squirrels = great practice!

[jonsimoneau]

Most underated game animal for a bowhunter out there in my opinion.  When deer hunting goes away for the average guy in Illinois...I will hunt tree rats.
  Here is a tip for guys worried about arrows.  Buy some wood shafts.  Just parallel shafts are what I buy.  I then paint the entire shaft Blaze orange...and I fletch them with blaze orange fletching.  I just normally use spray paint, and I don't even bother to coat them with clear coat.  Put an ace hex head on them and you are good to go.  Alot of people do not believe me...but since I started doing this...I have not yet lost an arrow shooting at tree rats...including when they are in the tree.  I HAVE broken alot of them, but when they don't break...I find them.  
   Makes things much cheaper.  And since tree rats spend alot of time in trees, I prefer to be able to shoot at them in trees.
  Alot of guys use flu' flu arrows to shoot at tree rats.  
   I consider this a waste of time.  Even big midwestern fox squirrels can dodge an arrow with flu flu's.  
   I have a buddy who is a much better shot than me..who has never killed a squirrel with his recurve despite trying for years because he always uses Flu Flu arrows when hunting them.  
   In contrast...I shoot plenty of them each year...but I don't use flu flu's.
  Also, I have found that it is easier to shoot them out of the tree.  They seem less likely to dodge your arrow when they are in the tree.  
  Charlie...those pics are awesome!

[KentuckyTJ]

Charlie has done things with a bow and caught them on film that I hopefully can do someday without a camera around.

[Charlie Lamb]

Tom... thanks for the help with the photo.      

As a young married guy I often had to forego photography because of expense. So there are a lot more pictures that I didn't get.
I'm just happy after all these years that there are those out there that appreciate the photos I did get.
 

[BUFF]

I will take a day or two in the middle of the season off to chase them around. It is what I grew up hunting and I still love hunting and eating them
 

[Gordon Jabben]

Great picture Charlie!!  You can tell Jon has hunted a lot of squirrels.  Bright orange arrows are the way to go.

[PaddyMac]

Great thread. I grew up in west central Illinois and moved west in the early 80s. One of things I miss most is squirrel hunting.

[kbetts]

C'Mon guys.  You have to parboil, dust in flour with salt and pepper, then fry.  No wonder they're so tough.  Use that water to thin the gravy after you fry.

Charlie, you bring tears to my eyes.  It was my grandfather who was the hunter and seeing that pic brings it back.  Thank goodness grandma is around for the recipes.

[Blaino]

good lookin' hat Buff.

[wollelybugger]

I usually see squirrels deer hunting and deer squirrel hunting.lol

[Mike Vines]

One more addition  to the skinning method explained earlier...After cutting thru the underside of the tail skin and bone and standing on the tail and pullin up on the back legs, the skin will tear around the belly.  To remove the "Pants" from the squirrel, use a pair of slip joint pliers to grab the skin where it tore at the belly and pull upward, thus removing the pants.  Best to do when fresh.  The longer you wait, the harder it gets.