Squirrel Hunting In The Early Season

Hunting squirrels in the early season will bring you into a somewhat paradoxical situation as it is considered the easiest time for finding them but the conditions a hunter will face are quite difficult. Squirrels can often be on the move during the late morning and again in the period from early afternoon until dusk while they create a hoard for the bleaker winter months ahead. Later in the season, those movement periods are significantly shorter.

The bad news for squirrel hunters is that these small critters have many places in which they could and will easily hide if they are disturbed. If a squirrel spots a hunter he does not have to run very far to find a leafy tree and he will most likely scooting through a lot of understory growth while he dashes to it. With other words, finding squirrels is a piece of cake but getting a good position for a clear shot is a very different thing. The good part is that it makes squirrel hunting a little bit harder in comparison to “normal” circumstances.  As far as choosing a gun for this activity, there are very active debates regarding which is better: a shotgun or a .22 rifle. “Conventional wisdom” shows that a shotgun is preferred in the early season, when the vegetation is relatively thick and the squirrels are always on the move. After the winter brings bare-branch vistas as well as noisy walking conditions, the rifle is the wise choice.

Regarding squirrel hunting there is not a hunting tactic per say – just find them and kill them. A very simple concept that can be accomplished in a variety of ways. For many hunters, the most convenient way to cover ground is at a moderate pace and shoot whatever stands in the way – another simple concept you may say.  People that do not have the patience to see what stands in the next patch of hardwoods use this technique.

Any gun should do the trick, starting from the .410 to the monster .12 gauge. For the larger gauges, you will not need more than an ounce of shot. As far as the shot size is concerned, the vast majority of experienced squirrel hunters affirm that the no. 4 is too much and no.8 too light, making the no.6 the best way to go. If you prefer to sit rather than walk, opt for an accurate .22 rimfire. Almost any .22 rifle manufactured by the well-known companies should do the trick and can produce a 50-yard “headshot” accuracy. For a scope, hunters recommend a 1-inch or 30mm-diameter big game scope for rimfire rifles.

The ideal solution is to choose a more expensive (but do not overdo) scope or change your big game scope to a 50 parallax set. The loads for your gun are very important but there is no such thing as to choosing “the best” ones. Money is not a very accurate indicator for performance so choose wisely.

For some people it may sound simple while for other it may sound difficult, either way, squirrel hunting is fun and rewarding.