Pellet Gun Hunting

When it comes to pellet gun hunting it seems that the intended target almost invariably is the squirrel.  Plentiful in nature and also cagey and fun to purse, the squirrel is just about every boy's dream of what they first choose to hunt.  Yes, the beauty of the squirrel is that we all have seen so many of them, we are quite well versed in how they scamper about and what their general tendencies are.  With that in mind, let's look at what is important to remember when pellet gun hunting for squirrels.

Where to find squirrels when pellet gun hunting

If you can narrow down the list of possibilities you are well on your way.  Let's try to start highlighting things to look out for.  As with all animals, food if first and foremost on its list.  In addition, they require water to drink and a place to hide / relax.  Predators are many, so having a way to stay away from hawks, owls, fox, coyotes and similar is paramount to a long prosperous life for the squirrel.  For this reason you will often find many squirrels in a small area.  Once they find a safe place with bountiful food they invite all their friends and family!

What do squirrels eat?

This is first and foremost in nearly every animals mind and the squirrel is no exception.  We have all seen squirrels feverishly gathering items, burying them in our backyards and doing this day in, day out for what appears to be every ounce of daylight.  I wouldn't be surprised if they sleep at all in the fall!  That said, they are generally targeting specific things.  For those of us in the suburbs and exurbs, it seems that there is no end to what they are willing to eat.  Any bird feeder is fair game and usually plundered by many squirrels and beaten into submission.  Quite resourceful, if hungry a squirrel will eat literally anything to ensure that is survives.  They are quite the resilient rodents.  But there are a few key things to look for out in the wild.  They are addicted to acorns.  If you can find a oak tree forest, you are likely close to the mother load of squirrels.  They are basically crack for squirrels (as an aside, I found out live trapping these in my back yard that honey roasted peanuts are literally crack for squirrels.  They can't not go into the cage and eat them.  Once they get there it is up to you how to remove them and where they should live from that point forward).  In addition, squirrels love to eat walnuts and berries.  But first and foremost, the squirrel is a nut addict, use this to your advantage.

Where do squirrels live?

Not too surprising given what they are wont to eat, squirrels live in trees.  In fact it seems that they are seldom not in trees unless they are grabbing food, running to another tree or burying the food they have found.  If you are looking to go out and hunt them and don't look for a grove of trees if not a forest then you should have your head examined.  Squirrels often live in the exact tree that they eat out of assuming it is big enough.  Look for a large mess of leaves, sticks and the like far up in trees and you will see a squirrel nest.  This is where the squirrels live and raise their young.

Where to shoot a squirrel with a pellet gun

When it comes to the time to aim and fire at a squirrel, it is important to keep in mind that these animals are tough cookies.  I have seen squirrels shot several times find their ways up trees and into their nests.  When pellet gun hunting for rabbits you can often get away with a less than perfect shot and still bag your quarry.  When it comes to squirrels

With a squirrel you need to be careful to aim well. These resilient creatures will run off if not hit in one of the two lethal areas. The head is small so if given a choice the side profile shot to the lungs / heart is a better option.

this is usually not the case.  A well placed head shot is preferable, but if you prefer you can also aim for the area just behind the front shoulder that houses the lungs and heart.  Avoid taking shots at the middle of their bodies when they are standing perpendicular to you.  Trust me, this is a great way to see a squirrel jump and head far out of sight and gun range.  And since I know you arent' sadists that are reading this, no one wants that to happen.  Poorly placed shots result in few to no squirrels bagged when it comes to pellet gun hunting for squirrels.

What size pellet gun should I use for squirrels?

This is where the important question starts.  What size gun do I need to consistently bag squirrels?  When it comes to relative size, squirrels are usually on the small side of the spectrum.  This is especially true of my loud nemesis, the red squirrel.  But relatively speaking, even the gray squirrel and fox squirrel are pretty small when compared to the other animals of nature.  That said, it is good practice to find a large caliber pellet gun with a fair amount of muzzle velocity.  Much like the rabbit, the smallest I would suggest using to hunt squirrels would be a 0.177 caliber pellet gun with at least 750 feet per second muzzle velocity.  I have shot and watched shot many squirrels with this exact gun.  The key is the range that you are shooting from.  I wouldn't shoot past 25 yards with this type of gun.  You will be leaving a lot of wounded or missed squirrels in the woods if you do.  For added range I would suggest going to a larger pellet such as the 0.20 caliber pellet gun with a faster muzzle velocity.  A 1200 feet per second  pellet gun will work at ranges out to 50 yards in the right hands.  Heck, you could even get it to go to 60+ yards if you add a high quality pellet gun scope and aim for the head region of the squirrel.

So there you have it, an in depth guide to pellet gun hunting for squirrels.  Find the time to scout around for a bit and find a oak forest and you can be a successful squirrel hunter.  In fact, you will likely show your friends and family up with your new found ability.  One more thing to take note, squirrels have a healthy dose of self preservation so fooling them into staying in close range can be a hard task at times.