Bocajnala

Something Ridge Runner said in another thread got me thinking...

Fifteen years ago it wasn't uncommon to shoot the limit (6) during a morning or afternoon hunt. It didn't happen every time. But it wasn't rare either.

Several times I've even shot a limit out of one tree during one sit.

I don't spend near as much time chasing squirrels as I used to. Most of my free hunting time is spent trying to get deer in the freezer for the family.

But when I do get out it's a good hunt if I get a couple. Three would be a great hunt.

That's for my spots in Ohio as well as PA.

So, what happened to the squirrel. Is it like that for others? Is it a cyclical type thing?

What's going on?
-Jake

GTOHunter

They are thick around here in Southeast Missouri,but then again We have plenty of good Hardwood Tree's and plenty of Nut Tree's too.They can be pretty smart and sneaky and at times can be pretty tough to hunt them!

Ridge Runner

most of my life, squirrel hunting was a big deal, my favorite wild game, a limit of 6 was a 45 minute to an hour chore, as far back as I can remember if you saw a grey and a fox at the same time you shot the grey first, the fox ran up a tree, if you didn't get him just sit tight where he could see ya, he'd be spinning on a limb barking at you within 5 minutes, now on the rare occasion you see a fox squirrel, he is running, and I don't think they stop till they fall over dead. have no idea what has happened here, these 2 things I know, turkeys don't gobble anymore and there are very few squirrels, I see around 6 total in the fall
RR

MudderChuck

I think it is multifaceted. Some of it is habitat. Some of it is cyclic, it happens everywhere, prey animals get numerous, predator animals get numerous, prey animals decline, predator animals decline and repeat.

Also has to do with the food supply, weather has been screwy here, nut trees and fruit trees have been flowering at odd times, earlier than normal. Many trees are flowering a month or a month and a half earlier than normal, early warm spring, snap frost hits and kills the blooms. Normal rain and dry periods are also way out of whack, warm dry spring and wet summers, bass ackwards for here. Big Apple growing area here, this year the crop is down 66%. No Walnuts or Acorns, few Beech seeds, a lot of Pine Cones which may save them this winter. It is going to be a rough winter for the Squirrels.

Here the Fox Squirrels kill the Greys, Greys are almost extinct. Fox Squirrel numbers are up at moment compared to three years ago, year before last we had a bumper crop of Acorns. last year it was so so, this year nothing. Some people say it is a normal cycle, I say normal cycle and weather.

I've been feeding the Squirrels, few nuts anywhere around here.

I usually hear them before I see them, I'm attuned to the sound their claws make on the bark as they are scurrying through the trees. I'm old and my vision is going anyway, I hear the sound and then look for the movement.

MudderChuck

Used to be you'd see numerous Hedge Hogs flat in the street. They feel threatened and curl up in a ball, which doesn't help much when the threat is a truck. In the last thirty years their instincts have evolved, most now run when they see headlights. I wish the Deer would evolve.

Oldtimr

I haven't hunted squirrels for decades, however, most mornings I could easily kill a limit out of my tree stand. There are still plenty of them where I hunt deer.

john1984

The limit is 5 in Wisconsin. I think I've only done it once.
I do not see a ton of squirrels either.

I wish I could get on some better properties, but people don't want you messing up there deer hunting. the spots I hunt have no hickory or walnut trees, just oaks and the acorns are almost all gone.

I rarely see a Fox squirrel, havnt seen one this year

Nomercy448

I'm up to my eyeballs in them this year. We were getting back to normal the last couple of years, but had a bad "shortage," if there is such a thing, on squirrels for a couple years about 5yrs ago. We had two years in a row of pretty good rain spread through the summer, so I expect that had a bit to do with it. If a squirrel starts barking out in the woods this year, it'll sound like a murder of crows. Glad to have the fodder for my 17HMR revolver though!

alleyyooper

Last year the population of squirrels was low in this area. Not one corn field with in a 1/2 mile of my woods and the Acrorn crop was poor and Hickorys there just were no nuts.
It was so bad I joked with friends I had to stop one day as a whole big old group crossed the road going to thr corn field a mile down the road much like the OKIEs during rhe dust bowl years.

this year corn all around my place acorns aplenty and Hickory nuts so thick it is dangours to walk any where near a tree because of the round footing.

Last year I could get a 5 squirrel limit in two days, this year 5 are a 30 minute sit in one spot.


Al

Bocajnala

Must be a regional type thing. I drove 140 miles to an uncles property. It's about 75 acres of hardwood, with corn field on both sides. Little over an hour we limited out with six. I'll be on another farm in the area in the morning. Hopefully we have another good hunt.

The boy had a blast finally seeing some. He told his mom "we're good hunters, but we never get any squirrel." ... so the drive was well worth it. Hope to limit again tomorrow...



-JaKe