Bowhunting squirrels? I’m sure some of you think I’m joking. After all, why would anyone waste their time on a small game animal with such a time-consuming method of hunting? I’m inclined to agree – at first, it does seem odd. To begin, bowhunting itself is a challenging sport in big game hunting, so to hunt a small game animal by such a difficult method seems outrageous. Not to mention very time-consuming, or potentially expensive. Or just flat-out too difficult. I know those perspectives, primarily because I used to think bowhunting squirrels was ridiculous. To me, it didn’t seem worth the time or effort just to get a bushytail with a bow. And, outside of embracing the challenge it poses, it really isn’t worth it. It’s the benefits outside of squirrel hunting that make it worth it.
From a perspective strictly limited to squirrel hunting, bowhunting squirrels is indeed a little on the side of a hardcore fanatic; and if that’s what floats your boat, by all means, go right ahead. But for the folks who deem squirrel bowhunting as a little bit “out there,” let’s look at it from a broader perspective than just squirrel hunting.
I mentioned earlier that bowhunting big game is tough enough on its own. Swap “big” with “small” in the sentence above, and, well, it’s just that much more difficult. Factor in a squirrel’s rapid movements and random changes of direction, and the equation gets even more lopsided. But think about it from this angle – as you target practice with your bow, you prepare for possible encounters you will have in the woods; and a good rule to stick to, along those same lines, is practicing for situations much more difficult than you actually are anticipating (shooting at further ranges, different positions, etc.). Following the same line of logic, bowhunting squirrels is the perfect way to practice difficult situations in more of the environment you will face as a deer hunter.
Remember what I said about bowhunting “small” game? Think about it like this – if you can shoot a squirrel’s vitals with your bow, is putting an arrow in a deer’s killzone at the same distance going to be very hard? No. Just like you practice shooting at further distances so more realistic ranges won’t seem so tough, similarly, do the same in the woods. I’ve experienced the difference this can make, and it is surprisingly significant.
Another thing bowhunters as a group tend to overlook when practicing is the time they potentially may have to hold the bow before getting a shot opportunity, which is a very real quandary. Guess what? Squirrels seem to know that, and delight in making you hold the bow till your arm shakes uncontrollably. Although this definitely isn’t something I often view as a positive, it actually helps prepare you for similar scenarios you may encounter when deer hunting.
Aside from everything else, bowhunting squirrels in the woods prepares you both mentally and physically for deer hunting. There are a host of things you deal with in the woods that are difficult to prepare for on the range – things such as working around tree stand harnesses, limbs to shoot around, shooting at an angle instead of horizontally, and many more. Similarly, the often-overlooked mental game can be the difference between calmly harvesting a deer (because you’ve already harvested squirrels in the same type of situation) and getting excessively nervous because your mind does not know how to prepare for what you are facing. Plain and simple, you can prepare more efficiently and fully by bowhunting squirrels.
The greatest upside to it all? It’s a whole lot of fun. Some of my most memorable hunts came while I was bowhunting squirrels, due to the challenge, the reward, and the enjoyment of God’s Great Outdoors. So, on the surface, bowhunting squirrels might seem like an odd pursuit, but give it a shot. It’ll be worth it in the long run.