Barking a Squill

[3leggedturtle]

MrMurphy posted a reply that said if you hit a squirrel with a 150gr SP from a 30/30 you wouldn't need a 2nd shot. My question is, Has anyone tried barking a squill? I never have, never really thought about it till now. Any experience doing this? 3leg

[Rusty]

I've heard of it just about all my life but never did it myself. As I understand it the idea is to hit the tree limb under a squirrel's head thus showering him with bark, causing a head injury and stunning them to knock them out of the tree. It is usually done with a .22 rifle or a muzzleloading rifle. All my people were shotgun hunters.

[bgmkithaca]

I did it once with a .22 using LR solids. The shot was a miss that worked out for the better.One of my brothers was there to see it and still talks about it today-that was in 1964 give or take a year.

[Molasses]

My Dad once tried it with a .270 on a porcupine, probably before I was even born. Always told me that the splinters made a mess out of the poor critter's entire underside and it needed to be shot again to be put out of it's misery.

[Pete44ru]

.

I tried it once, with my .36 underhammer muzzleloader - just because...............

The Squill jumped a mile and then flipped me what looked suspiciously like one digit of his paw, before making hisself scarce.




.

[Terry Murbach]

YEP, BARKED A SQUIRREL WITH 44SPL LOADS FROM A SUPER'HAWK SIXGUN OUT OF THE BIGGEST OAK TREE IN THAT SECTION OF LAND. IT LIFTED HIM RIGHT UP AND AWAY FROM THE TREE AND HE LANDED, DEADER THAN CANNED TUNA, AT LEAST 30' BEHIND ME. HE WAS ONE HUGE FOX SQUIRREL TOO.

[horsesoldier03]

I shot a squirrel once with a 30-30 with 150 grain. My plan was to bark him but I ended up taking his head completely off. My guess is I missed the bark and took the head.

[GoatGuy]

YEP, BARKED A SQUIRREL WITH 44SPL LOADS FROM A SUPER'HAWK SIXGUN OUT OF THE BIGGEST OAK TREE IN THAT SECTION OF LAND. IT LIFTED HIM RIGHT UP AND AWAY FROM THE TREE AND HE LANDED, DEADER THAN CANNED TUNA, AT LEAST 30' BEHIND ME. HE WAS ONE HUGE FOX SQUIRREL TOO.

Wish I'd been there to see that. Quite a sight barking a squirrel with that .429 slug. Bet you had a big ol' grin on your face after all the commotion ended.

[wolfdog]

I whacked one with a 444 marlin once. Didn't need a follow up shot.

[Canuck Bob]

I whacked one with a 444 marlin once. Didn't need a follow up shot.

I've said that about moose and a 444!!!!

[Chuck 100 yd]

I have read that they had hunting contests back in Colonial times where a critter that was dead but had no bullet holes was worth more points than one with a hole in it.

That said, I have done it when varmint hunting gray diggers (sage rats) with a .22-250 and they can end up several feet from where they were and without a drop of blood showing. A 40 gr. bullet at 4,000
+ fps has done it without problem for me.

[jeepnik]

Well, never barked a squirrel, but one afternoon, this fellow decided that we couldn't continue to occupy the same general area. Missed him clean, but a rock splinter "rocked" him quite dead. Same principal, and mighty glad it works.

[Thunder50]

Not too long after I bought new one the H&R "shikari" 45-70's, went walking in the woods with the little brother and came upon a squirrel long ways up in a oak tree(note--no one around for miles and trunk was behind the limb) Hit the limb(big limb, about a foot it dia. Big tree) on the first shot and it seemed like the squirrel went about 5' in the air , then made an arc and fell about 50 ft and hit the leaf covered ground. We were laughing so hard, when the squirrel got up and staggered around a bit, we just let him go run off.

[hayabusa]

I have not barked a squirrel, but I shot one that was jumping from tree to tree by me while deer hunting one winter. Pieces of tree rat everywhere!!
He quit barking.

[Old Ironsights]

When meat was scarce & Balls Large (.58 cal +... get yor mind outta da gutter...) hitting a squirrel with a ball would gut & fillet it... not so good for the stew pot.

OTOH, you could sure stun (and sometimes kill) a squirrel by hitting the branch right below where it was laughing /barking at you.

A good dog would be right there to pick it up & finish it if necessary.

Made for good Sport later on when meat wasn't as scarce.