Even when hunting from a small boat, sportsmen must keep squirrel hunting basics in mind. Pole, paddle or motor slowly forward, pausing frequently to let the boat drift several feet while listening and looking for telltale movement that could indicate squirrel activity.
Look for squirrels running up tree trunks or along branches. Watch for nuts dropping from trees and other signs that might pinpoint any active bushytails.
And a good pair of waterproof binoculars is handy to help spot distant squirrels.
Keep sound to a minimum, even when hunting from a boat. Wooden boats don’t transmit nearly as much noise as metal boats. Banging a noisy aluminum boat might spook squirrels from long distances.
To cut down noise in a metal boat, place some carpet on the bottom. In addition, adding strips of rubber bicycle inner tube along gunwales may reduce paddling noise.
To minimize unnecessary sound when paddling a canoe, carefully and deliberately ease the paddle into the water. Keep it in the water as long as possible. Since sound travels extraordinarily well over still water, droplets dripping from a paddle can alert wary game some distance away.
In very shallow, hard-bottomed areas, use long paddles almost like push poles. Scull along without lifting paddles from the water. Also avoid rubbing the paddle, gun or anything else against the boat.
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