Today was a workout day & it was pretty hot so I didn’t plan to hunt after lunch. I did need to pull my trail cam so headed into the woods carrying the .17 just in case. It wasn’t too bad in the woods so I pulled on my bibs, grabbed my chair, headed to my spot. It only too an hour to realize that it was too danged hot. Got the cam, went home, pressure cooked the squirrels, deboned them, & frozen the meat.
Wednesday – 09/07/16
Had a Drs appt this morning & didn’t get into the woods until 8:50 which seems to be about the right time as the foxes don’t start stirring until 9 or later. The 1st 1 showed up at 9 but didn’t offer a shot. Some time around 9:15 – 9:30, I crashed completely & totally. I had been awake since 2:30 & just couldn’t keep my eyes open. The bushies could have thrown a party right in front of me & I wouldn’t have known it. I was out until about 10.
Number 2 showed up at 10:12, #3 at 10:24, & #4 at 10:40. They all seemed to have some place to be & it wasn’t in my truck. They only stopped for split seconds but when they did stop for longer, there was always a sapling, tree, or something else blocking a shot. All that is except #4. He made the mistake of stopping just long enough for me to squeeze off a shot. Unfortunately, he moved just as I shot & I spined him. I had a heckuva time cleaning him.
At 11:49, #5 showed up on the side of a tree & he joined #4 on my squirrel tree. I had to lean a little to my left to shoot under the leaning tree as I couldn’t see all the bushy sitting straight. I stepped it off & it was 43 steps or right at 130 feet. That’s a long poke for me. I usually like them a lot closer. Then, at 12:55, another 1 showed up on the same spot as #4 but didn’t offer a shot. I watched it for several seconds on the ground & then it disappeared. I never saw where it went. There is a rotted log right there & I think it went over it & out of sight.
That was it until 3:14 when #7 came running right at me. I got the .17 up with the safety off waiting for a shot. I know that squirrels are incapable of thought but this 1 sure knew what it was doing. It changed course ever so slightly & stopped directly behind a sapling about 6-7 yards in front of me that was just a little wider then the squirrel. The sapling did a great job of hiding its head & almost seemed like the squirrel had thought it out. All I could see was the hind quarters but if I had shot it, there wouldn’t have been anything left to clean. We were in a standoff for at least 15-20 seconds. The .17 has a bull barrel & it was getting heavy so I leaned a little to my right & off it ran back the way it came. I hit the road at 5. It was fairly nice all day inside the woods but it was hot on the outside.
I plan on being out early tomorrow & hunt the woods behind my Sis & BILs house. I haven’t hunted it yet but there have been bushies showing up on the trail cam.
The spots where #4 through #7 are marked. It’s really tough to get good shots in this woods due to all the saplings.
HEY RON MEEK & DAVID CALHOUN!!!! The XX family retired & turned their spot marking duties over to the Numerical Clan!! ROTFLMOHAO!!
