Anyone who grew up in a squirrel-hunting household knows how good a dinner of fried squirrel, mashed potatoes, home-canned green beans, and cornbread or biscuits tastes. Squirrel hunters also know how enjoyable it is to tramp through the woods on a brisk autumn or winter morning, returning with a mess of squirrels to cook up for dinner. Ohio has plenty of the little critters in its woods, and hunters are ready to bring them in. Squirrel is also delicious prepared in a crock pot, as a stew or ragout. Backwoods Bound.com has a long list of squirrel recipes to sample, including Bacon Wrapped Squirrel, Cajun Squirrel, and Bushytail with Autumn Apples.
Varieties of Squirrel
Ohio hunters will find mostly fox squirrels and grey squirrels, with red and black squirrels in some areas. Most hunters consider fox squirrels easier than grey squirrels to shoot, but not just because of their larger size. Fox squirrels tend to remain active later in the morning, and they are generally bolder than their grey cousins. White, or albino, squirrels are common in isolated areas of Ohio. According to Biomes of the World, Marionville, Missouri has the world’s largest known colony of white squirrels, but it is not unusual to encounter them in the forests and suburban green spaces of central Ohio.
Squirrel Hunting Tactics
There are two basic tactics for hunting squirrel: walking and waiting. The walking method is preferred by hunters who like stay on the move, covering a lot of territory as they search for game, moving slowing, listening for rustling, chattering, or the scratching of claws on bark. Others prefer to stake out a likely area, such as around walnut or beech trees, and wait for foraging squirrels to appear.
Early season hunting can be more difficult, as leaves will still be on the trees and ground cover will remain lush and abundant. However, squirrels are quite active during early autumn, storing up food for the cold months ahead. Shotguns are the choice weapon for most squirrel hunters at this time of year, although some always prefer a rifle for small game, eliminating the need to pick shot from the meat. Either way, successfully dropping a squirrel from a tree limb requires good shooting, as targeting the animals in the head or the vital organs at the front of the body will result in a quick, clean kill. After the leaves have fallen later in the season, making it easier to get an unobstructed shot, the rifle becomes the most popular squirrel gun.
Rod Hunter, in his Game & Fish article, “Gearing Up for Bushytails", writes, “Virtually any shotgun, from the diminutive .410 to the 12 gauge, can be a perfect choice.” He goes on to advise, “If, however, you prefer to do more sitting than walking, there is no reason an accurate .22 rimfire rifle can't be every bit as effective – and just as much fun – as it is during the latter season.” As to shot size, Hunter recommends No. 6, and he stresses the need for an accurate rifle scope for zeroing in on small game.
Hunting alone allows one to slip up quietly on the quarry, but there is a lot to be said for squirrel hunting with a partner. Squirrels are wary creatures, so the hunter can be sure that, if he sees a squirrel, the squirrel has already spotted him, and it will most likely take cover, moving to the other side of a tree trunk. A lone hunter can toss a stick or rock to the other side, hoping to send the squirrel back around to his side. Two hunters can hunt both sides of the tree, being careful, of course, not to shoot one another. Many teams call the shot ahead of time, so that one person sends the squirrel into range while the designated shooter takes the shot.
In Ohio, the bag limit for squirrels is six. Most recipes call for one squirrel per person, so a morning’s squirrel hunting will easily provide a delicious evening meal for the whole family.
Brenda Layman - I grew up in eastern Kentucky in a family that hunted, fished, hiked, and camped regularly. Although I moved to Ohio to become a teacher ...
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