EARLY SEASON (SEPTEMBER- EARLY OCTOBER)
As the squirrel season starts, you should totally concentrate on the feeding pattern of the squirrel. Try a SLOW stalk through the woods, LISTENING for falling debris from feeding squirrels in the trees. Beech trees should be the first target, so a little pre season scouting to locate productive trees will pay off in dividends.
When you hear evidence of an overhead squirrel, you should immediately look for movement of the game. If all goes well, the sun will be right and the falling particles will be easily seen, giving away the squirrel's location. From this point the stalk is on. don't hurry your shot! If you move slowly, avoiding downed branches and their tell tale "snap" the squirrel will be busy feeding and pay no attention to you. Don't forget, the early season canopy of leaves will work in your favor as well.
If the action is slow, try calling to the squirrels to liven up the forest. See calling section.
MID SEASON (MID OCTOBER - EARLY NOVEMBER)
By now, the beech nuts have gone and you have to concentrate on another food source... corn! Set up for action now as opposed to stalking technique.
You should going to select hunting grounds that are proximate to cut corm fields. A typical set up is near a hedgerow between hardwoods and the corn itself. Hunters can attempt to do some quick scouting by looking for fallen corn husks or squirrels tracks in snow if any is present. From here it is a waiting game. When a squirrel is shot, stay put because more squirrels will often be following in pursuit of the corn.
LATE SEASON (DECEMBER - FEBRUARY)
If you are still pursuing squirrels at this point, use the snow to your advantage. Look for abundant tracks near tree bases so you know where the busiest section of woods will be. It is best to be hunting at day break, as squirrels are said to be most active from dawn to mid day and spend the rest of the day in sleep.
SQUIRREL CALLING... DO THOSE THINGS REALLY WORK?
The squirrel calls on the market really work. There are a lot of calls out there, so choose the one that fits you taste, read the directions and practice.
SQUIRREL DISTRESS SERIES- always use this call first and only after a lull in the hunting action. This call works well in September. Produce a "Wee-wee-wee" sound and immediately after doing so, shake a sapling with leaves on it. This sound imitates a young squirrel that has been traumatized by some sort of predator. After this short series, listen carefully for the excited chatter or bark of nearby squirrels. At this point, the call has done its job and you must stalk the squirrel. Sometimes, the adult squirrels will approach, but 90% of the time they just give their position away and that should be enough!
THE BARK CALL - To add variety to you calling, use the standard bark call. This works well, again, when there is a "lull" in the normal hunting action. By using this call, the communication lines are opened up and squirrels will vocalize to let their position be known. Unfortunately for them, they are telling you where they are!
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