Here in NE Kansas, I've hunted the same woods for the last 35 years. This particular section of woods has the best population of squirrels I have ever seen. Every year I kill 2 or 3 dozen squirrels from spring hunts to late winter. Rarely do I come home empty handed. I've gone twice in the last few days and have witnessed a change. Both times I've seen 2 or 3 squirrels and heard a few others barking, but the very few I did see were running on the ground at full speed. What I also saw was an extraordinary number of hawks. Could the growth in number of predators account for the reduced squirrel sightings? I should mention that I had perfect weather for both of the recent trips and saw lots of squirrels in yards and parks on the way to the woods. I'm the only one who hunts these woods for squirrels so the squirrels have not been spooked by too much hunting pressure. Do the hawks have them spooked??
Late winter squirrel hunting question?
- Thread starter Sniper66
- Start date
- Status
Blue68f100
Member
Hawks are a natural predator to squirrels. I've watched hawks swoop them up when in the open. I've also had them catch the squirrels I have dropped before they even hit the ground. I was hunting one time and heard a squirrel cutting on a nut. A hawk heard it too and positioned it self to get it for lunch. Mother nature has way to keep every thing in check and balances.
urbaneruralite
Member
- Joined
- Oct 28, 2007
- Messages
- 473
Is there any difference in the amount of food available this year? It was a poor year for hard mast in my area this year. The places I have found concentrations of sq. this year has been different from other years.
Blue68f100
Member
The acorn crop this year is bumper in our area. Last year was very light.
Loc n Load
Member
Hawks and squirrels
I have seen Red tails dive kamikaze style into tall trees after squirrels.....and I am sure they would be at risk on the ground.....years ago when I was actively hunting squirrels I had limited out with 5 and returned to my Uncle's, where we skinned and dressed out the squirrels.....we had cats milling around cleaning up the innards and I put the cleaned squirrels into a 5 gal plastic bucket....ran enough water into it to cover the squirrels and set it up in my truck bed.
Went in, sat down and visited with my Uncle. Walked back out to prepare to go home, went to put the squirrels into freezer bags....there were four squirrels....I was a bit confused....counted the severed squirrel tails....five...back then we sold these to Mepp lures for .10 a pc....this was back when gas was .19 a gallon....I went back into the house and to tell my Uncle about the puzzle, and as I was standing there relating the mystery to him, a large red tail hawk dropped out of the sky, perched on the side of the 5 gal bucket....reached down inside and made off with one of my cleaned squirrels....now I had three.....shows what kind of eye sight they have, and how bold they can be.
I have seen Red tails dive kamikaze style into tall trees after squirrels.....and I am sure they would be at risk on the ground.....years ago when I was actively hunting squirrels I had limited out with 5 and returned to my Uncle's, where we skinned and dressed out the squirrels.....we had cats milling around cleaning up the innards and I put the cleaned squirrels into a 5 gal plastic bucket....ran enough water into it to cover the squirrels and set it up in my truck bed.
Went in, sat down and visited with my Uncle. Walked back out to prepare to go home, went to put the squirrels into freezer bags....there were four squirrels....I was a bit confused....counted the severed squirrel tails....five...back then we sold these to Mepp lures for .10 a pc....this was back when gas was .19 a gallon....I went back into the house and to tell my Uncle about the puzzle, and as I was standing there relating the mystery to him, a large red tail hawk dropped out of the sky, perched on the side of the 5 gal bucket....reached down inside and made off with one of my cleaned squirrels....now I had three.....shows what kind of eye sight they have, and how bold they can be.
short barrel
Member
- Joined
- Jul 8, 2013
- Messages
- 367
Squirrels move. Not like migrating, but they move long distances. One year the woods will be full of them, the next year not. I don't think they would move from good feeding grounds because of hawks.
rcmodel
Member in memoriam
Red tail hawks hunt them here in the city.
There could be 10 squirrels in plain sight digging in the yard.
Then a hawk comes along and they completely disappear into thin air instantly.
I have been standing there watching them in the yard.
Then a hawk comes over and they are gone into thin air like mist in the wind.
Only thing I can figure out is they run for the trees and stay on the back side from prying eagle eyes in the sky until it leaves.
But like I said, even standing there looking at them in the yard one second, they can vanish when a hawk comes over a second later.
rc
There could be 10 squirrels in plain sight digging in the yard.
Then a hawk comes along and they completely disappear into thin air instantly.
I have been standing there watching them in the yard.
Then a hawk comes over and they are gone into thin air like mist in the wind.
Only thing I can figure out is they run for the trees and stay on the back side from prying eagle eyes in the sky until it leaves.
But like I said, even standing there looking at them in the yard one second, they can vanish when a hawk comes over a second later.
rc
- Status
