 “HOW
TO HUNT SQUIRRELS AGGRESSIVELY”
Calling All Bushytails
EDITOR’S NOTE: I've learned you can take more
squirrels by talking and walking to bushytails rather
than by sitting and waiting on them. Instead of moving
into an area where I've seen cut nuts and uneaten nuts
and sitting and waiting on one or possibly two squirrels
to appear, I aggressively walk, hunt, call and cover
a lot of ground to find large groups of squirrels. Squirrels
often travel in bands with as few as five to as many
as 20 squirrels moving and feeding together. Hunting
areas with larger numbers of squirrels allows me to
take more bushytails in a shorter time. I call to the
squirrels, listen for them to call back and then stalk
in closer before I start calling again. Squirrel calling
can add a new dimension to your bushytail experience
and actually increase your odds of finding and taking
more squirrels. The many new tactics that have  been
developed and the new calls on the market have made
the sport of calling squirrels much more fun, exciting
and productive than ever before.
If you can hear a squirrel, then you usually can pinpoint
its location. If you can locate squirrels, then you
should be able to see them, if you have the proper equipment.
Lightweight, compact, waterproof binoculars enable you
to quickly and easily spot a squirrel you may not have
been able to see with your naked eye. Also because these
binoculars are brighter than many other binoculars on
the market, they allow you to pinpoint, even at great
distances, squirrels feeding, often in the shadows of
trees. Instead of using a 4X scope as many squirrel
hunters do, I like a 2-7X riflescope that's clear and
bright and increases the distance at which I can see
the squirrels and the size of the image at which I'm
aiming. By using quality optics to stay further away
from the squirrels when you shoot, you drastically increase
your odds for being able to bag more than one squirrel
out of an area.
Calling often forces game to respond. Although a duck
hunter can bag quacks without a call, and a turkey hunter
can ambush a longbeard without making a  sound,
a call adds more challenge and excitement to the hunt.
A call lets you know where the game is and actually
may make that game come to you. In recent years, I’ve
learned that squirrel calling can be as exciting and
challenging as calling either ducks or turkeys. In most
states, squirrel season lasts longer than either duck
or turkey season. By learning to call squirrels, I can
enjoy the sport of calling and hunting for a longer
time each year. If you imitate the several different
sounds of squirrels, you can locate squirrels. Here’s
some of those squirrel sounds:
*barking - A squirrel shows excitement, alarm and location
by barking. Squirrels often will bark to mark their
territory or just for a form of communication to say,
"Hey, I'm over here. Is anyone else around?"
*screaming - This excited call calls squirrels and denotes
distress. Squirrels, like people, will come out to view
an accident or a disaster. They often scream or bark
at what they see or hear.
*cutting - When a bushytail eats, he’s noisy –
squeaking and popping his teeth against the shells of
nuts. This cutting sound is much like ringing a dinner
bell for other bushytails. When a squirrel that isn’t
feeding hears another one  feeding,
the squirrel often will come to the place where it hears
the cutting sound to see if it can't find a nut to eat.
The cutting sound also is an all-clear call. Squirrels
don't feed when danger is present. However, when that
danger passes, the squirrels will return to their previous
feeding activity.
*leaf rustling - Squirrels make noises when they walk
in leaves. They often will hop two or three times, stop,
make one to two hops and pause again. If you listen
closely to the pattern of hops a squirrel makes, you
can imitate the sound of a squirrel's walking through
the leaves. Squirrels also dig in leaves to find nuts.
By raking leaves with your hands or feet, you can simulate
these sounds.
TOMORROW: BARKING
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