50 Shades of Gray…..Squirrel Hunting

Am Shooting Journal ^ | 10/17/2019 | S Haugen

[w1n1]

Gray squirrels are Excellent Eating – some say even better than Venison. Hunting tree squirrels in the West has never hit the fever pitch seen in Midwest and East Coast states. There are many reasons that could explain our lack of bushy tail hunting mania, but suffice it to say, if you have a versatile gun dog, it’s yet another great opportunity to get out and have fun.
Gray squirrels are excellent eating – some say even better than venison – and they can be found in many habitats. From the Coast Range to the valley floors, the Cascades to the high desert, from Canada down into Mexico, western grays are adaptive.

AT ABOUT A year of age gray squirrels begin to breed. The breeding season can run from December through June, and after just over a six-week gestation period, up to five kits are born. Western gray kits will remain in the nest for up to six months – sometimes longer – which equates to setbacks in the species’ ability to efficiently propagate in an area, especially when competing with squirrels that fledge sooner.
Due to the vulnerability of western gray populations, check local hunting regs for seasons and bag limits. Currently, westerns are protected in Washington and cannot be hunted there. Acorns and pine seeds are primary food sources of these squirrels, though they’ll feed on fir and other seeds in the area. Populations are largely impacted by how much food there is each year, which is determined by weather conditions.
Western grays are diurnal, making them great to hunt with a dog. While they often feed in and travel through treetops early in the morning and in the evening, they can also be found foraging for seeds on the ground throughout the day. I like to find good habitat and glass the trees early and late in the day, and cover ground with my dogs the rest of the time. Gray squirrels leave a lot of scent on the ground, and dogs can easily track and tree them. Chases are usually short, so your dog won’t get winded, or run too far in some of the rugged lands these squirrels call home. Read the rest of squirrel hunting tips.

[jeffc]

Ugh. Rats with bushy tails. Cute from a distance, not so much up close...

[SquarePants]

I used to love squirrel hunting as a kid. Just walking and observing and shooting. No one in my family ever had enough patience to successfully hunt deer. My grandfather taught me to dress and clean them and my grandmother would cook them and they were spot-on delicious, as long as you were careful not to bite into a piece of shot.

[ImJustAnotherOkie]

50 shades? Knowing how some people think here I though there would be a discussion of gray squirrel vs. young beavers.

[Yo-Yo]

Knowing how some people think here I though there would be a discussion of gray squirrel vs. young beavers.

[BBQToadRibs]

Same here. My Mom would quarter them and treat them like fried chicken. Delicious.

[bgill]

Many years ago, the 60 year old neighbor asked my grandfather how to fry a whole chicken she’d bought at the grocery store. He told her to draw and quarter it and he’d be over in a bit. That’s exactly what she did. She drew it on a piece of paper and quartered the picture. Grandpa said he never said a word and scrutinized the picture as he cut it up for her. Honestly, a 60 year old woman hadn’t a clue. Of course, her retired military husband demanded everyone address him as “Admiral” when he never made rank. Loony toons.

[Chickensoup]

there are no squirrels in our neck of the woods. NADA none.

[bgill]

“Tree” squirrels? Is that opposed to water squirrels? Every squirrel I’ve ever seen lived in trees. You don’t need a dog. My cats are always bringing them in to show off their hunting skills.

[Ancesthntr]

I’m pretty partial to squirrels. We had them in the back yard where I grew up in NJ, and the feeding of them and their antics provided us with many hours of entertainment. They actually each have their own personalities, just like dogs and cats. My folks even “rescued” one - a few-day-old baby that had fallen out of its nest. We raised Fuzzy, and had him for about 6 months until he found himself the right girl squirrel and ran off.

But they ARE rats - cute ones, because of the tails, and perhaps a bit smarter (well, some of them, anyway), but their essential rat-ness cannot be denied. I wouldn’t eat a rat, so I wouldn’t eat a squirrel - unless it was an issue of survival.

[major_gaff]

Yep...my Granddad would make the best hunters stew out of squirrel...the
problem is that you need a dozen or so to fill the pot.

[petro45acp]

“Ugh. Rats with bushy tails. Cute from a distance, not so much up close...”

Yep, but absolutely adorable in a Brunswick Stew!

Cheers

KYPD

[Ancesthntr]

There are ground squirrels. Go out to 17-Mile Drive in California, and go to the shore area near the end, and you’ll see PLENTY of them. There are signs saying, “Don’t feed the ground squirrels” and, of course, everyone feeds them. They’ll even tug on your pants leg if they’re impatient for whatever you’ve got.

[Hot Tabasco]

Got a few of them around my house because of the bird feeder but I don’t have the heart to shoot them.....They’re not bothering anything.

[READINABLUESTATE]

My yard in Minneapolis is full of eastern grey squirrels. I could take a dozen a day from my deck.

My 75 foot tall black walnut tree is a magnet that draws them in from blocks away.

[magna carta]

Ugh! I have seen them screwing with my plants, chewing off buds, etc. It’s wartime around here I got a bunch of cayenne pepper and spread all along my fence lines and gardens where they are burrowing. Hope to witness some squirrel tongues hanging out soon.

[bk1000]

Ugh... Stringy, like rabbit. Tried it, no thanks. An old friend used to add some squirrel to his Brunswick Stew. Wasn’t so bad in there.

[WKUHilltopper]

If you can learn discipline and how to effectively hunt squirrels, you can hunt anything.

Squirrels won’t be jumping into your lap like a city park squirrel.

[damper99]

Q. How is a squirrel different from a rat?

A. Designer outfit.

[WKUHilltopper]

“There are ground squirrels.”

You mean “chipmunks”?