Michigan Sportsmen’s Web

One of the best ways to find good squirrel hunting is to find trees that serve as their food source such as beech, acorn or hickory.

Take the time to look under these trees to see what the squirrels are eating. Squirrels are messy and if they are feeding on a particular tree you will see the left over nut casings from them feeding. Once you find what they are feeding on you can key in on that kind of trees and even further enhance your chance for success.

HUNTING TECHNIQUES

Still Hunting - To do this you have to walk quietly through the woods, taking no more than 3-5 steps at a time. You want to listen for the swish of a branch made by a squirrel jumping from limb to limb. Listen for the sound of there toenails scraping as they climb. Usually if you hear this they are very close. You also want to listen for the sound of dropping nut shells.

SQUIRREL CALLING

If you are able to imitate the sounds made by a squirrel, you can locate them much easier. Here are just a few of the sounds the common squirrel makes:

Barking – when a squirrel wants to show excitement or alarm they usually bark. They also use barking for communication purposes or to claim their territory.

Screaming – this type of sound denotes distress. Just like humans, squirrels come out to see an accident or a similar unfortunate event. Squirrels usually bark and/or scream at what they hear or see.

Cutting – as you might have guessed, this sound is made when squirrels are eating ( pooping and squeaking their teeth against the nuts’ shell ). The sound is similar to the sound made by a dinner bell. When a squirrel hears a noise like that, it will get very curious and will most likely want to find out from where the sound is produced and also if any nuts can be found in that particular place. This cutting sound is an all-clear call squirrel make. When danger is present, squirrels don’t eat but the moment the danger is over, they return to their feeding activity.

Leaf rustling – this sound is made when squirrels walk around in the leaves. They usually hop for 2 or 3 times and then stop; after that they make 1 or 2 steps and stop again. If you pay attention to the entire pattern of the hops you will be able to imitate it. By raking some leaves with your feet or hands you can simulate the sounds made by squirrels which are digging in the leaves to find nuts.

Do you have a technique to share about squirrel hunting?  Share them with us by using the comments section below.

Squirrel hunting info from the Michigan DNR

Season & Bag Limits 2007-2008

Hunting:
Fox and gray squirrel (including black phase squirrels) may be taken statewide during the open season.
Dates: Sept. 15 - Mar. 1
Bag Limit: 5 per day, 10 possession Red squirrel and Ground Squirrel may be taken year-round with a valid small game hunting license.

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