Yesterday, I was walking around the immediate vicinity of my place in the mountains and saw a bunch of squirrels, "locals", that seemed like likely targets. Trouble is, they immediately heard and saw me, too. With all the dried fallen leaves and twigs on the ground, it was impossible to move without making a bunch of racket that immediately attracts attention. These guys are skittish, too. They scurry away to a safe distance, run high up into a tree, hunker down and begin to screech and bark their warning signals to each other. Before you know it, you have 3 or 4 or 5 squirrels all in a chattering chorus of alarm and nothing is moving anywhere.
So, I formulated a plan. I found the leaf rake and a pair of pruning shears and went to work on one of my favorite trails that cuts back to the southeast behind my place. I raked the trail clean of leaves and clipped away any branches or hanging twigs that I might snag in the dark. About 100 yards or so, back into the woods I found a nice big tree, and raked a clean patch around the base of its trunk. I plopped down a folding chair and was done for the day. This morning, I got up at 6 AM and checked the local sunrise time -- 7:06 AM, and outside temp -- 26 deg. Quick cup of coffee and some juice, then a heavy wool sweater and socks and camo, boots, and the Theoben Crusader .20 cal cocked loaded and ready, 10 extra rounds of JSB Exact in my front pocket, I'm ready.
I slipped silently up the trail just before 7 AM. Still enough light to see pretty easily, and I very quickly found my seat and waited. It surprised me that even before the sun came up over the crest of the ridge behind me, there was lots of movement in the trees and on the ground. I had expected the squirrels to wait for some sun to warm up a bit, but they were definitely out and about. A long post shortened, I waited patiently for a shot and eventually took a shot at about 30 yards, missed, reloaded and missed again. By this time, I was standing and had moved to the side of the tree and the locals were in full retreat. And a few minutes later, they were hunkered down and yelling to each other, over and over -- "look out look out look out be still be still be still -- its 'that guy' again with his BB gun" -- in tree rat lingo, though.
Anyway, I got to see a great sunrise through the trees and when the cold overcame my desire to be out there, I walked back to the house, un-stiffened my fingers and warmed up for a while. Then after a cup of coffee, I grabbed my camera and headed back up the trail to pick up my seat and snap a couple of photos of the site of the failed hunt. The photos don't do justice to the sounds and colors of a sunrise hunt in these woods. I guess I need to make myself a better hidden blind I can get in to so I can get off more than one shot before every local squirrel is on to me though. But there was still no other way I would have preferred to spend the morning.
