Yes, It Really Can Be Done
Fall 2023
Article and Photos by Ed Mashburn
The subtle rustling of the leaves came closer. I leaned back against the massive old oak tree where I’d taken cover, and I slowly adjusted the arrow on the string and got myself ready for the shot. One more approaching rustle of leaves, and I very slowly moved my point of view around the oak. I took a deep breath and started the drawback of my arrow on the string because I knew I would not have much time for a shot.
And as it turned out, I didn’t have any time for a shot at all.
My quarry was now 30 feet up in another oak tree and he was barking his disapproval of me. He was certain he was safe from me – and he was. That little scene is typical of most bow-hunting trips with squirrels as the quarry. There may be a sharper-eyed and more aware of their surroundings animal in the world, but there really aren’t too many more than the commonly-found-everywhere grey squirrel. Going after these super-aware rodents with a bow is some of the most demanding hunting in the archery world.
But, with a little planning and a good dose of luck, bow hunting squirrels can be done.
Where to Bow Hunt Squirrels – It’s Not Hard
The easiest part of bow hunting squirrels is finding a placewhere they live. These bushy-tailed little tree dwellers can be found from big city parks and residential yards to the bayous and swamps of the Coastal South and everywhere in between. Of course, just because the squirrels live in a place doesn’t mean they can be hunted there. Bowhunters need to make sure that they’re hunting legally and with property owner permission.
Wooded areas just outside of small country towns can be great locations to find squirrels for hunting, and old abandoned homeplaces can present great squirrel habitat, if there are fruit or nut trees left behind when the people left.
Another good location for finding squirrels to bow hunt is in old, neglected country graveyards. These places almost never are hunted by gun hunters, and the squirrels can be somewhat easier to approach for a shot. Also, the old gravestones are often used as perches where the squirrels hull out acorns and nuts.
The tale-tell signs that a bushytail has been using a gravestone for a perch.
The real goldmine of squirrel hunting locations is an old no-longer-used pecan grove. The South has a great many pecan groves that are no longer being taken care of, and squirrels find these old groves perfect places with lots of food and good cover for protection.
How to Hunt Them – The Hard Part
The important word for hunting squirrels is “slow”. The bowhunter needs to walk slowly, and all movements need to be very slow. Hunting squirrels with a bow is like hunting deer with a bow – but even more so.
Squirrels have superb eyesight, and if the squirrel sees something unnatural moving, then that squirrel will sit tight in the tree top and there won’t be a shot.
Taking a concealed location near a food source can be a very effective technique. Sitting still and letting the squirrels bring themselves close enough for a bowshot is the name of the game. And keep in mind, a squirrel is a very small target, so most bow shots at a squirrel will be 25 yards or less. So, some short-distance shooting needs to be practiced.
No matter where an archer goes to try and collect a few squirrels, there needs to be some open areas. Bowhunting squirrels almost always means taking ground shots and not shots when the squirrel is up in the trees. Trying to snake an arrow through brush and limbs is usually not productive. Bow shots at squirrels are like bow shots at deer – there needs to be clear, open area between the target and archer.
Trying to shoot a squirrel up in a tree almost never works, and it can be dangerous when the arrow keeps on going on an upward trajectory to land who knows where. At the very least, it means a lost arrow. Shoot that bushy tail on the ground.
The perfect target!
Gear – Not a Big Deal
Using a bow for squirrel hunting is a very simple game when it comes to getting geared up. I use an old wood-composite recurve bow that I take target practice with in the backyard. There’s no reason to purchase a special “squirrel bow” – unless the hunter just wants a new bow.
For those archers who deer hunt, using the same bow for squirrels and deer is a good way to become very familiar and proficient with the bow. In fact, there’s nothing like a pre-deer season squirrel trip or two to get an archer’s gear, technique, and skills in order.
Arrows for squirrel hunting can be the same arrows used for target shooting, and there is no reason to use a broadhead for squirrels. The target field points will work fine. Some archers use bullet-head target arrows because the impact of the arrow will be enough to take a squirrel down for the count. I like a simple field target tip – it works just fine.
The bow used for squirrels just needs to be a bow that is accurate and one that the archer can handle quickly and with confidence in the shooting. My old recurve is a 45-pound draw, and that’s more than enough for any shot I take at a squirrel.
Special Considerations
One of the advantages of using a bow for squirrels is that no one will know you’re in the woods hunting, except for you and the squirrels. This can be helpful when hunting just outside of town.
Another advantage of bow hunting bushytails is that it’s much less likely to produce wounded and lost animals. Typically, with a bow shot at a squirrel, it’s either a hit and the squirrel is down, or more often, it’s a clean miss and the squirrel escapes in perfect health.
An additional consideration of bowhunting for squirrels is simple satisfaction. Any archer who can consistently go out and bring back a squirrel or two for a nice stew must know that she or he is a seriously competent archer. Those little sharp-eyed tree dwellers are a real trophy and one of the hardest game animals to take with a bow.
Finally, being in the woods looking for squirrel is the perfect time to pay attention to the surroundings for later, different species bowhunting seasons. Most states have long, liberal small-game hunting seasons and some early season squirrel trips can really improve seasons to come later. Squirrel hunters can find scrapes, rubs, and pawed up places where deer have been, and hog hunters can find trails the pigs use to move from place to place.
So, when we go bowhunting for squirrels, it’s not just squirrels we might get to see.
Ed Mashburn is a retired educator living in Bay Minnette, Alabama and a recent addtion to the Georgia Outdoor Wrtiers Association. Besides being a hunter, he is an avid fly fisherman and kayak angler in both fresh and saltwater. His most recent book, Kayak Fishing the Northern Gulf Coast: Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana, is available on Amazon.com. He can be contacted at edmashburn@aol.com.