Tails from the Squirrel Master Classic
Derrek Sigler 02.28.14
Though I wasn’t sure what to expect, I had a plan going in to the 2014 Gamo Squirrel Master Classic. I had been asked to come and participate in a squirrel hunting competition. Since I most frequently encounter squirrels when I deer hunt, my rather silly plan was to act like I was deer hunting. I even joked that a deer would ruin my squirrel hunt. Man, was I right.
Before I could even arrive at the Southern Sportsman Lodge in Montgomery, Alabama, my trip was derailed when a deer ran across the road, causing my car to head into a ditch, and resulting in me missing my flight. I thought my hunt was over before it began. Well, not quite. Through the skill of Gamo’s travel agent, Dina Lamborghini, their marketing manager, Fedor Palacious, and the generous efforts of fellow writer Tony Dolle, I made the event, albeit a little tired and travel-weary.
Time to go huntin’
After a few moments of restless sleep, I woke to find a hunting camp bristling with activity. I had missed out on the welcome ceremonies the day before, so I didn’t have a chance to get accustomed to my rifle, or my team. Luckily, it consisted of some folks I was already acquainted with: Michael Waddell and the Bone Collector crew.
The concept for the hunting competition was simple. Each team, consisting of two hunting celebrities, two writers, and a kid from the local 4-H, would hunt with the use of a trained squirrel dog. There would be a morning hunt, a lunchtime weigh-in, and an evening hunt with a weigh-in, followed by dinner and an awards ceremony. The awards would be distributed based on the total tally of squirrels with overall weight being used as the tiebreaker. Sounded like a hoot to me. I didn’t know the half of it.
The purpose of the hunt was to showcase the effectiveness of Gamo’s air rifle for small game hunting, while getting kids involved and excited about hunting. The 4-H kids in attendance were a breath of fresh air. Their enthusiasm was contagious. The hunting celebrities involved were game for anything as well, but there was something else fueling them—bragging rights. It became clear rather quickly that each of them was focused on winning. There was one other thing that was clear, too. If the others couldn’t win, they definitely didn’t want Waddell to win either. That fact not only wasn’t lost on him, it made him smile even more. I was excited now; this was going to be fun!
Our dog handler, Danny Williams, got us on our first squirrel within a few minutes. I learned quickly that when the dog was on a squirrel, it was never wrong. Between myself, Waddell, Nick Mundt, writer Jeff Johnston, and our 4-H kid, Shelby Clemons, we were as excited to get the first squirrel as if it were a trophy buck. Pellets were flying. It was a good time. There wasn’t any, “No, you take the shot.” It was a group hunt, and we were determined to bring home the coveted Squirrel Master trophy.
At the conclusion of the morning hunt, which was highlighted by Johnston climbing 45 feet up a tree to fetch a squirrel, the Bone Collector One team (there was a Bone Collector Two team captained by Travis “T-Bone” Turner and Edmund Waddell) went into the weigh-in with 14 squirrels and a commanding lead. To say that confidence was high was an understatement.
Weighing in
After lunch, and a gallon or two of water, we headed out for the afternoon hunt. Despite increasing winds and falling barometric pressure from an approaching front, the Bone Collector One team pulled in an impressive 12 more squirrels. Based on the morning weigh-in, we were pretty sure we had it in the bag.
“I’m feeling pretty good about this one,” Mundt said with a hearty laugh, as we pulled into the lodge. “Nobody tell anyone anything. Let them sweat it out until the weigh-in.”
As the other teams filed up to the weigh in station, event organizer and head of the Buckmasters team, Jackie Bushman, hammed up the ceremony, saying there was no way the Bone Collector teams brought in enough squirrels to compete with his crew.
“I’m starting to get really nervous,” Mundt said to Waddell as they watched the other teams haul out their squirrels.
The worry was for good reason. Even with an impressive total of 26 squirrels for the Bone Collector One team, the team consisting of Jackie Bushman, Swamp People’s Jacob Landry, Gamo USA President Lou Riley, the NRA’s Adam Heggenstalker, Jim Shepard from The Outdoor Wire, dog handler Ronnie O’Neal, and 4-H ace Callie Littlefield, brought in a total of 40 for the day. Callie had never hunted before, but ended up with a huge fox squirrel that she was getting mounted.
So in the end, our dreams of bringing home the coveted Squirrel Master title were not ruined by a deer, per say, but by a Buckmaster.
There were fun-filled accusations of a rigged deal.
“Better check those squirrels for the corn Jackie was feeding them!”
“What pecan grove did you drive to, to find all those squirrels?”
“I didn’t know hunting in the city park in Montgomery was legal.”
It was all in good fun. Even the gate agent for Delta Airlines got into it when I was flying back home.
“My brother works for Jackie up at Buckmasters,” he said. “I’m telling ya, the fix was on!”
The real winners
If we are being honest, it didn’t matter who won the trophy. The real winners were the kids from 4-H. They are now all hunters, and part of the family. The television shows that will be pieced together with footage from the event will hopefully reach more kids, and show the fun that can be had from small game hunting.
It’s not often that we talk about the fun of squirrel hunting, or other small game. With a focus on big bucks, giant bulls, and monster bruins, it can be easy to forget that many of us got our start chasing bushy-tailed, timber tigers around hardwood forests. Every person left the 2014 Squirrel Master Classic reinvigorated to hunt, with vows to chase small game as soon as the seasons opened. And I, along with everyone else, also vowed to return for the 2015 Squirrel Master Classic.
Now we just need to find someone to go and bait the squirrels for us. Jackie isn’t winning again!
