Adding excitement to chasing mountains squirrels is as easy as changing weapons — to something out of the ordinary.
One hunter who has upped the ante on squirrels is Hovey Smith of Macon, Ga., an accomplished blackpowder hunter who has authored 14 books, including X-Treme Muzzleloader Hunting. He said he’s had some of his most-enjoyable days in the woods chasing squirrels the way his ancestors did — with a muzzleloader in hand.
“The early pioneers mostly had .40-caliber rifles for everything,” Smith said. “A well-placed, round ball by a .40-caliber would certainly take care of a squirrel.”
If you are choosing a muzzleloader specifically for squirrels, some fine small calibers are available.
“The .32-caliber from Traditions is a great squirrel rifle,” he said, “The .36-caliber and the .40- are all great squirrel guns.”
While these smaller calibers are a bit more difficult to find, when you do they make great small-game choices.
Smith has also used flintlocks, matchlocks and even some blackpowder pistols, both single-shots and revolvers.
“A .44 magnum revolver is a great squirrel gun,” he said, offering that “using a round ball does little damage. In fact, it simply punches a .44-caliber hole thorough the squirrel and does little else.”
Smith stresses that techniques for blackpower squirrel hunting are very similar to hunting with a traditional shotgun.
“Obviously you have to get closer than you would with a .22 rimfire,” he said. “And you only have one shot, the tendency is to pull away too soon to try and see the squirrel through the smoke.
“When I shoot, I look under the smoke and look for the squirrel falling from the tree. If I hear a ‘thud’ then I know I got one. Remember, smoke rises and squirrels fall, so look under the smoke to see if you got him or not.”
To purchase Smith’s book X-Treme Muzzeloading, visit www.Hoveysmith.com.
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