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Post by dburkhead on Sept 5, 2008 20:28:37 GMT -5
I'm planning going hunting for squirrels tomorrow morning (north end of Morgan Monroe State Forest). Today, at the range, I tried some preparation practice.
I had printed out a bunch of squirrel "picture targets"--a squirrel sitting on a limb eating a nut--very archetypical squirrel--that worked out to about 1/2 to 1/3 scale given the "typical" sizes of an adult squirrel I've seen listed (I've never actually measured one in real life). Since the indoor range is limited to 50 feet, this is approximately like shooting 30-50 yards (my rifle, with it's scope set up, is sighted to produce +/- 1 inch using high velocity ammo from 5 to 70 yards, provided I read the ballistics tables right).
Normally, I put the rifle to my shoulder, inhale, let it out, hold, fire, inhale, let it out, hold, fire, etc., until I've fired off one magazine (10 rounds). In addition to the new target, this time I did something different. I held the rifle in a "ready carry" (modified so the barrel was pointed downrange rather than to the side), lifted it to my shoulder, got a sight picture, held my breath at wherever it was in my breathing cycle at that point, and fired relatively quickly. The idea was to mimic what might happen in the woods. I spot a squirrel, and I don't have a lot of time to take aim and take the shot. I also changed my foot positions from time to time, again, on the basis that I wouldn't have time to set up a perfect stance while hunting. The squirrel would be gone before I could get set up.
I shot 100 rounds, of which about 60 hit the squirrel pictures somewhere in the body, not great, but I figure not horrible either. I noticed that I had a strong tendency to hit in the haunches, probably because my eye was drawn to this larger area. This is something I need to be aware of should I get the chance to shoot "live."
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Post by Decatur on Sept 5, 2008 20:39:17 GMT -5
Just like deer hunting, pick a spot on the squirrel. I usually try to hit the center of the eye. If you just get the squirrel in your scope and shoot, you are going to miss a lot of squirrels. The smaller the spot you pick, the closer to that spot you are going to hit. Just like in the movie "The Patriot", aim small, miss small! Another little piece of advice I'll give you is do not take a shot off hand unless absolutely necessary. Always use a tree or something else solid for a rest. It makes a BIG difference. One last thing, you will need to get as close as possible to the quirrel when shooting so that you'll be able to find it when it hits the ground. Nothing is worse then losing a game animal you have killed. After you shoot and he falls, always follow the tree's trunk all the way to the ground with your eyes before taking a step to get your bearings. Good luck tomorrow!
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Post by dburkhead on Sept 6, 2008 21:15:32 GMT -5
Interesting stuff. I've never hunted squirrel before and the one's I've seen in urban and suburban environments never seem to sit still for very long. That's why I thought I had to get the shot off quick.
My _intended_ point of aim was heart/lung area. However, I noticed that despite that intention my shots were actually going more to "center of mass" of the image. This was something I figured I needed to pay more attention to even at the time.
Some have mentioned "head shots" and, actually, now that I think about it, on squirrels, a head shot is little, if any, smaller a target than the "vitals" shot that I see recommended for hunting. I'll try that more.
For the most part, I practice shooting offhand (although occasionally putting the sandbag on the shelf to shoot from). I figure, if I can shoot well offhand, I can shoot better with support but the reverse doesn't hold.
In any case, I went out on my little venture this morning. I heard (I think) several squirrels "barking." I Set up as covered as I could get and waited a good half hour but nothing came into view from where I think the barking was coming from. I did see a tree limb flexing in the distance to one side (kind of glimpsed between limbs of nearer trees) and think I caught a quick flash of a squirrel moving through it, but that may only have been my imagination. No time to even move on my part, let alone get a shot (and I probably wouldn't have tried at that range anyway).
Several things I learned from this trip:
First, make a checklist of what to take along. There were several things I wanted (my binoculars, a camera in case I got lucky) that I didn't have.
Second, I hadn't bought camouflage yet but I did dress in "subdued" clothing (a kind of dull green "plaid" long-sleeve pullover and jeans). I think good camo is next on my list of things to acquire.
Third, the trees were a lot taller than I was expecting, not spreading to crowns until quite a ways up. This suggests that any shots I make would have to be at a longer range than I had originally expected.
Fourth, I really wasn't used to the kind of walking I had to do--stepping over obstacles, much steeper grades than you generally face in the typical urban environment, etc. Be the end of the morning, the muscles around my ankles were tired and sore, and this was wearing boots that I thought provided good support.
Fifth, I found reserves of patience that, quite frankly, I never knew I had (that half our wait, hoping Mr. Bushytail would come out to play). Okay, maybe to a seasoned hunter or a Ranger Sniper or something like that, it's trivial, but it means something to me.
In any case, that's the result of my first squirrel hunt.
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Post by Decatur on Sept 7, 2008 6:13:14 GMT -5
At least yo got outdoors and learned a little besides. There are basically two,ways to squirrel hunt, not counting with dogs. One way is to find a place where they are feeding heavily, or where you see a couple of squirrrels from a distance, and park there and wait. Or the second way is to still hunt thru the woods, whicj basically means you walk slow and quietly thru the woods looking and listening for squirrels. You'll be able to hear barking, nuts falling, squirrels cutting on nuts and squirrels jumping from limb to limb. As far as camo is concerned, I wear it now, but have killed a LOT of squirrels wearing street clothes. Squirrels don't sit still for long a lot of times, but you just have to have your rifle up and ready when he does stop. Good luck!
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Post by Harley on Sept 7, 2008 11:00:53 GMT -5
Look for nut trees and you will usually find squirrels. Also, when I hunt for squirrels I am looking for movement, when you see movement then look for a squirrel.
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Post by dburkhead on Sept 13, 2008 21:55:50 GMT -5
And my second trip was even more of a learning experience--I got lost. I made two major mistakes which led to that: 1) I cued on terrain features. In particular I knew that I had to cross a ravine/dry creek bed to get back to the fire trail where I'd parked (and, once there, it would be a right turn back to the car. 2) Once I realized I wasn't going the right way, I checked my compass, but (and I'm a physicist; I should know better), for quite some time I didn't set down my gear and step away from it so the metal screwed up the compass readings. I've reconstructed where I probably went on this little "treck" here: i57.photobucket.com/albums/g206/dburkhead/DBTrek091308JPG.jpgA couple of other things I noted while I was out there: On some of the softer spots on the fire trail on my way home, I saw deer tracks, probably doe. I also saw tracks of what looks to be a remarkably large cat: main pad and four "toe" pads but no claw marks as one would find with canines. These tracks were a good inch and a half to two inches across. I'm not sure what made them, but I'm pretty sure I don't want to meet. At one point when I was stopping to take a compass bearing, I also spooked a turkey. Another thing I learned is that my hydration pack was a lifesaver, possibly literally. By the time I finally hit pavement again, I was completely exhausted, but at least I was hydrated. I was back in the care and halfway home before I finally finished the last of the water. In the end, I didn't have to break into the emergency kit stuff, and I didn't have to call for help (I was carrying my cell), so I guess it's all good. Oh, I saw exactl two squirrels--both after I'd returned to my car and was driving home.  |
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Post by Decatur on Sept 13, 2008 22:51:49 GMT -5
That's why it's called "hunting" and not "killing"! Better luck next time! You're learning!
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Post by dburkhead on Sept 13, 2008 23:00:26 GMT -5
That's why it's called "hunting" and not "killing"! Better luck next time! You're learning! Unless, of course, you're Chuck Norris  |
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Post by Decatur on Sept 14, 2008 7:21:38 GMT -5
;d
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Post by beehunter on Sept 14, 2008 11:49:17 GMT -5
You are on the right track to becoming a hunter, congratulations.
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Post by jajwrigh on Sept 14, 2008 13:12:31 GMT -5
We have all failed so many times before, and this is why we now succeed. Keep it up and have a blast!
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