Squirrel hunting setup?

[Fox]

Squirrel season starts here in about a month and I want to get out with a bow for it. Last year I lost a lot of arrows shooting at them from too far. once I got pretty close and hit the poor guy in the leg with a blunt... that obviously didn't do anything but wound him so I don't think I'll be shooting blunts again.  Does anyone here do much squirrel hunting?  I'm wondering what kind of points I should use, and if I should maybe try flu flu arrows so I don't lose so many?

[Pat B]

Fluflus are good to keep track of your arrows but noisy. I like a spiral fluflu with a single full length feather wrapped around the shaft. You can trim the diameter down a bit to keep the noise down.  One of my favorite points for small game is simple but effective. On the taper for your point screw on a 3/8" hex nut. Folks call them nutters. Make the taper pointed. I add a bit of super glue on the point and at the nut. The point penetrates some and the nut adds shock.

[Fox]

Thanks, Pat, I just went at made a few flu flus the way you described and they worked not too bad, I couldn't get them to stabilize quite right, they kept hitting the target crooked like a wrong spined arrow, but the shaft is the same shafts I have normally fletched and they fly great... I'll have to to see if I can get them shooting straight 

[Pat B]

Is the fluflu wrapped the right direction for the feather wing side? That will make a big difference.

[Fox]

hmm I didn't think about that

not sure which way I did it, ill make another and be sure its the right way

[Pat B]

Here are pics of a few fluflus and nutters. The fluflu in the middle might be wrapped or laid the wrong way.

[Fox]

Thanks pat

I did do them the wrong way, and my arrows spines were a little wrong

I got one that was shooting good though 

[Pat B]

Generally arrow spine isn't much of a deciding factor. The fact that the fluflu creates so much drag it straightens out the arrow pretty quickly.
 You can trim down the diameter of the fluflu to get more distance from these spiral fluflus. Full height fluflus will go about 30 to 35 yards before they put on the brakes.

[Fox]

 

Generally arrow spine isn't much of a deciding factor. The fact that the fluflu creates so much drag it straightens out the arrow pretty quickly.
 You can trim down the diameter of the fluflu to get more distance from these spiral fluflus. Full height fluflus will go about 30 to 35 yards before they put on the brakes.

 

[boomhowzer]

I was able to get a few squirrels last year with a fiberglass recurve and carbon arrows. I used a Zwickey broadhead because I had a blunt bounce off a rabbit, so I don't mess around with anything but a sharp broadhead anymore. They go right through the squirrel and that's it, the squirrel doesn't even know what hit them. I also lost a whole bunch of arrows, including some fluflus, and I love arrows (even my carbon ones) so I look for them for at least an hour and pout the whole day if I can't find them. This year I'm excited to go out with homemade tackle. I'm in the process of making a couple dozen arrows so at least when I'm crying over a lost arrow, I'll have another one nocked on the string.

On an unrelated note, I don't know if you've had squirrel before, but its unbelievably flavorful. I crave it now. I think its the most delicious meat we have available. I would take a squirrel over any cut of beef, pork, chicken, turkey, venison, rabbit, bear, frog legs, anything..

[Pat B]

Bright color fluflus are the way to go.  I don't like broadheads for squirrels because it's hard to get a stuck broadhead down from a 30' limb or trunk. A blunted, dull broadhead would work ok though.

[boomhowzer]

Ha! I had a couple of arrows stuck in trees last year. I cut down a tall, spindly maple tree and used it to prod the arrow out. You gotta be careful the arrow doesn't come straight down on you though!

[Fox]

Ha! I had a couple of arrows stuck in trees last year. I cut down a tall, spindly maple tree and used it to prod the arrow out. You gotta be careful the arrow doesn't come straight down on you though!

 

[Deerhunter21]

How does the Nutter arrow kill the squirrel? by blunt force or does it penetrate a little? im guessing blunt but im going to be hunting for squirrels soon so i gotta make a batch of arrows
 Also, will a nutter kill a rabbit or should i carry some broadheads on me?

[Pat B]

Russell, the tapered point penetrates a little(1/2" to 3/4") and that with the blunt force from the nut is what kills the squirrel and they will kill rabbits too.
I've shot squirrels with Judo points and blunts and had them scurry back up a tree. Whether it killed them later or not I don't know but they were never recovered. The squirrels I've shot with a nutter hit the ground dead or close to it.