Squirrel Hunting Basics: Master Dusting Bushy Tails

Have your sights set on potting limb chickens? We give you the formula for successful squirrel hunting.

I was 11 the first time my dad took me squirrel hunting. By all accounts, it should have been miserable. The weather was miserably wet, and I wasn’t dressed for it. I had on pink canvas sneakers and a purple puffy coat, because that’s what I had. We also left the lunch my mom had packed sitting on the kitchen counter.

By midday, I was soaked, cold, and hungry. But when I pegged my first bushy tail with that hand-me-down .22, I was hooked. Squirrel hunting was my gateway drug. It turned a shivering kid with wet socks into a lifelong hunter.

If you grew up in a hunting family, chances are good that your first trigger pull wasn’t on a deer or turkey either. Like me, it was probably on a bushy-tailed limb chicken. These critters are the training wheels of hunting. They teach woodsmanship, patience and marksmanship in a real-world setting. They also happen to taste fantastic in a skillet of gravy or alongside homemade dumplings.

Squirrel hunting may not come with the grip-and-grin trophy photos of big game hunting, but it’s no less fun and is one of the best ways to spend time in the woods with a gun in your hands.

Squirrel Hunting Seasons

Squirrel hunting has some of the longest seasons in the country. Many states open as early as August, and some run well into February. Liberal seasons give you months of hunting opportunities and plenty of excuses to head off into the woods and keep your shooting sharp, both before and after deer season.

The early season is still basically summer. It’s a hot, sweaty, buggy affair. The trees are still all leafed out, which can make spotting squirrels feel impossible. The struggle is real, but worth it. This time of year, the critters are plenty active, and you’ll hear them cutting hickory nuts and dropping the scales off green pinecones and see the branches shaking as they chase each other through the canopy.

The late season turns chilly, which means fewer leaves and even fewer bugs. Squirrels aren’t as hyper when the mercury drops, so spotting them can take patience, slow movement, and a good eye. But without all the foliage, you’ll get clearer shots when you do get an opportunity.

Before you head out into the squirrel woods, check your state’s hunting regulations. Bag limits, season dates, and weapon restrictions vary widely depending on where you’re hunting.

Squirrel Hunting Guns

Squirrels don’t require fancy firepower, but the gun you carry shapes the whole hunt. Squirrel hunting is one of the best excuses to dust off old family guns, and it’s where many hunters cut their teeth learning trigger control. Whether you favor a shotgun, a .22 rifle, or even a bow, each has its own advantages in the squirrel woods.

Shotgun

Squirrels make small, fast-moving, sometimes erratic targets, which makes a scattergun well-suited for the pursuit. However, while the classic 12-gauge may be king of duck and turkey hunting, it can be serious overkill for squirrels. A 20-gauge or .410 seems to hit the squirrel-hunting sweet spot, especially when paired with an improved cylinder or modified choke, spraying enough shot to be forgiving without turning your meat into confetti.

An old Mossberg 500 20-gauge filled with Number 6 shot is my go-to gun for putting squirrel in the stew pot. I might switch to 7 ½ if I’m hunting close cover and want to minimize shot damage to my meat.

Rifle

A .22 LR is the classic squirrel rifle. It’s the first introduction to hunting for a lot of youngsters and adults alike. Cheap ammo, soft recoil, and solid accuracy make this rimfire option a solid squirrel-dropping tool. A scoped Ruger 10/22 or CZ 457 bolt-action can reach bushy tails in the tallest oaks without destroying meat in the process. If you want a little more reach or wind-bucking accuracy, the .17 HMR and .22 WMR are solid squirrel cartridges, offering flatter trajectories and more terminal energy.

My first experience in the squirrel woods had me toting a beat-up, hand-me-down single-shot. Learned more about trigger control and sight alignment than I ever could have learned behind a deer rifle.

Bow

Bowhunting squirrels is tough, but that’s exactly what makes it worth doing. Hitting a twitchy little target in the treetops with a recurve or light compound is a serious test of your archery skills. Small game broadheads and blunt tips will work better than what you shoot for deer season. These specialized tips kill by shock, making for a quicker, more humane harvest with less meat damage. They also keep your shafts from burying in the dirt or lodging in limbs. You’ll miss more than you hit at first, but when you finally connect, it feels like sticking a bullseye in the Olympics.

Squirrel Hunting Gear

You don’t need a mountain of high-tech gear to hunt squirrels. Its simplicity is part of squirrel hunting’s charm. However, a few smart choices can help keep you comfortable and maybe swing the odds of success in your favor.

Clothing

Forget the fancy camo catalog shots. Comfort wins every time. Dress for the weather. When it’s hot and humid, grab some lightweight, breathable clothing. Something in natural tones of green, gray, and brown works fine. If you want to pull out the camo, that’s fine, too. Insect repellent is a lifesaver. This is the high season for ticks, chiggers, mosquitoes and biting flies. If you don’t want to douse yourself in DEET, you can pre-treat your hunting clothes with permethrin to keep the pests at bay.

Once the temperatures drop, dress in warm layers. If deer and squirrel seasons overlap in your area, you may need to legally include blaze orange in your squirrel hunting kit. Even if it isn’t required by law, a simple blaze orange cap can help keep you from being mistaken for a deer sneaking through the woods.

Squirrel Calls

Squirrel calls don’t get the same kind of press time that turkey and duck calls get, but they work just as well. Squirrels are social animals, and they do a lot of talking in the woods to keep up with their neighbors. A bark call is often enough for a squirrel to pop out and take a look around, providing a solid shot opportunity. And while it may seem counterintuitive, a distress call will almost always get some barking and chattering started. Squirrels are also curious critters and will come running out in the open to see what all the fuss is about.

Other gear

A quality set of binoculars is a boon for spotting squirrels scampering in the canopy. A vest with a game pouch is also handy, just make sure the squirrels are dead and not dozing before you stuff them inside. I’ve had what I thought was a dead squirrel suddenly resurrect after 10 minutes, coming to life and running laps inside my vest. Not a good time.

Squirrel Hunting Tips

Squirrel Environment

Squirrels are suckers for nuts and acorns, which means if you find hickory, oak, beech or pecan trees, you’ll find squirrels, too. Fruit trees make for prime squirrel habitat. And in the early season, you can often find them nibbling on ripe pine nuts.

Tracking Squirrels

Unlike the quiet stealth of whitetails, squirrels tend to make a ruckus wherever they go. They bark, chatter, rustle leaves and knock nuts to the ground. Most times, you’ll hear the critters before you see them. If you hear nuts or acorns raining down on the ground, ease in slowly and keep your eyes open. You won’t always see the whole squirrel but watch for movement. A tail flick is what often gives them away.

Still Hunting

Still-hunting is one of the best ways to sharpen your woodsmanship. Move a few steps at a time, then stop and scan the treetops. Squirrels often freeze when they sense danger. Stay patient. It may be a single bark or a quick flick of the tail that gives it away.

Squirrel Hunting With Dogs

Squirrel hunting with dogs adds an extra level of energy and excitement to the hunt that you just can’t match when you’re still hunting. A good squirrel dog makes a fantastic hunting buddy. They range ahead, tree squirrels, and bark to let you know it’s time to shoot. Often, a squirrel will be so focused on the dog that you can slip around to the opposite side of the tree and get a clean shot at one.

Why Squirrel Hunting Matters

Squirrel hunting is a great and inexpensive way to teach or practice the skills you need to hunt big game. You learn to read the woods, listen and look for movement, move with patience and shoot with precision. You also get to take home wild game that, when properly prepared, tastes a whole lot better than store-bought chicken.

For me, it started with wet socks, a purple coat and a hungry belly, but it set the hook deep. If you’ve never tried it, grab a .22 or a 20-gauge and hit the hardwoods this season. Dusting a few bushy tails might remind you why you fell in love with hunting in the first place.

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