Scott

Short answer yes. See the new bow post–picture of me shooting flu flu–that’s my small game, stumping arrow. Usually shooting up at tree rats the arrow comes back down point first. Usually, well, rarely. Our squirrels are really runts up this high so after one a couple of years ago–not worth the effort or cost.

One of my flu flu with insert, adapter, Joe’s 225 gr blunt and carbon arrow is a little over $10 ea. If you lose one my loving wife pointed out the fact that the measly 8oz of squirrel cost more then grass feed rib eye. 8)

But what the heck it was a hunt. And you have some deep snow now–we only have a couple of inches.

Trust this helps.

Mike

Around here, there is a best time to hunt squirrel. Unfortunately, it’s pretty close to the best time to hunt deer too.

Sometime in late October or early November, the squirrels come to ground and start feeding heavily on acorns. At this time, you can pretty easily walk up on them and get 5 or 10 yard shots. Always on the ground, or a log.

As you already have snow on the ground, I guess this time is past. If it was me, I’d stick to the .22 and eat squirrel. Then plan for a day or two next year when the time is right and do it with the bow.

On a side note, anybody watch the squirrel slingshot video’s on you tube? Very funny… Squirrels are always in such a bad mood, but end up being such good sports about what happens to them.

Steve’s advice is spot on. Like in his area, the best time to hunt squirrels around here is usually during deer season. As a result, I resign myself to hunting them earlier in the year during less optimal times. This time of year I get the joy of watching them from my deer stand without constantly trying to figure out how to close the distance for a shot. They are a fun animal to observe, especially the morning I saw a fox squirrel and a roosted hen turkey try to occupy the same tree limb. The turkey won that round.

As far as arrows are concerned, inexpensive and effective are my priorities. I use the cheapest wood shafts I can find and homemade heads consisting of a blade inserted into a .38 casing. My squirrel arrows cost me around $1 each to make, and I consider them one shot projectiles. When I opt for commercially made small game heads I use Ace Hex Heads. The combination of sharp edges and a blunt face is quite deadly.

Paleo, you’ll get good at calling your shots and finding tiny holes in the snow beyond your intended target. Find the worm hole in the snow then rake it with a spare arrow a few feet beyond. Its just another form of tracking. Have fun. Dwc

Make a bunch of dowel rod arrows with remnant feathers and cheap heads. That softens the blow a bit when one is lost. If you individually bareshaft tune them and are somewhat selective, they can even be made to be ballistically similar to your serious shafts.

Of course, then you are looking at a couple of hours investment per lost arrow rather than twenty bucks per arrow. Time and money… Time and money…

Hey Scott, good input above for sure. One trick I’ve come up with for recovering arrows in deep snow is I carry a screw in hook like you would use for hanging things in the garage. I bent the hook open so it’s almost 90 degrees. If I can’t find the arrow by the spot where it entered the snow, I screw the hook into a stick and sweep the area perpendicular to the arrows assumed resting direction. Haven’t lost one since.

I hunt rabbit and hare all winter long with my recurve.

Very seldom lose an arrow thanks to my bottle cap bunny busters !! I drill a small hole in a bottle cap and screw my field tip through it. I also put a small washer behind the bottle cap. This combo works great for small game and when you miss ( and we all miss from time to time ) they don’t disappear under the snow. I actually take practice shots at leaves in the snow when the action is slow. Like I said, very seldom do I lose an arrow with this head !

Scott, you might as well use white shafts with white feathers and white nocks for camo purposes cause you ain’t gonna find them anyway. 😀