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Squirrel Hunting with a Suppressor is Really Cool!
(Just take my word for it, OK?)
“So, do you squirrel hunt?” I could see the doubt and patronizing look on the guy’s face. “Yep, most of my life, I love it,” I say as I prepare to educate another non-believer, someone that is a hunter but maybe thinks that all hunting consists of is sitting in a tree stand hour after boring hour. “Well, is shooting squirrels really all that hard, or is it very exciting?” “I mean we see them all the time when we walk in the park.” I allow myself an inward sigh and start the lesson.
Squirrel hunting is really cool. I say that because since the first brave settlers crossed the Alleghenies going west, squirrel hunting has been a staple in the eastern mountains and much of the south. Pioneers fed their families in hard times with the often-plentiful squirrel population. As time went by squirrels became the traditional first game for young hunters.
Think about it. Almost all we need to learn about hunting in general we can learn in the squirrel woods. How to find the food that attracts game, looking for sign that the game is present, the all-important learning about being quiet and how to move silently, and last but not least how to sit still. All of these and a dozen more hunter basics we learn stalking the lowly gray squirrel. Many times, I have heard hunting guides and experienced hunters say, “Show me someone that grew up squirrel hunting and I will show you a good deer or turkey hunter.” Squirrel hunting is the woodland classroom for hunter training.
Squirrel hunting is more than just a training ground, though, it is a lot of fun in its own rite. If you are not a squirrel hunter, here are some reasons you should start.
Squirrel hunting gets you in the woods and hunting. In a time where everyone is too busy to do anything, squirrel hunting gets you outside where you should be, hunting. Squirrel hunting does not require a lot of complicated preparation, setting up tree stands, checking trail cams, or placing bait or other attractants. Foresters estimate that east of the Big Muddy alone we have over 384 million acers of woodlands. In most places if you have woodland, you have squirrels. A lot of this woodland acreage is on public land and on what is not public you stand a good chance of getting permission to squirrel hunt. Landowners are much more likely to let you squirrel hunt than they are for deer or turkeys. You may get a look like, “Squirrel hunt? Really?” But chances are you will get permission. The first thing required to be a successful hunter is a place to go, with a little legwork you should find lots of squirrel hunting spots.
Be a squirrel sniper. Let’s be honest, spot and stalk hunting is fun. You advance slowly and quietly through the woods. On a nice quiet day all of your senses are tuned to the sights and sounds of your quarry. The swish of branches overhead or the gritty, chipping sound of a squirrel cutting on a hickory nut or acorn grabs your attention and you are tuned in like a laser beam on the sound. Slowly, slowly, one careful step at a time you attempt to cut the distance to the squirrel high in the treetops. Often the leaf litter on the ground is like walking on Lays potato chips. Your stalking skills are put to the supreme test. In many areas this is called “slip hunting” as you are trying to “slip up” on a squirrel. More on this later. Make no mistake, this is not the squirrel in the park that begs for peanuts and your poodle chases every day. This is a wild squirrel that survives by being extremely wary as every hawk, fox, coyote, and any other predator is trying to have him for dinner.
No, it doesn’t taste like chicken. Properly prepared, squirrels are absolutely delicious. I know, I know, if you don’t come from a hunting family and culture that hunts and eats squirrels this sounds weird to you. Squirrel meat is mild and flavorful and can be used in any number of recipes. The standard usually consists of par boiling or pressure cooking the quartered squirrels to get them nice and tender. The pieces are then rolled in your favorite seasoned breading and fried golden brown. Traditionally gravy is often made in the skillet after the pieces are removed. In truth the squirrel can be used in everything from tacos to a pot pie. You are only limited by your imagination.
The ultimate squirrel hunting tool. While there are many more reasons to get you into the squirrel woods, let’s talk about this. Using a suppressor will up your squirrel hunting expertise (or any other small game) way over the top. So, think about the spot and stalk kind of squirrel hunting we talked about earlier, slip hunting. Whether we are moving quietly to get in .22 rifle range on a squirrel, or just sitting and waiting for squirrels to appear the object is to be as quiet as you can. The crack of the .22 Long Rifle will often send squirrels into hiding, sometimes for long periods. Using a suppressor like the SilencerCo Warlock will lessen the noise of the .22 greatly, down to about 114 dB with unsuppressed ammo. With suppressed ammo I would estimate the sound of the rifle is roughly that of an average pellet gun, it’s pretty quiet.
I have observed a couple things in slip hunting for squirrels with the suppressor. The sound of the rifle is not completely silenced, the squirrel will hear some noise. However, the report of the rifle is reduced to the point (in my opinion) to where the squirrels don’t pay much attention to it. Another thing, it appears that the muffled report of the suppressed .22 makes it more difficult for the tree rodents to get a bead on exactly where the sound is coming from. In a game where you are striving to be as quiet as possible, a suppressed .22 rifle just makes sense.
Gone to the dogs. There is another type of squirrel hunting that bears mentioning. Long ago hunters in the southern Appalachians started using Cur dogs, fiests, and various mixtures of these breeds to squirrel hunt. In short, the squirrel dog runs the woods ahead of the hunter and finds squirrels by scent, sight, and hearing. The squirrel crazy canine tracks them to a tree and once he is sure this is the right tree begins to bark to alert his hunter. Arriving at the tree it may take some time to locate the squirrel high in the top of a tall oak, as they are past masters of hiding. Once located it is the job of the hunter to take a steady aim and bring down the squirrel for the game bag. Squirrel dog hunting is at the other end of the zenith from slip hunting. It is often noisy and lively with the dogs barking treed, but it can be a heck of a lot of fun, and I have maintained for years it is the best way to introduce new hunters to the sport, young or old.
The suppressor is advantageous in hunting squirrels with a dog. When training young dogs, it is better to introduce them to the sound of the gun gradually. Older experienced dogs will usually show no concern for the .22 rifle or shotgun shot over their head at treed squirrels. When training a young dog however, the suppressed rifle is definitely a good idea. The young trainee soon learns that the gunfire means he may be grabbing a squirrel, and the gentler report of the suppressed rifle gets the dog used to all of this slowly and soon the dog will pay no attention the report of the gun.
The human factor. As we have discussed before in these pages hunting with a suppressed firearm has numerous advantages for the hunter. As our hunting areas shrink the sound of gunshots, even .22 rifle reports are sometimes not desirable with various neighbors. The suppressed weapon, (rifle or shotgun) may go a long way in keeping the peace with those around us.
Another factor is the effect of noise and recoil on the shooter. There is no doubt the suppressor lessens both. New shooters will be more comfortable with less recoil, which is usually their main concern, and less noise also helps. Older experienced shooters may have a hard time admitting it but the suppressed weapon will improve their shooting as well. At the end of the day the record will show that we will all shoot a gun more accurately that makes less noise and has less recoil.
The Warlock™ 22 has an exceptional weight-to-strength ratio and is one of the lightest .22LR silencers on the market. Due to the notoriously harsh nature of rimfire ammunition (it often produces a lot of residue in barrels and suppressors), this product features CTA™ (Click Together Assembly) baffles to ensure the silencer remains easy to clean — even after long days at the range. Thanks to its high-strength baffle design and lightweight aluminum construction, the Warlock 22 weighs only 3.0oz and reduces sound to 114.6 dB.
Ok class let’s review. Want to have a heck of a bunch of fun this fall and winter? Want to do some hunting that will polish your stalking skills and marksmanship? How about doing this on a budget where you don’t have to deal with expensive leases and a lot of preparation? If all of this sounds good, you need to get to the squirrel woods. Go get ‘em.
Gear
Ammo needs: www.ammunitiontogo.com
SilencerCo Warlock .22 Suppressor https://silencerco.com/silencers/warlock-22/
Savage Arms Model 64 FV-SR .22 Rifle https://www.savagearms.com/content?p=firearms&a=product_summary&s=45110
Christensen Arms Ranger .22 rifle
Vortex Diamondback 2-7X35 .22 Rimfire Rifle Scope https://vortexoptics.com/vortex-diamondback-2-7×35-rimfire-vplex-moa-riflescope.html
Larry Case
Author Larry Case with Dotzie a Mountain Cur.