Calling all squirrels......

[Mr. 16 gauge]

Went out on Sunday to do a little squirrel hunting. To make a long story short, didn't see much of anything....one black phase grey put in an appearence for a few seconds, then disappeared (before I could put the cross hairs on him!).
I have a question re: squirrel calls. I bought one on a whim a few years back, and the first time I used the silly thing I got a reply from three different squirrels at the same time, two of which came in! on a dead run! :o

I have since used this thing (its a bellows type that you tap the end of the bellows and it chirps and squeaks) without any success. Is there any special way or technique to use a squirrel call? To be fair, the conditions on the weekend weren't all that great.....a little windy with rain off and on.

Any help you could give me on how to specifically use this thing would be great......I thought I was in a good spot for squirrels...there were acorn cuttings all over the place!
Thanks in advance..........

[dovehunter]

Personally I have always thought that squirrel calls were like dove calls - just something to keep the hunter from getting too bored while wating for the game to show. I have tried both many times over the years and, with a very few exceptions, have found them (both) to be essentially useless. Now the next guy may come along and say that squirrel calls are the best thing since sliced bread, and they may be for him, but you could never prove it by me. I too have one of the bellows calls. Maybe I'm not using it right either.

I went groundhog hunting yesterday and saw a million squirrels - no groundhogs but lots of squirrels. Maybe I should have left my .223 at home and brought a .22 (rimfire) rifle instead.

[GoodOlBoy]

Hunter Specialties actually makes a call called the Kruncher deer call that is supposed to simulate the sound of deer feeding on acorns to calm a spooked deer and get it to relax enough to come in closer (don't know about that one) What I DO know is that a buddy of mine uses it with squirrel hunting and the sound causes spooked or startled bushytails to come out almost instantly. It's not that it actually calls them so much as their non-existent short term memory goes "Oh somebody is feeding much be all clear!" and they come out to join in.

GoodOlBoy

[popplecop]

GoodOlBoy, I ussually only chuck with my mouth, seemd to make the squirrel wag its tail. Only do this when trying to spot them in the leaves, have stopped them at times when pranceing around on the ground. Still have not been out, leaves still thick and ferns haven't gone down yet.