Main Squirrel Hunting Page
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Good Squirrel Hunters Are Good Woodsman The gray squirrel is as elusive as any woodland creature, including deer. Coming home with squirrels in the bucket requires talent in stalking, patience, and, most importantly, knowledge of the squirrels themselves. Deer hunters will find squirrel hunting excellent practice for their bigger game. If you can sneak up on a squirrel, you're on your way to sneaking up on deer. Like any quarry, the squirrel must be respected and appreciated for its abilities, especially its grace and acrobatics in the trees. Perhaps no other animal is as quick to disappear as a fleeing squirrel. Once he sees you, nine out of ten times you'll never see the likes of him again. They have a nasty habit of putting a tree between themselves and a hunter and disappearing soon after. This is just one of many escape techniques these critters are capable of. The Early Bird Gets The...Squirrel??? Any deer hunter knows that squirrels are on the move just before first light. In the dark, I've often mistaken a squirrel that has just shimmied down a tree for an approaching deer. The point is: be in the woods before the squirrels get up for breakfast. There's no better time than in the morning. You can get them any time of day, but the chances that they're wise to a predator dramatically increases. The evening is decent hunting also, but again you may be detected coming in. Nature's Litterbugs: Finding Squirrels Squirrel sign is easy to come by because they are such messy eaters. They feed heavily in the morning and evening. Squirrels may be oblivious to their surroundings when they eat, making it an even better time to be in the woods hunting. They sift, dig, and scratch through the forest floor looking for a meal. Then they will scatterdrop the shell of a nut from either the tree, rock, or stump where they're eating. Wherever the squirrel eats, he is easily given away. Keep in mind that not all squirrels will make stick and leave nests in trees. I've yet to know a squirrel that will pass a spacious hole in a tree to hustle and bust his hide making a nest. I've also known them to nest in old stone walls, but this is rare. Take a day before or early in the season to look for these signs and you'll know exactly where to sit in the morning.
