolt right to
their hole at the first sight or sound of danger. There are times,
during late season that a call may help when used sparingly. If you
can hear a squirrel digging for nuts but just can't see it you can
hit the distress call very lightly. At this close range it does not
take much. The desired effect would be a quick jump onto the side of
the tree as it glances back at where the sound originated. Be ready
and shoulder that rifle or shotgun quick or it will be gone. A good
time to use this method of calling is when you know the squirrels are
out and about and the sun is fast sinking. It is better to take a
chance on getting the squirrel to present a shot than to spend the
last waning minutes waiting it out. Call and watch for a shot then
move on to the squirrels you can plainly hear digging high on the
ridge above, this gives you more daylight to work with.
The
22-caliber rifle is the most popular round for squirrels. I have just
recently switched to the .17 mach 2 with mixed emotions about it. The
Mach 2 is a neat gun and fast, maybe a little too fast. If you have
the choice or you have not decided yet which gun to go with I
personally would pick the 22 caliber round which with practice and a
good scope you can make just as long a shots as the mach 2 as it
tends to deflect easily and at long yardages beyond 50 yards the wind
begins to effect the shot as well.
If
cabin fever has you down and the chores around the house are piling
up, get out and explore for a new area to hunt or return to where you
spotted all those squirrels during deer season and enjoy your time in
the woods. Squirrel hunting is a great way to introduce young people
to the world of hunting and can be a great way to spend the day with
your family.
SQUIRREL AND DUMPLINGS
3 whole squirrels
1 Box of Bisquick
1
large can of chicken stock (optional)
Boil squirrel until meat falls from bone
Remove
meat from bones and return meat to pot
Add stock if desired if
not retain stock from boiled squirrels
Follow direction on box
for drop dumplings
Enjoy!
|
