Sneaking through the forest in fall is a rewarding hunting technique that gives you the feeling you are outwitting and ambushing your prey.

A squirrel feeds by taking an acorn up a tree and sitting on a limb with its back to the trunk. Photo by Kenny Darwin.

This brand of squirrel hunting requires woodsmanship and a keen sense of hearing and eyesight. A silent approach requires stalking skills -- concentration on slipping silently through underbrush, calculating each footstep, selecting the best silent route through the forest -- while searching for game. It's not an easy task, but it's very exciting and rewarding. It requires agility, strength, coordination and attention to details as you silently glide along the forest floor.

The goal is to move without making noise and go undetected by the keen hearing and eyesight of wary squirrels. Done correctly, still-hunting is a tactic that allows you to move through the woods without disturbing wildlife and your reward is a full game bag at day's end.

Smart stalkers move at a snail's pace, with frequent pauses mixed in. If they break a branch, they stop, look and listen, wait until the woods return to silence, then continue hunting. They avoid fast movement that attracts the attention of wildlife. They keep their arms close to their sides, head movement is done slowly and steps are short to keep body motion to a minimum. The idea is to enter undetected into the center of a squirrel's activity range. Once in the quarry's home area, they stand or sit on the ground, a stump or fallen tree and remain motionless until they spot game. At times, they take a shot at lightning speed, other times, it may take an hour or more before they show.

Try this brand of hunting and you will feel like a predator. Stalking game is exciting and time flies as you plan your next move to get into shooting range. When still-hunting, you are silently stalking through the woods, constantly seeing new terrain, learning your hunting ground, hearing a variety of sounds and getting some exercise to boot. This style of hunting is far from boring; time passes quickly as you slip through the forest like a fox on the prowl. (Continued)

There is something powerfully addictive about still-hunting squirrels. It is thrilling sport that teaches lessons about nature and helps you rekindle your relationship with the great outdoors. After just a few outings, you feel more like a total hunter, a predator and your senses become finely honed. The first step to success is to respect the quarry.

Squirrels have keen eyesight and hearing. By wearing camouflage, you can break up your human outline. Try wearing camo boots, vest, hat, pants or any clothing that helps you blend with the surrounding environment. If your state requires blaze orange, check to see if you can legally wear orange camo. If not, wear camo on body parts that do not need to be blaze orange. Some hunters wear deer-hunting garb or turkey-hunting camo complete with facemask and camo gloves.