Squirrel Doggin' 20-21

[Jamie]

I still have a lot of deer hunting to do in the next few weeks, but with my buck tag filled and 79 degrees outside, I'm seizing the opportunity to get ready for some squirrel hunting in the next week or two. I'm really looking forward to getting a couple of friends out with me this year that have not ever done this, and are fired up to see what it's all about. I'll be making the annual excursion to Highland county again, too, if Brock and Mason will have me back. Maybe even a trip north to hook up with some other TOO members if we can work it out. Dogs are in tip top shape, rarin' to go. I pulled the rifle out this afternoon for some practice. Five shots from the bench at a 1" dot. I guess that's good enough.

I started wearing multifocal contact lenses a few months ago after my Optometrist encouraged me to try them. After some trial and error with different powers and wearing them for long enough to adjust to them, I would highly recommend them if your eyesight needs correction both near and far. This had made my work easier, as I seldom need readers any more, and it has helped my bow shooting, too. This is the first time I've looked through a scope with these, and I must say that my sight picture is noticeably better than with regular contact lenses.

Rats officially on notice effective today.

 

[Geezer II]

I still have a lot of deer hunting to do in the next few weeks, but with my buck tag filled and 79 degrees outside, I'm seizing the opportunity to get ready for some squirrel hunting in the next week or two. I'm really looking forward to getting a couple of friends out with me this year that have not ever done this, and are fired up to see what it's all about. I'll be making the annual excursion to Highland county again, too, if Brock and Mason will have me back. Maybe even a trip north to hook up with some other TOO members if we can work it out. Dogs are in tip top shape, rarin' to go. I pulled the rifle out this afternoon for some practice. Five shots from the bench at a 1" dot. I guess that's good enough.

View attachment 113523

I started wearing multifocal contact lenses a few months ago after my Optometrist encouraged me to try them. After some trial and error with different powers and wearing them for long enough to adjust to them, I would highly recommend them if your eyesight needs correction both near and far. This had made my work easier, as I seldom need readers any more, and it has helped my bow shooting, too. This is the first time I've looked through a scope with these, and I must say that my sight picture is noticeably better than with regular contact lenses.

Rats officially on notice effective today.

U still got Lefty

 

[Jamie]

yes, I sure do. He's only 8 now. still a couple of good years left in both of us, I hope, lol. Slick will definitely run us both ragged.

 

[Isaacorps]

Good luck with the squirrel adventures, Jamie. I always enjoy following along!

 

[Jamie]

Good luck with the squirrel adventures, Jamie. I always enjoy following along!

don't just follow along, come along and do it sometime. big fun. I hunt almost every day after gun season until it ends on 1/31. get tired of going by myself all the time. I can use the company.

 

[Isaacorps]

don't just follow along, come along and do it sometime. big fun. I hunt almost every day after gun season until it ends on 1/31. get tired of going by myself all the time. I can use the company.

Don’t tempt me with a good time! I’d love to get out and watch the dogs work

 

[Geezer II]

yes, I sure do. He's only 8 now. still a couple of good years left in both of us, I hope, lol. Slick will definitely run us both ragged.

Got to meet Lefty at the Willard shoot back in the day -

 

[hoot gibson]

 

[giles]

Don’t tempt me with a good time! I’d love to get out and watch the dogs work

Don't just go to watch! He'll never invite you again. Ask me how I know

 

[brock ratcliff]

Don't just go to watch! He'll never invite you again. Ask me how I know

You never lost your invite

 

[giles]

You never lost your invite

I'm just playing. I still wish I would've got more pics. I was just in a amazement watching it all work. If you guys plan it on a Friday this year, I'll even bring a gun this time.

 

[brock ratcliff]

Won’t be on a Friday.

 

[giles]

Won’t be on a Friday.

How about a Sunday? I can bring a kid that way. Mondays just don't work for me about like a Friday or Saturday for you. (I wasn't thinking about that when I said Friday, lol)

 

[Jamie]

straight west winds all day tomorrow ain't no good for my deer hunting. I think I'll do something else while I wait for more favorable winds...

 

[Jamie]

sure was a nice day to be running around the woods. pretty breezy and the squirrels were not out very good. both dogs did some nice work for the first time out since March. Slick treed four, Lefty one, both went to several trees with obvious holes. I'm sure there was a squirrel that I didn't see in several of those. The first tree took Slick about 40 seconds. I was a little disappointed since it usually only takes him 20 seconds to run up on one when I let them loose in a new spot. That one timbered out as I was approaching. dogs both stayed with it to where I watched it dash into a hole. no matter, it fired them both up real good. several dens later Lefty got one in a large hickory den tree. fearing this one would hole up any second, I took a long shot at an antsy squirrel. I missed or bullet got deflected. either way, rat ran two feet into a hole. We wound up not seeing another squirrel on that stop. near the end of that stop I jumped two bedded deer, that I know both dogs saw, and neither paid them any mind at all, which makes me very, very happy. next stop dogs ran a quarter mile as fast as they could and treed. Slick opened up first, so he's getting the credit, and I'm sure he beat Lefty there, anyway. I beat feet over there and found the squirrel way up high in the tree, swaying a few feet back and forth in the steady 15+mph wind we had all day. Dogs ran off the tree twice so I said fuck it. really hard to hit them swaying that much, plus the squirrel was head first into a crotch, anyway. I walked away from that one. a short while later Slick got on another one, which played hard to get while I herded dogs back onto tree twice. they finally stayed long enough to bump the squirrel around for a good shot. one in the noggin, and we were off to another spot after I peeled it. last stop only produced three trees, two of which were obvious holes, but Slick winded one, which I found pretty easily even though he wasn't on a tree at all. shot it's nose off, then had to take a body shot to knock it out, but it wound up in the ground. Lefty was good about dropping them when I commanded him to, so he didn't tear them up. how refreshing. I couldn't have zapped him off of them anyway as my trainer transmitter isn't working. collars appear to be working fine, so I need to get that figure out quick. may be time to upgrade my whole system, which is rather antiquated now. we hunted on back to the truck, but neither dog made another peep. saw four, killed two, missed one, walked away from one. was a pretty mediocre day of squirrel hunting. I'd give it a solid "B", but we got the rust knocked off and had some fun. I was really surprised how tired they both got near the end of our last stop. they'll sleep good tonight. I will, too.
back to the deer woods for a morning hunt tomorrow. not sure when I'll squirrel hunt next. really want to arrow a third deer before gun season.

 

[Bowkills]

What kind of dogs are those again?

 

[Jamie]

Original Mountain Cur

 

[GoetsTalon]

That's a pretty good day of hunting when you only had to say fuck once and it wasn't because the dogs messed up lol!

 

[Bowkills]

first squirrel for the boy. F them deers.

 

[giles]

Awesome!!!