NY squirrel hunting info needed.
Question:
Tips needed on hunting squirrels in NY Catskills Mts. and nearby areas. Info about a good sq rifle,hunting methods,and the best time to hunt squirrels will be greatly appreciated. I am thinking about getting a Marlin .22WMR cant decide yet if I’ll get the semi-auto or bolt. Thanks! RC
Response:
: Tips needed on hunting squirrels in NY Catskills Mts. and nearby areas. : Info about a good sq rifle,hunting methods,and the best time to hunt : squirrels will be greatly appreciated. : I am thinking about getting a Marlin .22WMR cant decide yet if I’ll get : the semi-auto or bolt. Extremely poor choice for squirrel. I know — years ago, all I had was a Marlin 25MN in .22mag, or WMR….To this day, it’s my least favorite rifle to shoot. Ammo’s expensive, the .22mag is neither "here nor there" (and here we go again 
, and it’s overkill for Gray Squirrel. You’ll find yourself with a mess, if you don’t get a nice head-shot. That said, my two favorite choices are either an ancient .22lr single-shot .22 TargetMaster, or a 10/22T with a Simmons 44mag 4x-12 variable. In both I shoot either CCI Green-Tag, or Fiocchi Silouette target ammo, and the squirrels don’t know what hit ‘em. But I’m kinda weird about squirrel hunting. I love to do it, but I don’t much like eating ‘em, so many days I won’t even shoot one. To me, the joy is being out in the woods, and trying to execute the *perfect* head-shot (making sure I’ve got a back-stop). Then, once or twice a season, I’ll make a Brunswick stew out of the odd dozen I’ve bagged, eat it, with a lot of beer and Texas Pete, and consider myself fortunate. On the East Coast, however, squirrels are squirrels. First, you need to hunt where squirrel are — eg, look for a nice stand of hard-woods, and "sign." Small, uprooted patches in the forest floor. Bits and pieces of acorns. Squirrel nests. It isn’t hard. Once you’ve found a likely area, sit quietly and still. Did I say still? Listen. Look. Wait. Soon, they’ll forget you’re there, and you’ll see or here ‘em. I usually tote in a small collapsible tripod for a seat. Also, I cut a "shooting-stick" so I always have a rest for my shot…. Another technique that can work quite well, if you’re sick of sitting still, is to hunt with a friend. Take turns — one person moves without caution, but not deliberately loudly — the other trails him by a hundred yards or so. You’ll be amazed how many squirrels will "hide" from the first guy, by circling around the trunk of a tree, but not see you. Enjoy. Be safe. Especially if you’re using a .22….Where’s that bullet going to end up, eh?
Response:
> : Tips needed on hunting squirrels in NY Catskills Mts. and nearby areas. > : Info about a good sq rifle,hunting methods,and the best time to hunt > : squirrels will be greatly appreciated. > : I am thinking about getting a Marlin .22WMR cant decide yet if I’ll get > : the semi-auto or bolt.
Louie, there are gray tails all over the State, so you don’t have to worry about not finding any. If you can find a stand of hardwoods, you’ll probably find them. For a smokeless rifle get a .22 long rifle or a shotgun. I prefer one of my frontstuffers. Fred — George Mason: "To disarm the people, that is the best and most effectual way to enslave them."
Response:
Any .22 is fine for squirrels, as long as it’s accurate and you can shoot it well. I’ve hunted squirrels with my dad’s old .22 bolt action (iron sights, single shot), a .22 revolver, a friend’s Winchester target rifle (deadly accurate), and this year I’ll be using a scoped Marlin Papoose. .22 magnum is overkill, IMHO. Early morning (sunrise) is the best time. Best technique I know of is to sit under an oak or hickory tree and take a nap. When the squirrel wakes you up, shoot it and move on to another tree, and take another nap <g>. -Dana — Don’t use reply….. Above email address is invalid to defeat robot spammers! If replying by email, remove the exclamation points (!). Politics: Poli (many) – tics (blood sucking parasites)
