Bolt action .22 magnum
I prefer a rifle to a shotgun when hunting squirrels. I hate picking shot out of meat and with an accurate rifle like this .22 Magnum I can easily make head shots resulting in no meat loss. The .22 Magnum gives me an effective range of 100 yards, my groups are the size of a quarter at that range. The attached Harris bipod sweetens the deal.
Extra ammo and clips
It can get exciting when you tree three or four squirrels. Having extra clips to reload quickly helps keep the pace up. I always shoot more than I think I will, but I've never shot a full box of ammo when I'm out. I bring about 30 rounds with me and keep a full box back at the truck.
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| These ballistic tipped bullets shoot great, but damage too much meat. I'm switching to solid bullets. |
Small Knife
If I can't get to the truck in a few hours to put my kill in a cooler, I gut them in the field. Everyone knows you shouldn't go into the woods without a knife anyway.
Water
I usually hike deep into the woods and spend several hours out before I come back to the truck. I have a bota that I have added a nice carrying strap to. This is enough water for a full cool day or half of a hot day.
Game carriers
I make game carriers out of paracord. This allows me the attach my kills to my belt or over my shoulder. They cool faster this way.
Hunting belt with pouch
A sturdy gun belt with a pouch holds everything I carry with plenty to spare. I prefer to use this gun belt instead of a backpack or vest whenever I can get away with it. I have several different pouches and holders that I can attach to it when necessary.
A squirrel call
I have had very limited success with a squirrel call. Sometimes you can get a treed squirrel to show it self with one. Otherwise, they are not as useful as the advertisements claim.
GPS
I'm going to try using my Iphone exclusively for the first few hunts. We'll see if it performs as well as a stand alone GPS. If it does then that is one less thing I have to carry.
Binoculars
These are not very useful early in the season. In fact I will probably leave them in the truck. Later in the season when you can see the top of trees that are a great help for locating sunning squirrels.
That's it! One of the pleasures of squirrel hunting is its simplicity. I hope to post some pictures of another successful hunt soon!
