“Off Season” Squirrels

[Barbaroja]

I live in Washington state and here the eastern grey squirrel is considered an invasive species and has no season or bag limits.
It’s a common misconception here that all squirrels are protected species but that only applys to the native squirrels. They are not very wide spread, usually closer to towns and farms but when you find them there tends to be a robust population because As I stated above people believe they are protected, but more than anything I believe it is because they have only showed up in recent decades their is no squirrel hunting tradition here as in other parts of the country.
Since stumbling upon this information I’ve become a squirrel hunting fool. Going out a few times per week from about early July until late February/March, I set my self imposed “season” for two reasons,
1) in spring my attention is focused on preparing for the farmers market season and
2) last spring I shot a lactating female I figured they may be invasive but if I want to enjoy this resource in years to come it’s best to give them a break to raise the next batch of fodder for spicy fried squirrels.

I find it interesting learning what they are feeding on at various times of the year. Any fellow western Washington hunters get after eastern greys?
If your looking for them right now they are feeding on one cones in the tops of the Douglas firs, forget the shotgun this time(my favorite for squirrels any time of year) for this operation, your going to need a scoped .22 to swat them outta those tall trees, easy to locate them as they’re dropping chunks of cone everywhere.

Anybody else in a situation like this where they are able to hunt year round? I’ve also taken ringed necked doves on occasion another invasive that is quite tasty and often hang out around water troughs.

-Barbaroja

 

[jimboecv]

Here in Komifornia, we can hunt ground squirrls year round, quite the pest. I would eat my dog before I ate one of them.
That said, if you get on a healthy field early spring, you can shoot hundreds of them and not dent the population. They are ankle breaking cannibals who destroy everything from crops to levees. Try growing organic crops without being able to put something out for ground squirrls.
When I was a kid, we'd hunt gray squirrls, that is more in line with what you speak of, but I haven't done that in years. It's was real hunting down those big bastards.

 

[Captcurt]

Here in Arkansas we can hunt squirrels for 9 1/2 months. I haven't hunted them much for several years, but this year I have popped a few. My wife put a hit on them after they pruned her tomato plant and beans. I was given orders to shoot them on site. I had forgotten just how good they are on the table. Might have to get serious with them.

 

[Barbaroja]

It’s great fun! I don’t care who you are it never hurts to practice moving quietly through the woods, it pays in all sorts of ways.

Through squirrel hunting I’ve discovered a little pocket of timber on public land that elk come down off of private in the winter that last year coincided with late archery season. This year I’ll be waiting for them Incase they return, bow in hand.
Ive just got into hunting a few years ago at the end of my 20s and I’m really surprised that more people don’t hunt small game. I for one want as much experience drawing a bead on live animals as I can, help to practice controlling your adrenaline ( and a squirrel can definitely get your blood pumping, don’t kid yourselves!)being patient for a good shot, etc
As I’m still trying to figure out what I really enjoy hunting I’ve been getting after a bit of everything, bear,deer waterfowl upland critters with fur and feather, some more successfully than others but I’ve been learning a tremendous amount. Going to be a hell of a fall, things get serious in 3 more weeks with the opening of fall bear.

-barbaroja

 

[Injunbro]

Both tree & ground squirrels are considered varmints here & no closed season. Referred to as tree rats & ground rats. No season on either cottontail or jackrabbits either. Tree squirrels are ok eating if you boil them for a while before frying, ground squirrels so tough you can't cut the gravy... wife's half wolf dog who love jackrabbits won't even eat them.