The Turnbo Manuscripts
by Silas Claiborne Turnbo
1844-1925
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AMONG THE SQUIRRELS
By S. C. Turnbo
Rather an amusing story of hunting squirrels is told by Mr. Isaac Copelin,
son of John and Tyne (Keesee) Copelin. Mr. Copelin formerly lived on his
father’s old farm at the Buck Shoals Ford of White River in Marion
County, Ark., but his present residence is on the Wagoner sheep ranch just
over the line in Taney County, Mo. In reciting the story Mr. Copelin said
that one day while living at the Buck Shoals Ford he took his axe and dogs
and went up on the hill to hunt for squirrels and saw a fox squirrel run
into a hollow tree and "after I had chopped the tree down," said
he, "I saw eight grown fox squirrels run in. The squirrels made their
exit one after the other and as they ran out they scattered and the dogs
stood and looked foolish for they did not know which ones of the squirrels
to pursue. In the excitement of the moment while chasing the squirrels and
throwing stones at them after they had got up trees, I lost my pocketbook
which contained $40 and $30 worth of notes. I then quit the squirrel business
and searched diligently for my money and notes the remainder of the day
without succeeding in finding it and offered a reward of $5 to any person
who would find the pocketbook and return all the money and notes. But no
one was lucky enough to find it except myself and I was the finder of it
on the following day and saved the reward."
This land near this ford of White River is certainly a lucky place for
squirrels for Mr. Arch Anderson informed me one day that while hunting in
the river bottom near this same ford he noticed a lot of squirrels playing
on the ground and the dogs chased them all up one tree and he counted 24
squirrels up the same tree. Mr. Anderson said that he shot squirrels out
of this tree until he became weary of the sport and quit.
"Talk about squirrel stories." said Ben McKinney, who is an
old resident of Keesee Township in Marion County, Ark., "I remember
that one day while I was hunting on Shoal Creek below where I live I noticed
five gray squirrels playing on a cedar log that lay in the face of the creek
bluff. The top end of the log pointed down the bluff. Very soon the squirrels
quit the log and joined an immense bunch of squirrels which I now saw in
a low swag in the face of the bluff which was in plain view from where I
stood. This swag or sink was near 20 feet square and it was fairly lined
with squirrels and were all gray ones. I had my gun with me but no dog.
I was so astonished at the sight of so many squirrels that I made no effort
to shoot at any of them. It was the largest bunch of squirrels that I ever
saw together before. They were all chattering and playing. After I had watched
them nearly 10 minutes part of them left the swag and ran up a cedar tree
and the tree seemed to be alive with them. In a short while longer the entire
bunch disappeared from my view. I had no way of counting them but I made
as accurate an estimate of the number as I could and I think there was not
less than 300 of them if not more."
Jerry Hutchison informed me one day in 1895 that while his father lived near where Isabella Post Office in Ozark County, Mo., is, his brother George Hutchison shot and killed 80 squirrels during two days in succession, or in other words killed 40 each day. They were shot on the fence and in the trees around the field.
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