Hunting Reports - small game - Printable Version +- Fishing Forum (https://bigfishtackle.com/forum) +-- Forum: Michigan Fishing Forum (https://bigfishtackle.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?fid=364) +--- Forum: Off-Topic (https://bigfishtackle.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?fid=105) +--- Thread: Hunting Reports - small game (/showthread.php?tid=17419)

Hunting Reports - small game - davetclown - 09-26-2002 [size 3] I went out yesterday looking for sum fly materials (AKA) squirrels, not only do them little nut gatherers make a terrific Sunday dinner (good as fried chicken and makes a yummy gravy too) served with a baked potato and fresh broccoli just picked out of the garden an hour ago along with hot biscuits just out of the oven. Mmmmmm mmmmm mmmmmm [/size] [size 3] Many of us know that many of our lures are made from the hair of squirrels tails (especially the spinner baits) so the next time you bag a squirrel think about saving that tail for fly material and if you don’t tie flies then consider mailing them to Mepps or Mr. Twister. They only pay .05 to .10 cents apiece and will only pay if you send them a minimum amount. But it is better to use every part of the critter than it is to waist. True it may cost .50 cents to mail it, but just think about the next spinner you perches may be of the squirrel you bagged.[/size] [size 3] To correctly cure the tail so the industry can use it just pull it off the tail bone and split it up the bottom side and allow it to dry out. (Do not salt it).[/size] [size 3] We wandered through the woods for several hours and I was bean a few times by them tasty tidbits cutting nuts (acorns) for their harvest. Using my 357 mag. with birdshot them floppy tails have to get with in about 20 feet for me to bag them. But my puppy was excited to see them. [/size] [size 3] The foliage is still a little heavy here in southeast Michigan to get a good view of them nut bombers but with my puppy pointing them out they could do very little to hide themselves. [/size] [size 3] The gun of choice would be a 410 GA, 16 GA, 20 GA or 12 GA, shotgun and the preferred shell is a high brass number 4 load and you want to be with in 75 feet to make a clean kill. Any farther than that you are more likely to injure the floppy tail and he will crawl off suffer and eventually die of infection. It is your responsibility to make a good clean shot. If it is not a good shot then don’t shoot. [/size] [size 3] Finding a spot under a nut tree sitting and waiting is the preferred method of stalking the tender vittles and getting out before daylight helps tremendously. Oh ya just one more tip, pretend that you are dear hunting and the pesky fur balls wont leave you alone. (Remember last year when you were dear hunting and they walked right up to ya and just sat there and barked at ya?) [/size][size 4] Any way I did not bag a squirrel they didn’t come close enough, but it was good getting out and my puppy led the way. (she knows the trail better than I do[blush]) [/size] [signature] Re: [davetclown] Hunting Reports - small game - lonehunter - 09-28-2002 good article dave , you the man ! i too went out for a little hunting durring the week , well more like a stroll thru the woods with the wondermutt . we kicked up a couple of grouse , one pheasent and nemerous chipmonks , but alas not one "treechicken" . our adventure has about the same outcome , walk for a couple of miles enjoying the view , and then when the sun has warmed the bones up a bit , find the perfict tree to hunkerdown and take a nap , er ,i mean wait for some squirlls to appear . i did this last year only to be awoken by a doe with two yearlings stareing me in the face , what a rush ! of corse during deer season the squirlls always seem to end up perching themselves on my lap or on my head , i was a relaxing afternoon and never fired a shot , but bow season starts tuesday and i'm going to get serious this weekend on the small game , i'm going to take a small pillow ..just in case i run into the sandman out there [signature] Re: [Guest] Hunting Reports - small game - lonehunter - 10-06-2002 don't know why but the small game isn't what it was last year , i could count the number of squirlls on one hand that i've seen this year , the grouse as well . turkeys are plentyfull but not as many as last fall . i think that the warm-freeze-warm-freeze we had this spring proved to be a high mortality rate for the critters . rabbits seemed to fare the best , there everywhere along the ditches . and quite tastey too ! yes , we've already had a few frosts so ther o.k. to eat . the acorns are huge ! keep that in mind for thoes post rut bucks you may want for the racks , they don't eat much during the rut but afterwards will try to get as much protien as they can to survive the winter , and acorns are the ticket ! [signature]