TreeTop Bushy Tails

GAMMO AIRGUNS ARE PUT TO THE TEST

- Thomas C. Tabor

Those who participate in the annual Squirrel Master Classic event are given the chance to gain stature and recognition within the shooting community. If you’re lucky enough to prevail and walk away with the coveted Wooden Squirrel award, you’ve reached the pinnacle of accomplishment.

This fun-filled event advances our hunting heritage through 4-H participation. It’s also a great way to test out Gamo air rifles under actual hunting conditions.

The Event

The Gamo Squirrel Master Classic is held annually by Gamo USA in Alabama’s Black Belt region. Participation is on an invitation-only basis, with contestants consisting of outdoor writers, TV celebrities and their film crews, Gamo representatives, 4-H members, dog handlers and their faithful squirrel pursuing K9s. Typically, the event pairs six teams against one another in a fun-filled, one-day competition to see how many gray and fox squirrels each team can harvest using Gamo USA air rifles.

I participated in the second annual Squirrel Master Classic two years ago and found that it was a real hoot. Unfortunately, my team didn’t fair all that well in the competition and landed in fourth place. I hoped for redemption this year.

Off to Alabama

The Squirrel Master Classic is hosted jointly by the Southern Sportsman Hunting Lodge and Gamo USA. It’s held annually in the Alabama Black Belt Region about 20 miles west of Montgomery. The area is rich with gray squirrels. In true Alabama fashion, hunters face scattered timberland intermixed with food plots for deer, wet swampy terrain—sometimes occupied by snakes—and red Alabama gumbo clay that clogs many a boot tread.