5 Easy Squirrel Calls (with Video)

Reader Contribution by Fala Burnette and Wolf Branch Homestead
Published on December 22, 2015
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Part of our journey to a more self-sufficient lifestyle has involved constantly challenging our minds, looking for ways to save money and make things for ourselves. When my husband and I got ready for squirrel season this year, I started brainstorming ways to help us bag more squirrels in a shorter period, and soon started working on ways to mimic a squirrel call known as “cutting.”

Cutting is the sound made by squirrels as they gnaw on the outer shell of acorns and different types of nuts such as hickory or walnut. While hunting last year, I remembered noticing that the squirrels would hide and be silent for quite a bit of time before becoming comfortable enough to come back out on the tree limbs and start eating again. How could I get them to emerge back in to plain sight within a brief amount of time, while being able to sit still and not have to move around more than necessary?

After a bit of experimenting with different items, I found out that it ended up being fairly easy to recreate the cutting sound using things found around our home. Not everyone hunts the same, so I know some people may not want to try these calls, but this is something that may be useful for those looking to bag some squirrels on a budget.

I highly suggest taking the time to listen to this cutting sound coming from the squirrels themselves, so that you know how to make the sound convincing. I also recommend paying attention to the time of day when squirrels are most active in order to catch them when they are moving around more frequently.

After I find an area with a good deal of squirrel activity and take my first shot, I then sit still and use one of these calls to help attract the squirrels back to the area. The sound of another brave squirrel eating after the sound of the shot seems to give the others the confidence to come back out sooner, and continue about their business in the trees.

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