In Michigan January usually leaves us engulfed in deep snow…the frigid temperatures sometimes stealing our motivation. This year, however we have experienced unseasonably warm weather so far.  While the warm climate makes for lower heat bills and better driving conditions, it has a big impact on the outdoor sportsmen that rely on snow and ice for their activities as well as impacting the retail stores that sell winter sports equipment.       
     I was recently talking with several sportsmen who enjoy rabbit hunting and ice fishing. During the conversation I noticed there was sadness in their voices. They talked and reminisced of seasons past, but spoke with uncertainty about our current season.  One of the gentleman mentioned it seemed more like fall than winter… that got my wheels turning.     
     Michigan has an incredible abundance of squirrels. The fox squirrel is what we see most often. The red squirrel is a much smaller version in the squirrel family and is usually the most vocal and seems to be everywhere. I have seen the gray color phase, which is more prominent in the eastern part of the country, on many of my trips and, once in a while, I see the black phase.     
     For those of you that aren’t up to speed on squirrel terminology, the word phase refers to the color of the squirrel. The reason you don’t see many of the black phase squirrels is due to the bounty that the government placed on black squirrels back in the 1700s. This almost eliminated the black phase altogether.    
     Even though I love to hunt squirrels with my .22 rifle I’m always thinking of ways to make my hunts more interesting and challenging. That’s when I thought of going on a warm winter squirrel hunt with Ed Arn,who wanted to use his traditional muzzle loader instead of my .22 rifle.    
     If I had to describe my old friend Ed, I would say he was born about one hundred years too late. Saying that Ed and I have had some interesting hunting and fishing trips would be the understatement of the century. Ed loves the outdoors and doing things the old fashioned way.  Don’t get me wrong, Ed also appreciates the modern things in life, but I admire that he tries the traditional, classic techniques that most people have forgotten.    
     In keeping with Ed’s traditional way of doing things, he also keeps bees that produce excellent honey and uses that honey to create a little treat called honey mead wine that happens to be my personal favorite. He also has a real talent for wood working and makes beautiful collectibles and has started an impressive vintage table saw collection that I think is cool, but back to the point at hand. That day we were thinking of taking a few squirrels with a traditional firearm.     
     Ed’s firearm of choice is a .32 caliber muzzleloader that he had hand crafted from a CVA (Connecticut Valley Arms) kit many years ago. The gun has a nice maple finish and several brass inlays resulting in a very nice, collectible firearm.      In addition to that, Ed also made a powder flask from walnut, and fashioned a ball starter from a deer antler and brass rod.    
     The weekend Ed and I ventured out to challenge ourselves while taking a few squirrels happened to be the first significant snow fall we had received all season. As we headed out through the woods, down a narrow snow-covered foot path, we could hear a few red squirrels chattering in the pines just to the east.    
     Following the path, we walked slowly and watched the tree tops for movement as we went.  The woods were quiet and still. Everything seemed to have stopped for a brief moment before we heard the chattering fox squirrel again in the distance.  By the way the squirrel was talking, we were certain we had been seen, and he was onto us.     
     We decided to sit for a while using a tall pine tree for cover from the elements. The great thing about squirrel hunting with a friend is you don't have to be completely silent, although movement has to be very limited. From the tree tops squirrels have an excellent vantage point, and are constantly on the lookout for movement.     
     On the ground, squirrels are more vulnerable to predators but they store most of the food for the season under leaves on the woods’ floor which forces them out of the trees. Disturbed leaf litter is one sign that squirrels have been about looking for their secret spots where they had buried their food, most of the spots the squirrels have forgotten by the time winter rolls around.     
     It wasn’t long before we watched our prey of choice moving up a tree trunk about 30 yards away.  Ed perched himself on the limb of an old beech tree and steadied his .32 caliber and squeezed the trigger. After the smoke cleared we went to claim our prize. Unfortunately we had discovered it was a clean miss.
     This is what makes this type of hunting so much fun. It’s not really about shooting squirrels...it’s more about a sense of pride in an accomplishment.  It’s about creating something you’re proud of and proving it’s functionality as well.     
     That day we walked out of the woods empty handed, but we were not broken hearted. We challenged ourselves. Our success could not be measured by how full our game pouch was, but by how full our lives were.     
     Squirrel hunting is a challenge, the difficulty level is high, but the enjoyment level is even higher. If you haven't tried squirrel hunting, or making and using a traditional weapon, I recommend that you try it. 
     The weather may not be perfect for some of the sports we enjoy this winter, but being creative as Ed and I were on this hunt, made for an experience that would last a lifetime. We may even have started a new tradition for ourselves.


Shoot straight, cast far and discover Michigan.

Mike Miller