Primitive Archer

Main Discussion Area => Shooting and Hunting => Topic started by: Fox on August 09, 2021, 03:18:31 pm

Title: Squirrel hunting setup?
Post by: Fox on August 09, 2021, 03:18:31 pm
Squirrel season starts here in about a month and I want to get out with a bow for it. Last year I lost a lot of arrows shooting at them from too far. once I got pretty close and hit the poor guy in the leg with a blunt... that obviously didn't do anything but wound him so I don't think I'll be shooting blunts again.  Does anyone here do much squirrel hunting?  I'm wondering what kind of points I should use, and if I should maybe try flu flu arrows so I don't lose so many?
Title: Re: Squirrel hunting setup?
Post by: Pat B on August 09, 2021, 04:39:54 pm
Fluflus are good to keep track of your arrows but noisy. I like a spiral fluflu with a single full length feather wrapped around the shaft. You can trim the diameter down a bit to keep the noise down.  One of my favorite points for small game is simple but effective. On the taper for your point screw on a 3/8" hex nut. Folks call them nutters. Make the taper pointed. I add a bit of super glue on the point and at the nut. The point penetrates some and the nut adds shock.
Title: Re: Squirrel hunting setup?
Post by: Fox on August 09, 2021, 10:06:23 pm
Thanks, Pat, I just went at made a few flu flus the way you described and they worked not too bad, I couldn't get them to stabilize quite right, they kept hitting the target crooked like a wrong spined arrow, but the shaft is the same shafts I have normally fletched and they fly great... I'll have to to see if I can get them shooting straight  :)
Title: Re: Squirrel hunting setup?
Post by: Pat B on August 09, 2021, 11:35:32 pm
Is the fluflu wrapped the right direction for the feather wing side? That will make a big difference.
Title: Re: Squirrel hunting setup?
Post by: Fox on August 10, 2021, 11:43:55 am
hmm I didn't think about that ::)

not sure which way I did it, ill make another and be sure its the right way ;)
Title: Re: Squirrel hunting setup?
Post by: Pat B on August 12, 2021, 05:58:00 pm
Here are pics of a few fluflus and nutters. The fluflu in the middle might be wrapped or laid the wrong way.
(https://i.imgur.com/wNiaDbd.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/0JfOATy.jpg?1)
Title: Re: Squirrel hunting setup?
Post by: Fox on August 13, 2021, 10:56:59 am
Thanks pat ;D

I did do them the wrong way, and my arrows spines were a little wrong :fp :fp

I got one that was shooting good though  :)
Title: Re: Squirrel hunting setup?
Post by: Pat B on August 13, 2021, 12:14:47 pm
Generally arrow spine isn't much of a deciding factor. The fact that the fluflu creates so much drag it straightens out the arrow pretty quickly.
 You can trim down the diameter of the fluflu to get more distance from these spiral fluflus. Full height fluflus will go about 30 to 35 yards before they put on the brakes.
Title: Re: Squirrel hunting setup?
Post by: Fox on August 13, 2021, 09:02:39 pm
 
Generally arrow spine isn't much of a deciding factor. The fact that the fluflu creates so much drag it straightens out the arrow pretty quickly.
 You can trim down the diameter of the fluflu to get more distance from these spiral fluflus. Full height fluflus will go about 30 to 35 yards before they put on the brakes.

 :OK
Title: Re: Squirrel hunting setup?
Post by: boomhowzer on August 14, 2021, 10:12:20 am
I was able to get a few squirrels last year with a fiberglass recurve and carbon arrows. I used a Zwickey broadhead because I had a blunt bounce off a rabbit, so I don't mess around with anything but a sharp broadhead anymore. They go right through the squirrel and that's it, the squirrel doesn't even know what hit them. I also lost a whole bunch of arrows, including some fluflus, and I love arrows (even my carbon ones) so I look for them for at least an hour and pout the whole day if I can't find them. This year I'm excited to go out with homemade tackle. I'm in the process of making a couple dozen arrows so at least when I'm crying over a lost arrow, I'll have another one nocked on the string.

On an unrelated note, I don't know if you've had squirrel before, but its unbelievably flavorful. I crave it now. I think its the most delicious meat we have available. I would take a squirrel over any cut of beef, pork, chicken, turkey, venison, rabbit, bear, frog legs, anything..
Title: Re: Squirrel hunting setup?
Post by: Pat B on August 14, 2021, 12:58:55 pm
Bright color fluflus are the way to go.  I don't like broadheads for squirrels because it's hard to get a stuck broadhead down from a 30' limb or trunk. A blunted, dull broadhead would work ok though.
Title: Re: Squirrel hunting setup?
Post by: boomhowzer on August 15, 2021, 10:39:31 pm
Ha! I had a couple of arrows stuck in trees last year. I cut down a tall, spindly maple tree and used it to prod the arrow out. You gotta be careful the arrow doesn't come straight down on you though!
Title: Re: Squirrel hunting setup?
Post by: Fox on August 18, 2021, 12:44:52 pm
Ha! I had a couple of arrows stuck in trees last year. I cut down a tall, spindly maple tree and used it to prod the arrow out. You gotta be careful the arrow doesn't come straight down on you though!

 (lol) (lol) (lol)
Title: Re: Squirrel hunting setup?
Post by: Deerhunter21 on August 26, 2021, 01:03:15 pm
How does the Nutter arrow kill the squirrel? by blunt force or does it penetrate a little? im guessing blunt but im going to be hunting for squirrels soon so i gotta make a batch of arrows
 Also, will a nutter kill a rabbit or should i carry some broadheads on me?
Title: Re: Squirrel hunting setup?
Post by: Pat B on August 26, 2021, 02:22:02 pm
Russell, the tapered point penetrates a little(1/2" to 3/4") and that with the blunt force from the nut is what kills the squirrel and they will kill rabbits too.
I've shot squirrels with Judo points and blunts and had them scurry back up a tree. Whether it killed them later or not I don't know but they were never recovered. The squirrels I've shot with a nutter hit the ground dead or close to it.
Title: Re: Squirrel hunting setup?
Post by: WhistlingBadger on August 26, 2021, 05:57:21 pm
Anybody tried hex blunts?  That's what I use for rabbits, and I bet they'd get the job done on a squirrel.  Plus I can get them in the same weight as my broadheads, so it's good practice for big game hunting.
Title: Re: Squirrel hunting setup?
Post by: Deerhunter21 on August 26, 2021, 06:21:33 pm
I’ll be testing them soon

Congrats on 1000 posts   ;D
Title: Re: Squirrel hunting setup?
Post by: Pat B on August 26, 2021, 07:55:30 pm
I've used hex blunts but to me they are less effective than nutters.
Title: Re: Squirrel hunting setup?
Post by: Deerhunter21 on August 26, 2021, 11:31:44 pm
Oh im sorry.... lol. i thought hex blunts were nutters lol. im definitely going to use nutters
Title: Re: Squirrel hunting setup?
Post by: Pat B on August 26, 2021, 11:35:39 pm
The hex blunt has a 6 point "crown" on the end instead of just a blunt. The points do causes more damage than just a blunt.
Title: Re: Squirrel hunting setup?
Post by: Fox on August 28, 2021, 12:07:14 pm
A hex was what I was shooting when I injured a squirrel… nutters seem pretty good… but how about a really bad shot? Like in the thigh? A broad head would probably kill a squirrel if you shot it in the thigh, would a nutter?
Title: Re: Squirrel hunting setup?
Post by: Pat B on August 28, 2021, 12:51:31 pm
A broadhead wouldn't necessarily kill a squirrel that was hit in the thigh or at least you may not be able to recover it. The shock from the nutter would probably nock it out of the tree then you could finish the job.