Hunting alone.....

alscalls · January 03, 2009, 02:20:54 PM

I was going early this AM however the cold outside kept saying drink coffee and relax you been hunting hard for two weeks.

I decided to wait till about 10 AM then go after some tree rats.
After 15 min. of walking into the woods on my farm I sat down and opened a Pop, had a smoke and I could hear some squacks on the far bank chasing each other around a bit so when all fell quiet I made some squack noises of my own and a bunch of em came running down toward me. I still could not see them, but I knew they were close so I waited and sure enough the Big Red attacked!!! Flopping its tail and chattering at me and I had no choice..........I shot off hand with my .22 and SMACK! It fell hard as the hollow point did its job!........

Then all was silent.......I knew there were more so I waited and sure enough three more ran like hell out of range and started chasing again. So I just sat there for a few min. and heard some more coming from my right! I counted 8 grays in one tree chasing all around as I waited for the head shots I love so much and when the first one meesed up and sat on a stump looking right at me at 80yds or so SMACK.right in the head!

That never gets old.

I saw the others run for cover and soon a third one came to the second one and sniffed his body wondering what had happened...SMACK!!! Double head shots and they lay there right on top one another!

That was enough for a mess though I was sure I could limit out today if I had stayed.

I skinned them out while they were warm and admired the hides thinking....This was not my best year but it was probably one of the funest ones...

I hope we all share any hunt we can as they are all good.

Todd Rahm · January 03, 2009, 02:52:17 PM

Well I miss hunting the "squacks" as ya call them. We have those lil' red/pine squirrels up here and it would take at least 10 or so to equal one of those meaty fellas. Ahhh, maybe one day I'll get back there.

Nice post and cool lil' hides ya got stretched out there.

HaMeR · January 03, 2009, 03:22:42 PM

Sounds like a nice quiet time you had Al!! You deserved this time to yourself my Friend.

nailbender · January 03, 2009, 03:53:28 PM

Sounds like a day well spent!

alscalls · January 03, 2009, 04:49:51 PM

Skinning alone I use the tail method......make a few cuts on the hide, just like prepping a deer for skinning with the guts still in it.
Then step on the tail and pull on the feet and it comes off like a T-shirt.

I always bring plastic bags with me to put the meat in......I wish I knew an easy way to tan those hides though

I would love to make something out of em. when I get enough of them. They are tough hides!
Any Ideas????

FinsnFur · January 03, 2009, 05:04:17 PM

Rittel's has some nice do it yourself kits for reasonable prices. Your best bet would be to buy them through VanDykes

Nice lil mess a squirrels

pitw · January 03, 2009, 05:08:04 PM

Looked like a fine way to spend a day to me. If I spent a week out looking for squirrels to eat I'd be eating coyote. Good stuff and thank's for letting me look.
Barry

Frogman · January 03, 2009, 05:38:39 PM

Way to go Al,

Looks like you had more action than I did. Four stands at the lease and no response. The three guys who went with me rabbit hunted and got into gold mine of rabbits. Wish I would have taken the shotgun???

Jim

KySongDog · January 03, 2009, 05:55:02 PM

Quote from: alscalls on January 03, 2009, 04:49:51 PM
Skinning alone I use the tail method......make a few cuts on the hide, just like prepping a deer for skinning with the guts still in it.
Then step on the tail and pull on the feet and it comes off like a T-shirt.

hey Al, I posted a thread about how to skin a squirrel by stepping on its tail back in May 2007.

http://www.finsandfur.net/forums/index.php?topic=2405.0

There's a link to a video in that thread to a guy called Mr. Squacks. He shows how to do it.

See if thats the same as you do.

alscalls · January 03, 2009, 06:44:25 PM

No Semp that is not how I do it..

He does it in two pieces I do it in one piece.

I will say his way is a bit quicker but you must pull harder and could tear the squack in half and the hide would be no good at all.
I cut a small patch of skin from the belly near the crotch...........then I slip under the hide and cut the hide up each leg to the ankle I also cut part way up the belly being careful not to cut the meat.
I pull the back legs through the remaining hide like removing mittens.......Then cut through the tail bone and step on the tail and pull on the hind legs. One piece.......The cuts you make makes it easy to pull so if you shot him up some he wont rip in half if you are careful.....what he does is how I was first taught and I tell ya it is cleaner and quicker but only when it works right... like a head shot or something.

cb223 · January 03, 2009, 08:16:00 PM

Looks like you had a bunch of fun, I love hunting squirrels with the rimfire. Although my choice is the HMR. My son or daughter carries my 10/22.

I'm going to have to try and remember that skinning method. I hate cleaning those damn little rats. Maybe your method will make me want to go more. That translates to taking the kids more.

KySongDog · January 03, 2009, 10:31:43 PM

The trick is to cut through the tailbone but not the tail and especially important to get the cuts down the sides from the tailbone right. If you get those cuts wrong, you could pull the squirrel in half or pull off the tail.

With a little practice you can zip a squirrel in no time.

I use a pair of diagonal pliers to snip off the paws. Pretty quick when you get the hang of it. I've never kept the hides so I don't worry about that.

nastygunz · January 04, 2009, 09:33:55 PM

AWESOME

NHmsj · January 07, 2009, 07:28:24 PM

Nice trio of squirrels. To see such a sight brings a smile to my face! Wish we had Fox squirrel here in NH. For that matter, I wish we had more Gray squirrels. Population's been a bit thin past few years. Fortunately, however, we've got enough to keep the hunting an honest challenge.

msj

msmith · January 10, 2009, 08:30:46 AM

I got some stuff from Mountain State Muzzleloader, when they were open, called "Grimshaws Tanning Powder" It's a quick and dirty way of tanning small game hides. You just sprinkle this on a stretched hide and wait 3 to 4 days then scrape it off and add oil. Heck, it might just be borax for all I know, but it might be worth checking out. Cain's outdoors may carry it now.

alscalls · January 10, 2009, 08:44:12 AM

Thanks Mike.

possumal · January 10, 2009, 08:50:50 AM

Alscalls Al, you sure brought back some good memories. I used to have a neighbor who skinned our squirrels that way. He watched me doing a couple like a typical city boy with my snips, cutting a place in the back to get a grip, etc., and he asked me what the hell I was doing? He then took his razor sharp pocket knife and skinned one without a hair on it anyplace in about two or three minutes. He was born and raised in the Kentucky mountain country of Breathitt County. I sure miss that rascal.

As for your squirrel hides, I saw a fellow make a wall plaque out of one fox squirrel and two greys one time, and it looked awfully good in his den. He had the 3 hides arranged sort of like your picture, with two shotgun hulls, one on each side, at an angle just above the 3 hides about 4 inches. He had a small engraved brass plaque at the bottom saying something like "Squack". It was pretty cool.

Glad you had a good day in the woods.