To a youngster, that first bushytail might as well have been a leopard in the African bush!
Squinting into light of the rising sun, I could barely make out the outline of the “leopard” slowly crawling along the overhead branch. That impression probably resulted from a young mind that had read too many of Robert Ruark’s African hunting adventures.
Slowly raising my vintage rifle, I placed the bead of the front sight of the scarred old bolt action behind his left ear. Quietly pushing the safety forward, I held my breath and slowly squeezed the trigger. With a satisfying thud the grey squirrel landed just a few feet away from where I sat with my back against a massive live oak.
A “leopard” creeping along the tree branch. Photo by Jimmy Jacobs.
Sixty years later, as I read the numerous stories and countless posts on social media praising tracking dogs and thermal drone operators in their success in finding “lost” deer, I can only wonder if bypassing the rite of passage as a small game hunter is not somehow part of a problem further highlighted by the posts of so many Pre-K hunters posing with their first buck.
These comments are not meant as an assault on anyone’s parenting skills. In fact, I strongly agree with Robert Ruark when he wrote, “Any time a boy is ready to learn about guns is the time he’s ready, no matter how young he is, and you can’t start too young to learn how to be careful.” However, there is more to hunting than the two cornerstones of accuracy at the bench and firearms safety.
Sadly, small game hunting does not have the panache that it once did. If one is honest in their comparison, many of the same skills needed for successful big game hunting are required of the successful small game hunter. If you don’t believe this to be true grab a .22-caliber rifle and take on the squirrels that are irritating, you while on your deer stand. You will soon learn that to successfully harvest them you must rely on the same skills and tactics needed to harvest that trophy buck.
When squirrels sense that they are suddenly prey, they no longer act like the clowns of the forest. Therefore, appropriate camouflage and stealth are required to successfully harvest them. They sense motion as readily as deer or turkeys, so the importance of remaining motionless and moving with slow purpose is critical. Using a .22, it also becomes apparent that the ability to consistently hit a 1-inch target at 25 to 40 yards freehand, is as challenging as doing the same on a 6-inch target with a centerfire rifle at 50 to 100 yards.
The hunter soon learns the importance of “picking” their shot. Waiting until it is not obstructed by limbs or vines, as well as waiting for their quarry to freeze for a moment, ensuring a shot at the desired point of aim. The importance of choosing an appropriate anatomical shot is just as important for a squirrel as it is for a deer. Many a three-legged squirrel has scurried away to hide. and never be harvested.
A lesson of value, which cannot be overlooked, is that instilling the philosophy that a small game animal, be it a squirrel, rabbit, raccoon, or possum, is due the same respect as a deer or turkey. Further, differentiating between merely killing something, and harvesting it as a trophy and a fine meal are two different things. There’s something to be said for growing up in an era where, “If you shoot it, you eat it”! Small game animals were more than moving targets.
Not only are squirrels less intimidating as targets, they are less intimidating when it comes to learning how to prepare the game when harvested for the table. Although the same skills, tools and techniques are required to dress both deer and smaller animals, there is no denying a squirrel is far easier for both the teacher and the student.
Although many of the points I have made may tend to diminish the status of small game as a trophy, I must steadfastly disagree. The fact that I remember so many details of that fateful morning when I killed my first squirrel and my first “leopard,” which was actually the third squirrel I killed that morning, Prior to harvesting him I missed one, as it spotted me fidgeting, and scurried toward the top of the tree.
The author with his trophies from that first hunt. Photo courtesy of Tom Seegmueller.
Forcing myself to be still I got a second opportunity and put everything together harvesting my first squirrel. The second and third were just young and dumb. By the time that third squirrel scurried out on a limb my ADHD had kicked in and my imagination was on a tear, ironically keeping me focused on the limbs above my head.
The first squirrel to hit the ground was the one who’s hide I stretched, salted, and hung on my bedroom door. Trophies do come in all sizes.
Tom Seegmueller writes for the Albany Herald newspaper in his hometiown. He is a member of the Georgia Outdoor Writers Association. Tom can be contacted at tmseegmueller@gmail.com.