Went out yesterday to some private land in MA after bushytails, my first cold day out, and man was it cold and windy!

The weather said 27 feels like 26, and with a wind of 5mph, gusts of 10. I call BS, it felt like 10 and the wind was more like 15mph with gusts of 25ish. Needless to say there was not much squirrel activity, saw about 4, shot at 2 and missed due to my turrets being dialed in incorrectly after resetting them for a different type of ammo.

Had I been deer hunting, however, I might have had a buck for the freezer, as I was sitting against a tree watching for squirrels, from behind me comes a repeated huffing noise, like the sound you associate with movies when an old steam train is starting up. It was followed by a cacophony of leaves rustling and sticks breaking. I thought for sure it was going to be a kid on some sort of 4 wheeler or something but no, along comes a doe flying through the woods with a buck hot on her tail (literally) so close that they actually brush the opposite side of the tree I am resting against!
So goes the old saying, you go out squirrel/turkey hunting and all you see are deer (saw 4 total yesterday, 3 doe and that 1 one buck), you go out deer hunting and all you see are squirrels/turkey. But I do not feel comfortable going out after deer with my bow this year, as I just have not put in the time practicing this past year even though the few times I have my groups have been good I owe it to my quarry to be practiced and confident in the shot I intend to take.

Anyways, what a difference a week makes! Last week the weather was nice enough to wear my wool base layers and a light shirt, and I bagged my limit of bushytails, this week freezing and windy and I came home with nothin! (I will be writing up last weeks hunt as time allows)

Hope everyone else is having a fruitful season, regardless of what you’re out after!

So far I have been only hunting 1 WMA for Gray Squirrels this year (Southwick WMA in Mass) But I would say more often than not the squirrels have had cuterebra emasculator  (tree squirrel bot fly) larvae under the dermis. This year has been the first time I’ve encountered them and I have to say, the first time one tried to evacuate it’s dead host was a bit unnerving.

Graphic Video Of Squirrel Botfly Larvae

I love being out in the woods this time of year, not only for the hunting but some of my favorite wild edibles are ready to be harvested, like chokecherries and this big chicken of the woods I got last September:

Let’s get these forums started, what are your favorite wild edibles and how do you like to prepare them?  Chicken of the woods I simply sauteed in butter with a little salt and pepper, and maybe a dash of lemon juice. Better than grocery store button mushrooms for sure!