Q: Squirrels are most active during daylight hours, and both morning and late afternoon can prove very productive times to hunt squirrels. Many squirrel hunting seasons start around late summer or early fall, so time of the year plays a part as well. You can use the rustling of not yet fallen leaves to help you locate squirrels in trees, though the same leaves that give away their position help to camouflage them as well. Squirrels especially love acorns, beechnuts, and hickory nuts. By looking for oak, beech, and hickory trees, you’re much more likely to find yourself in areas of higher activity. Cutting refers to the grinding noise you’ll hear that is evidence of a squirrel cutting the husk off the nuts it eats, and it is followed by the paired noise of the same husks typically falling through the leaves of the tree and hitting the ground. By looking and listening for the evidence of squirrel cutting, you can pick a great spot to set up shop and wait. The two main camps for squirrel hunting are those who play the waiting game and those who decide to stalk the squirrels. If you choose the right spot to set up, then waiting can be productive; however, many experts have more luck taking a stalking approach since you can follow the telltale signs of squirrel cutting. Regardless of your approach, patience is the name of the game. If you choose to stalk, you must still move very slowly and quietly. Only take two or three steps at a time, and then pause to listen for movement. Camouflage clothing is very useful. If you can afford or make a ghillie suit, even better. But a blind of some sort is invaluable, even if it is just a log you are hiding behind. Squirrels that live in the forest are extremely shy, and if you can get within 15 yards (13.7 m) of one, you are doing extremely well. So, to get close to the squirrels, you will have to set up in an area that you can easily camouflage.  You will want to be able to move to a shooting position with as little disturbance to the area around you as possible. If you have a hunting buddy, you should have them stand a few yards out to see if they can spot you lying in wait, as well as moving to a shooting position. If squirrels hear unfamiliar noises, they tend to pause for long periods in their trees to wait for the potential danger to pass. By mimicking the noise of other squirrels eating, you can convince the frozen squirrels nearby that they’re okay to resume their business.  One easy way to mimic the sound of squirrel cutting is to take two quarters—one flat and the ribbed edge of the other against it—and rub them together with a bit of pressure. This very similarly replicates the grinding noise of squirrel cutting. A second way to mimic squirrel noise is to drop your hand into the litter beneath an oak tree and rustle the leaves there at random intervals. Repeat this without making any other noise at all. A variety of different traps and trapping methods are available for squirrels as well; however, states also highly regulate squirrel trapping, so contact your state’s regulatory department to find out what trapping methods—if any—are permissible in your state. Shooting into a tree for a squirrel always means shooting upward, so you want to make sure you take safe shots. You want to aim in such a way as to ensure that the bullet hits the tree if you miss. You will also have an easier time making safe, precision shots if you always keep the sun to your back as you stalk. In order to kill the squirrel in one shot, as well as to preserve as much of the meat as possible, you want to aim for the head. Squirrels are, well, squirrelly, and hitting one someplace other than the head may give it time to get further up the tree or into a hole before you can aim for your second shot. Take your time waiting for the squirrels and setting up the shot, especially if you are a new hunter. Moving too quickly may make more noise and shooting too quickly may cause you to miss your shot. Missed shots, as well as any noise you make, can scare the squirrel away. After a shot, you may have to wait as long as half an hour before a squirrel comes out of hiding. After successfully hunting a squirrel, you’ll need to skin and gut it in order to preserve the meat. You can learn all about the process for cleaning a squirrel at: How to Clean a Squirrel.
A: Choose a good time to hunt. Choose the right area to hunt. Look and listen for evidence of cutting. Choose whether to wait or stalk. Use ground camouflage. Mimic squirrel noises. Set a trap for the squirrel. Make safe shots. Aim for the head. Be patient. Clean your kills.

Q: Mindfulness is a lot like taking meditation into everyday life. Except, instead of focusing on your breathing, you're focusing on everything that happens to you without passing judgment. So, for instance, instead of letting your mind wander away while you're drinking a cup of coffee, you focus on each sip, savoring the flavor and warmth. Bring a stressful situation in your current life to mind. Acknowledge that it is painful. You could say something like "This situation is causing me suffering," or "I find this painful."  Connect your suffering to others. Basically, you're acknowledging that suffering is part of life and that you are not alone in what you feel. You could say "Suffering happens to everyone," or "All of us feel pain from time to time."  Place your hands on your chest, and feel their weight there. Acknowledge that you need to be kind to yourself and not beat yourself up. You could say, "I should be kind to myself," or "May I be compassionate to myself." If you think about, you may be easier on your friends than you are on yourself. Often, you're your own worst critic. However, you can use a mindfulness exercise to help change how you treat yourself.  Get out something to write on. Bring to mind a time when a friend was struggling or felt bad about herself. Write down how you responded or tried to help.  Now bring to mind a similar situation you faced. Write down how you responded to yourself.  Notice if the responses are different. Question why they are different, and what anxieties lead to them being different. Employ that knowledge the next time you're feeling bad by responding to yourself as you would your friend. With each activity you do in a day, you have the opportunity to be mindful. That is, you have the opportunity to be truly present, to pay attention to what you're doing and feeling.  For instance, while you're showering, you can pay attention to rubbing the shampoo in your hair, the sensation of your fingers on your scalp. You can feel the soap as you rub it into your body. While eating, you can make sure you are tasting each bite, savoring the flavors. Every time your mind wanders, bring it back to what you're doing.
A: Try mindfulness exercises. Try a self-compassion break. Treat yourself as a friend. Practice mindfulness in daily activities.

Q: Use a pot that can hold the water so that it doesn’t overflow. Bring your water to a roiling boil with lots of bubbles. Be sure to watch your pot as you boil it to make sure it doesn’t boil over. Use a bowl big enough to hold all of your liquid ingredients, including the alcohol and cranberry juice later on. A metal mixing bowl is ideal, since boiling hot water could damage a plastic one.
A:
Bring 3⁄4 cup (180 mL) of water to a boil. Pour the boiling water into a large metal mixing bowl.