squirl season

[charlie cleveland]

russ the first gun i ever shot at the age of 8 years was my uncles model 24 stevens it was the plastic stock version in 22 over 410..my tarket was a 55 gallon drum i closed my eyes pulled the trigger and missed that 55 gallon barrel....a few years back i traded for a plastic stock 22 and 410 on the bottom i still have it and use it with my squirl dog and i go hunting...charlie

[mobirdhunter]

Originally Posted by charlie cleveland

russ the first gun i ever shot at the age of 8 years was my uncles model 24 stevens it was the plastic stock version in 22 over 410..my tarket was a 55 gallon drum i closed my eyes pulled the trigger and missed that 55 gallon barrel....a few years back i traded for a plastic stock 22 and 410 on the bottom i still have it and use it with my squirl dog and i go hunting...charlie

These accounts of squirrel hunting past are intriguing. Small game was once the gateway to deer and turkey. Now rabbits and squirrels get ignored by so many. Too bad. I can read the nostalgia in these accounts.

Charlie, now that we have discussed our boyhood squirrel guns, we need to share tales of those squirrel dogs we grew up with (and, in your case, have now). There's nothing quite like a good squirrel dog. Charlie, tell us about yours, please.

[Drew Hause]

For the gentleman squirrel hunter

[charlie cleveland]

wow....charlie

[charlie cleveland]

my present squirl dog is actually belongs to my granddaughter katie haynes.... she stays with me dureing the daylight hours and is picked up by my daughter after dark...if they come after her before dark she will run away back to my house...we only live about 400 yards apart across an open field....now the dogs name is daisey she is a jack russel she has a long tail because my katie would not let them chop her tail off as most jack russels are bob tail...at the age of 1 year old daisey began hunting and treeing with another small dog we called spot...spot would really tree them squirls but was gun shy when spot and daisey treed i would go to them but if spot seen the gun she would come off the tree and hide....but little daisey was never gun shy for some reason...dogs growing up with gun shy dogs will usally be gun shy too...as dasiey became 2 years old one day they were out hunting but spot was caught by a coyote and eaten...daisey made it back to the house ok...i went hunting for spot the next day found her all that was left of her was a little hide and hair...i and family were heart broken over this...for a whole year daisey never hunted or treed another squirl nor wood she follow me into the woods...but the following year she began to take interest in hunting again....she turned into a really good squirl dog over the next 6 years she and i stayed in the woods when the leaves fell off... one time a friend of mine came over with his beagle it was a super good squirl dog...he wanted to see how daisey stacked up to his dog...at the end of the hunting day daisey had treed 6 more times than the beagle she had a great day ...i had to brag on daisey i asked my friend what he thought of daisey he said she just got luckey...my friend never told no one about his dog being beaten... daisey has the best bark you have ever heard at the tree...she will start out growling far about 15 to 20 secounds before she barks then she barks about 5 times then starts the growling again....i tell everyone she has to get wound up before she barks treed...for the last 2 years i have not got to hunt with her very much i had a heart attack and my energy and will to hunt was almost gone...but about 4 1/2 months back my energy began to increase and my will to hunt has returned as if by magic i thank GODfor this every day...as soon as the leaves get off daisey and i will hit the trail again....charlie

[wayne goerres]

A squirrel would have to be privileged to be shot with that gun.

[wayne goerres]

Charlie. I hope you put that little dog on a diet. She looked a little chubby the last time I saw her. Good luck with the squirrels.

[charlie cleveland]

shes still pretty plump but gets around mighty good to be that big...she is 10 years old now so in dog years she is the same age as i am i m 71....she treed 2 times yesterday while i was putting out a feeder for deer....shes in good shape i got to get in shape myself... charlie

[mobirdhunter]

Originally Posted by charlie cleveland

shes still pretty plump but gets around mighty good to be that big...she is 10 years old now so in dog years she is the same age as i am i m 71....she treed 2 times yesterday while i was putting out a feeder for deer....shes in good shape i got to get in shape myself... charlie

Charlie,

Thanks for sharing the information about your squirrel dogs. I'm so sorry to learn that you lost one to coyotes -- very sad and heartbreaking. But your Daisy is back at it, and that's a very good sign.

As for needing to get into better shape, I think there are quite a few of us in that situation, but following a dog around hunting will definitely be a good fitness plan. I hope you have lots of good squirrel hunts with Daisy this season.

[J. A. EARLY]

Charlie,

I hope you'll be optimistic and get a pup to let Daisey train to take over the sport. Nothing like a good squirrel dog.