Squirrel Dogs

6mm06

Well-known member
When I was growing up at home, squirrel hunting back here in the mountains of Southwest Virginia was big sport. We didn't have any deer or turkey back then, and small game was all we had to hunt. Opening day of squirrel season was a cherished time, and sometimes it was difficult to get to a favorite hunting place without someone beating you to it.

Seems that everyone had squirrel dogs back then, and later in the season when the leaves were gone was a great time to hunt with a dog. Dad had a little Fiest named Penny that was the best dog I ever saw. I grew up with that dog and learned about the joys of squirrel hunting.

Finding a good squirrel dog nowadays seems to be a difficult matter, and if you do find one, you better have a pocket full of money if indeed it's for sale. It's not uncommon for dogs to go for over $1,000.

I have been searching for a squirrel dog for years, to no avail, or at least one I could afford. I tried to buy two different ones before in the $400 range, but they were sold before I had a change to even get to see them. A phone conversation was as close as I got to either of them.

Then, about two years ago, I was visiting my local Wal-Mart, when a group of animals lovers, PAWS I think it was, had some dogs and cats to find homes for. They were set up at the far end of the parking lot. I stopped in out of curiosity mainly, and immediately saw a black dog trying his best to get to one of the cats, and barking every breath. A bell went off in my head that "maybe this will make a good squirrel dog." So, for the price of a rabies shot, I loaded him up and took him home.

Although he is still young and inexperienced, he is already showing great signs of being a good squirrel dog. I have shot two squirrels out of Oaks in my back yard, just for the sake of the dog. He treed both and was really excited by them, and needed some encouragement and reward. I gave it to him.

Again this evening, he barked and followed a squirrel as it jumped from tree to tree. In a short time he has learned that squirrels belong in trees and they move from one tree to another. That's a good sign in a dog, since some will bark treed while the squirrel moves on. A dog that watches and follows a squirrel, while barking is worth owning.

My son, Tanner, also got in on the action and he and the dog are learning together.

Sorry for rambling on so, but any of you guys who have hunted squirrels with a dog, know the feeling of just how grand that is. There's just nothing like it. I've hunted Africa and Alaska, but I don't think that any of those hunts can compare with the excitement I get from hunting squirrels with a dog. Maybe it's just my boyhood memories coming back.

Here are some recent photos, two were taken from video files.

This dog loves squirrel hunting.
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Looking up the tree for another squirrel
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I can't wait until fall / winter to hunt with him
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You are correct about the price of good dogs. My brother and i have hunted small game since we were old enough to shoot. Hes 21 and im 23 now. He coon hunts more than anything but i love squirrel hunting and theres nothing better than seeing a good dog working in the woods. Ive been lucky to have had several very good squirrel dogs when i was in my teens but the last few years i have noticed the prices have went up alot. Its sad cause most people just cant spend $600 to $1000 for a good dog. Me included. I have a bluetick pup that looks promising though. Seasons in here but im gonna wait till it starts to cool off a little first. Ill be sure to post some pics when we are successfull though.
 
Jeff,

I don't have any idea what breed the dog is, maybe a mixture. But he loves squirrel hunting. Man, I lucked up on getting this dog.

Savage,

It is sad that dogs cost so much now. I think my Dad paid $15 or $20 for Penny. Of course, that was way back in the early 60's. And when I was a boy, I sold one of the best Beagles I ever had for $10.

It's been about five years or so since I've even had a chance at buying a squirrel dog, priced at $400. The owner sold it to another guy before I even had a chance to look at it. I was prepared to buy it. Then, the same thing happened a second time, dog sold quickly.

I took a short hunting trip via 4-wheeler in the woods behind my house this evening and got another squirrel. The dog didn't tree it, I just happened to see it in an Oak tree where it was "cutting" acorns. I took the squirrel home and laid it on the shed roof, preparing to get my knife to skin it, and the dog about went crazy. He barked and jumped and really wanted at it.

He's going to make a good dog. He just needs experience and to be hunted more.

Sitting on the back deck, watching the tree tops. He constantly watches the trees in my yard.
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Same way here in E. TX.
Dad took me out of school to hunt 1st day of the season.
We did not use a dog, but we still hunted.
Had a dog or two but just prefered to stalk.
As an adult I taught my son the same way.
I still prefer to camo-up, take a .22 and stalk calling squirrels.

And Ozzy hit it on the head with the Red Collar Duo.
 
I think if you spend some time you can get any good dog to tree squirrels. I may have my work cutout for me on the one of these dogs.
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The dog on the left trees squirrels and retrieves doves and has found two bow shot hogs and she was a pet shelter dog as well. Yellowhammer will get to see her in action this afternoon if he gets over here to go dove hunting.
 
Venatic,

Your're right about most any good dog learning to tree squirrels. The word is "good" however. Some dogs just don't seem to have what it takes, while many others can be taught.

The little Fiest I referred to earlier (Penny) was the best squirrel dog I ever saw, yet her pup never did hunt worth a hoot, though it followed it's mama through the woods a lot. I don't know why, but it just seems to be the nature of some dogs to really go for it and others just don't. But, any dog that shows a keen interest can basically be taught, I think.
 
I think both of you are right. Ive had crossbred dogs and a border collie that would tree squirrels and my buddy had a beagle that ran rabbits like nobodys bussiness but also naturally treed squirrels funniest thing i ever saw lol !!! Unfortunatley like 6mm06 said , some are good some arent and usually the good ones dont produce in the breeding pen. There are eceptions, but ive seen alot of that with coon hounds.
 
How bout that, never heard of hunting tree rats with dogs......
I can see how good it would be though. Kinda gets me thinkin, I have a Min Pin here that would chase a shadow up a tree given a chance. After some searching turns out the breed was originally bread in Russia for hunting small vermin....
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May have to gime em a try....
Of course I'd have to get him one of those insulated vest deals they have for hunting dogs. He's a......well.....pansy...when it comes to cold weather. The [beeep] thing crawls under the covers with me when he's cold
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Here's a picture of Sarge treed at 6 weeks old.
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And here's a picture of his ole Dad Atom:

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Fw707, Looks like Sarge is already headed off in the right direction. At only 6 months, he already has an idea what he's supposed to do.

FrankenCub, man you've got to try squirrel hunting with a dog at least once in your life. If you like hunting squirrels, and if you like hunting with a dog, then there's nothing like it.

I grew up hunting that way. It was just a way of life here in the mountains and lots of people had dogs. Squirrel hunting was a big event back then.

We had two separate squirrel season in those days, whereas now it's just one. The first season was called "cutting season," when the leaves were still on the trees and the squirrels were "cutting" acorns or hickories. We would still hunt without a dog during that time, but later in the second season when the leaves were all gone was a great time to hunt with a dog. Squirrels would be on the ground more due to the nuts having fallen from the trees earlier in the season, so the dogs could catch the smell of the squirrels easily and put them up a tree.

Hunting in that method would many times require two people, because the squirrel would hang to the tree trunk many times on the opposite side of the tree from the shooter. A second person would go around the tree and make noise with a limb or hit the tree, or pull a grape vine that might be attached, causing the squirrel to either run or to circle to the side of the shooter. It was great fun, and very productive. Many times a morning's squirrel hunt would yield the limit of 6.

As enjoyable as the shooting itself, is watching the dog in action. Good squirrel dogs love hunting as much as the hunter does. They get really excited. Penny used to jump and cut a shine if she saw me with a gun in my hand.

Other things to consider in a good dog, is the way they hunt. I prefer a dog that hunts close to the hunter and doesn't travel out very far. That way the hunter chooses the route and location to hunt. Some dogs seem to hunt "wide" and they tend to choose the way the hunt goes.

As an update, my dog is doing better every day. Two evenings ago he treed yet another squirrel and I shot it out for him. It was pure pleasure to see him reared up on the tree, looking up and barking every breath. I have learned that he barks consistently when he sees a squirrel, but stops or does intermittently if he loses sight of it. Even though I couldn't see the squirrel for a while, I knew it was up there by the dog's reaction.

The squirrels are not on the ground now since we have a big canopy of leaves on the trees right now. I'm not sure how the dog might perform later this fall and winter when squirrels tend to be more on the ground. He will have to use his nose some later, as well as eye sight. He's a very fast dog, so if he sees one on the ground, he will put it up a tree in short order. And, he follows the squirrel if it moves from one tree to another, so that is a good sign in him already.
 
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I just got a mtn fiest pup, 9weeks old. I have given it a couple of squirrel tails and it goes nuts. Just wondering if there's any tricks to getting one started. Have never squirrel hunted with a dog, not sure what to expect.
 
I'm sure a lot of guys are more experienced in training a dog than me, but seems the squirrel tail is a good start. Nothing like letting the pup run (hunt) with an experienced dog, but that may not be possible.

It's always good to shoot a squirrel out for him once he shows interest, keeping in mind the gun-shy factor.

I'm sure some more experienced guys can give you better advice than me. My dog just seemed to take to it, and isn't gun shy. Not all dogs are like that, however.
 
So far the pup doesn't seem gun shy at all. But i've tried to only shoot 22's around it for now. I'm sure as it gets older the genetics should take over and all that will need to be done is getting her out around squirrels. At least that's how beagles were. Obedience training is going to be the most important for now, can't stand a dog that won't come when called, or runs away from me. Dogs like that don't last long around me. Anyways, should be a lot of fun.
 
The squirrell tail is an excellent training aid. Tie a piece of string to it and pull it up a tree. The sooner the dog associates the squirrell with the tree tops, the better.
 
LOL, I trained one of my Rat Terriers with a squirrel tail i got off a road kill and used a fishing plole to emulate a running squirrel "running" up a tree and that got her to look up and follow.. But, now I cant take her fishing with me anymore and keep her dry..lmao
 
Hard Times,

I love a Fiest. Maybe because that's the type of dog I had while growing up, but also because they are revered squirrel dogs.

Good luck with your puppy, and keep us posted.

David
 
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