Fall is here and so is the age old tradition of squirrel hunting. Generations of youngsters have learned their hunting skills from pursuing these crafty, tree jumping varmints. I have to admit that I too learned a lot about hunting, the woods and nature once I started to hunt squirrels. I had deer hunted for many years before hunting squirrels. Several reasons kept me from doing so. It might have been there was no place close to home to hunt or I just didn't want to take the time go. But it was probably the fact that I lacked the skills and know how to pursue these little devils. I owe most of my squirrel hunting schooling to my brother-in-law Kenny. He showed me a few do's and don't's and some of the in's and out's. The rest I picked up on my own after spending time in the woods and from reading articles like this one.

  There is no right or wrong way to hunt squirrels, but there are several different ways to hunting squirrels and it took me a while to learn the techinques that work best for me.

 The first thing I do is while approaching a woodlot is to look it over from afar. You can often see squirrels jumping from tree to tree and they can give you an idea as to where they are or where they are headed. You can sometimes pick out a few nut trees that squirrels will visit. If hunting with a buddy, work out a set of hand signals ahead of time to communicate. Keep talking to a minimum.

 Once I get to the woods I stop and look it over real good, looking for squirrels jumping about. When I do enter the woods I'll move in maybe five to ten yards and then stand still. I try and stand behind some small trees or under some lower limbs to help conceal my whereabouts. It may be hard to see sometimes but a squirrel can see you and move away before you see it. Once in place I'll start looking at the trees out in front of me and to the sides. Just like hunting deer, I concentrate on one area at a time looking for squirrel movement. Scan the tree tops and work your way down through the lower limbs and finally to the ground. But the most important thing to remember to do is listen. Listen, Listen, Listen. You'll hear the sound of limbs crashing together as they jump from tree to tree. Listen for the sounds of nuts or nutshells falling from the tree tops. You will hear them running across the ground. How many times has a squirrel jump started your heart to pumping when he is scampering across the ground right behind your deer stand. To many times to count I'll bet. And finally the most important sound I like to hear is the sound of squirrels barking to each other. I don't know for sure that they are talking back and forth but I have heard squirrels barking from two hollows over and I know that they aren't barking at me.

 When I hear squirrels barking I hone in on their location. I start slowing moving in their direction keeping an eye out for any movement. I try to move from cover (tree, bush, etc.) to cover walking an irregular pattern. Just like still hunting deer, three steps, pause, five steps, pause, etc.. I try to keep a tree between me and the squirrel, peaking out from behind it to locate my querry. Try not to step on any big limbs but if you do don't dispair. There is always some sort of noise in the woods. The key is to not sound like a human coming through the woods. My dad told me that when he was young he would hunt barefooted. He'd leave his shoes on one side of the woods, go around the other side, sometimes this was a long way and then hunt back to his shoes. Well, I for one am not hunting barefooted. I used to go without shoes when I was a kid but now if I step on a dime while barefooted I could tell you if it is heads or tails.

 Here is a trick that works for me. I only try to move when the squirrel is barking. When he stops, I stop. Sometimes though they stop never to start again and then you have to search him out. I once stalked a squirrel for over half an hour doing this. I had heard him from quite a ways out and stalked to a position directly under him. He was about thirty feet or so up in a tree sitting on a limb three to four inches in diameter. His head was over one side of the limb while his backside was over the other. A perfect setup. He had no idea that I was under him and kept barking away. I placed the cross hairs of my scope under his chin and pulled the trigger of my Marlin model 60 - 22 rimfire rifle. Needless to say the bullet came out the top of his head and sent him crashing down almost on top of me.

 Once you pop one, stand in place for a minute or two. There maybe another one or two in the same area that you hadn't seen. I once shot a squirrel and while loading another shell in my gun I spied a squirrel in the fork of a tree. He was sitting there looking like a bookend. I thought to myself, "I see you" and then boom! Down he went.

 Slowly work your way through the woods looking and listening. Sometimes while stalking one they just simply disappear. You can wait him out or move on. I generally don't wait to long for them to come back out. If I don't see or hear them in a span of ten minutes or so I'm on the move.

  There are times that I have set down close to a nut tree and waited for the squirrels to come to me. But not to often. I like to keep moving and see if I can out smart them by sneaking up on them. I stand hunt when deer hunting so I figure that I sit enough when hunting so why not get up and move. It's just more fun to me. Stalking helps to sharpen my senses to the sights and sounds of the woods. You could say that it tunes me up and gets me ready for deer season.

  I forgot to mention it earlier but remember to wear camoflauge or at least dull earthtone colors. I also use a cover scent to help mask my odors as I am usually hunting the same areas that I'll be in later in the fall bow hunting and besides, it can't hurt. I usually use an earth scented cover scent. Though you may use a pine or cedar scent if those types of trees are prominent in your hunting area. A great invention that came out a few years ago is a product called "No Stinkin' Bugs". It is an insect repellent with a cover scent made right in it. Not only have I used it for squirrel hunting and during early bow season, I've used it while walking through the woods, while scouting and turkey hunting. It is probably available at your nearest, (dare I say it) Wal-Mart or you can order it from Bass Pro Shops. At the very least make sure to spray yourself with some kind of insect repellent. Protect yourself.

 Remember to move slow and listen to your surroundings. Have a fun, safe time this fall getting your limit of squirrels. We have many great tasting recipes on our site so give them a try or send us yours. Until next time - James

 Nothing beats a home-cooked fish meal on a cold winter's day. Here's a few thoughts to keep in mind as you "squirrel away" a few meals of fish for this winter.

 The best tasting, highest-quality fish is the one you clean and cook immediately after catching. As time passes after the death of the fish micro-organisms begin to grow and the fish begins to break down. The key to great tasting fish in winter is timely preparation and freezing at the time of the catch.

 Fish baskets, buckets, and live-wells help keep fish alive temporarily and are the first step to great tasting fish later. Depending on the length of your fishing trip or the temperature, you may need to use a cooler of ice to store your fish until time to clean them. A plastic bag for the fish will make cleanup easier.

 Once you've cleaned the fish, packaging becomes the next issue at hand. Air-tight packaging is essential. Many of the undesirable flavor and color changes in fish are caused by oxidation of the unsaturated fats, oils and color pigments. In addition, if the package is not air-tight water evaporates from the fish flesh. The fish becomes dry and tough, or "freezer burned."

 Freezing your fish in water works great to keep air away from the flesh. Clean your fillets well, place the amount needed for a meal in a plastic freezer bag, cover the fillets with water, tap the bag to release the air trapped between the fillets, squeeze out all air at the top of the bag, seal, date the bag, then place flat in the freezer until frozen well.

 If you've decided to leave bones in your fish you'll want to use a thick container for freezing. Clean cardboard milk or juice cartons work great to prevent fins and bones from piercing the container, thus allowing air in. Clean your fish well, place the amount needed for a meal in a water-tight container, cover the fish with water, tap the container to release the air trapped between the pieces, seal, date the container, then place upright in the freezer until frozen well. (Don't fill the container to the top. You'll need some room for expansion as the water freezes.)

 There is another way to keep your catch fresh until winter. Using a vacuum food sealer is the latest and greatest thing to come along to help keep your food stay fresh longer. They have been around a long time but it only seems until recently that the trend is really catching on. There are several makes and models to choose from. Select one to fit your needs. One handy feature that most have is that the bags once used can be washed and used again. When opening a sealed bag make sure to cut it open as close to the sealed end as possible so you have the biggest bag available for the next use. The bags also come on a roll that is actually one very long bag. You cut the roll to make the size of bag needed. This comes in handy when freezing large pieces of fish like a side of a salmon.

 Dating the bag and carton helps to make sure you don't forget to eat them in a reasonable amount of time. They'll do very well as long as you eat them within one year. Even fish frozen longer in this manner have retained its freshness and great taste.

 Besides the date make a note of where the fish came from, who caught them, who you were with, etc. When you cook them, invite your fishin' buddy over to share the meal, or just take a few minutes to talk about how much fun you had catchin' these fish. Hard to have the winter blah's when you're chewing the fat over a great fishing trip! Maggie B.

   As various seasons open, hunters dust off their equipment and restock their supplies. The dreams are big...the anticipated thrill of the hunt is all-consuming as they plan this fall's strategy to bag their limit, or even "get the big one".

 Meticulous preparation goes into planning the contents of the pack. It's not unusual to find 10-15 pounds of accessories and gadgets guaranteed to make the hunt a success. Layer upon layer of top-of-the-line insulating clothing will ensure relative comfort when waiting quietly in frigid temperatures. Thick, tall, heavy boots protect feet and ankles and provide warmth.

 It's time. The hunter, carefully dressed in layers of insulated clothing, straps on the 25 pound tree stand, hoists the pack (15 pounds), grabs the trusty gun (8 pounds), and heads toward "The Spot". "The spot", referred to in fishing as "the honey hole", is commonly found far away from the truck, and requires crossing ditches, navigating through thick brush, and trudging up and down hills.

 Ever thought of the amount of physical stress this places on your body? Throw in the 100-200 pound deer that you're dragging back to a pick up point. Definite cardiac stressor!

 Sure, the adrenaline from the thrill of it all keeps you going! But, admit it, today's occasional hunter can rarely boast the level of physical fitness of the previous generation. Do yourself a favor this year and prepare for that big hunt!

 Start by evaluating your activity level and your level of fitness. If you routinely participate in an exercise program, congratulations you should be ready for the hunt! If you have a desk job and a daily date with the tv you may require a little extra boost to get you physically ready for your trek in the woods.

 Work on increasing your daily activity. Here are a few relatively painless ways to increase exercise and overall cardiovascular strength during your work day. (Always best to have your physician's approval whenever starting an exercise program.)

 ~ Walk up and down stairs. It's easy walking "Down", so do that regularly. Try to walk "Up" a flight or two several times a day. Pretend this is practice for climbing out of ditches and trudging up hills.

 ~ Park your car several blocks away from your destination and walk. Pretend you're walking to your "spot". The further you're used to walking, the more energy you'll have for climbing that favored tree when you do fianally get there.

 ~ Carry items whenever possible. Leave the cart at the store if you can manage carrying the bags of groceries. If you have wrist weights, start wearing them for periods. Boost your arm strength so you'll be ready to carry your gun and pack.

 ~ If you have ankle weights, start wearing them to work. Boost your leg strength and get your body used to the added weight of those hunting boots.

 Anything you can do to increase your activity will help you later. In addition, spot exercises to strengthen your arms, shoulders and back, abdomen, and legs can only help as you carry yourself and all that equipment to the site of your stand.

 One other point. As hunting season draws near and you do your scouting, dress as you plan to on your actual hunting trip. This will give you and your body a chance to get used to the thicker, heavier clothing.

 We rarely hear of hunters collapsing with fatal heart attacks in the woods, but, as you can see, it can be an intense cardiac stressor, not to mention a lot of hard work. So much time and money is spent preparing and purchasing all the right equipment. Invest some time in preparing your most valuable tool -- yourself! Until next time....Maggie.