Squirrel :)

[Aaron Rushton]

#4966

hi all,

well i asked about small game points not so long ago and here is the result. i wasn’t very happy with this shot at all, i was using a metal blunt with filed wingnut behind it and hit this squirrel squarely between the shoulder blades at about 12 yards (it was flat spread out on a tree trunk) and i got 0 penetration. it knocked the wind out of it and broke it’s spine, allowing me to run up and fishing it off, but had it not been knocked out of tree i fear i would have wounded it horribly as it was very much alive and struggling when i broke it’s neck. it was not pleasant, but at least i have gleaned some useful info from this. blunts aren’t great. i think i will stick to stumping with these and next time use a fieldpoint and washer or maybe even a blunt broadhead. i’m sure if i had one of these on it would have had a on the spot kill as i hit it directly at the top of spine. it was a real fat tree rat, which may have had something to do with the lack of penetration. the legs are in the fridge and the skin is under salt now, and my hazelnut trees have one less to worry about 🙂 picture is in photo galleries, will look real silly next to all those bucks and elk and what not, me and my squirrel 😆

ATB

Aaron

[David Petersen]

#35813

Aaron — What weight was your blunt setup? I use hex-head blunts the same weight as my broadheads, very heavy, and get great results. Of course a broadhead is best for killing small game and birds, as it is for big game. But when shooting at things in trees, or on trees, the head and even arrow loss is prohibitive. Try that same shot with a 200-grain Ace hexhead and I’m betting you’ll have better results.

[Aaron Rushton]

#35844

David Petersen wrote: Aaron — What weight was your blunt setup? I use hex-head blunts the same weight as my broadheads, very heavy, and get great results. Of course a broadhead is best for killing small game and birds, as it is for big game. But when shooting at things in trees, or on trees, the head and even arrow loss is prohibitive. Try that same shot with a 200-grain Ace hexhead and I’m betting you’ll have better results.

i got a field point and cut it off just below the shoulders. then i got a wingnut and cut it straight down at the top of both wings so it had to little forward facing, pointy ‘arms’ this came to 150grain. the arms were to catch on grass and stop it burying itself in the ground. i understand that, but in my mind i’d rather have a couple of lost arrows than a lost, wounded squirrel. the shot was square between the shoulders (about 2″ below it’s skull where i was focusing on, i think this was because i was shooting at an angle i wasnt used to). i’ll try the f.p washer set up. if i had some penetration on that it would have severed the spinal column and killed it quick rather than me having to scramble after it. i think i need to use something pointy rather than a bolunt because i only have 40lb.

[Ben M.]

#36048

Man, that IS one fat squirrel! Nice shot!

[Stephen Graf]

#36793

Grey squirrels are way tougher than most any other critter. A simple bludgeon of any design is insufficient to reliably kill one, unless hit in the head.

The combination of penetration and shock is required. A washer behind a sharp field point will work. But be prepared for the squirrel to still put up a fight. They are tough.

A bunch of good reading about squirrels can be had at Dean Torges website : http://www.bowyersedge.com/

look under the writings section.

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