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<\/a>I\u2019ve mentioned this in past articles, but these squirrels are classified as small game species in most if not all States, and therefore have certain protections, open and closed seasons, regulated methods of take, and bag and possession limits. Each state has their own laws governing the game harvest, but as a rule of thumb seasons run from September through January, though some jurisdictions do have spring season as well. Most allow a bag limit of 5 to 10 squirrels per day, and a possession limit of 2-3 times the daily limit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Squirrels are about the perfect small game species, fun to hunt, the populations need to be controlled, and they are really good on the table. Remember that as a game animal, you are ethically and legally obligated to make use of that animal. Squirrel is a surprisingly tasty game meat that is a bit like chicken (isn\u2019t everything?), but darker and with a slightly nutty game flavor. I share a lot of the squirrels I shoot with friends, because we can only use so much, so I generally limit my bag to a number lower than the official limit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the past, squirrels represented one of the most popular game species in the country, but with the increasing populations of deer and other big game, many states have seen decreasing hunting pressure on squirrels and rabbits as hunters gravitate towards larger game. And I believe this is a missed opportunity, because I find stalking squirrels in the woods, or setting up an ambush along the animal\u2019s transit routes, as challenging and rewarding as taking a deer the same way. Additionally, you get to repeat the experience many times in the season! For many big game hunters, they check the zero on their rifle before season opens, pull the trigger one time, and seasons over and the rifle goes back into the rack. While hunters have traditionally used a .22 LR or a shotgun, I personally believe there is no better approach to taking squirrels than with an air rifle, PCP or springer!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/a><\/a><\/a>Several years ago, I wrote an article in which I proposed a challenge for US based airgun hunters that I called the Grand Slam of North American squirrels. The idea was to present a hunting challenge that virtually any hunter willing to work and travel for, could realize. Unless you have a lot of time, money, and luck, you will probably never have a chance to do all the North American sheep species, bear species, elk, or even deer. But the idea that you could take a gray squirrel, fox squirrel, a black squirrel, and an Abert\u2019s squirrel in the same season, was doable by most willing to put in the effort. And the squirrel grand slam became my goal that year, which was achieved<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As you would expect, since the gray, followed by the fox squirrel, have the widest distribution and largest populations they would be the easiest to acquire. Their ranges also tend to overlap, so in much of the country you can take a mixed bag out of the same woods. It has been my experience that the fox squirrels come out and stay out longer in the day, prefer more open areas, and spend more time on the ground, while gray squirrels are more active very early in the morning and at dusk and spend more time high up in the trees. Of course, these are general observations and when both occur you might find either squirrel in the canopy, on the ground, or at any time. But the point is that wherever you hunt squirrels (outside of the far west) there is probably an opportunity for both the gray and the fox squirrels.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Things start to get trickier with the black squirrel; which is a naturally occurring color phase of the gray and fox squirrels. This color phase tends to range from infrequent to rare in most places but can pop up in any population. This is very difficult to plan a hunt around, but if you put in the homework, you can find several areas spread around the Midwest USA where the percentage of this color phase is much higher. This season I have committed to doing the grand slam again and I know of three places where the population of black squirrels is much higher than the norm. The rub is that reaching these spots is a 3.5 to a 15-hour from where I live!<\/p>\n\n\n\n The last squirrel of my grand slam is the Abert\u2019s squirrel, which is the inhabitant of a very specific ecosystem in the wilder areas of Arizona, SW Colorado, New Mexico, Grand Canyon area, living in the higher elevation Ponderosa Pine forests. So, unless you happen to live in this region the Abert\u2019s squirrel is the one you\u2019ll have to plan a very specific trip for. What I found challenging is that since they often occur far off the beaten path, pre-hunt scouting can be difficult. On the other hand, my experience has been that when you find a place where the species is present, populations are typically quite good (though the individual\u2019s territory might be large). I try to add a hunt for Abert\u2019s squirrel before or after the AOA Extreme Benchrest Competition every year, spending a few days in the Arizona mountains.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When seasons start this year, I plan to hunt several states on a two-week squirrel hunting road trip, which is now in the planning stage. From a broader point I\u2019m thinking about starting in N. Wisconsin where I like to hunt grays because of the high percentage of black squirrels, then dropping down to Indiana to hunt with some friends for fox and grays, then out to Arizona for Aberts squirrels. I just need to figure out other stops along the way that may offer some unique hunting experience. There are so many opportunities for squirrel hunters, most national and state forests have healthy populations and a lot of land to hunt. If you want a great hunting experience, grab an air rifle and give this a try.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Some of my favorite rifles to use include my Daystate Huntsman .22, Brockcock Bantam and Sniper both in .25, BRK Ghost .30, but any rifle in the .22 – .30 caliber and doing over 20 fpe that is accurate will serve you well. Other than that, a daypack, game carrier, binoculars, extra pellets, water and food are all you need. This is a great hunt to get you into the field, and the barriers to entry are very low!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" As the turkey season comes to a close, and hunting opportunities slow down for the summer, I am giving some thought as to how I will kick off the new small games season for 2025, and think I have an idea! Squirrel hunting is one of the most popular airgun quarries in the States, and … Continue reading <\/a><\/a><\/a><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n