My name is Brad Justus, and I am a diehard squirrel hunter. Although I also hunt other game species, chasing bushy tails is my favorite type of hunting.
I was born and raised in southeastern North Carolina and started hunting and fishing at a young age. My father started taking me out to chase squirrels at eight or nine years old, and I started hunting squirrels solo around 12 years old.
I started out using a 20-gauge shotgun and transitioned to a .22 rifle a few years later. One Christmas, I received a Marlin 39A lever action 22LR rifle and later purchased (through my Dad) a used Marlin 60 semi-auto rifle. Those two 22 rifles became my go-to choices for squirrels. Back then, I didn’t really understand the ballistics associated with a 22, so I wasn’t the most accurate shooter in the woods.
And, like most people, life changes such as college, relocating, marriage, lack of hunting land, and children inadvertently led me to take a break from squirrel hunting for several years. When my kids were older, I decided to get back into hunting. I was fortunate to meet some fellow squirrel hunting fans and have been actively squirrel hunting ever since.
Squirrel season here in North Carolina runs from mid-October to the end of February. During that time, I try to spend as much time as possible chasing squirrels.
I should add this: I don’t consider myself an expert squirrel hunter, but I am an avid squirrel hunter who spends a ton of time in the woods chasing squirrels. I’ve befriended a few like-minded squirrel hunters, so I have some hunting buddies that I might reference on this site as well.
Over the years, my approach to squirrel hunting has changed a bit. Now, I’m more focused on shooting accurately and striving to harvest squirrels with a headshot to preserve the meat.
My desire for increased accuracy led to a plethora of various rimfire rifles (which I’ll discuss in greater detail on the site), ammo testing, lot testing, and optics upgrades.
While the venerable 22 caliber is my preferred squirrel caliber, I’ve also hunted squirrels with a .17 Mach II, .17 HMR, and a 22 Magnum. I’m a big fan of rimfire rifles in general and enjoy shooting those calibers at longer distances.
I also enjoy hunting for doves, quail, whitetail deer, and the occasional coyote.
When I’m not hunting, I work in the firearms industry and pretty much enjoy all things firearms. I also enjoy a little amateur long-range shooting and the occasional round of sporting clays or skeet.
Hopefully, you’ll find the information I share here interesting and worth reading.
