Squirrel hunting can teach you quite a bit about hunting. You must locate a food source. You must remain still and camouflaged on stand. You must remain quiet and as unobservable to game as possible. You must have an adequate firearm to take your quarry.

When the leaves are still on the trees a shotgun is preferable. After the leaves have fallen a 22 caliber rifle can be used.

In Texas it is against the law to hunt squirrels with an air rifle. Although a pellet gun might have the necessary knock down power to harvest the animal cleanly It is still against the law. The newer 22 caliber pellet guns offer a lot of punch. They offer quite a bit more knock down power than the 177 caliber guns. Although plenty of squirrels have fallen to pellet guns in the hands of young boys the down side to this situation is a confrontation with the state wild life commission.

Squirrel hunting offers the same pleasures as any other hunting experience. Time in the field is always time well spent. Many old time hunters use scoped rifles and only try for head shots. The reasoning for this is the ultimate goal of not spoiling any meat. Some hunters try to hit bark near the squirrel. The concussion from the bark hitting the squirrel will allow the hunter to harvest the animal without any meat damage. Some hunters enjoy the taste of squirrel brains. If the head is hit by a bullet or shot from a shotgun the primary reason for this hunt is ruined.

Situate yourself under an oak tree or other suitable food source and get ready for action. If the squirrels are hiding on the other side of the tree an old hunters trick is to throw small projectiles on the side of the tree that the squirrel is located on. Upon hearing the projectiles behind him the squirrel will switch sides and relocate himself on your side of the tree so that you can have a better shot at your quarry.

Upon harvesting the animal care should be taken to immediately gut the animal and put the animal's carcass in a cool and dry place. This will insure that the meat that you obtain on your hunting trip will be fit for human consumption.

Squirrel hunting can be an enjoyable past time that can be shared with friends and family. The costs of this type of hunting are considerably lower than big game hunting. A quiet time in the woods with a shotgun or rifle in pursuit of the squirrel can be a rewarding and fulfilling experience. The meat is very tasty if it is prepared properly. This is a sport for the young and old alike. Young people and women should have no trouble handling the smaller caliber guns which are used to hunt this animal.

Steve Graham is an avid hunter and fisherman and shares his experiences and opinions with others.

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