My two boys, Hank, and I spent most of the Labor Day Weekend at our cabin doing cabin type things. Planting food plots, cutting down maple trees, building fires, shooting bows and guns, and of course did a bit of squirrel hunting. After a couple big helpings of bisquits and sausage gravy we headed out the old logging road/trail above the cabin. Walk 20-30yds. Sit. Look. Listen. Repeat. On the second one we spot limbs moving that dad is convinced is a squirrel, but with the foliage on we never laid eyes on him. About 20mins later, Youngest tells dad he has to poop and dad realizes he's not packing any TP... So, I set up Oldest with the 10/22 on some sticks as we were hearing a squirrel cutting nuts a head with directions on what to do. Having passed hunter's ed last month, I felt comfortable he'd be safe and follow directions. Youngest and I head back towards the cabin so bidness can be taken care off. About 40yds back down the trail I hear a squirrel cutting CLOSE. Youngest confirms that the situation is not dire, so we move towards the sound. I finally find the noise maker laid out on a limb. The 20ga is a bit too much for Youngest to handle, so I shoot and drop that one.
Untitled by Tyler Staggs, on Flickr
The tree tops came alive with squirrels moving all over the hickories and beech trees. Over about the next 2 mins I see and shoot two more. Youngest is stoked and tells me he doesn't have to poop any more, so we move back to where we left Oldest. He was following directions as told and proceeds to tell me he was just getting ready to shoot one when I shot the second time, spooking his off!
We proceed down the trail to another hickory. This one has a fox squirrel in it, who after a bit of waiting came down a grape vine and offered a shot. Bang. Bang. I think Oldest got a bit too excited and didn't aim as fine as he should with the 20ga. A while later and a 100yds further down the trail we spot another gray squirrel who offered a short shot window that didn't pan out either. Summoning some knowledge from his Hunter's Ed Class, Oldest asks me what choke the shotgun had and I replied, "Modified". "Well, if that was a cylinder choke I would have had a better chance at hitting those squirrels", he stated pretty matter of factly. About that time the wind picked up just a bit and the neighbors decided to start their motorcross 100 routine so seeing or hearing squirrels became tough so we packed it in for the day.
Here are my two pards with the day's take:
Untitled by Tyler Staggs, on Flickr
Oldest assumed the duties of being a living gambrel and held the squirrels for me to get them cleaned and was very proud to offer me the use of his pocket knife that he had bought. It was a good day...
Untitled by Tyler Staggs, on FlickrThe tree tops came alive with squirrels moving all over the hickories and beech trees. Over about the next 2 mins I see and shoot two more. Youngest is stoked and tells me he doesn't have to poop any more, so we move back to where we left Oldest. He was following directions as told and proceeds to tell me he was just getting ready to shoot one when I shot the second time, spooking his off!
We proceed down the trail to another hickory. This one has a fox squirrel in it, who after a bit of waiting came down a grape vine and offered a shot. Bang. Bang. I think Oldest got a bit too excited and didn't aim as fine as he should with the 20ga. A while later and a 100yds further down the trail we spot another gray squirrel who offered a short shot window that didn't pan out either. Summoning some knowledge from his Hunter's Ed Class, Oldest asks me what choke the shotgun had and I replied, "Modified". "Well, if that was a cylinder choke I would have had a better chance at hitting those squirrels", he stated pretty matter of factly. About that time the wind picked up just a bit and the neighbors decided to start their motorcross 100 routine so seeing or hearing squirrels became tough so we packed it in for the day. Here are my two pards with the day's take:
Untitled by Tyler Staggs, on FlickrOldest assumed the duties of being a living gambrel and held the squirrels for me to get them cleaned and was very proud to offer me the use of his pocket knife that he had bought. It was a good day...
