Photo by Tim Black

Hands in his pockets, the kid rocked back on his heels and lowered his head to stare into the glass case containing all manner of ammo. It was a small-town hardware store -- dark, dusty, reeking of agricultural chemicals.

Recognizing the longing in the young man's eyes and the potential for a sale, the proprietor cut short his dissertation on the fine art of distilling ribbon cane syrup and skipped across the pine plank floor with a smile that would have shamed P.T. Barnum.

The would-be customer was no more than 15 years old, and he could not decide between a box of 12-gauge shotgun shells and some .22 rimfire cartridges.

"Either one will do the job, son," the storeowner spoke confidently. "But you'd probably do better with that No. 6 shot. Those high-brass shells will knock a squirrel out of the tallest tree in this county!"

A few minutes later, his cash register a few dollars richer, the proprietor winked at me.

"I had more of the shotgun shells," he allowed.

I am not so sure about the "tallest tree" line, but the man was right about one thing -- both a shotgun and small-caliber rifle are equally useful when you are trying to collect meat for squirrel and dumplings.

Which to carry into the woods is simply a matter of taste for hunters who own both, though I would wager that most have longed for the other while carrying either one. That may even explain why some gun makers came up with over-and-unders to accommodate both -- a .22-caliber barrel on top and a shotgun beneath.

As practical as these might be, however, such doubles are not top sellers. In many cases, it is cheaper to buy two separate guns.

At first glance, the .22 rifle might well seem the perfect squirrel gun. There is no question that .22s are much quieter and easier on the shoulder. They are lighter to carry, destroy far less meat, and they shoot farther. In addition, the diminutive rimfire offers more of a challenge -- especially if you do not top it with a telescopic sight.

But there are times when a scattergun would be a far better choice.

Early in the season, for example, there are far more leaves on the trees. Not only can this limit one's chances of acquiring a clear shot at a squirrel, but the leafy canopy also allows you to get much closer to the critters. Fewer long shots are required.

Another consideration is if you are introducing a youngster to the sport. As with fishing, success is the key to hooking a kid on hunting. Challenge means nothing to them. If you want to create a hunter for life, give a kid a shotgun and the ability to throw out a lot of lead at the bushy-tailed target.

Plinking at targets with a rifle is fun. It teaches valuable lessons and hones marksmanship. But it does not necessarily produce the face-splitting grin attained from holding up a squirrel by the tail. Tin cans and targets do not move but squirrels do.

I cut my hunting teeth on what I still consider to be the sweetest of all shotguns -- a lightweight, double-barreled 16-gauge. A couple of years later, I unwrapped a scoped .22 on Christmas Day. I terrorized squirrels.

From a lifetime of hunting these cunning little rascals, I offer the following tips, as well as suggestions for which firearm is best for the occasion.