December squirrel hunting

[Hamilton Reef]

For the last few years I've been enjoying myself by harvesting squirrels in the December season. I've been popping off one or two per day, but got three yesterday. This is all with little effort right behind the house or to the mailbox and back. My neighbors are also happy for me to take some of the squirrels with too many raiding their bird feeders. All my squirrels are cleaned and donated to a senior 84-year lady, Maxine, that was a former squirrel hunter herself. Maxine is on a special diet and loves any wild game.

Warm December days are great for the 22-scoped shooting with no leaves and some white background. I will be following the progress of the NRC idea of possibly extending the squirrel season to March like the rabbit season. Since squirrels are an underutilized resource I think this is a good idea. Two weeks ago I believe I shot the largest fox squirrel of my lifetime that had been eating my turkey feeder corn for 2-3 years. He was so obese that he laid flat out like a small woodchuck with huge layers of fat in the cavity and out. Maxine will have a challenge to figure how to cook that one.

My father started me out hunting squirrels as a way to teach me to be quiet, use my eyes, and develop the patience that would be used later for deer hunting. I guess the kid in me will always enjoy this simple hunting.

[buttrunt]

I too love to hunt squirrels, but never much luck in the late months. I have been thinking about it alot these last few warm days. I started taking my son out with me when he was 2 and now that he is 4 he is learning to be quiet and observant. I think squirrel hunting is the perfect way to get a young person started.:)

[Jumpshootin']

Hey, it's nice to see a couple of fellow squirrel hunters here. I too think that December can be the best time of the season for squirrels. Especially during a thaw after a spell of bitter cold weather. The thaw brings them out searching for food.
I started both of my boys out on squirrel hunting. For a little kid it's easy walking, warm in the early season, and usually enough action to keep them interested.
For the past couple of years I have been hunting them with dogs. I picked up a pair of American Treeing Feist squirrel dog pups, and with the aid of the gazillion or so squirrels that are in the oak woods around here, got them trained well. These little dogs are a blast to hunt with. They'll find and tree squirrels much in the same way a Coonhound hunts 'coons.
They are not so well known of a dog here in the north. But them boys in the south embrace these Feists & Cur dogs every bit as much as we do our Labs, Pointers, & Setters.

http://www.michigan-sportsman.com/photopost/data/544/439eddie.jpg

[rgillett]

Took my 11 year old step-son out last Saturday. We got 3 nice Fox squirrels in about an hour.We hunted a small woodlot with houses around so we had the 20 gauge. I'd much rather use the .22. We were trying out a new squirrel call but all three squirrels were found by moving, stopping and looking. Used the trick of having my son walk around the other side of the tree to bring 2 out of 3 into view. The 3rd was caught frozen way out on a limb in plain sight. Outside of the colder weather (which isn't too bad) I prefer December hunting.

[Robert W. McCoy Jr]

Gotta love those little fiests.
They are a ton of fun..

[FREEPOP]

I can never wait till September 15th. Ahh, time to go back in the woods again, slow down the pace to mother natures rythm. My father has past, but that is one special day that I share with him still, each and every year, until we meet in the big oak woods in the sky.

[Whit1]

I squirrel hunt in December by finding corn fields (on this side of the county..west... oak stands are few) next to a tall tree woodlot. A quiet sneak into the transition zone encompassing the border between the tall trees and standing corn puts me into a position to ambush the bushy tails as they come out to feed.

Jumpshootin',
I used to hunt behind a friend's squirrel dog as a kid and it was a fine experience. Rarely do we hear of a canine specializing in squirrels these days. I understand your enthusiasm for the sport.

[Barry]

The comment about warm weather brings squirrels out in December is right on target. I was deer hunting this morning and the squirrels were everywhere. Fox, black and grey were scampering everywhere. It was hard to tell how many I saw but it was constant. The area was stateland with corn about 200 yards away, and mixed maples and oaks. I tried looking for nests but did not find that many. Whats up with that?

I didn't see any deer so the squirrels kept me quite entertained. I hunt squirrels in the early season and plan to revisit the spot next September.

[Jumpshootin']

They're probably denning in hollows of trees. I see very few nests in the trees around here yet there are plenty of squirrels.

[Hamilton Reef]

Today I just received permission to hunt squirrels in a woodlot 20-acres north of my property. I used to hunt the property from 1980 to 1999. This is walking distance from my house. I thought I had lost all chances to hunt there again.

The property originally belong to a biologist friend and I had constructed our White Lake Sportfishing Association walleye hatchery there in 1980. When the biologist died his wife sold off the squirrel woods acrage to a person that posted it "No Hunting". I knew the new owner and that he bought the woods for a future retirement home site after his kids leave home. I also knew he was basically anti-hunting, but he was a vetanarian and understood booming squirrel populations. He had two problems. The adjacent property was hunted by a violator (probably his property as well) and he had roadside litter problems.

Over time and by periodically stopping to say hi as I drove pass his Vet clinic he learned that he needs the neighborhood watch program for his property until he can get his new home built. I now get to pick up his roadside litter and keep a watch on the violator next door. He knows I will not hunt any of the other game except with my camera. This renewed hunting opportunity comes a bit late for this season, but I'm sure looking forward to next year. Sometimes we get lucky with second chances.

[kroppe]

Hamilton Reef,

Great news you can hunt the squirrel woods again. A good example of how persistence and respect for landowners' concerns can produce a mutually beneficial relationship.

[skip7083]

This is a great discussion. Now that we agree on the merits of December bushytails, what's your preferred way to fix them for the table?

[Whit1]

Squirrel Recipe:
Brown the pieces of meat in peanut oil.
Put them in a slow cooker with a bit of water and a mixture of lemon and butter
Cook them slowly for about three hours
Add and baste with more lemon/butter until tender.

Simple fried squirrel is also a favorite

[Jumpshootin']

I like to quarter the squirrel and then brown in a pan. Then put the meat, 'taters, onions, celery, etc. in a pressure cooker. Serve it over biscuits or make into pasties or pies. The cooker will tenderize any tough game like squirrel or rabbit.

[stevebrandle]

Things I've noticed feeding the squirrels in my back yard.

I toss out shelled corn for Blue Jays, Doves and anything else that'll eat it once the December chill sets in. I even get crows droping in when the weather gets real bad later on.

The squirrels don't feed until mid to late morning and continue until sundown. They'd rather take a full cob of corn into the trees than eat shelled corn from the ground.

Weed-be-gone will kill corn stalks in a grass yard after several applications. And, oak trees from acorns will take root in the darnd'st places. ;)

[Hamilton Reef]

I shot two more squirrels today and continue to average one squirrel per day just around the house. I've also been taking some teasing from the guys at the cofffee shop about all my squirrels in the freezer. I have to tease back in self defense, so I asked one guy how many deer did he get this year? Duh, none why? I then started singing....

"My squirrel is bigger than your deer, my squirrel bigger than yours......."