Just curious with small game season just around the corner here, what everyones favorite tips they use on squirrels are.
judos for me. on wood or bamboo arrows.
Broadheads. They are tough
ace hex blunts and blunts from carbon express
I used Judos, but had several stick in trees. Been using both Red Feather Archery Talons or VPA Small Game Thumpers. Both do well as they tear and blunt at the same time. Also had used G5 small game heads but they stick easily in wood also.
ace hex blunts
I don't have any place to hunt squirrel,but I do have a place with a lot of jack rabbits. They are pretty tough,but not as tough as squirrels,so I use a glue on less expensive broadhead. I like having the broadheads also if I happen upon a hog.
Vpa sgt's or old hi-precision 3blds.
Judo and Tiger Claw...I believe they call the Tiger Claw the Barta head now....
VPA Small game thumpers and they do a great job!!
A lot of different options abound. Some depends upon how you hunt them. Are you shooting down from a tree stand ? Or up into the trees ?
ChuckC
Find a good area and set up a tree stand. :readit:
Just good ole' field points work pretty good.
RFA Talon:
* Concave tip adds shock/blunt force trauma
* Sharp points keep it from skipping on glancing hits
* Sharp edges cut
* Pyramidal shape with convex back makes it not stick in trees and easy to remove from stumps
* Hardened steel is very, very tough
* Flies like field points and hits HARD
(http://i881.photobucket.com/albums/ac15/casselmansteve/original_rfa_talon.jpg)
RFA talons are mean
VPA Small Game Thumpers are nice
Three Rivers Hammers
I believe you need a cutting edge and blunt force trauma combination
squirrels are tough critters.
Another great option is take a feild point heavier than you need.
Grind the point flat till you get to desired weight.
Take snips or a dremel and cut angled slits at the base of the tip, take pliers and bend flanges out like bleeder blades.
Sharpen the blades.
Shoot squirrels!
so where is the kill zone on a skwerl ? Do you aim just above the front leg, waiting for the skwerl to take that step forward to open up his stance ?
:bigsmyl: :bigsmyl:
ChuckC
For wood arrows, it's hard to beat plain ol' field points. Field points on small diameter aluminum or carbon arrows will stick in the trees too bad. Tim have you done anymore squirrel hunting with David?
I have shot all squirrels and rabbits with broadheads and field points for the last 40 years. Squirrels are indeed tough critters!
In my experience, shooting squirrels with field points is never a good idea. Likewise, flu-flus have never worked very well either. They hear them coming and are gone before the arrow gets there - incredible reflexes. I try to keep my shots on the ground or low branches/logs and use old not-so-sharp broadheads or one of the small game heads with some cutting power.
Thanks for all the responses guys, as always alot of good info here. I will probably be doing more ground hunting than sitting in stands this year. New to me hunting area on state land this year, so I want to be mobile to move around and check out the area. I figured starting out on squirrels would give me a good idea where the food sources are and get some scouting in and get some practice shots too. I was leaning towards broadheads, but wondered if i neeed to back them up with something to keep them from skipping and burrowing under the leaves. Wasn't sure if it would affect the broadhead flight.
The bottom three were made from old 4 blade heads and work on squirrels and rabbits. Main thing is they stay in the body. They're all different because they broke differently.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/0603/reddogge/Archery/IMG_2245_zps04cfc6b4-1.jpg)
QuoteOriginally posted by ChuckC:
so where is the kill zone on a skwerl ? Do you aim just above the front leg, waiting for the skwerl to take that step forward to open up his stance ?
:bigsmyl: :bigsmyl:
ChuckC
Hit 'em in the eye, no wasted meat, just wasted skwerl.
Mahantango, just curious what went wrong when you shot squirrels with field points. I know squirrels are tough and you might have to shoot them again to finish them off but field point arrows usually stay in the squirrel and keeps them from getting away. I squirrel hunt a lot and have had good luck with field points. These squirrels were taken with field points and I rarely have any get away after being hit.
(http://i149.photobucket.com/albums/s64/GordonJabben/360fc492-25e6-4ab0-b1a2-e03ef259015d_zps883c5189.jpg) (http://s149.photobucket.com/user/GordonJabben/media/360fc492-25e6-4ab0-b1a2-e03ef259015d_zps883c5189.jpg.html)
The first that comes to mind is a squirrel running 20ft. up a tree with an arrow through it's ribcage only to hang up trying to get in it's hole, dying slowly and unretrievable. That was the last time I used a target point for hunting.
I've had pretty good luck when they are shot through the ribcage. Sometimes we have to go ahead and shoot them again and finish them off. To each his own, I guess. The thing I don't like about cutting heads, the arrow often goes through the squirrel and unless it is a good hit, the squirrel can get away into a nest or in a hole. Alright if you're shooting them on the ground I guess.
I use a field points with the "Replacement Claws for the Tiger Claw blunts" behind the field points. 3R has them at $1 a piece. I am using a low poundage bow, so I like the field point to initiate penetration. The "claws" generally keep the arrow from passing through the squirrel. I use relatively short 5/16 field points so I generally don't have problems with the arrows sticking in the trees.
years ago, I use to take a .38 casing, slowly use a drift pin and "roll" the rim of the cartridge over, then file it somewhat sharp, worked great.
I've used just about everything from steel blunts to cut off broadheads on squirrels. They all will work if the squirrel is hit properly. I like the Game Nabber, it's as close to the perfect head for squirrels available IMO. They will penetrate the tough hide and won't stick in the tree. The flares at the back of the head holds the arrow in the squirrel so he can't crawl in a hole to die.
Lancaster Archery carrys them.
(http://images.lancasterarchery.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/325x/13db83bec1fbd986744c31150a1b2502/3/4/3480034_3.jpg)
I use a two part system. I make and use "nutters" (see historical posts). When I hit a skwerl in the head or chest with a nutter, they come down. They often come back to life in a few minutes tho, so part two of my system includes a Shrew Hawk, nicely sharpened. Lay skwerl against tree, remove head, keep hunting.
ChuckC
Thanks again guys, have alot of food for thought here. ChuckC, you just gave me another reason to get a Shrew Hawk...was looking at them this past weekend wondering why I hadn't bought one yet.
The last squirrel I shot, I whacked him with one of those cheap judo copycat heads at 28 paces, with my 48@31 longbow. The funny thing is, the head did not even break his skin, yet he fell instantly, as dead as a doornail. Cardiac arrest, I guess.
A hard hitting little long bow and a blunt with a small flat washer behind it works. It's great fun, by the way.
(http://i.imgur.com/hrJkljW.jpg) (http://imgur.com/hrJkljW)
I use regular glue-on blunts, judo polnts oe an empty .38 cal. casing glued on to cedar shafts. They all kill squirrels and cottontail rabbits quickly if hit in the chest area.
Nice shooting Ron...what was on the business end of your arrow?
Also, what kind of material was your arrow made from.
Went out today with zwickey heads. I don't go for the blunts and such as a mid body shot can mean nothing more than a dead squirrel later on in the day. Old broadheads are my go to.
My cousin shot one thru the chest (dead on) with a broadhead.
It chewed on his arrow for a few minutes, flipped him the middle finger ,and then ran to the top of an old oak tree to die.
Never got anything back but a chewed on arrow.
These are fun to chase with stick and string. But you dont want to invest a lot in an arrow you are not willing to lose.
Homemade wooden shafts and homemade heads are often the best to use.
I like the PDP but you can easily make your own variant.
QuoteOriginally posted by Slickhead:
My cousin shot one thru the chest (dead on) with a broadhead.
It chewed on his arrow for a few minutes, flipped him the middle finger ,and then ran to the top of an old oak tree to die.
Never got anything back but a chewed on arrow.
These are fun to chase with stick and string. But you dont want to invest a lot in an arrow you are not willing to lose.
Homemade wooden shafts and homemade heads are often the best to use.
I like the PDP but you can easily make your own variant.
HAHA!. Well that was one mean critter there!
Was it wearing a cape with a big red S on it?. :D
QuoteOriginally posted by The Ole' Bowhunter:
Nice shooting Ron...what was on the business end of your arrow?
Also, what kind of material was your arrow made from.
I used a plain old 125 gr blunt tip on a footed 1916 aluminum shaft. Nothing special, for sure. I did put a small flat washer between the blunt and the shaft, though. It was maybe twice the diameter of the shaft.
I agree with the Oklahoma boys, hard to beat field points with wood. I make sure and have a big ole' goob of extra hotmelt. I hunted grays pretty hard when I lived in the lower 48.
I made my own this spring. Haven't had a chance to try them yet but they look like they oughta do the trick. I had these 100 grain 4 blades left over from my compound days. I'm shooting either 150 or 190 grain points on my recurves now. I cut part of the main blade off with a fiberglass cuttoff wheel and used empty pistol brass to add weight and also a little extra blunt force trauma. Got VERY lucky on weight. A .357 mag case gives me 148 grains total and a .44 mag comes out to 193 grains total. Below is before and after.
Matt
(http://i1246.photobucket.com/albums/gg614/tomsm44/image-45.jpg) (http://s1246.photobucket.com/user/tomsm44/media/image-45.jpg.html)
(http://i1246.photobucket.com/albums/gg614/tomsm44/image-46.jpg) (http://s1246.photobucket.com/user/tomsm44/media/image-46.jpg.html)
Check out the "SGB" (small game broad head) made by G5. You can find them at just about every sporting goods store in the broad head section, $25 for a 3 pack. They're nasty and work awesome on rabbits, squirrels, you name it.
I use Judo's and old broadheads.
Here in the juniper scrub of Central Oregon we do not have traditional squirrels. We have these awful burrowing ground squirrel gopher things. Since these critters do not climb trees all shots are ground shots. I have found the 125 grain screw in Saunders bludgeon on a cheap carbon arrows to be very durable and hard hitting. I have hit rocks with judo points and have had the arrow shatter. Arrows with the bludgeon just bounce off rocks but kill small game fine.
have any of you tried using a 38 cal slug flung from a sling shot?
i think it would be a fun and cheap way of getting tree rats and ya don't have to use a 38 cal slug as any old bit of lead would do
I use a few types of points. If it's high up a tree rubber blunts on flu flu's is the way to go. If it's lower down or somewhere I think I might be able to find my arrow I use converta blunts stuffed with a 250gr field point I grind down to be pointier and skinny enough to slide inside the converta blunt. The one I'm talking about is the far left in the pic. Does more dammage than the adders and field points, and is more durable than washers.
(http://i.imgur.com/K1RZA3x.jpg)