Squirrel season should be pretty good

You can use a rifle on grey squirrel in mass in zones 1-9......with the exception of wma land stocked with pheasant DURING the pheasant season. Just find non wma property in 1-9 until pheasant season ends or hunt non wma. In fact grey squirrel in 1-9 can be hunted with a rifle or handgun of ANY caliber according to the regs.

Have you hunted squirrel before? I find a shotgun much more fun because you can hit em on the run.

Yeah I thought it would be fun to head to NH too. Make a little more of a deal out of it. Maybe check some shops on the way back.
Yeah I have an always use a .410 or 20 and enjoy it but thought sitting with a 22 would be cool.
I would really like to get into a batch of them and wreak havoc with 22 shorts or quiets in my marlin 39
Like in the movies ya know?
 
Went out with the family this morning. My son got one. Windy.....not many squirrels out. Guys on the pheasant field were banging away though.
 
I'm new to hunting so please forgive this dumbass question I'm about to ask.

I'm deathly afraid that if I hit a squirrel in a tree or on a limb with my 12 gauge there will be shot that travels well past it. Since this is a smaller state and the WMA's don't appear to be huge (on paper at least) I'm just assuming that I need to keep checking my GPS and making sure that I'm firing more towards the center of the WMA/State Forest? I know it's a stupid question, but what did y'all do before there were GPS and smartphone apps. Am I over thinking this?
 
I'm new to hunting so please forgive this dumbass question I'm about to ask.

I'm deathly afraid that if I hit a squirrel in a tree or on a limb with my 12 gauge there will be shot that travels well past it. Since this is a smaller state and the WMA's don't appear to be huge (on paper at least) I'm just assuming that I need to keep checking my GPS and making sure that I'm firing more towards the center of the WMA/State Forest? I know it's a stupid question, but what did y'all do before there were GPS and smartphone apps. Am I over thinking this?

The following provides useful information on the subject How to Pick Ammo for Squirrel Hunting
 
I'm new to hunting so please forgive this dumbass question I'm about to ask.

I'm deathly afraid that if I hit a squirrel in a tree or on a limb with my 12 gauge there will be shot that travels well past it. Since this is a smaller state and the WMA's don't appear to be huge (on paper at least) I'm just assuming that I need to keep checking my GPS and making sure that I'm firing more towards the center of the WMA/State Forest? I know it's a stupid question, but what did y'all do before there were GPS and smartphone apps. Am I over thinking this?

If using #5-#8 size shot you are overthinking. If a squirrel is in a tree and you can't see someone within 75 yards behind that tree (lot of times you can't see 75 yards thru the woods anyway). All you could possibly do is rain some pellets down on some unseen person. Which generally has been done to me quite a few times without issue. ' If your really worried use small shot, it doesn't have the energy to do much really beyond short ranges.

I had a guy shoot in my direction at a fairly low bird the other day, from at least 150-200 yards away, I was in a field, but it had a small hill as you come up into it, and he didn't see me at the end of the field. He missed the bird totally. I didn't hear or feel a thing, I was kinda surprised that I didn't get rained on, but he was entering up the hill his shot likely either went over my head or didn't even make it to where I stood or something.

Basically the dog saw the bird land and pointed it, but wouldn't hold, so it flew and I dropped it. I went to give it to the guy since he shot at it first anyway, and asked him if he wanted it (he had no dog) .....first thing the guy did was apologize for shooting in my direction....he said he never saw me at the end of the field. I told him no worries, if he saw me and did it I might have given him some grief, but since he said he never saw me and apologized, I just gave him the bird and kept hunting.
 
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If using #5-#8 size shot you are overthinking. If a squirrel is in a tree and you can't see someone within 75 yards behind that tree (lot of times you can't see 75 yards thru the woods anyway). All you could possibly do is rain some pellets down on some unseen person. Which generally has been done to me quite a few times without issue. ' If your really worried use small shot, it doesn't have the energy to do much really beyond short ranges.

I had a guy shoot in my direction at a fairly low bird the other day, from at least 150-200 yards away, I was in a field, but it had a small hill as you come up into it, and he didn't see me at the end of the field. He missed the bird totally. I didn't hear or feel a thing, I was kinda surprised that I didn't get rained on, but he was entering up the hill his shot likely either went over my head or didn't even make it to where I stood or something.

Basically the dog saw the bird land and pointed it, but wouldn't hold, so it flew and I dropped it. I went to give it to the guy since he shot at it first anyway, and asked him if he wanted it (he had no dog) .....first thing the guy did was apologize for shooting in my direction....he said he never saw me at the end of the field. I told him no worries, if he saw me and did it I might have given him some grief, but since he said he never saw me and apologized, I just gave him the bird and kept hunting.

Thanks for all the information! I'm planning on using #7 shot since that's what I have and won't be able to hit a store before I go. I'll keep all this in mind when I'm out there. I guess I'm just more worried about have shot land in someone's backyard I can't see or some random dog walkers (again that I can't see).
 
Thanks for all the information! I'm planning on using #7 shot since that's what I have and won't be able to hit a store before I go. I'll keep all this in mind when I'm out there. I guess I'm just more worried about have shot land in someone's backyard I can't see or some random dog walkers (again that I can't see).
7 imo is a bit small for squirrel. They actually have a tough skin. Number 4 through a full choke I my go to choice.....high brass loads too. Rememner your shooting high into trees in most situations with squirrel so you want some range. If the squirrel is less than 20 yards or so let it run before you shoot or lead off and get the head. Even using number 4 birdshot if your in the woods.....dont over think how far they are traveling ........it spreads out anyway.
 
I took a walk in a no hunting area of woods the other day and the place was crawling with gray squirrels. Then today I took a walk with the shotgun in a go zone of woods and not one squirrel to be found. :/
 
I took a walk in a no hunting area of woods the other day and the place was crawling with gray squirrels. Then today I took a walk with the shotgun in a go zone of woods and not one squirrel to be found. :/
Guess they aren't stupid......either that or a couple of hunters already cleared it out. My son and I hunted a patch of wma back in September in zone 9 and limited out in 3 hours there were so many. Assuming Grey's are a bit territorial and don't "spread out".......there probably were not many left in the spot we hit after that day
 
Thanks again to Commodon, Mark, and Whacko for all the sound advice.

Ended up going out this week....and promptly grabbed the wrong key for the 12 gauge. My buddy had his 20 GA though so I ended up just strolling and trying to help him out. We ended up only see 2 Gray's but weren't in a position to take a shot before they disappeared. It's all a learning experience for me at least!

I did come across a couple of tree stands, scent drips, a rub, and a couple piles of deer scat so at least I got some scouting in.
 
Thanks again to Commodon, Mark, and Whacko for all the sound advice.

Ended up going out this week....and promptly grabbed the wrong key for the 12 gauge. My buddy had his 20 GA though so I ended up just strolling and trying to help him out. We ended up only see 2 Gray's but weren't in a position to take a shot before they disappeared. It's all a learning experience for me at least!

I did come across a couple of tree stands, scent drips, a rub, and a couple piles of deer scat so at least I got some scouting in.
Advice....when they disappear......have a seat on a rock or log......stay still. Squirrels have a short memory......they'll come back.
 
Advice....when they disappear......have a seat on a rock or log......stay still. Squirrels have a short memory......they'll come back.

Yeah we heard em chirping a few times and got the 2 sightings of them on the ground. We took a seat and waited for a bit but never got another look at them. I think we didn't wait long enough and were moving a bit too quick around personally. Live and learn I guess.

I'm hoping to get out another time before shotgun Deer...this time with the right key and a lot more sitting.
 
Yeah we heard em chirping a few times and got the 2 sightings of them on the ground. We took a seat and waited for a bit but never got another look at them. I think we didn't wait long enough and were moving a bit too quick around personally. Live and learn I guess.

I'm hoping to get out another time before shotgun Deer...this time with the right key and a lot more sitting.
Good luck. Fwiw.....if I stopped locking up my hunting shotguns in transport a long time ago. Pumps......auto5.....double barrels.....in a soft case and in the truck.

And it can be a long wait...maybe 20-30 minutes but they'll back.
 
Good luck. Fwiw.....if I stopped locking up my hunting shotguns in transport a long time ago. Pumps......auto5.....double barrels.....in a soft case and in the truck.
Perfectly legal to transport like that but you run the risk of storage violation if you leave the truck for any reason. I have a couple trigger locks that take the same key and during hunting seasons if I leave the gun/ guns unattended (lunch break during shotgun deer for instance) the key is on my car key ring and that stays with me at all times.
 
Perfectly legal to transport like that but you run the risk of storage violation if you leave the truck for any reason. I have a couple trigger locks that take the same key and during hunting seasons if I leave the gun/ guns unattended (lunch break during shotgun deer for instance) the key is on my car key ring and that stays with me at all times.
Good point on leaving the truck. I don't generally leave it......I'm a beef jerkey and thermos of coffee for lunch kind of hunter. :)
 
Went out yesterday on some non wma land in zone 9. My son wanted to use his scoped 10-22. He got one.....first squirrel with a rifle for him we're shotgun hunters. Rain stopped long enough for us to get in 3 hours before the wind picked up. I hate hunting squirrel in the wind can't hear anything so we packed it up with one in the bag.
 
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Perfectly legal to transport like that but you run the risk of storage violation if you leave the truck for any reason. I have a couple trigger locks that take the same key and during hunting seasons if I leave the gun/ guns unattended (lunch break during shotgun deer for instance) the key is on my car key ring and that stays with me at all times.

I have a bunch of combo locks that are set to the same combo.
If I don't use one of those, I use one of the police giveaway cable locks, since if I lose the key a leatherman makes a great lockpick.
 
Good luck. Fwiw.....if I stopped locking up my hunting shotguns in transport a long time ago. Pumps......auto5.....double barrels.....in a soft case and in the truck.

And it can be a long wait...maybe 20-30 minutes but they'll back.

Same here. Never ever lock it.

When I need to leave the truck/car i have a soft case with two zippers or a zipper and a ring and use a small luggage number lock on the soft case.

I despise key trigger locks and trigger locks in general, and key locks. Because keys are easily forgotten.

Tough to forget my number lock.....as its always the same number I use for everything.
 
Same here. Never ever lock it.

When I need to leave the truck/car i have a soft case with two zippers or a zipper and a ring and use a small luggage number lock on the soft case.

I despise key trigger locks and trigger locks in general, and key locks. Because keys are easily forgotten.

Tough to forget my number lock.....as its always the same number I use for everything.

I might need to pick up a few more of those luggage locks. I have one on my main range bag and there is a place for them on my hard sided case so that might work out just fine.

I went out yesterday and made a joke to my buddy that I forgot the key again...and then I couldn't find the key. The ring came undone in my pocket..I still have no idea how that even happens. So it's on a new keyring but I'm just about done with that shit.

Like I said, a luggage lock on my hard sided case should be just fine.

Anyways, we went out to the Medfield Charles River WMA looking for Pheasant and Squirrels. Didn't see anything again. There were a ton of dead birds and the State Police have a range right next to it that they were letting loose on so may have had something to do with it.

Oh well, here comes Deer season!
 
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