7.62NATO

Went out yesterday "scouting" in preparation for deer season. I took the .22LR in case I saw a tree rat or two while scouting. After catching a glimpse of my first squirrel, scouting time was over. I cleaned up pretty well over the next two hours, bagging six squirrels.

I've never hunted squirrel before deer season before, only after when all the leaves are off. I'll say that although the squirrels seem to be out and about a bit more with the leaves on the trees, hunting them is much, much tougher. With the leaves off, I'd say my average shot usually around 30-40 yards. With the leaves on (and all the little saplings and brush with their leaves), my average was about 10 yards, and sometimes much less. Four of them were ground squirrels, and I just had to keep stalking until I got close enough for a clear shot. Lots of patience required!

One of the squirrels was a barker. I heard it off in the distance and made a 150-yard beeline to it. Perched on a limb only a few feet in the air, it seemed it was asking for death. It saw me before I saw it, but didn't seem to care. Weird.

The last squirrel was the only true tree squirrel I got. I saw it speed up a very tall tree and disappear. I examined the branches with the binoculars and saw it perched on a bear branch, about 100 feet up. My only shot was perfectly straight up in the air. What a fall!

Is that the longest "squirrel report" ever, or what??! lol

Bocajnala

Sounds like a fun morning. I've not been seeing many squirrels this year. Been out a couple times and haven't really even had a shot at one yet. Hopefully I start seeing some more. Looks like a good day though!
-Jake

WNCRoberts

Unless something has changed, in North Carolina squirrel season doesn't begin for another month. Wonder why the difference considering we're neighbors?

7.62NATO

Not sure. I killed four females and two males. All four females were carrying at least three babies, and some had six. The fact that all of them were carrying and that some of the placentas were as big as a whole peanut shell (but some as small as a lima bean or smaller) makes me believe that the actual mating season has ended. If I am wrong about that, perhaps NC wants more females to get knocked up before the season starts. I am not sure that makes sense though, since a dead, unpregnant female is not going to produce any more babies than a dead pregnant one.

Either way, both of our seasons will still be in after the females give birth. I don't like to think about it, but a dead momma means dead babies starving or freezing to death in the nest. HOWEVER, I wonder how ofter the mothers leave the nest to feed/drink while the babies are still nursing? If much less often, they have less a chance of being killed. If that's the case, the NC season may be necessary to protect the population if it is not as healthy as VA's. They want the babies to be born and their mothers less vulnerable since they may not leave the nest as often.

Just some guessing out loud!

jbo358

He's good the VA law is Fall Season: September 1 through January 31: statewide
also where in va did you hunt

7.62NATO

I don't think he was saying I was hunting out of season, just wondering why we get to go after the tree rats before they do. I hunted on the Powhatan WMA.

Ncognito

Yea but North Carolinas archery season for deer opens a month earlier than Va.

WNCRoberts

Exactly... I was just curious and cognito is right, bow season started two weeks ago today here in the western part of NC, even earlier in the eastern part of the state.

greatthosu

Congrats on the tree rats.