Opening Days of 2016 Squirrel Season

everything except turkey & deer
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HunterGKS
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Opening Days of 2016 Squirrel Season

Post by HunterGKS »

Thursday, Friday, & Saturday


If the 1st 3 days of the 2016 squirrel season are any indication, I may not even have enough for fall turkey camp let alone extra!! I have hunted 19 hours. Thurs A.M., I saw 3 coons, 3 reds, & 1 fox, the P.M. 1 red & 1 fox. Weds P.M. 1 fox. Sat A.M., 8 trains passed, 6 coons & 1 fox, the P.M., 1 fox & 4 trains until 5:50 P.M.. I planned on leaving at 6 as it was getting dark in the woods & nothing was happening anyway. Then things changed. The woods seemed to come alive at 5:50. I saw 1 for a couple of seconds & it disappeared just as another started scolding. I saw another 1 moving to my left but it didn't stop for a shot. Then another 1 moved in the same direction as the previous 1. At 6 straight up, 1 jumped up on a small stump & I finally had a shot & took him in the neck. Hopefully #1 will get things going. After 3 days last year, I had 7 so I have some catching up to do. That’s 8 seen, 1 heard, & 1 killed.

Sunday

Not much going on this morning from 7 until 8:45, 4 trains, 2 coons, & no squirrels. Then, at 8:45, things started popping fast when 2 pair of foxes started chasing each other all over the woods but never stopping long enough for a shot. At 9, 2 more started chasing all around a tree a few feet up about 20 yards from me, again, no shot. At 9:15, 1 started barking behind me & 1 ran down a log, stopping long enough for me to offer him a ride home on my ATV, which he accepted. I saw/heard 7 with 1 killed, only 1 less seen/heard in 30 minutes than I had in the previous 19 hours in the woods.

At 10: 52, I heard 1 barking behind me to my left. I moved around in my chair & finally spotted it. After a couple of minutes, it moved down the tree & stopped long enough for a shot. Since it was close to quitting time, I went to pick it up but couldn’t find it. I looked all over & no bushy. WHAT THE HECK?!?! The way it dropped out of the tree from 30’ up & the thud it made when it hit the ground, it had to be dead. I looked some more & nothing. I went back to my chair, re-played the shot, walked directly to the tree, & picked up another male. Some how I had gone to the wrong tree the 1st time. A few minutes after 11, I saw something moving in the underbrush to my right. I watched & it finally moved onto a dead fall about 15 yards in front of me, a red. It ran down the trunk until it was directly in front of me, turning & facing me with an unshucked walnut in its mouth. He joined the other 2. There isn’t much meat on reds but I figured I’d better take what I can get.

I plan to hit “my” turkey woods in the morning & maybe behind the house tomorrow afternoon.

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George

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Hognutz
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Re: Opening Days of 2016 Squirrels Season

Post by Hognutz »

Do you eat those red squirrels, George?
May I assume you're not here to inquire about the alcohol or the tobacco?
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soiltester
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Re: Opening Days of 2016 Squirrels Season

Post by soiltester »

Weather change will help now!! :thumbup:

Go git' em' :thumbup: :thumbup:
ever wonder where the white goes when the snow melts??
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HunterGKS
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Re: Opening Days of 2016 Squirrels Season

Post by HunterGKS »

Hognutz wrote:Do you eat those red squirrels, George?
Depends on where I hit them. If it's in the front quarter/head, I use the hind quarter starting at the back of the rib cage. Any other hit makes it almost impossible to clean. I hate those little PIAs!!!!
George

YOU KNOW YOU HAVE TO KEEP YOUR BODY STILL. YOUR HEART JUST HASN'T CAUGHT ON.

.17 = NITRO OF THE RIMFIRE WORLD USAF 1969-1973


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HunterGKS
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Re: Opening Days of 2016 Squirrels Season

Post by HunterGKS »

soiltester wrote:Weather change will help now!! :thumbup:

Go git' em' :thumbup: :thumbup:
Not around here for at least a few days. Was 54 at the woods edge at 7 this morning & 77 when I left. Supposed to get into the 80s this afternoon so I don't know if I'll go back out. Tomorrow they're calling for the high 80s low 90s. Can't wait until it stays cool & the leaves start dropping faster.
George

YOU KNOW YOU HAVE TO KEEP YOUR BODY STILL. YOUR HEART JUST HASN'T CAUGHT ON.

.17 = NITRO OF THE RIMFIRE WORLD USAF 1969-1973


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Grumpy
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Re: Opening Days of 2016 Squirrels Season

Post by Grumpy »

Look like rodents to me.
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OLE RASPY
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Re: Opening Days of 2016 Squirrels Season

Post by OLE RASPY »

Good job George. Im ready to get out but alittle to hot right now :thumbup:
TURKEYS
COYOTES
DEER
SQUIRRELS
(all in this order)
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HunterGKS
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Re: Opening Days of 2016 Squirrels Season

Post by HunterGKS »

OLE RASPY wrote:Good job George. Im ready to get out but alittle to hot right now :thumbup:
I was out today from 12:30 til 1:30 & it was too hot for the squirrels & damn sure too hot for me. I have a Docs appt 1st thing tomorrow & may try mid-morning but it's supposed to be hot again.
George

YOU KNOW YOU HAVE TO KEEP YOUR BODY STILL. YOUR HEART JUST HASN'T CAUGHT ON.

.17 = NITRO OF THE RIMFIRE WORLD USAF 1969-1973


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soiltester
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Re: Opening Days of 2016 Squirrels Season

Post by soiltester »

Same here .. little cooler in the am, but mis 90's in the afternoon .. and no rain !!
ever wonder where the white goes when the snow melts??
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HunterGKS
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Re: Opening Days of 2016 Squirrels Season

Post by HunterGKS »

Maybe rain Thursday but I won't wait for it. I plan to open a new woods Thursday morning that trail cam pics show a lot of squirrels & some nice deer. Hopefully it will be cooler.
George

YOU KNOW YOU HAVE TO KEEP YOUR BODY STILL. YOUR HEART JUST HASN'T CAUGHT ON.

.17 = NITRO OF THE RIMFIRE WORLD USAF 1969-1973


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Turkinator
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Re: Opening Days of 2016 Squirrels Season

Post by Turkinator »

I haven't been to the squirrel woods yet, to busy with doves, how is the mast crop up your way? Seems spotty down here.
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Re: Opening Days of 2016 Squirrels Season

Post by poorcountrypreacher »

Sounds like to me that you need to switch to a shotgun and 6 shot for early season hunting. Its tough to get a good shot at one with a rifle when all the leaves are on the trees. Our season comes in soon, but I don't hunt the early season; nearly every squirrel will have cattle grubs in him. They don't really hurt the meat, but I don't wanta eat a squirrel with grubs in him.

Good luck on your hunting!
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HunterGKS
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Re: Opening Days of 2016 Squirrels Season

Post by HunterGKS »

Turkinator wrote:I haven't been to the squirrel woods yet, to busy with doves, how is the mast crop up your way? Seems spotty down here.
Mast isn't that good. We went almost 2 months with very little rain in July-Aug & it hurt. The walnuts had started dropping in July. But there is a lot of corn around most of the patch woods I hunt.
George

YOU KNOW YOU HAVE TO KEEP YOUR BODY STILL. YOUR HEART JUST HASN'T CAUGHT ON.

.17 = NITRO OF THE RIMFIRE WORLD USAF 1969-1973


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Re: Opening Days of 2016 Squirrels Season

Post by HunterGKS »

poorcountrypreacher wrote:Sounds like to me that you need to switch to a shotgun and 6 shot for early season hunting. I hate picking shot & hate chewing it even more so I quit shotgunning about 8 years ago. Also, except for 1, every squirrel I have seen this year has either been on the ground or on the side of a tree in plan view. Its tough to get a good shot at one with a rifle when all the leaves are on the trees. Our season comes in soon, but I don't hunt the early season; nearly every squirrel will have cattle grubs in him. I been squirrel hunting up here for 12 years I think & haven't found the 1st grub. I have heard of them having bot fly larvae but never have seen 1. They don't really hurt the meat, but I don't wanta eat a squirrel with grubs in him.

Good luck on your hunting!
Thx. Same to you when it comes in.
George

YOU KNOW YOU HAVE TO KEEP YOUR BODY STILL. YOUR HEART JUST HASN'T CAUGHT ON.

.17 = NITRO OF THE RIMFIRE WORLD USAF 1969-1973


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Re: Opening Days of 2016 Squirrels Season

Post by appalachianassassin »

I killed 7 greys Saturday and 6 of them had a wolf (bot fly larve) in them. ill wait till frost to go again.
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HunterGKS
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Re: Opening Days of 2016 Squirrels Season

Post by HunterGKS »

appalachianassassin wrote:I killed 7 greys Saturday and 6 of them had a wolf (bot fly larve) in them. ill wait till frost to go again.
Still haven't found 1. There are a lot of bot flies in the woods blue & green. Not sure why the bushies don't have larvae. Good luck when you get back out.
George

YOU KNOW YOU HAVE TO KEEP YOUR BODY STILL. YOUR HEART JUST HASN'T CAUGHT ON.

.17 = NITRO OF THE RIMFIRE WORLD USAF 1969-1973


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