Gosh I miss the ol' fox squirrels back in Michigan. Mostly I used 22LR before they joined the other closet queens in my safe full of unused powder burners. Wish I had known then what you all do now... if I had been into air guns then, I would have gotten 3 times as many. Stealth counts.
Once we were cooking up 3-4 of the heathens in the pot back in suburban Detroit. As they simmered, we were zeroing in the bows in the back yard, as the next season was fast upon us. This was considered normal back there, and is not something you would want to try here in Kalifornia.
During a shooting break, probably related to replenishing vital liquids, a great bloody bull squirrel came down out of the trees and perched, ON the foam arrow target, and began scolding us all violently. This is the very definition of provocation. At least 4 arrows were nocked up and drawing before he got to the second paragraph of nutter cuss words... mine was first, and it was good. Thwack, down, and pinned... out with vise grips and knives, and into the pot he went with his kin.
Actually I got to really like them just cooked on a campfire skewered on a stick. Kept garlic salt and black pepper in my bow case for just these occasions.
Ah, the good ol' days. I have a call somewhere that looks like Shadow's and would just tap it on the stock now and then.
Now my prey is CA ground squirrels and I have no idea how they taste. I am not sure what level of social breakdown would be required to try one as food but it would have to be a truly post-apocalyptic survival scrounge. However, just outside the perimeter of Her Imperial Majesty's back fence is their regional capital. They were tunneling under the fence to eat herbs, roses, and other precious plantings. I shot many dozens of the things last summer, probably 50, at first a few in the yard, and then I took the war to the enemy beyond the cedar fence. Not a bad hand rest with a towel thrown over it.
They are semi-dormant right now. Even though I see a few out yonder, there is a 270 degree radius extending about 70 yards in which I no longer ever see anything moving. But, this happened last year this time too... and then a whole new generation strong, young and stupid, pushed back into the unoccupied territory during my long absences. Soon there were 911 calls back to Airgun Central... "they eating my lavender, just stand there LAUGHING at me..." and new tunnel networks and exits appearing all around the perimeter. A man cannot let ground squirrels eat the garden and laugh at the woman.
And so the "cycle of violence" began again. They'll be back.
