Top Squirrel Hunting Tips And Tricks For Beginners

Ace squirrel hunting by learning the top tips such as squirrel calling or movement and more as you continue reading.

RELATED: The Squirrel Snare: Trap For Your Life (Part 1)

In this article:

1. The Importance of Learning Squirrel Hunting 101
2. How to Hunt Squirrel with These Tips
   1. Movement
   2. Nest Trees
   3. Squirrel Calling
   4. Red Versus Gray

Top Squirrel Hunting Tips and Tricks for Beginners

The Importance of Learning Squirrel Hunting 101

Squirrel hunting is a great way to put food on the table. Young squirrels are like delicious chicken fried with biscuits and gravy.

Old ones make for a great stew. You can also cook a pot of squirrel and dumplings. Besides, it's just plain fun hunting.

I can head out to the local public hunting spot any morning wearing a T-shirt and jeans. Then I spend a few hours tromping through the beautiful forests.

Doing just this, I almost always come home with meat. This type of hunting doesn't weigh me down with stands, gear, or head-to-toe camouflage.

In fact, squirrel hunting gear is plain and simple. It doesn't get much better than that.

How to Hunt Squirrel with These Tips

I learned squirrel hunting early and as a boy, it was the first animal I ever hunted. Naturally, a small-caliber rifle like the .22 was ideal for my size.

It made little noise and had very little recoil. My father and grandfather also wanted to teach me the basics of hunting.

There was no better way than to hunt squirrels. One of the best aspects of squirrel hunting is the needed skill.

In my family, we always hunt for food. With an animal such as a squirrel, we always went for a headshot.

Your aim has to be accurate to hit a squirrel’s head from 20 to 30 yards. The accuracy becomes even more important when you use open sights.

Squirrel hunting also taught me stealth and how to clean an animal after the kill. Overall, it was an excellent foundation for the other animals I would hunt over the years.

Squirrel hunting is not just for boys or those learning to hunt. I still do it several times each year. Unlike hunting other animals, you need to know some scouting.

There are several public hunting areas near my home fine for firing squirrels. The squirrel hunting season is long, and we are always looking for ways to put more meat in the freezer.

Also, remember in survival situations, hunting small game is more feasible than hunting a big one. In this article, we will cover a few squirrel hunting essentials which can increase your success.

RELATED: 5 Sneaky Survival Snare Traps To Keep You Alive | Primitive Trapping

1. Movement

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Squirrels will often hide when they see or hear movement, then they emerge when they hear silence. Staying in one spot all day is not an effective strategy.

You need to alternate movement with sitting still. The best way to squirrel hunt is to find a good spot and sit still for 10 to 20 minutes.

Keep your eyes open and stay silent. Then walk slowly for 20 yards or so and become still again. Continue this until you see a squirrel.

If you spook one, stay in the area. Remain still while observing the spot in which you last saw the animal.

2. Nest Trees

Want to know how to find squirrels in the woods? A good place to start squirrel hunting is a nest tree because this is the animals' sleep.

They return to this tree several times a day. These are large dead trees, and they'll have several holes in the trunk.

Another clue to look for is a tree where the holes have smooth rims. The holes will appear worn down around the edges from squirrels climbing in and out.

If you can find a nest tree, you will see squirrels.

3. Squirrel Calling

I have heard several different types of calls to attract squirrels. The most effective is the ‘rock call'.

For this, you are trying to simulate the sound of a squirrel chewing a nut. Put two small pebbles in your hand and roll them around.

The sound of one stone scraping against another is very similar to the sound of a squirrel’s teeth working on a nutshell. With a little luck, a squirrel will come out of its hiding place.

4. Red Versus Gray

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Here is a good squirrel hunting tip: know the differences between the red and the gray. Red squirrels are tree squirrels, and the gray ones are those on the ground.

If you see a gray squirrel before it sees you, you might have a shot. If it starts running, you'll need the right squirrel hunting guns to put it down.

Red squirrels, meanwhile, will likely run into a tree. It will often give you a chance to shoot them out of the tree unless they find a hole in which to hide.

TrailCameraExpert.com shows a video of his best squirrel hunting tips:

To effectively hunt squirrels, you have to be familiar with your hunting ground, first. Know your squirrels, and you will know how to react to their movement.

With these basic squirrel hunting tips and tricks, success in your aim and food on the table is a sure hit.

Do you have any more tips on how to do squirrel hunting? Please let us know in the comments section below!

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Editor's Note: This post was originally published on June 26, 2017, and has been updated for quality and relevancy.