Squirrel Season 2017-2018

[Kent Goldings]

Early squirrel season is here. I bought the CZ455 last winter, so it was first in the rotation. I took one squirrel about 20 minutes after sunrise.

The weather was cool and the wind was calm. I saw two other squirrels, but I didn't have a good shot.

CZ 455 American 22LR Bushnell 4-14x40, CCI segmented Quiet.

 

[Robin]

my squirrel medicine, take one pill in the morning. .36 and a true head shooter.

Robin

 

[Kent Goldings]

During the frontier era, a woodsman would only carry one muzzleloader. The firearm would be expected to take all kinds of game both big and small. They would take squirrels by "barking" them. That's shooting a spot on the tree close to the squirrel's head. Wood shrapnel and the fall from the tree would hopeful be fatal. This had the advantages of both minimizing meat damage from a large caliber and making the shot easy to recover. I've often thought of trying it this way. But, the DEC might take umbrage to a hunter stalking the woods with a muzzleloader out of deer season blowing 50 caliber holes in the trees.

 

[rsmitty]

There's a season for squirrel? Who knew?

 

[Doc8404]

@Kent Goldings how do you cook them?

 

[togmaster]

@Kent Goldings how do you cook them?

Squirrel tartare?

 

[Criticalt]

Not a huge fan of squirrel but ill be out for bunnies.
I hope there are more this season than the last couple.

 

[Kent Goldings]

@Kent Goldings how do you cook them?

I freeze them until I have enough to make sliders.

 

[Bananabandit]

Squirrel and bunbuns...nothing like stalkibg through a foot of snow to look for small game...ahh memory lane. need to have some. Forgot what it tastes like

 

[dubleuhb]

Squirrel and bunbuns...nothing like stalkibg through a foot of snow to look for small game...ahh memory lane. need to have some. Forgot what it tastes like

Chicken, taste like chicken.

 

[Saltwater60]

I've been s

Not a huge fan of squirrel but ill be out for bunnies.
I hope there are more this season than the last couple.

I've been seeing tons of rabbits so hopefully it will be good this year. I'm planning on heading out a few times for rabbits and possibly grouse. I went once and got one rabbit last year. I found a good spot, but it was tough bush wacking and my partner flaked on me. I was a bit aggravated.

 

[Kent Goldings]

I've been s

I've been seeing tons of rabbits so hopefully it will be good this year. I'm planning on heading out a few times for rabbits and possibly grouse. I went once and got one rabbit last year. I found a good spot, but it was tough bush wacking and my partner flaked on me. I was a bit aggravated.

I took my bike through Stewart earlier this summer saw about a dozen rabbits just on the trail. I also saw a couple of grouse and fox as well.

I'd love to hunt rabbits, but I don't have a dog....or someone to act like a dog. Squirrels offer just about everything I need to get ready for deer season. You just have to get over the rodent thing. Hunting squirrel isn't really a cost effective way to get meat. I hunt for the challange and exercise. It is a great way to practice woodcraft. I eat the meat not to be wasteful.

I mention squirrel hunting as a great way to shock the city folk I work with. City squirrels a fearless and dirty. They are much less desirable than their woodland brothers. Forest squirrels are alert and canny. They eat 100% free range, organic nuts.

 

[rsmitty]

Not a huge fan of squirrel but ill be out for bunnies.
I hope there are more this season than the last couple.

Wait....there's a season for rabbit? WTF!

 

[Criticalt]

Wait....there's a season for rabbit? WTF!

There is a season for frogs, turtles, varying hares and bobwhites too.
For every thing there is a season.

 

[nortatoga]

Wait....there's a season for rabbit? WTF!

There are a few unprotected species that have no season ( Red squirrel, Woodchuck, Porcupine and a few others) but you still need a Hunting License. You should get fimilar with the DEC hand book or download Pocket Ranger app on you smart phone.

 

[Trauma47645]

I took my bike through Stewart earlier this summer saw about a dozen rabbits just on the trail. I also saw a couple of grouse and fox as well.

I'd love to hunt rabbits, but I don't have a dog....or someone to act like a dog. Squirrels offer just about everything I need to get ready for deer season. You just have to get over the rodent thing. Hunting squirrel isn't really a cost effective way to get meat. I hunt for the challange and exercise. It is a great way to practice woodcraft. I eat the meat not to be wasteful.

I mention squirrel hunting as a great way to shock the city folk I work with. City squirrels a fearless and dirty. They are much less desirable than their woodland brothers. Forest squirrels are alert and canny. They eat 100% free range, organic nuts.

you really saw grouse in stewart?

I havent seen a grouse in stewart or any of orange county for that matter in about 7 years..

 

[rsmitty]

There is a season for frogs, turtles, varying hares and bobwhites too.
For every thing there is a season.

I like salt and pepper

 

[Kent Goldings]

you really saw grouse in stewart?

I havent seen a grouse in stewart or any of orange county for that matter in about 7 years..

I was riding a bike at the time. It ran ahead of me on the trail for a bit. It might have been a quail.

 

[Trauma47645]

I was riding a bike at the time. It ran ahead of me on the trail for a bit. It might have been a quail.

I'm not doubting you.. I actually would be thrilled to start seeing them in the area again..

not only are they great game birds, but they have personality also..

we had one that was a regular visitor to my backyard when i was growing up..
was damn near fearless, in the spring he would sit up on the willow tree stump and drum

 

[Saltwater60]

I took my bike through Stewart earlier this summer saw about a dozen rabbits just on the trail. I also saw a couple of grouse and fox as well.

I'd love to hunt rabbits, but I don't have a dog....or someone to act like a dog. Squirrels offer just about everything I need to get ready for deer season. You just have to get over the rodent thing. Hunting squirrel isn't really a cost effective way to get meat. I hunt for the challange and exercise. It is a great way to practice woodcraft. I eat the meat not to be wasteful.

I mention squirrel hunting as a great way to shock the city folk I work with. City squirrels a fearless and dirty. They are much less desirable than their woodland brothers. Forest squirrels are alert and canny. They eat 100% free range, organic nuts.

I don't have a dog. I just walk my parents property through the thickest brush I can find. Sure is a tough ass day, but I like it. If the snow was not so so crunchy I'm sure I would have done better last time. This year I'm looking for greatness. 2 rabbits in one day. Honestly I don't much care as long as I get out and get something. Slow rabbit and grouse day I'd shoot a squirell.

 

[nortatoga]

This past weekend I picked up some 22lr ammo at the Saratoga Gun Show that may be good for small game? Winchester M-22 Subsonic 45gr. I like the standard M-22 for plinking so I will test this with a few of my 22's! Just got a new Nikon scope for my favorite 22 rifle my 77/22, but may test this ammo while it is still set up for Benchrest shooting with the Weaver T-24 scope.

 

[S&W Fan]

I've got a ton of rabbits in my back yard this year. The little bastards have been eating my apples and I see them feasting on the clover out back. Mmm mmm. Come season opener I'll be clubbing one or two with a 175grn. Blunt tipped arrow from my Recurve bow.

 

[S&W Fan]

Squirrel hunting, meh. I used to hunt them regularly when I was much younger and hungrier. It was nothing to go out and shoot a half doz. or more in a couple of hrs.

 

[rsmitty]

Squirrel hunting, meh. I used to hunt them regularly when I was much younger and hungrier. It was nothing to go out and shoot a half doz. or more in a couple of hrs.

And you needed a half dozen for a meal

 

[S&W Fan]

And you needed a half dozen for a meal

I could make a pretty damn good meal out of 3 or 4. That, a few carrots, a couple of taters and an onion , some beef bullion and water would make a right fine stew.

 

[nortatoga]

I could make a pretty damn good meal out of 3 or 4. That, a few carrots, a couple of taters and an onion , some beef bullion and water would make a right fine stew.

I'm originally from Long Island, and I swear the grey squirrels are bigger down there! But I do see a lot more black one's up here in Saratoga County.

 

[S&W Fan]

I'm originally from Long Island, and I swear the grey squirrels are bigger down there! But I do see a lot more black one's up here in Saratoga County.

Yeah, the greys were Alwas nice and plump. Never wasted my time with the scrawny reds and black squirrels were very few and far between back then.

 

[nortatoga]

Yeah, the greys were Alwas nice and plump. Never wasted my time with the scrawny reds and black squirrels were very few and far between back then.

Never saw any Reds out in Suffolk County! First I ever saw Reds was camping on Cape Cod. They drove my Irish Setter nuts chriping at him from the trees, Til the day he died if you asked Baron were's the squirrel he start looking up into the trees!

 

[Robin]

We got a healthy population of Fox Squirrels around here and it seems to be growing. They are huge as far as squirrels go.
Robin

 

[Kent Goldings]

Never saw any Reds out in Suffolk County! First I ever saw Reds was camping on Cape Cod. They drove my Irish Setter nuts chriping at him from the trees, Til the day he died if you asked Baron were's the squirrel he start looking up into the trees!

Stewart State forest has a lot of Red Squirrels. They are generally easier to hunt than greys because they feed on the ground. They also make a loud grinding noise. They stand out starkly againt the snow. They're fun to blast with a shotgun. But, they are strictly varmits and I don't hunt them when grey squirrels are around.

I've only seen black squirrels in the Bronx. Seriously, not a joke. You can find them all over a Bronx Zoo and the other parks. The Lehman college campus is infested. I wouldn't want to eat a squirrel raised in the city.

I love to see some fox squirrels in Ulster County. They're supposed to be pretty stupid.

I only hunt fur about 2 hours in the morning of evening. Sometimes I see no squirrels. It seems really dependent on weather. I feel lucky when I see three.