today was a squirrel hunt for junior liscense holders today...though i am 16 and can legally hunt alone i have a junior liscense until im 17..i had the day off...weather was beuatiful....i said what the heck ill go hunt and scout for next weeks deer hunt....well i went to my spot that i want to deer hunt and i seen alot of squirrels there before...i goto walk down the trail and see a big orange atv there....bow hunter...so ijust eased out and walked down the trail not disturbing him...walked the trails for a while sitting where i thought might be good..kicked one out but couldnt get a shot so i sat down to play their little waiting game...every time ive had a squirrel want to play hide and seek and i know hes hiding not running on the ground i always win...well he added to my past expiriences..he hopped all around within 5 mins of me sitting there...came in range of the 12ga and i dropped him..then i followed a trail that i THOUGHT i knew...i walked a good 1/2 mile saying oh ya i know this trail...then i end up in a dead end clear cut....man was there good deer sign back there.....getting turned around isnt ALWAYS bad....i found my main trail and snopped around looking for more rats...i got 3 grays all together....and hit a fox squirrel....it was about 30yds away and im shooting improved with winchester AAs(gray ones) with 7 1/2 shot...i thought i could do it....i got a good hit..hi jumped and flipped...then i seen him leap over a cliff! i looked all over for him i couldnt find him...id guess i hit the spine and thats why he went nuts and flipped jumped and commited suicide....i went down to the creek and couldnt find him...while i was on top where i shot him i heard a thud about 50yds from the creek..i thought it might be him..so i look on the hill and in the creek....i found a clump of his hair in the creek....i couldnt find him..searched where i thought the thud came from but i was 100yds away....i lost him....all in all i had a blast..hunted a long time...7-12 then 4-7...this evening i took my friend...he sounds like an elephant and cant sit still...he scarred all the squirrels i seen before i could get a bead on them....i gota teach him to quiet down.....this morning i was all alone...that was my first squirrel hunt alone actually...i seen a ton of other squirrels...its just so dang thick before you see them they are gone....i got my skinning speed down this year already..took less then 10mins a piece to skin stiff squirrels.....not bad for me...normally 3 squirrles meant ill be out there all night...man i love the fall.....we get out of school early monday and the weather will be cooler and nice.....i think ill be hunting....