Squirrel hunting question?

should i sit in a tree or on the ground?





for how long in one place?





if i kill one and want to eat/clean would i have to do it right away after it dies? or can i let it sit? (freezing/refrigerator?)Squirrel hunting question?
I sit against the trunk of a large tree and just stick there for a while, if you often see them there or hear them, it'll be no time til they start coming back out to investigate and boom.


it's better to clean any animal ASAP, no matter the animal.Squirrel hunting question?
I pop em from the ground. Never heard of hunting squirrels from a tree. My rat terrier locks onto them and sits and watches. I follow her gaze and then *plink*, and she goes and collects them.





I'd definitely suggest cleaning them within an hour or so. That's more than enough time to nab enough.
ground





call the squirrel to you or walk around the tree line





it can sit for an hour or so before you need to field dress it.. field dressed it can site for several hours





after you skin it you can freeze it or cook it.. treat it like chicken
I have a squirrel rich environment where I deer hunt so I hunt from my permanent deer stands often. In other areas I sit at the base of a tree or with my back to a downed log. Helps me stay in one place a little longer.





Spend at least 15 minutes in a spot, don't be afraid to sit for 30 minutes. If you haven't seen anything move on. This works great if you are hunting by yourself, and will benefit you greatly if you are a rimfire hunter.





You could also choose to walk quietly and slowly through the woods. Think 10-25% normal walking speed, concentrate on being silent, and stop every 10-15 steps to observe. This technique has produced many squirrels for me when I have been in an unfamiliar area. It is an easier to hunt this way with a shotgun than a rimfire since you often are presented with moving shots.





I clean my squirrels as soon as I shoot them, place them in a ziplock and transfer them to a cooler with salt water as soon as I get back to the vehicle. Look for ';wet ones'; individual wipes in the toiletry isle of you local dept store to clean your hands afterward. Kind of like a wet napkin or baby wipe. Keeping your hands and knife clean will help keep hair off the next squirrel you skin.





Here is a great video showing how to skin a squirrel:


http://www.metacafe.com/watch/yt-66AVwth鈥?/a>





Fresh or frozen will work. I soak mine in a brine solution for several hours prior to cooking.





Here is one of my favorite recipes:





Squacks a la Squacks- Quoted from a frequent poster at RFC:





';take a mess of squirrel pieces and place them in a large enough pot to boil them in. cut into it one whole white onion. add fresh ground pepper, salt and a tsp of white vinegar or 2. cover squirrel with beer....ok....you can use water too.





bring to a rolling boil and then cut the heat to a slow boil. boil until you can stick a fork easily into the meat. remove each piece as this becomes possible. old tough ones will take a mite longer.





when all pieces have been removed, pour off the liquid. replace the squirrels into the pot and pour SWEET BABY RAY'S BBQ sauce over them. this can be thinned with a little beer...or water. you can also do this part in a slow cooker if you have one. you can also substitute your favorite bbq sauce but the brand mentioned is powerful good!





cover and slow cook the squacks until they are completely tender.';








EDIT: Good advice by everyone, but all get a ';thumbs down';? Anti-hunting troll strikes again. Bonus ';thumbs up'; from me to all for the good answers.
ground sit there until you shoot one clean right away freeze it if you want.
The best way to hunt squirrels is from the ground. I don't sit I stand. I find a nut tree and stand about 25 yards from it behind another smaller tree. I use the smaller tree to steady my gun when I shoot. Then I wait. I will stand there (very still) for at least 15 minutes. If I don't see any squirrels I move off to the next nut tree. If I do see a squirrel well then I shoot it. Once I shoot I still stay very still. There might be more. Wait for another 15 minutes before you leave if you don't see anymore. You can wait up to 5 hours before cleaning the squirrels. After you clean the squirrel either put it in the freezer or refrigerator.
Unless u know of a specific area with a HUGE squirrel poulation , stay on the ground .Never climb a tree or even over alittle fence if u have one in the chamber Move smoothly and quietly thru the woods , alert and responsive . It doesnt take too many of these to make a meal if u have some bread , cheese , vegetables , or anything else to go with it .Always clean game as soon aspossible ; in addition to the rewarding texture ,flavor , and immediate familiar identification of specific beast which enriches and fulfills the body mind and spirit ,as soon as the heart quits ciculating blood , tissue begins to deteriorate and the meat goes bad. Uwill enjoy eating prey same day , or next day at latest for reasons of immediacy in both diet [getting hungry] and appreciation of the animal and the experience of the hunt or kill . If u shoot more than u can eat , definitely clean and freeze em . Hope this is something u find rewarding for many years .
You should see more from ground and it depends on area where the nuts are. Usually they are active early......my back yards has plenty even a reddish one.





Cleaning is easiest right after shooting while warm and much preferred for most hunters. After they are cold the fur rips more if you want the hide. If its for the meat it does not matter in the fridge for a day or two not freezer. I would not freeze complete animal.
1. Any place you can hit the squirrel is fine





2. 20-45 min.





3. The fresher the better


you can freeze though
Stewy has got it right for a very patient one man hunt. You have to move and stalk for long periods because grays and reds like to hide on the opposite side of a tree when you walk by. This is why two guys, or one guy and a dog are better. You need someone on both sides of the trees to get the squirrel to move where it can be seen. Also, grays build a large nest like structure high in the trees, so if you see that you know they're around. It also doesn't hurt to find you a squirrel call somewhere, you can call them in at times, and it's a lot of fun.





Clean you squirrel within a few hours of killing them, but the sooner the better. I like to freeze mine in saltwater. This draws out more of the blood and thus some of the gamy taste. I also do this with Dove breasts.





I have hunted the grays and reds of the Ozarks, the Chickory Squirrel, of New Mexico and the Tassel eared squirrel found only in northern NM and AZ. I can't say which are more fun, because they all have their unique behaviors.





Be safe out there...........