The GAMO Squirrel Master Challenge 2026
SEASON 26 | EPISODE 09
Quick Summary
- What happened: The GAMO Squirrel Master Challenge returns as the whole crew joins the Kempfers for days of squirrel hunting, friendly competitions, and multiple generations working together to gather enough squirrels to win against the other TV Host competitors!
- Best takeaway: Squirrel hunting is where the next generation gets started. Small game, lots of action, and nobody has to sit still and be quiet all day. Hand a kid a GAMO and they are hooked.
Hunt Information
Squirrels
Ralph, Vicki, RJ, and Aubrey Cianciarulo with the Kempfer family and the next generation
The GAMO Squirrel Master Challenge, hunted in teams and scored by squirrel count, plus a camp target competition
Working the oak timber on foot, glassing the canopy, and everybody running in when somebody spots one
Outfitter Information
Osceola Outfitters
Hoppy Kempfer
Don't forget to let them know who sent you! The Choice Crew
Unfortunately, they do NOT outfit for squirrels, but they do outfit incredible alligator, hog, and Osceola turkey hunts!
Episode Breakdown
Four days at the Kempfers, guns prepped at home and confirmed on the ground, a camp target competition, and days of squirrel hunting with everybody from the OGs to the youngest hunters in the group.
Prepping the GAMOs at Home
It starts in the backyard, getting the GAMOs prepped and sighted in before anybody loads a truck. Then the drive down, Ralph opening up about the Squirrel Master Challenge and what it is really for, getting the next generation outdoors.
Down to the Kempfers
Once they are on the ground the guns come back out and get shot again, because a long drive can move a scope on anything. Plenty of banter while everybody gets settled and the teams get figured out.
First Morning, Slow and Windy
The kids are up outside camp before daylight getting everything ready. Everyone lines up and heads out. It does not go according to plan. The wind is up, the squirrels are not moving, and the group covers ground without much to show. The crew resort to whacking trees with a bat trying to shake something loose. When it stays slow, they go shoot targets instead.
The Camp Competition
That afternoon the camp competition takes over. Metal targets and targets hung in the trees, everybody taking their turn, Ralph and Vicki hosting while Ralph and Aubrey shoot it as competitors with the next generation. It is the loosest, most fun stretch of the whole trip.
The Hunt Comes Alive
The following hunts is when the going gets good! General squirrel hunting the way it actually goes, working the timber, looking up more than out, and everybody running in the second somebody spots one. The new .25 Swarm Magnum gets a real workout. Hoppy goes down at one point, which nobody is going to let him forget. Plenty of spitballing and giving each other a hard time between shots.
Counting Squirrels
Tail end of the hunts, everybody gathers up and the squirrels get counted out of the back of the truck. Simple scoring, and it settles the whole thing.
Cleaning and Poppers
Then the work starts. Squirrels get cleaned, and Doug turns them into poppers. The taste test might be the most competitive part of the entire week.
Looking Back
A week like this is a reminder that squirrel hunting is real hunting. Cheap, full of action, and the best possible way to hand this thing down to whoever is coming up next.
Location & Conditions
Central Florida
Cypress Trees (and knees), Oak hammocks and timber lines running through open cattle pasture, heavy canopy overhead and plenty of cover on the ground.
Florida warm and humid, with enough wind on the first morning to shut the squirrels down entirely.
Squirrels cutting on acorns and working the canopy early, tight to the trees when the wind is up, and active again once it lays down in the afternoon.
Watch / Explore
Catch the full episode and explore more from Our Choice.
Keep Up With Us
- @RalphandVickiSocial Media
- @RJandAubreySocial Media
- @TheChoiceOutdoorsYouTube
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FAQ
What is the GAMO Squirrel Master Challenge?
A team squirrel hunting competition the GAMO has been putting on for years! Scored by squirrel count, built around getting the next generation of hunters into the woods.
Who won?
You'll have to watch to see who takes it and the final count!
What were they hunting with?
The new GAMO Swarm Magnum .25 Cal Gen3i, prepped at home and confirmed again once they got to Florida.
From the Field
You want to get a kid hooked on hunting? Hand them a pellet gun and take them squirrel hunting. Works every single time. Just remember... “Don't shoot your eye out Ralphie!”Ralph Cianciarulo
Bring It Home: You'll Have To Watch This One
No recipe card this week — this one belongs on screen.
We did something special in this Episode near the end with a chef cooking up the Squirrels! You'll have to watch the episode for this one!
Full recipe cards return next week.
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