Rifle: CZ 452 Ultra Lux (Morning)
Scope: Clearidge Ultra RM Target Dot 3-9x32AO
Ammo: Aguila SE SS 38gr. HP
Rifle: CZ 452 16” American
Scope: Clearidge Ultra XP 6-20x40AO Mildot
Ammo: Federal Automatch 40gr. Solid
Was suppose to deer hunt this morning but I was entirely too lazy for that. So I opted for some squirrel action over at Stacey’s place. Pulled in and it was already light. As soon as I started getting my stuff together I could already hear movement coming from the woods. I walked under the pines in the grassy area to see a squirrel going up a tree just on the edge of the woods. He thought he was hiding well in the main split in the tree. Used my stixs and leveled the crosshairs right on the head. Around a 25 yard shot. Shot hit its mark, right in the noodle! Other squirrels started to scatter, and some others were business as usual.
Another squirrel then headed up a dead fall and hopped into a major den tree. We are talking high rise hotel den tree. Well he was up in the top third of the tree facing down. Right around 40 yards. I sent the first round right in front of his face. All that did was make him hug the tree tighter. Second shot was right in the bean, and out he fell. Squirrels continued to move in the area, but I couldn’t get on any of them.
I then collected the two hits I had made and listened for more movement. I headed down toward the corn pile and trail camera area. There was plenty of movement there, with squirrels scattering as I approached. I sat down under a holly tree and gave it a few minutes to let things settle. Just across the ravine there was movement, I’d say between 40-45 yards. I settled the crosshairs on the squirrel from my stix, pressed the shot of and I completely missed! I then caught movement from another squirrel. I wanted to wait on a head shot, but after waiting a while I decided for a shoulder shot. Well guess what, I missed that one too! My accuracy was starting to fall apart. That squirrel ran across the ravine, where the previous squirrel was back to feeding. I took another shot, skinning the spinal area of the mid back of the squirrel. This only injured the squirrel, which started to crawl off. Now the second squirrel had jumped up about four feet on the trunk of a tree. I put him in the crosshairs and MISSED, cycled the bolt and MISSED again. I was having trouble.
I made my way down to the ravine to find the injured squirrel down in the ditch still alive. I held high at about 10 yards and finished the job. I hate he had to suffer that long, but at least I could find and collect him. That was it for the morning as I was only able to hear movement but couldn’t visually locate any more squirrels.
On to the afternoon. I decided to put the puppies to work. We started a little early around 2:30(Sassy actually jumped some deer at Sid’s stand at 3:10) and were finishing up our lap, by the now named “poacher stand” when Sassy took off toward the trash/brush pile. She didn’t really tree, as I had to search the trees with my binos to see if there was a squirrel. Well in a large hickory tree there was a good sized squirrel. Took me some maneuvering but I got into position to take the shot. I hit the squirrel right in the end of the nose on the first shot. The next two shots I thought connected, but this squirrel was either a trooper or my morning accuracy was coming back to haunt me. On the fourth shot I connected in the neck/head region, finally knocking the squirrel out.
Sassy and Koda moved in to mouth the squirrel. Sassy was guarding it so Koda couldn’t mouth it. So Koda started sounding off and digging at the squirrel. Thought that was funny.
On our next lap Sassy ran down the path that goes to the wooden bridge area. Again another inadvertent tree. I found the squirrel while I was glassing a tree in the area. I couldn’t get the dogs to go to the other side to get the squirrel to come to mine. I had a plan to get this squirrel though. I walked up to the top of the ridge, glassing as I moved to see that the squirrel had settled into a “V” in the tree. I moved into position for the shot. Powered up to 14, PL’d down under 40 yards and settled in for a shot. Shot was loud and echoed, but hit it’s mark, in the noodle again. Dogs went down the hill to mouth the kill. First female of the day.
Next squirrel Sassy treed, was done the correct way. She took off out of sight, and then finally started to speak to let me know where she was at. When I got to her she was hitting on a dead tree which I figured housed some dens. Well I was wrong. Squirrel was up high, but decided to move through two other trees before settling into a “V”. Well I settled the ole 16” American in to the “V” of my stix. The squirrel was bladed heavily away from me. She was still shootable. One shot and she came falling out of that tree for the dogs to handle. Another bean shot.
The last squirrel of the day was treed again by Sassy down in the swampy area to the right of Sid’s stand. I was originally looking in the wrong tree trying to make the vine and leaves, magically become a raccoon so I could make Milton’s wife happy (I will always carry squirrels to Milton and his crew as they don’t have much to eat and it always makes him happy to have some squirrels), as all she ever wants is a coon. No luck. As I made my way back to the path as darkness was quickly setting in, I glassed the tree to the left. It was covered in vines but up towards the top I noticed a figure with eyes, that was rather large but it turned out to be just a squirrel. One quick shot into the back of the neck brought her right out of the tree.
It was an excellent day. I enjoyed both still and dog hunting.
Shots taken: 15 I think? Best I can recall.
Squirrels taken: 7
