At the request of my granddaughter, I went on my first dedicated squirrel hunt in decades this afternoon.

We were sitting in a stand of oaks after a slowly hunting our way through the woods for about a mile. I told her I saw something special about 30 yards away but would not tell her what it was. I got ready with the phone for when she finally spotted it. This was her reaction when she did:



It was the skeletal remains of a seven point buck most likely killed during the rifle season or perhaps bow:



Of course it had to come home with her. I will clean the skull and mandible and it will get displayed in her room.




Oh yeah, we ended up getting a squirrel as well. We saw ten in all but I only got shooting at two of them. Every time she would see one she would get so excited she would point and talk too loud and scare them away. We saw two black ones and she really got excited about that. She is already looking forward to going again next Saturday. Hopefully we can get a few more, because one squirrel makes for a pretty light meal.



I had forgotten what it must be like to be that young and excitable. Her enthusiasm had a very positive affect on me. We both thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.

very,very nice

Nice pictures.Way to go.

Good Times with your Granddaughter!!! Awesome!

that is awesome!



why the hunter orange?

Job well done

Go get them looks like a blast.

I started my hunting career hunting squirrels with my grand father .And my trapping career trapping muskrats .More or less on my own with the muskrats .50 plus years later I still remember those early years and I still enjoy squirrel hunting and muskrat trapping if you can find any in PA .We all need to get the next generation of hunters /trappers started early .Good job and as usual great pictures

Congrats on the squirrel!

Nice pics too

Orange is required when small game hunting in PA.

Lugnut,

Making this grandpa all mushy. Thank you!
Aren't grandkids great.

I need to go squirrel hunting asap with mine.

Thanks for the tag-along.

Mark

she does look like she'd like to come up to camp and trap a beaver though.

Good deal Lugnut, glad yas had a great day!

a great day for both ,

Thanks everyone.



You're telling my story almost to the letter West Side.

My first real hunt (not a tag-along) was for squirrels. My dad took my brother and I out to a giant sycamore den tree on my grandparent's farm. He had his trusty old Ithaca 37 pump and my brother and I had a .22 to share between us. We all three hunkered down behind a giant fallen branch near the sycamore. My brother and I took turns sniping. You only got one shot, hit or miss, then it was the other brother's turn. We kept it up until near sunset when my dad told us to hold off. He waited until at least three squirrels were visible, stood up and left loose three shots with the Ithaca and killed three squirrels. I was nine and my brother was eight. I remember it like it was yesterday even though it was fifty-plus years ago.

My trapping career also started with muskrats and my brother and I had to figure it out on our own. Dad was gone by then. That was during the early seventies and fur prices were good. A neighborhood guy also trapped and would steal our rats and stick skinned carcasses in our sets. It took us dumb, greenhorn kids a while to figure out what was "eating" just the skin off our rats. We finally realized it was a Johnny Sneakum and it got exciting after that.

That's what it's all about lug. Good on you

There is never a bad day in the wood when you grandchildren are along.

Good story Lugnut I had my start in the mid 60's My grandfather had hip and leg issue so his thing was to find a den tree and just sit there . If he thought there was a squirrel living in a hollow tree he would sit there day after day to get that squirrel . He carried a Stevens bolt action 410 He killed a good many squirrels when I was with him . My best hunting memory with him was one morning on the way back to where he had parked that day a ring neck rooster flushed . He pulled up and shot and it dropped like a rock . I ran down through the woods and grabbed it . WE cleaned it later and there was not a shot anywhere in the body of the bird . I guess it was hit by one pellet in the head . I t was the first rooster pheasant hunt I was ever a part of . After that I wanted to hunt birds more . But no doubt hunting squirrels can be a good way to learn to be a good shot and an observant hunter

Looks like a lot of fun. Good to see the young ones out and about

Great job grandpa. If she has any Barbie sized dolls, you can fairly easily make a fur coat, hat or muff for them out of a squirrel pelt.

Keith