What we need is a National Squirrel Day

By Otha Barham

February 29, 2008 01:26 am

— If you put off your last squirrel hunt until the last day of the season and you have believed that today, February 29, was the final day, you missed out. Yes, the Mississippi squirrel season closed yesterday, the 28th. Why would the end of squirrel season be of any significance? Well squirrel hunting and squirrel hunters don’t get the press that other game animals inspire and neither do sporting goods manufacturers seek to fill the squirrel hunter’s needs or spend the big bucks on advertising and catalogs filled with squirrel hunting gear. And it’s a shame.
Someone needs to salute squirr- el hunters and the close of squirrel season is a time when we look back and appreciate the hunts perhaps more than ever. Too, we need to spark some interest in gear manufacturers to open up to squirrel hunters for the next season, which begins in just eight months.
Most southern hunters cut their carnivorous teeth on squirrel hunting. I can’t think of a game animal better suited to teach the hunter how to hunt. Each squirrel presents a unique challenge to the Nimrod who seeks to slay it. Tall trees, leaves and the excellent hearing, eyesight and speed of a squirrel are enough to thwart any hunter’s tactics. A lot of squirrels lived to old age because of one or more of these factors.
What I am saying is that if one is a good squirrel hunter, that person can successfully hunt any game animal, an exception being an individual who is burdened by fear. Someone might be adept at stalking into range of a grizzly or Cape buffalo, but if they turn and run at the sight of these animals they won’t kill one, which is usually required to complete the act of hunting.

Good hunters

Anyway, squirrel hunters, both the stalkers and the dog hunters, are good hunters deserving to be recognized by the hunting industry. The one thing that will put me up on my soap box is the lack of hunting gear designated for squirrel hunters. Back in the old days Mama had to sew us a “squirrel sack” out of whatever was handy, often a sack that feed or flour came in. I have seen many sewn out of white cloth because that is what the flour came in. I wonder how many sharp eyed squirrels hid and lived to tell it because they spotted a hunter’s white sack a hundred yards away.
I used and wore out an army surplus ammunition bag that came with a shoulder strap. I am on my second one now. My point here is nowhere can you buy a “squirrel sack.” You have to use your shell vest with the pouch in the back or one of the items mentioned above because there is no such thing as a store bought squirrel sack.
Last year I lost my squirrel caller and I can’t find one listed in any of the big mail order catalogs that sell everything from dog collars to sausage grinders. I feel like to find a squirrel call for sale I have to meet some hood in a black trench coat after hours in a dark alley.
Shotguns are bored for taking various game. There are waterfowl chokes and bird chokes and turkey chokes. Squirrel chokes? Never! You choose one for squirrels by measurements instead of, Heaven forbid, mentioning the word squirrel in seeking a good choke boring or tube.

Skills respected

Way back when, woodsmen brought their squirrel rifles to a meet on Sunday afternoon and shot acorns out of trees and showed off their hand made cap and ball creations. A Confederate squirrel hunter took out a Union officer from a pile of boulders with his black powder squirrel rifle as the officer stood several hundred yards away on Little Round Top at Gettysburg. The importance of a squirrel hunter’s skill was recognized back then.
But neither the squirrel nor the squirrel hunter enjoy the honor of simple affirmation. We have turkey day and even Groundhog Day for Pete’s sake. But no Squirrel Day.
There is no Squirrelmaster Classic to rival the big bass fishing bash. There is no Dream Season like the deer hunters have. Neither Boone and Crockett nor Pope and Young nor the Safari Club International recognizes the squirrel as an appropriate species for their record books. I know, squirrels don’t vary enough from each other to make for a meaningful record book listing. But still it just doesn’t seem right to ignore the challenges met by a successful squirrel hunter.
Here’s to establishing a national squirrel appreciation day. We could have parades and speeches and music and shooting events and wear T shirts with clever slogans about squirrels and squirrel hunters and serve squirrel stew and all that. Get on board and let’s have our Squirrel Day!

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