Lots of action December 26th

I’m taking the rest of the Christmas week off, so I decided to hunt today. I arrived at the parking area at 9am and hunted until 3. The day started off cloudy and in the 20’s, got sunny and warmer by noon and clouded over and cooled off again around 2:00.

Within 5 minutes of entering the woods I saw a squirrel about 50 yards out running its tail off from one tree-line to another. I’ve never seen a squirrel run so fast. I watched it run up a tree, so I pursued it and sat down to wait it out. After 20 minutes I gave it up and moved on. Within another couple of minutes I had a similar sighting, and again, after waiting a half hour, I gave it up. Very frustrating, but at least this looked like a promising day. These trees are full of holes, and once a squirrel hunkers down, they aren’t coming out. I’ve been told that after 15 minutes they forget you’re there and come out again. You can’t prove that by me.

I continued to check the usual trees, but this time I went beyond that area to where I bagged the squirrel Monday. Out of the brush a stone’s throw directly in front of me came a beautiful cock pheasant. Either it didn’t see me or was too stupid to run. It just took a couple of steps. Stopped. Took a couple more steps and stopped. This reminded me of the group of 16 turkeys I ran across a few months ago. All of a sudden it seemed to realize I was there and trotted off into the brush. I followed it a dozen steps and it flushed and flew about 50 yards, landing again in the brush. When I first saw it I tried to reach my camera but it was in my backpack and I couldn’t get to the. Next time I’ll keep my camera within reach. It would have made a nice photo.

About 100 yards further I a squirrel, this time on a tree trunk. I closed in to about 40 yards but couldn’t get a shot. No matter where I positioned myself, it stayed on the back side of the trunk. These things are pretty smart for having a little nut brain. I was only left with quick shots as it occasionally showed glimpses of its tail and head. It finally stuck its head out a bit too far and that was the fatal mistake. As on Monday, I gutted this one in the field. After stashing it in a freezer bag, I went back to the old gut pile and there wasn’t a trace. I’m guessing the crows that had circled me enjoyed Christmas dinner.

I continued deeper into this area and found that it was littered with a lot of old tires and junk (including a turned over outhouse?!). I’d love to know how they got this junk out there. The ground was covered with nuts and small holes where squirrels must have been digging. This crummy area might turn into a great hunting spot! Over the next 2 hours I saw a half dozen squirrels, each first spotted at a distance running on the ground and heading for a tree. By the time I reached a spot where I could get a shot, they never reappeared. It is amazing and frustrating how squirrels can simply disappear when they get into these old trees. They must have read up on the Jap tunnels on Iwo Jima. As soon as the sun went in and the temperature began to drop, the squirrels were gone.

If you’ve been following this blog, you know this is the first year that I’ve squirrel hunted since I was a kid. I’ve learned a few things from personal experience since September that I’d like to share with you:

• If it’s been cold and you get a few hours were the sun comes out and it warms up, that’s the time to hunt.
• Don’t bother hunting before 9:00 am. The squirrels are still in bed.
• Keep your eyes pealed at a distance. They will often sense your presence 50 yards or more away.
• Look for trees dropping nuts and little holes in the ground where they have been digging.
• Gut your squirrels soon after bagging them. They are much easier to skin. Bring a sharp knife and a pair of pliers to brake the bones so the paws are easier to remove.
• If you don’t see nests, don’t be discouraged. They are likely living in old trees.
• Carry freezer bags. You can carry your gutted game and protect your cell phone and camera should you get caught in the rain.
• Put a few stones in your pocket when you leave the parking lot (read below).
  

My buddy Rob reminded me to throw a stone on the back side of the tree to get the squirrel to turn. The problem has been that every time I get in that situation, I can't find anything to throw within easy reach. Next time I'm going out with a few stones in my pocket.
That’s it for now from Gutpile Bob :)