First Timer - Spring Squirrel Season?

[RiddleOfSteel]

Hello all. I took the class, I've read about techniques, I've watched some videos on how to clean them, I've even got a few potential recipes picked out, and I'm not a bad shot with my .22 bolt gun. But I have zero actual hunting experience. (yet!)

I haven't found any experienced squirrel hunters to get me started. And I'm done waiting. I'm planning to take my first 'shot' at squirrel hunting during VA's short spring season that's just about to start up. I bet trying this in June makes things only more tricky, compared to the fall, but I want to get out there.

What I could really use help on, is where to go. My current plan is to head out to GW National Forest, find a random camp site, camp for a night, get set up before dawn, and hope a few squirrels wander by. I've read about sitting vs stalking, but I'm still up for any input on strategy/technique, especially as it might relate specifically to squirrels this time of year. But as I said, what I'm least confident about, is my choice of hunting grounds.

Does GW National Forrest seem like a good choice? If not, could anyone make a better suggestion? And this may be asking a lot, but can anyone recommend a particular area, or even a specific site? I'd like to stay within a couple hours of Winchester VA.

Thanks for reading, and especially for any input, or even suggestions on where I may find the info I'm looking for.

[dorminWS]

Do a search on this forum. We had a protracted discussion of squirrel hunting a while back. But if I had to boild it down to one sentence, it would be "Go where the food is."

[OakRidgeStars]

http://vagunforum.net/hunting-virginia/ ... t6144.html

[dorminWS]

Here's the thread I was talking about:

http://vagunforum.net/hunting-virginia/ ... t=squirrel hunt#p102666

http://vagunforum.net/hunting-virginia/ ... t=squirrel hunt#p102691

[RiddleOfSteel]

Thanks for the responses guys. I had seen those threads already. I was hoping for some guidance more specific to the time of year, my area of operation, etc. But I knew it was a long shot.
Thanks again.

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[Mindflayer]

I'm going with the wife this season.

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[M1A4ME]

Are there so many squirrels that killing the in the spring (resulting in their young maybe dying from lack of parental care) doesn't affect their numbers? Just curious about that. I can remember Arkansas having a spring squirrel season but my dad wouldn't hunt them (or let us hunt them) in the spring due to the effects of losing the young squirrels we'd be hunting in the fall.

Oh, be sure to use the bug repellent. If there is one thing VA has no shortage of its ticks and chiggers. Hell, we get ticks on us in the yard just walking around or sitting in a lawn chair and I "dust" the yard every year. Without the "dust" we'd be crawling with ticks every time we stepped out of the house.

[RWBlue01]

Are there so many squirrels that killing the in the spring (resulting in their young maybe dying from lack of parental care) doesn't affect their numbers? Just curious about that. I can remember Arkansas having a spring squirrel season but my dad wouldn't hunt them (or let us hunt them) in the spring due to the effects of losing the young squirrels we'd be hunting in the fall.

I am from up north so we didn't have a spring season.

My guess and it is only a guess....
If it is a June season, it is late enough that the baby tree rats are on their own and don't need a parent.

[Mindflayer]

One thing I am not too sure about having only seen it once is how to skin the little buggers when and if we pop any. I guess we'll see how it goes if the wife and I actually see any this season!

[jdonovan]

One thing I am not too sure about having only seen it once is how to skin the little buggers when and if we pop any. I guess we'll see how it goes if the wife and I actually see any this season!

Use wire cutters to cut off the 4 paws. Then cut the circumference around the mid section so you can pull 1/2 the skin to the head and half to the tail. Use 2 sets of pliers and grab the skin on either side of the cut, and pull. HARD.

The skin on these critters is VERY well attached, and the above was the fastest way of getting the skin off. When you and a few buddys come put of the field with 6 each, and you've got 20-30 on the table you figure out how to process things in a more efficient manner.

[RWBlue01]

One thing I am not too sure about having only seen it once is how to skin the little buggers when and if we pop any. I guess we'll see how it goes if the wife and I actually see any this season!

I am going to bet you have never skinned anything. So, let me be the first to tell you....You will screw up the first one. It may be bad enough you just dig an hole for it. Then the next one you will do better. Then the next one. Then the next one. By the time you have 4-5 done, you will be use to it and doing much better.

Don't weird out when you screw up the first one. You will figure it out.


Gutting my first squirrel was a mess and I had three people standing around telling me what I should do. I probably would have done better if I just tried to figure it out on my own.

[Machias]

Take your knife and cut through the skin right across the middle of the back about 3 inches. Just big enough to get 4 fingers in. Put your fingers in the cut and the just pull your hands apart. Then you can cut off the head tail and feet. Flip him over and slit the belly without puncturing the guts and clean out all the innards. You'll most likely need to crack or slit the pelvic bone. Whole thing takes about 3 to 4 minutes, if that. Warmer the squirrel the easier the hide comes off.

[k5mitch]

You'll find a lot of ways to skin a squirrel.

I do similar to Machias. Except I don't keep the body. I just retain the legs. If you get your bag limit, you get a decent mess of squirrel legs, without any mess of the entrails. Fry them up like chicken wings. This method works great with redheads (22 or 17 to the head). If you have to go for a body-shot, you could have some "integrity" issues pulling the hide off (depending on the round you use, and location of the hit).

[gijoep]

Reading this thread has me ready to grab my shotgun, my squirrel huntin vest and hit the woods behind my house like I used to do as a kid in TN. Don't thi that would go over very well here in McLean along Pimmit Run........but there are tons of the little rascals back here. Man....that squirrel stew my gradmother used to make was awesome. Happy huntin!