Thanks to a 2011 graduate of Upper Arlington High School (UAHS) and the Ohio Department of Natural Resources’ (ODNR) Division of Wildlife, fish at Antrim Lake will have new habitat below the surface. On July 19, ODNR’s Division of Wildlife in cooperation with Columbus Parks and Recreation Department placed several “spider blocks” into Antrim Lake.
Ben Foster completed the fish habitat structures last year as part of his Capstone (senior) project, an independent project conducted in an area of interest chosen by the student. He constructed 100 of the fish habitats referred to as spider blocks. The structures get their name because the plastic piping used to provide cover resembles the legs of a spider.
These artificial structures provide habitat that will attract a variety of sport fish, with the goal of increasing angler catch rates in these areas. Additionally, these structures provide cover for juvenile fish in the lake. The spider blocks are made with polyvinyl chloride (PVC) pipes embedded in concrete poured into the cinder block holes. The block anchors the structure to the bottom of the lake, where the plastic, non-polluting pipe will last many more years than traditional brush or tree limbs. The PVC is angler friendly, and less prone to snag lures and hooks like traditional structures. For more information on fishing opportunities in Ohio, visit www.wildohio.com.
Antrim Park is located in Northwest Columbus and is visible from SR 315. To get to Antrim Park, participants must exit SR 315 at SR 161 (Dublin-Granville Road) and proceed west. At the intersection of SR 161 and Olentangy River Road turn south on to Olentangy River Road. The entrance to Antrim Park is less than a mile down the road to your left.
Open houses
Just a reminder that The Ohio Department of Natural Resources’ (ODNR) Division of Wildlife is holding open house meetings in all five districts to discuss proposed rule changes to Ohio’s fish and wildlife rules. The meetings will be Saturday, Aug. 11, from 12-3 p.m. and are open to the public.
“Ohio’s anglers, hunters, trappers and wildlife enthusiasts are encouraged to provide their input on any rule being considered for change,” said Scott Zody, chief of ODNR’s Division of Wildlife.
Rule proposals encompass new rules for wild animal hunting preserves; commercial bird shooting preserves and wild cervidaes to align with recently enacted legislation (House Bill 389). The rule package also includes proposals to define the geographical limits on reservoirs and bag limits on selected fish species.
Also proposed is a modification to the fish fillet rule. The following changes are proposed: fillets must be kept whole until an angler reaches their permanent residence or until the fish are prepared for immediate consumption; there will be no requirement to keep any skin on them; and this rule will not apply to anglers with a receipt from a fish cleaning house or charter captain which states the date, number and species of fish.
Each open house location will have a fish and wildlife biologist, as well as law enforcement officers available to answer questions. For those customers who are unable to attend an open house, comments will be accepted online at www.wildohio.com. The form will be available now until Aug. 12.
Public input gathered at these open houses and through the online comments will be forwarded to the division’s central office and considered during the formulation of regulations.
For more information or directions to the open houses, visit the Division of Wildlife’s website at www.wildohio.com or call 1-800-945-3543).
Bushytail Bonanza
Sept. 1 is just around the corner and with that date comes the first of the 2012-13 hunting season openers, Squirrel season. How long has it been since you hit the early fall woods and went on a stalk for bushy tales? I’m bettin’ too long, my friend. It happens to all of us, we get caught up in the excitement of the big game hunt, deer, elk, bear, even turkey and it seems to put our roots on the back burner.
Proving grounds
Most if not all of us “Ol’ Timers” started out on small game, squirrel or rabbit. We didn’t just jump right into the big game thing like most of the youth now days. Small game hunting was our proving ground. It was where you learned to sneak through the woods watching the treetops and being ever vigilant for the flick of a tail or the sound of a monster fox squirrel cutting a hickory nut off in the distance. The warning bark of a gray when an intruder was in his neck of the woods and the scuffle of the leaves as he ran for the safety, or so he thought, of the big oak next to the river.
Oh my, those were the days my friend. What’s say we take a trip down memory lane and approach the fine art of squirrel hunting?
The challenge
Few game animals challenge the small-bore marksman like bushy tails. To be consistently successful, you need to stack the odds in your favor
When it comes to squirrel hunting, I’m a .22 caliber rifleman. Sure I see the practicality in using a shotgun, especially in the early season when the foliage is up and the squirrels are in the trees; but, the truth is, I love .22 caliber rifles and I’ll take them afield any chance I get.
Besides, a .22 is precise, inexpensive to practice with, and doesn’t damage meat like a shotgun might when the shots are close. If you ask me, the .22 caliber rifle was made with the challenge of squirrel hunting in mind.
Even so, before you go out in the squirrel woods, you should give your squirrel rifle and your own shooting skills an honest assessment and then a tune-up. My own squirrel tuneup routine isn’t very complicated or even expensive for that matter, but it is thorough. Accuracy and knowing your effective range are the primary objectives; everything else is a distant second.
This is because, as we all know, the vitals in a squirrel (the head or just behind the shoulder) are not exactly huge targets, especially when the animal is 40 to 50 yards away, and acting jittery. In fact, I can’t think of another hunting weapon where accuracy is nearly as important. And if you hunt outside your effective range, accuracy will always suffer. With that said here then are a few things that you might consider to make the most of your squirrel rifle and skills.
The firearm
They say you can’t make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear. This old adage also applies to squirrel rifles too. The unit you start with should be dependable in the field, easy to carry in the woods, and above all inherently accurate.
The last characteristic is the most important; I’d much rather have a tack driving single-shot than a repeater that’s much less exact. After all, if you place your bullet precisely, only one shot is needed.
What is accuracy in a squirrel rifle? After fine-tuning and practice, you should be able to shoot half-inch groups or better at 50 yards with your favorite squirrel rifle. I’ve never needed much more than that although many rifles and shooters are capable of it.
Optics
There are legions of squirrel hunters who like to keep things simple. They’ll go afield with iron sights and do quite well. I’ve got a lot of respect for those guys; heck, I once used iron sights too. But back then, when it came to longer shots, it was definitely a hit or miss proposition.
These days, you need to use a quality scope on your .22. It allows you to aim more precisely and increase your maximum effective range on squirrels. Once you get the hang of using a scope, you’ll never go back. Once you get good at it even target acquisition on a moving squirrel is fast.
You might consider a fixed 4 X 32 unit designed specifically for .22 caliber rifles. This means it has a 50-yard parallax setting and adjusts 1/4-inch per click at 100 yards too. It’s lightweight and balances well on your rifle. Even more important, it’s fogproof and waterproof.
Many riflemen are fans of variable scopes such as 3-9 X 32s, I myself being one of them. There’s nothing wrong with them, and I suppose if an undisturbed squirrel gives you a chance to dial in to the higher power, there is definitely even an advantage to them. On the flip side, they tend to be a little more expensive, and I’m not sure that they provide significant practical benefits at typical squirrel hunting ranges. In the end, personal taste and the terrain you hunt in should dictate your choice.
Ammo
Most rim fire enthusiasts consider the .22 the only one for eastern gray and fox squirrel. Many, myself included, prefer a copper-jacketed hollow point bullet weighing anywhere from 36 to 40 grains. With well-placed shots, these put the squirrel down quickly which is always an important consideration since a wounded squirrel might run off to a nest or knothole or even hang up high in the crotch of a tree.
When I’m about to fine tune my rifle for the field the first thing I do is buy several boxes of .22 cartridges that fall into the description previously mentioned. I try to get a variety of different bullet designs from various manufacturers. Just like sighting in or patterning any other gun.
I shoot groups with all of them until I determine which brand and type my rifle prefers. Of course, during testing all things should be equal including ranges, cleaned barrels, technique and good rests. After testing, you’ll find one or two brands that will stand out as the best, meaning that they shoot tighter groups more consistently.
Take your time in this experimentation, and you’ll be rewarded with a good hunting bullet that makes the most of your rifle’s accuracy. After that, get to know what it does at different ranges. This selection process can make the difference between a full and empty game bag.
Shooting aids
When in the field, I’ll always try to use a rifle rest. This makes even more sense when confronted with small targets such as squirrels. Limbs or tree trunks, cedar rail fences, and the like all work fine, but these days, more often than not, I carry a set of shooting stix. They’re handy as a pocket in a shirt and provide the rest required to make longer shots.
There are several excellent commercial models available but they’re not difficult to make either; any on-line search will provide proven designs. In either case, make sure your sticks are long enough to allow you to make high angle shots too.
If you decide to use shooting sticks and I highly recommend that you give them a try it doesn’t hurt to practice with them so that you don’t waste time setting up when confronted with an undisturbed squirrel within rifle range.
Effective range
These processes and gear are meant to help you become more accurate with your rifle within practical squirrel hunting ranges. But what is practical hunting range?
For me, this means the maximum range that I can consistently hit a 2-inch circle in field conditions. With an offhand shot, your limit might be 30 yards or so. When shooting from a sitting position with a good rest you might be able to reach out to 75 yards or more. Naturally, it differs depending on the shooter, his rifle, and several other factors. But you’ll never know any of this until you go out and do some serious paper punching.
I take along a laser range finder, paper targets, and a lot of ammunition to determine my limits. You can forego the rangefinder, but it is nice. Some metallic rim fire targets are also just about the right size and fun to practice on.
The point is if you know your effective range, you’re far more likely to make clean kills. If a squirrel is outside of that distance, you then have a good idea how much of a stalk you need to make before it’s inside your practical range.
Conclusion
As I said in the beginning, few game animals challenge the small-bore marksman like bushy tails. They’re skittish, small, and crafty. To be consistently successful, you need to stack the odds in your favor. A simple tune-up like this can make all the difference when your only shot of the day is sitting unawares on a high limb some 60 yards away. Give it a try. Your game bag you’re your game bag will thank you.
Datebook
Orwell Gun Club will be hosting and sponsoring a Beginning Hand Gun, Shotgun, and Rifle Clinic on Sept. 22 from 9:30 a.m. until approximately 2 p.m. at the Orwell Gun Club, located at 8089 Higley Road, Orwell. Preregistration is required and ladies aged 14 to 18 must be accompanied by an adult. This is a beginning-instruction class for handgun, rifle and shotgun. “Ladies only” — come on out and spend the day learning firearm safety while receiving hands on instruction in the above disciplines. FMI, call 272-5583, register at the Orwell Gun Club or you can email to orwellgunclub@gmail.com. They’ll need your name, phone number and number of attendees your bringing with you. By the way this is a no cost, membership not required, free shooting clinic for ladies only, so come on out and have some fun!
Amboy Rifle Club will be having a “Fun Shoot” on Aug. 26 at the club, located at 100 Hawthorne Drive in Conneaut from 3:00 p.m. until you’re out of bullets or they’re out of targets. This is a .22 caliber pistol (revolvers or semi-auto) shoot only, no laser sights are allowed. It is a 50/50 shoot, meaning that 50 percent of each competition will be given out as prize money. Refreshments, hot dogs, chili and other munchies will be available at a nominal fee. Examples of some of the shooting games of chance are black jack, poker, highest points, dart board, ping-pong ball and more. For a great evening of shooting fun and camaraderie, get yer .22 pistol, come on down and shoot em’ up, bang, bang. For more information or directions call Tim Starkey at 224-0324 or Scot Sutch at 228-8086.
Remember, pass it on or it will surely pass on.
Sunderlin is a freelance writer from Geneva. Reach him at djss@roadrunner.com.
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