Posted on 02/19/2022 9:07:43 PM PST by nickcarraway
When January and the rest of winter roll in, I automatically begin pondering wintertime squirrel hunting, which is a highly underutilized outdoor pastime. I thoroughly enjoy every opportunity to go squirrel hunting and have my favorite spots on both private and public land, not only in my home Thumb area, but elsewhere in the state, such as the oak-filled hardwoods on public land in the Baldwin area, one of my favorite locations for this pastime.
A beauty about squirrel hunting is that you don’t have to travel far to find ample opportunities anywhere in our great state of Michigan. And with plenty of public land available, it is a very accessible winter pastime which doesn’t cost a fortune to pursue (the Base License covers all small game hunting – which I personally appreciate). Once January comes around, and with the deer seasons being over, a proper and polite approach can often result in access to private property.
I’ve found that cold and blustery days aren’t very conducive to good squirrel hunting, but when the wind calms down a bit and you add some sunshine, I’ll often be in the woods seeking “bushy-tails,” which are great to eat with a whole bunch of recipes to use. (Squirrel meat makes just as good a “hasenpfeffer” as rabbit meat – and a variety of hasenpfeffer recipes can be found online. We have our own family special, a great wintertime flavor.)
Being residents of the hardwoods, squirrels are tree rodents which live primarily on a wide variety of nuts, berries and buds. They take advantage of food caches (usually a variety of nuts) that they’ve made in the woods to see them through the winter.
Wherever you find nut-bearing trees, you should be able to locate plenty of squirrels.
With leaves gone and usually snow on the ground, winter squirrel hunting is a much different atmosphere than the early fall season and has its own share of distinct challenges. While it is easier to see squirrels in the winter landscape, it is also easier, by the same token, for sharp-eyed squirrels to spot hunter movements. Being prey animals with a wide variety of predators after them, squirrels are quite alert, and hunting them during the winter is usually not a slam-dunk affair.
One advantage to winter squirrel hunting, however, comes about due to the nut caches which are usually located on the ground. A majority of my shots at squirrels during the winter are actually on ground-traveling/feeding squirrels. Because of this, I more often than not prefer a .22 rifle, which allows me a little more reach on wary winter squirrels. And I do appreciate the white, snowy backdrop for this type of shooting.
When it comes to shotguns for this atmosphere, I prefer the small bores, such as .410 and 28-gauge stoked with number-4 lead shot (I dislike my squirrel meat being peppered with birdshot). Besides a variety of “twenty-twos” (some scoped, some not), I also use a variety of air rifles and a .32 caliber muzzleloader. (When using a rifle for squirrels, I always try to make sure there is a safe backstop for the shot. A .22 rimfire round, for example, has a range of over a mile, so popping away at a sky-lined squirrel scampering overhead through flimsy branches is very unsafe).
More News Prep Roundup: Freeland boys claim conference championship
Good vibes: Chemics have fun, win huge on Senior Night
No matter what firearm I use, I prefer to focus on a head shot whenever possible, not only to prevent meat damage (and no, I’ve never had a hankering for squirrel brains – a southern delectable), but also because squirrels are surprisingly tough and resilient despite their small stature. When you dress-out squirrels you have shot and remove the hide, you can readily see their very muscular and lean stature which allows them to scamper through the trees as quickly and gracefully as they do.
Skinning squirrels used to be interesting (and require patience) for me, because they certainly don’t “peel” as easily as rabbits do, but I eventually discovered an easier squirrel-skinning method which, is cutting a slit in the hide across the back of the hindquarters, including cutting through the tailbone, but leaving it attached to the back-skin. You then step on the tail, grab the hind legs, and pull upward, with the hide peeling off, neat as you please, and afterwards you eviscerate the squirrel.
One thing to always remember when it comes to skinning squirrels (and rabbits, too) is to never, ever bring them into your house to perform the task. It is amazing how many fleas can suddenly appear when a warm room temperature wakes them up. I do all my squirrel (and rabbit) skinning and slicing and dicing outdoors.
Also, it is wise to wear rubber gloves when skinning because squirrels (and rabbits) often come into contact with poison ivy, which doesn’t bother them a bit, but it can be transferred to you from their fur, even during winter. (Although poison ivy leaves have died and are long gone during winter, the rest of the plant, including vines, can still pass on their allergic residue.) I’ve been there, done that, and now always wear rubber gloves for skinning purposes.
A squirrel hunting method I’ve grown to really enjoy is using squirrel dogs for locating and treeing squirrels, and it can be an action-packed atmosphere. Using dogs has long been a popular squirrel hunting method in southern states, but recently it has been growing steadily in Michigan. I own a Mountain Cur and a Black Mouth Cur, which are ideal dog breeds with squirrel hunting in mind.
The two squirrel species hunted in Michigan are the fox squirrel (which is the largest specie) and the gray squirrel (which often features a black color-phase that some folks assume is a different specie altogether, but isn’t). Here in the Thumb area, the most predominate specie is the fox squirrel due to our agriculture-rich atmosphere that it much prefers, especially field corn.
However, gray squirrels (including the black color-phase) have been making a strong comeback in recent years, and one of my favorite local hunting spots features both species, and I don’t mind the variety at all. Once in the pot, they all taste the same, which is always very flavorful, and ultimately the lean meat is fat-free (although the recipes I prefer sort of knock the heck out of being “fat-free”).
I fully appreciate the fact that Michigan’s squirrel season runs from September 15 to March 31, which allows ample hunting opportunities. However, a House Bill was submitted last fall which I do not appreciate or support one bit. HB 5390 wishes to have the squirrel hunting season (for both fox and gray squirrels) open all year in Michigan. The last I heard, HB 5390 had been sent to committee for review, and it is my sincere hope that it “dies on the vine.”
When seeking out good squirrel habitat, being able to recognize den-trees certainly helps. Squirrels have their notable leaf-nests, but I have found they usually prefer dens by exploiting holes in mature hardwoods caused by a branch falling off next to the trunk. They are quite snug for winter in this manner (they use their long tails like blankets to cover up when bedding down), and I’ve noticed large sugar maples are often a favorite tree.
A den-tree will feature a somewhat sanded appearance on the bark (caused by the sharp nails of squirrels latching on) leading up to the notable hole in the trunk (a literal squirrel-trail, so to speak). Some large, mature trees can certainly feature more than one squirrel-den, and these always get my focus.
Nothing beats a fine day spent in the squirrel woods and, as I mentioned before, great opportunities are readily available on public land throughout our great state, and that works for me to shorten the long winter months. If you ever try squirrel meat in a “hasenpfeffer” recipe, you probably will soon be out performing more wintertime squirrel hunting activities.
Trust me, folks. It is truly a great winter pastime.
It was more fun for us than her... I am sure. But thank you.
Hands off my squirrels. My pair (black snub-nosed make, bushy tail and slimmer gray female) are smart and friendly. The males has more balls and brains than most of Congress.
.
True dat.
It’s all fu
n and games until they start nesting in your attic, tearing up the insulation and chewing on the wiring. Not to mention what they do to bird feeders.
Tree rats, my Dad called them. We didn’t hunt ‘em because Mother wouldn’t cook ‘em.
Don’t forget to wash all the grease out of your gun. My friends who are still in MI are telling me that it’s been below zero most mornings this month.
A good way to stay trained and improve marksmanship. We may need that at some point in the future.
We lost a house i was staying in to rodents. The fire started in a back section that was closed off- up in the attic- didn’t even know the house was on fire till someone stopped and was bamging on the window screaming- we ran outside and saw the roof onmthe closed en do fthe house ablaze. It was jusy before bedtime too- God was certainly watching over us as that road we lived on had very little traffic usually. It,was -25 below zero, and wind was whipping so bad it almost carried the flames across the street to the barn. Withmthe winds, and old boards, it went up super fast- Fire inspector said it was most likley rodents, chewing the wiring
“Kill the parents and you doom the babies to a long, miserable death.”
My trail cam says that is a lie. The critters that come out in my 5 acre yard are numerous, I’ve walked out on my back patio in the middle of night seeing a black snake wrapped around a baby bird and the next morning there wasn’t a feather left. So I don’t understand where you get the idea that the babies linger because
A. that’s fresh meat and
B. something is going to eat it.
But we haven’t even talked about hypothermia yet.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.