Squirrel hunting

[starmac]

Ok the aberts was what I would see down in the gila, I never shot them little grey squirrels, and I don't remember knowing anybody that did.
Those western ground squirrels mentioned above are not eatin squirrels as far as I know. I have known a person or two that tried prairie dogs, but didn't stick with them. lol

[RU shooter]

Haven't shot a squirrel in years got sick of eating them as a kid . All these posts and only 2 mention of black squirrel ? Ours in western side of Pa are just greys with color change we have the bigger fox and flying squirrel too along with the smaller and noisy bright red ones i always called them pine squirrel ,I remember all the times my granpap told me the stories right after the depression him and his brothers would go hunt squirrel up on chestnut and laurel ridge for money they would sell them to the guys working on the railroad and a few restaurants in that small town . Said they got an extra nickel for the black squirrels

[oldblinddog]

Our squirrel season has been No Closed Season, No Bag Limit as long as I can remember. And we still have plenty! I develop a squirrel load for most of my guns, naturally.

That is true in central Texas for fox squirrels but it is not a statewide season. Some counties are “East Texas” season, which is October through February and the month of May, East Texas being the backward three-toed tree hicks that they are.

[starmac]

It was like that way back, but I never did the may thing, seems to me that they were having the little ones about then.

[Outer Rondacker]

East Texas being the backward three-toed tree hicks that they are.

That is an interesting one. Made for a good laugh.

[wmitty]

oldblinddog

Ever tried hunting squirrels in May? It will sharpen your eyesight and increase your appreciation for DEET.

[starmac]

oldblinddog

Ever tried hunting squirrels in May? It will sharpen your eyesight and increase your appreciation for DEET.

X2........ Not to mention it is a pain carrying an ice chest around with you in the woods. lol

[Outer Rondacker]

Ah black fly season otherwise known as the May fly. Flying flees for the most part.

[sharps4590]

Our season opens the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend and runs through Feb. 15th, following. I do enjoy opening weekend and some years, early in the morning, it stays cool enough spring hunting is enjoyable. Some years it doesn't and I ain't goin'!!! Long ago I outgrew providing a smorgasboard for chiggers and ticks. We do have flying squirrels but as they're nocturnal I don't remember seeing more than one or two in my life. We do have a few black squirrels and I understand ours are a melanistic phase of the red/fox squirrel. I believe that as they're a lot bigger than our tasty grays and prefer the same habitat as the red/fox squirrels. Some areas have a lot more than others and I've never seen one locally.

[robinsroost]

Our season in Indiana always opens on August15 and runs until the end of January, with a daily limit of 5. I have hunted them with a .22 caliber Marlin 39M, a model 500 Mossberg .410, a .22 cal Ruger MKIII Hunter, a .32 cal Traditions Crockett muzzleloader and a Remington .243 loaded with 85 grain cast RNGC's. We have Fox, Gray, Red,(also called Piney's) and all are good groceries. Fox squirrels are the largest then Grays then Pine. I would rather eat squirrel than steak or venison. We flour and fry, like chicken, the young tender ones. The old tough ones get boiled until the meat will fall off the bone then remove the bones, bring back to a boil and drop in dumplings. Keep yer powder dry........rob

[Outer Rondacker]

Our season in Indiana always opens on August15 and runs until the end of January, with a daily limit of 5. I have hunted them with a .22 caliber Marlin 39M, a model 500 Mossberg .410, a .22 cal Ruger MKIII Hunter, a .32 cal Traditions Crockett muzzleloader and a Remington .243 loaded with 85 grain cast RNGC's. We have Fox, Gray, Red,(also called Piney's) and all are good groceries. Fox squirrels are the largest then Grays then Pine. I would rather eat squirrel than steak or venison. We flour and fry, like chicken, the young tender ones. The old tough ones get boiled until the meat will fall off the bone then remove the bones, bring back to a boil and drop in dumplings. Keep yer powder dry........rob

You just made me hungry. Sounds like a good free supply of dinner for most of the year.

[starmac]

Dem old tough ones were good for squirrel and dumplings, sure been a long time since I had some.

[richhodg66]

Now that the season is over and Spring is about here, been noticing that the rabbits are back out. I don't hunt or shoot them because I never really cared for the tatse that much, plus I enjoy seeing them in the yard. We have several that come in right up to the back patio in front of the sliding glass and graze in the evenings, drives the cats crazy. They're pretty happy to have things greening up, seems like all the little saplings in the woods around the house have the bark all eaten off about a foot or so up from the ground.

Back to squirrels, they've got to be feeling kind of hard times too, and it's breeding/birthing time. I was kind of wondering if I could/should supplement their food a bit, maybe buy a couple of bags of feed corn or something to put out in the woods where I know there are a lot of them? I want them to be wild squirrels and not used to being fed, but if I could do a little something to help the moms and babies get off to a healthy start, I'd like to.

[35 shooter]

They'll definitely appreciate the corn. Around here they tear into any new pinecones pretty hard this time of year.

[Outer Rondacker]

Same. They rip them from the limbs and go down and get them.

[richhodg66]

We have a lot of Osage trees around here and they tear into the apples off of them to get at the seeds, The torn up fruits are a good sign to look for for squirrel hunting.

I think I'm gonna look into buying some feed corn and throwing some out for the next few weeks.

[ole_270]

Watch for the coons taking all the corn. I've put some out a few times with a trail camera aimed that way. Coons always seem to get the majority of the corn.

[oldblinddog]

oldblinddog

Ever tried hunting squirrels in May? It will sharpen your eyesight and increase your appreciation for DEET.

I absolutely have!! I lived in Nacogdoches for 18 years. That’s how I know that place is full of three toed tree hicks!

You will find me in here: https://www.amazon.com/Squirrel-Dog-...40_&dpSrc=srch
in the section on Catahoula Leopard Dogs and in the recipe section.

[Catpop]

We feed deer in front yard. Love to see new fawns show up each spring and then grow up. Working on 7th generation now. Grandkids love feeding and talking to them while they eat.
Anyway last year a coon got to frequenting the corn trough. I just put out some extra for him. He was quite the comedian sitting on the little wooden trough feeding his fat little self. We missed him one day and found him on the highway dead. Evidently he got so fat he couldn’t run across the road!
We miss that little guy! We also have birds, turkeys, and of course, the thread topic, squirrels in the corn box.
I like my squirrels parboiled, then pan fried in gravy!!!!!! We had them once a week when I was growing up 60 years ago! Got me ready for a mess right now!

[starmac]

Old blind dog, I actually did a little squirrel hunting around Nacagdoches. I worked several months out at applebee.