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HideHunter

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85 degrees, leaves, a combination of sweat and skeeter dope running in my eyes, wet weeds to my waist, leaves, spider webs the size of hay rope wrapped around my face, squirrels the size of mice in trees the size of the Effiel Tower.. scope half-fogged up and leaves... I'd forgotten how much I love squirrel hunting.
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Well - it wasn't the first opener I had missed in 50+ years but I'll bet the first in the last 15. Good old Isaac. Pouring down rain and forecasted to do so all day. Son and sil were home. We had decided to skip it if it was raining.

FF to Sunday. 68 degrees and close to 100% humidity. Sil couldn't make it. Son killed a pair and I managed 5 - couldn't find that last one for a limit. We had family stuff to do and I just ran out of time.

Monday.. SIL went. He killed 4, I killed 5. My sixth squirrel "posed" at 25 yards, broad-side and silhouetted
in a nice circle of leaves. Looked like a picture in story book.
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"The Streak" (such as it was) ended at 10 when I shot a limb about 5 feet in front of my gun barrel. Couldn't see it in the scope. Never did find the 6th one. More family stuff - Ran out of time again.

Yesterday morning - 72 freaking degrees and 100% humidity. Never saw a squirrel or a limb bounce until 7:30. Killed the first one I saw and just started moving. Finally killed my 6 and I don't think any two of them were within 200 yards of each other.

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Nothing very dramatic. Just another picture of the Space Gun and 6 squirrels. But at least it's a limit and my first of the season. Supposed to cool off the next few days. Lows in the 50s. I'm ready.

How's everyone else doing?
 
sounds like your off to a good start!
opener here was Sept 1
I havent got out yet
but kid start school tomorrow
My oldest in in Kidnergaten and youngest in PreK 1/2 day
So once I drop them both off in the morning I have til noon to hunt alone then after I get them from school we can do an evening hunt
I have been ready for season just couldnt make it out yet due to busy schedule and I also work Weekends at night so that kinda limits my hunting time Fri-Sun

Nice pics and sweet gun is that a Ruger 10/22?
 
Sounds like you had a good time. One question is that a large safety pin with a rope tied to it for your squirrle carrier? That is the best ideal I have seen in a while (I live under a rock sorry) I am going to have to steel that ideal and use it. Glad to see you got a limit and I love the space gun!
 
Thanks guys.. yep. 10/22. It's a "second" Boyd's Barracuda stock, a Green Mountain HT barrel, Poacher bolt, kitchen table trigger job and a few "bolt-ons".
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Shoots like a house afire - thinks it's a bolt action. It's the only gun I own that has a name. I used to call it "Black Friday" because I bought the original rifle on BF and it's, well, black.
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But a friend of mine dubbed it "The Space Gun" and it stuck.
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I'm actually kind of fickle. I have and "early season squirrel rifle", a "middle season squirrel rifle" and a "late season squirrel rifle".
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The pin is exactly that.. it's a large safety pin - actually a laundry pin that came from the military. I just like it so much better than throwing them in a vest. Keeps them in much better shape. A lot of guys make their own from spring steel and add a handle.

Get after them bushytails and post some pictures.
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Good write and description of my woods as well. I haven't been yet because of the heat/humidity etc. You forgot to mention the chiggers and yellow jackets. Also the Annie is a lot more pleasing to the eye-good job. TTT
 
Originally Posted By: TnTnTn Also the Annie is a lot more pleasing to the eye-good job. TTT

Now Don't You Start On The "Ugly Gun" Thing!
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You can't believe how much guff I take from my "buddies" who know I have "purtier" guns.
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I liken it to a bulldog puppy. It's so ugly it's cute.
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Little cooler out there this morning. Everything's relative.
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I was up early so decided to take a long walk to where I knew there was a nice ridge with some hickories. Just breaking daylight when I got where I wanted to be. Before I could even see to shoot I heard some cutting behind me. Got all turned around and in a few minutes spotted a gray cutting on a bare limb at about 30 yards... like in the wide open. This just don't happen. Sent him a hot one and when he hit the ground another one ran down the same tree and looked at him like, "Fred - did you fall down?" (He didn't really say that - I just made it up) Two down.

I figured that was probably it and I just as well move. Suddenly, one starts to scold. I look up and there's one sitting 15 feet in front of me. Where'd you come from? Aimed a half-inch over his head and rolled him out. Now, I've made enough racket I decide to drink a cup of coffee before I gather up and move. To make an already long story short - er, that coffee cup isn't much bigger than a thimble and I had to set it down two times before I got it drank. I've been hunting squirrels for almost 55 years and I did something I'll bet I could count on my fingers the times I've done it before. Shot my 6 without getting off my butt. I usually don't do this in early season because I get a couple down I figure I'd better go find them. This year, with the drought, the cows have the timber pasture so clean a dead squirrel sticks out like dog poop on a pool table. Found them all right where they fell. Only problem now is - I'm a mile and a half from the truck with 6 on the pin. My intention was to *hunt* back to the truck. Little sympathy please.
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I was done 7:12.

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Dressed them and dropped them off to an older farmer friend of mine who can't get out much anymore. A good time was had by all - with the possible exception of the squirrels.

Get after' em guys!
 
Took a bit more "conventional" gun to the brush this morning. This was my "go-to" squirrel rifle for 20+ years. Groups flew to crap overnight. Took some figuring, experimentation, hair-tearing and a combination of cussing/praying before I discovered I had somehow dinged the crown. Because I had other rifles it kind of got stuck in the back of the safe. This spring I had the opportunity to buy a GM barrel for less than a crown job would cost. Thing will shoot bugholes at 35 yards. Haven't tried it beyond.

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They are cleaning up the hickories.
 
Originally Posted By: huntsman22marlins CAN'T look that good.....grin . Well what is it then? I said it looked similar. By the way my marlin looks pretty nice but shoots VERY nice
 
Originally Posted By: crowpopper Well what is it then?


It's one of these. Obnoxiously large scope, and all....

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Or maybe one of these more compactly accessorized models...

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Show that 'sim-u-larly' handsome marlin, huh?
 
Yep huntsman knows an old Ruger by sight... lol.. TnTnTn - You obviously have an artist's eye for esthetics.
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All my stuff looks like its been dragged behind my pick up.
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As far as the scope - my poor old fading eyes are a lot more interested in the "interior" of the scope than its appearance.
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Plus with my stubby little arms, short neck and head like a bucket.. I can't get most of those "cute little scopes" back far enough... and the squirrels don't seem to care.
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Nice looking rig (rigs?) Huntsman.. You either take way better care of your stuff - or yours doesn't have as many hard miles on it.
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They are pretty proud of them at the cash register but I still think they're in the top few rimfires offered today.
 
HH-just messing with you-you da man in the squirrel woods Hubble or not. Huntsman nice looking rifles especially the 2nd on the fencepost. I have never owned a 77/22 but really liked their looks. I just use the semiauto version.

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Sorry... I dont know all my guns as well as you. Ill climb down off my stump now and go shoot my lowly lil marlin with a cheap ol Center point scope now
 
Originally Posted By: TnTnTnHH-just messing with you-you da man in the squirrel woods Hubble or not. Huntsman nice looking rifles especially the 2nd on the fencepost. I have never owned a 77/22 but really liked their looks. I just use the semiauto version.



lol... he said "Hubble or not"
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... No sweat what-so-ever TnTnTn.. all in fun..
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When you dish it out like I dish it out - you *have* to be able to take it.
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Fine looking iron. Green Mountain Running Boar? (not meant as an insult if it's something "nicer".
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I have 3 GMs and one on my sil's rifle and they are all shooters.

Originally Posted By: crowpopperSorry... I dont know all my guns as well as you. Ill climb down off my stump now and go shoot my lowly lil marlin with a cheap ol Center point scope now

Don't let us get to you Crowpopper.
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If you want to put them all through the same hole - it's hard to beat a Marlin barrel.. I've got a couple of them.. and I just sighted in a gun for a friend with a Center Point scope.. I was impressed. I took it out of a "bubble-pack" for crying-out-loud.
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It shouldn't have been that good.. it was
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Again - all in fun.
 
Originally Posted By: crowpopper Ill climb down off my stump now and go shoot my lowly lil marlin with a cheap ol Center point scope now

Before you climb back up the stump to your computer, take a pic of the marlin. All I have for marlins, is leever actions. I surely would like to see one of their bolt guns.

mountie
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1894m
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