Aldeer.com Forums Alabama Deer Talk AL Squirrel, Alligator, Trapping, and Varmits Shooting squirrel nests

So I'm talking with a guy at work today and we're talking squirrels. We got to talking about what we do when you're not hearing or seeing them. I asked him what's worked best for him to stir them up and he tells me he has always walked around till he finds some nests and shoots the nests. I wasn't sure how to respond. Maybe I'm just naive, but I've never even heard of doing this. Is that even legal? Maybe the experts here can shed some light on it for me.

Can't say I have'nt....................

I had a conversation about the same thing with a coworker today. He said that was the way he was tout to do it. Made me mad that he would even consider an unethical practice like that. Stupid crap like that is just another reason hunters get a bad name. Beside being unethical it is also very childish.

If there is a squirrel in the nest and you shoot into it, there is only a small chance that it will flop out before it dies. Most likely it will die in the nest to never be retrieved. And that is a total waste.

If you feel the need to molest a nest, throw a rock at it. If there is something in there, this will run it out so you can have a chance to retrieve it.

Sorry if I step on any toes but if you are an ethical hunter, this is a practice you will never be a part of.

Well hell yeah. Sometimes ya just gotta.

I've shot thousands if not tens of thousands of nest if there isn't a vine. Never killed one in a nest that I know of. I can tell you this way more come out of a nest than coukd ever fie in there

How do you know for sure? You ever climb up and check the nest afterward?

About 20 years ago my BIL shot a nest. After about 15 to 20 minutes of me bitching about it, he climbed up and sure enough, there was a dead one in the nest. To my knowledge he has never shot another nest. He actually grew up and became an ethical hunter that day.

I've been squirrel hunting since I was 6 years old. That is 49 years and I have never shot into a nest.

Then you don't hunt with dogs. I know literally no one that doesnt shoot nests. I shoot an xxx full Carlson choke and shoot the edge of the nest.

I will shoot the limb that the nest is on and a lot of the times that will run them out. I dont really like just blind shooting into a nest. I have before and heard that solid hit and figured i killed a squirrel in a nest.

I have never hunted squirrel with dogs, although my dad always had coon dogs and rabbit dogs. Started following my dad through the woods and listening to the dogs when I was 6. I missed several days of school through out the years because hunting trips. He had one dog that if there was a skunk anywhere close, this dang dog would kill it and bring it back to us. Then there was also several bouts with poison oak.

The thing is that I was tout not to take chance of just wounding an animal and to not kill something that I could not retrieve. And never kill to just to be killing. If you don't plan to eat it, then don't kill it. Of course there were not any yotes around back then.

My point is Why take a chance. There is no way that you don't know for sure if you kill one in a nest. Not unless you climb up there and check the nest.

I'm with Beatlescomb On this one.every one I know that hunts with dogs shoot nest only if treed and no vines to shake.also agree that very few die in nest we loose some to them making it to a hole after being hit but few in nests.

Guess me nor the 20 +- guys I've hunted with that have dogs are ethical hunters. A few are pushing 80 years old

Didn't know I was such a bad guy.

You is da debil

I got a one way ticket to hell I guess. If you are using a shotgun they will normally flop out.

Never hunted squirrel with dogs............But shot many a nest. See the rest of you unethical fellas in hell........first rounds on me.

Yea. I thought that was why they made pumps. One shot in the nest, the other to kill him when he comes out. Y'all save me some room.

I would have thought Dw would use a spear and a chain saw

You really would have hated my grandpa. He'd smoke'em out. Walked away from a few trees with it still smoldering. In my defense, I wasn't but 10 or so at the time.

My limited experience with nest shooting was that a cold day with a skiff of snow was perfect for the practice. We'd slip around wood lots and field edges and blast nests. They usually flop out with a shotgun. Remember a couple nests had 2 in them. Also remember shooting one and 3 or 4 squirrels came boiling out. A few more shots were fired but dang if the squirrels didn't make it to a knot hold and escape. Y'all got me wanting to go nest busting now.

Guess I got some bad guy in me. I've sluiced a few ducks on the water too and I might have shot a dove off a dead pine limb ever.