# Self Sufficiency/Living off the Land or Off the Grid > Hunting & Trapping >  Squirrel Hunting Story

## kyratshooter

No BS, this is the truth.  (as all good stories begin)

I moved onto a farm in Mid TN back in '96.  Beautiful place, creek by the house, cabin on the hill, 800 acres of mixed woods and pasture to roam.  WE got settled in and after a few days my 17 year old son decided to roam down the creek.  He took his .22 and stayed gone about an hour and came home with a dazed look on his face.

"Dad, how big do squirrels get?"

"I don't know son, a pound or two.  Did you get one?"

"Nope, He was way too big.  I thought it was a ground hog in a tree at first.  It was throwing acorns at me and I am pretty sure it was swearing in Squirrel."

I decide to check this out, never seeing a squirrel that large or a ground hog more than half way up a tree.  I pick up my .22 and head for the door.  Son stops me.

"Dad, you need to take the 30-30, if you shoot it with a .22 you are just going to make it mad and it throws acorns real good!  I did not shoot it cause I was afraid it would charge."

Laughing to myself I walk out the door and down the creekside.  Son catches up with me after a few moments carrying the 12ga pump.

"Sorry, it took me a while to find the 00 buck." he comments.

Ten minutes latter we near a bend in the creek.  100 year old oak and maples, gorge cut into the rock as creek umbled down a small waterfall.  True 10 acre patch of primal forest.

"It was in that big sycamore!" Son informs me as we draw near.

Doubtfully I approach the tree, circle same and see nothing.  Chuckling I scold son for the wild goose chase.

And there he is!!!

Sitting in a big oak.  The biggist Red Fox squirrel I have ever seen!  This squirrel WAS as big as a ground hog.  Rust red in color and healthy as a horse.   And he had his family with him.  I kept thinking about being the subject in a documentary called "Attack of the Mutant Squirrels".

For the first time in my life I actually felt under gunned with a .22 while squirrel hunting.  

"You want me to shoot one Dad?" son asks.

My first thought is that we are outnumbered and I don't know how many rounds of 00buck son has with him.

"Nope son, lets just leave them alone.  They need multiply and spread a little.  I've never seen red squirrels this big and no one is going to believe it till they see them in the wild."  I was actually thinking that if we made them mad it would not be safe to work in the fields unarmed.  

If you are ever in the Middle Tennessee area and need to sober up a drunk I know the perfect place.

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## Ken

Sure is a good thing that squirrel hunting is now outlawed in all 50 states, ain't it?   :Innocent:

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## Stargazer

Nice try Ken, remember Richies and that special box of shells?

@ Ky, thanks for the story. I got a good chuckel out of it.

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## rwc1969

I'm not buying it. Now, if you'd a said it was a mosquito that got that big I'd believe it.

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## Sarge47

Can I take off my rubber hip boots now?  It was getting pretty deep there for awhile.  BTW, did I ever tell you about the giant Jack-a-lope that attacked a Sasquatch?  Yeah, Bear Grylls even filmed it.  Ken took ole' Bigfoot on as a client and sued the giant Marsup...er...mutated Bambi, and won.  However  Bugs/Bambi was broke so nobody got any scratch out of the deal.   :Innocent:   :Sneaky2:

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## kyratshooter

> I'm not buying it. Now, if you'd a said it was a mosquito that got that big I'd believe it.


Same house as the squirrel incident, I was sitting on the porch one night and two misquitoes landed on the porch rail.  They were about the size of turky buzzards. They both looked at me and then the small one looked at the big one and asked,

"Should we take him home and eat him?"

The big one slapped the small one on the back of the head,

"You know better than that!  If we take him home the big ones will take him away from us!"

 :Sneaky2:

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## justin_baker

I have heard stories about red belly newts the size of a small dog.

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## trax

> I have heard stories about red belly newts the size of a small dog.


I've heard stories about monstrous creatures that can slaughter entire wolf packs and kill bears with a single swipe, too...but I didn't believe 'em :Innocent:  (except the ones I made up myself, those were believable)

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## sthrnstrong

I would love to know where these squirrels are since I live in Middle, TN.

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## tipacanoe

I'm thinking someone is making some bad moonshine, and drinking it.

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## crashdive123

> I'm thinking someone is making some bad moonshine, and drinking it.


and they are not sharing dagnabit.

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## smittysurvival

hey now those mosquitos sound like a fun deal. gonna have to have the 12 guage for them too. better go out and buy a whole lot of shells.

did i ever tell you guys about the deer the size of a truck?  :rambo:

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## hunter63

Quit squirrel hunting 'round here, these boys "organized"..........

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Up, nort dar, in Min-a-sota, the skeeters have their landing strip at the camp ground.....saw it with my own eyes!

KS, good story...................

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## kyratshooter

You guys never heard about the "Great Squirrel War"?

That was a time to remember.  Flying squirrels straifing at random targets, gray camoflague squirrels parachuting out of the trees,  communist red squirrels swarming across the country in APCs.  

For them in MT brave enough to venture into the land of the killer squirrels, you go out highway 96 out of M'boro to Milton.  Turn at Imanuel's Cajun resteraunt and drive 2 1/2 miles back up Halls Hill Pike to McElroy Rd.  Go up the creek crossed by the little bridge until you see the big cabin on the bluff.  The squirrels hang out around that cabin and along that section of the creek.  I suggest at least a 20 ga for the 'skeeters.

Be carefull, it's been ten years since I was out there and they might have grown some.

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## crashdive123

> You guys never heard about the "Great Squirrel War"?
> 
> That was a time to remember.  Flying squirrels straifing at random targets, gray camoflague squirrels parachuting out of the trees,  communist red squirrels swarming across the country in APCs.  
> 
> For them in MT brave enough to venture into the land of the killer squirrels, you go out highway 96 out of M'boro to Milton.  Turn at Imanuel's Cajun resteraunt and drive 2 1/2 miles back up Halls Hill Pike to McElroy Rd.  Go up the creek crossed by the little bridge until you see the big cabin on the bluff.  The squirrels hang out around that cabin and along that section of the creek.  I suggest at least a 20 ga for the 'skeeters.
> 
> Be carefull, it's been ten years since I was out there and they might have grown some.


The story goes - from those that survived - that if you wander out in those parts while munching on some GORP that those crazy squirrels will go straight for your nuts.

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## kyratshooter

It is a little known fact that Cabellas sells stainless steel protective cups with the camo suits they ship to that area.

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## crashdive123

> It is a little known fact that Cabellas sells stainless steel protective cups with the camo suits they ship to that area.


I'll be.  I didn't know that "that area" had its own zip code. :Innocent:

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## 2dumb2kwit

Ooooohhhhhhh.....I remember hearing about those squirrels. They have been breeding with cougars.

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## Rick

I don't know about you fellas. Big squirrels are one thing but the squirrels we have around here are not to be trifled with. When you hear dueling banjos you best be runnin'. 

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## 2dumb2kwit

> I don't know about you fellas. Big squirrels are one thing but the squirrels we have around here are not to be trifled with. When you hear dueling banjos you best be runnin'. 
> 
> Guests can not see images in the messages. Please register in the forum.


 LOL.....Ken is going to be sooooo conflicted, over that post! :Tongue Smilie:  LOL

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## rwc1969

> I don't know about you fellas. Big squirrels are one thing but the squirrels we have around here are not to be trifled with. When you hear dueling banjos you best be runnin'. 
> 
> Guests can not see images in the messages. Please register in the forum.


I don't know bout that. I pic a pretty mean .22.

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## Rick

Yeah but when that big ole squirrel yells, "Meow like a cat!" that .22 won't do any good.

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## rwc1969

Huh? I didn't get that. All that squirrels gonna be yelling is an impersonation of Ned Beatty. Weee weee weee!  :Smile:

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