Squirrel Hunting with Jacob (Jan 2010)

Squirrel Hunting with Jacob

By: Harold Hollingsworth

Took my eldest grandson Jacob Squirrel Hunting this past Saturday, 16 Jan 2010. He is 13 as of last month. Had him spend Friday night so we could get up early and have a great breakfast prepared by grandma. He jumped right out of bed when I woke him up. My wife (Grandma) had fixed bacon, sausage, eggs, and of course, grits. We both had a hearty breakfast. He had chosen to use my 22 as I had recommended as that way we would not scare the other squirrels when he shot at one. I took him to the spot I had seen the most squirrels while deer hunting and within about 15 minutes we saw two on a big oak coming down. The problem is the first one also saw us and never slowed up coming down and leaving the area!!! The second one froze and would have been a perfect shot for me, Jacob did not see him.

He stayed there for what seemed like a long time to me, while I described to Jacob where he was on the tree. By the time he saw him it had started moving and leaving the area also. I then took him to another spot where he spotted one before I did. We had to move around for a safe shot. He took the shot and missed. He then found him once more and took another shot, missed once more. The squirrel had run around to the back side of the tree to hide. I told Jacob to stay where he was and I would walk around the tree making noise and to watch for him to come back around to hide from me. It worked like a charm except for the fact Jacob missed 3-4 more shots at him. After four more tries I had Jacob stand next to me and I pointed at the base of a small sapling about 40 yds away and told him to hit that base. I then stood behind him and watched where the shots hit. He was shooting high and to the right. I then watched on the next shot and saw that he was jerking the trigger.

After letting him know what he was doing wrong and not correcting. We then went back to the house and got Grandma’s 20 gauge. One squirrel was better than none. While there he needed a snack, Grandma got him a bowl of my French Vanilla Ice Cream. After he ate that we went to the back of the property. We stood for about 15-20 minutes and then started seeing squirrels moving but out of range. After watching them for about another 20 minutes I told him that we would try to get closer. We moved closer but still only saw squirrels just out of range. Saw four squirrels just out range use the same pathway from tree to tree. I told him that squirrels had their trails in the trees and once you learned them you could then watch those when you hunt them the next time. I was really enjoying being out there with him and showing him how to squirrel hunt like I did with his father. After another 15-20 minutes I decided his best chance was to put him in my tripod stand where I had seen lots of squirrels and they had gotten used to me being there. He agreed and we went over to it. I had him climb up into the tree and get positioned and then I handed him the shotgun and told him that I would come back in 30 minutes and not to try to climb down with the shotgun.

I went back up to the house and had a cup of coffee while waiting and listening for a shot. When 25 minutes had gone by I headed back to get him. I was just around a bend from him and the gun went off, scared the heck out of me!!! I hurried up and he saw me, he yelled “I got him”!!! I walked up to him and got the shotgun and he climbed down with the biggest smile on his face. I asked where the squirrel was and he walked over to the closest tree to the stand and picked up the squirrel. I asked for the story of the hunt while unloading the gun. While holding the squirrel up for me to look at he told me that he saw the squirrel coming down from a hole up near the top and when he got down even with him and the squirrel then saw him it was too late and he shot and the fur flew everywhere. We walked back to the house to show grandma and let her hear his story. He repeated his story while I stood there smiling letting my wife enjoy his telling. She got the camera but the battery was dead which is another adventure the grandsons had filming a movie and they forgot to turn it off and killed the battery. She keeps disposable handy and got some shots of him and I with the squirrel also used his cell phone to get a couple. She then told him let me show you how to clean it now.

Yes my wife knows how to clean game and loves doing the small game with the grandkids. She shows them how and talks with them while cleaning the game. I am in charge of cleaning deer. It was now grandma time with Jacob. After they finished cleaning it grandma and Jacob put it on parboil to get it tender for me to cook for him on the grill. He then called his cousin, Wesley from next door, second oldest grandson to come over and repeated his story. They both then went into the woods to go through the hunt together. About two hours went by and his dad our son came over with the rest of his family and then my daughter came over with the rest of her family and they all got to hear the story once more. I was having a cook out for the family that afternoon, just because the weather had finally gotten nice. Hamburgers, brats, hot dogs and wings. Of course the guest of honor, the squirrel. Got the squirrel ready first and Jacob along with Wesley and Matt ate some. Of course Granddad did also. My son said no to Tree Rat along with the rest except for grandma, she took a bite also. His mother would not let him have the squirrel tail at home, so it is now hanging under my shed waiting for four more, have four grandsons and one grand daughter.

W. Harold “Puddle Jumper” Hollingsworth