So Wednesday , me and my buddy Rodney hit up our Fox squirrel hot spot.....Soon as I got there I headed down 1 path and saw a big ole Fox squirrel running from me(a fox squirrel will just run away most of the time staying on the ground) He made the mistake some do and that's after he was a good ways away he jumps 3 ft up a turkey oak to look back. 60 yds out and Kabooooooooom!. I wing him, rush in and finish the job. I am now limited out. Go to another spot and see another big black one. I Can't legally shoot him so I let him climb into his nest and now I know where my son can get one. Right before dark it started to pour so I went and got Rodney and he had just seen a big monster gray one but it ran away without him getting a shot.......It was a good day.....3 seen and 1 harvested. Today I used a 20 double both barrels full choked loaded with #6 shot( I Usually like 4's or 5's for Fox squirrels but was out).
Normally when I hunt Fox Squirrels I use a 20 ga single shot(Winchester 37A) with a full choke.
The reason behind this is I guess it brings me back to my childhood when all we ever hunted with was a single shot. I have 3 pump 12 gauges and 3 double barrels but the pumps rarely see a day in the squirrel woods. My shot of choice is High brass 4's,5's or 6's with 4's and 5's being my favorite. I use these as a lot of shots are way up big pines but most are at squirrels running away from you. If you happen upon a big ole Fox Squirrel on the ground a lot of times instead of it going to the nearest tree they just take off like a deer...You need a good load to stop one of those runners. I also usually bring along a couple of 3 in magnum shells as you never know when a big ole Fox Squirrel is gonna get 100 ft up a big pine .
Here are a few pictures
If you see cones heaped up in pile that look like these you know a Fox Squirrel is around. Gray squirrels will eat them in different spots but Fox Squirrels gather the cones and eat them in one spot.
Next week I am going to help out with Longleaf pine restoration and plant 100 longleafs.
Thanks Mack
4 comments:
Is this the forest the NC Zoo just bought?
That was not where we were at...You can't hunt fox squirrels in that county but there are Fox squirrels in that area....The land the zoo purchased hasn't been burned in years so it may be too thick right now for the Fox squirrels to live there but they do have plans to burn that forest......Mack
Gray squirrels are the only kind of squirrel in my neighborhood. In my yard they often leave numerous foraged and discarded pine cones around the base of pine trees, just like fox squirrels do.
10-4 Mark, All squirrels eat pine cones but Fox squirrels will leave(usually) in one pile and not all around.....Also kevin..if you call me I will tell you a few areas in wake county and chatham co but your odds of seeing one are slim....very slim.....Mack
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