I left the house around 2:30 in the afternoon. The sun was shining bright, but the wind was blowing steadily. I had hoped the squirrels wouldn’t be scurrying around on the ground if they were moving at all. The foliage was in that slow Fall transformation, but still pretty thick and hard to see small critters. Despite that little fact it was nice to get out in the woods before the unnerving chill of winter.

Shortly after the season opened here in Indiana on August 15, I stumbled on a squirrel Oasis in the J.E. Roush state forest. I have been out to 6A four times, including this particular trip I’m writing about and every time I see at least a few squirrels. I’ve even taken a few shots at a couple that I thought I could hit. Bagged one and missed two. With deer season approaching, and archery already in full swing, I have been scouting this area for possible places to get a buck this year, but I haven’t seen many deer travel through this section.

I took a right turn towards the boat launch and campground area where a check-in station sat. While filling out the necessary papers that are required of all hunters in the state of Indiana, I noticed the wind was pushing a little harder than it had been at my home. I had a brief thought of abandoning this trip but decided to proceed anyway. Just getting out to sit in the woods was worth it at the very least. I had planned to drive a little farther to 6B if someone was parked at 6A, out of respect if anyone was out bow hunting. There had been at least six people checked in on this date, but no telling the times when they had checked in.

I patiently waited for an SUV to pass by before I got back on the main road, apparently this fellow was in a hurry, I was not. After the check-in station things get a little tricky finding 6A, hard to see from the road, but I’ve only passed it once out of four so I think I’m getting it down pretty well. I saw it just in time to slow the car and ease into the turn instead of swinging in like a maniac, like I had a few times before. Nobody was parked at 6A and not a soul sleeping in the parking area, yes this has happened once before. Time to pop the clip in the .22 and head in.

I made my way to my usual spot listening and watching the trees for movement as I went. The chatter of a small red squirrel could be heard at a distance near the area I was heading. You almost always heard those little guys in this area. I only take one of them if I’ve already got a fox or gray squirrel or if it’s all I see and I’m about to head out of the woods. I found the log I normally sit on and made myself comfortable.

I sat there for about an hour only hearing and seeing a few of the little red squirrels. As I made my way down a small ravine it came to a more clear section of the woods and off in the distance my eye caught the orange flutter of a fox squirrel tail. I took off toward the tree searching for a good place to sit and wait for the shot. Half an hour later the damn thing never showed itself again.

I sat there a little while longer, still hoping for the chance of that shot. Before I got up to walk around I sighted in one of those little red squirrels and took a shot. Missed! The little guy ran away safe and free from the bullet. I moved on.

I wandered around the woods for a bit after the disappointing shot I took in the hope of regaining the hunt in my favor. Didn’t see a thing for a good hour. I decided to make my way back to the car, but I went the longer way through the woods rather than the field next to the tree line. I crossed a dried-up creek and ducked under a thick bush. Suddenly my phone began to vibrate. I answered it quietly. Becky, my girlfriend, wanted to know what our dinner plans are. As I made my suggestions I saw a squirrel crawling on a branch overhead two trees away from where I stood. I told Becky I had to go and would call her when I got back to the car.

I crept back under the bush and as soon as I came out on the other side I heard a branch crack above my head. The squirrel I saw had broke a dead limb and was falling to the ground. I shouldered the .22 and followed it to the ground, but as soon as it hit the ground the rodent took off running like a bat out of hell straight into the thick weeds squashing any chance of a shot.

All I could do was stand there for a few minutes completely baffled by what I had just witnessed. I think, looking back at all my life hunting and hiking, this had been the first time I had seen a creature in the wild make a potentially fatal mistake. I found the occurrence to be very interesting and probably something I would never forget for the rest of my life.

I shook my head once more in disbelief and made my way back to the car empty-handed.