Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Any sqquirell hunters here?

New York season has just opened, but ever since I was a kid I was told not to hunt bushytails until after the first hard frost. My Uncle, and favorite hunting partner always said that until then the squirells might have "warbles". I dont know what that could be and was wondering if anyone knew? Maybe they are some sort of parasite or something. If this is really nothing, I will be in the woods this Saturday and Sunday. Help me out guys I got the itch to hit the hardwoods.

I dearly love to hunt the rascals! I too am out there on opening day!
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<br>I have only had one problem with squirrels before the first frost. FLEAS!
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<br>After they are dead I set them aside to cool. When the body is cold the fleas leave.
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<br>Can't say I've much experience with warbles. I do notice that they tend to taste better after the first frost.

Fry the young'uns and stew the rest! Nothing like a pot of red squirel stew on a cool evening.

I seldom miss opening weekend of squirrel season. I'll be out there day after tomorrow.

Warbles are parasitic fly larvae found across the back (usually) and when the critter hatches it leaves a big scar on the back. Caribou hides are never tanned for leather, only with hair on, because the scars are ugly and weak, creating lousy leather.
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<br>I have shot lots of NY tree rats in northern and southern NY. I look for that sort of thing, my MS thesis was on blood parasites in ducks, and I do not recall ever finding a warble or a scar???
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<br>I was on the old family farm woodlot for the first week last fall and shot a huge pile of them. It was lots of fun! Hunt away, I'd say.
<br>art

Our GA gray squirrels will have "worms" what folks around here call them, ranging in size from a quarter to half dollar until after a good cold snap...
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<br>Our season starts mid August, but I always wait until the leaves fall a little..I don't like shooting through the leaves with a shotgun..I like to wait and snipe them with either a .22LR or .22 Magnum..
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<br>Mike

Don't think I would worry about the squirrels just shoot and dress them while they are still warm for easy skinning, the hide is off in about a minute so I don't worry about the fleas. PDS said it, fry young, stew old. Rabbits I do wait till after frost. -- no

I too had usually waited until after the first frost, but I generally attributed that to old-timer hunters waiting for the leaves to start dropping. I've never had any problems with warbles, but on some of the early season squirrels there are fleas. I too usually skin & dress them out while they are still warm and then get them cooled off quickly to prevent spoilage. This is especially true during the opener & when the weather is still warm.
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<br>No worries here, I'm going out this weekend for the opener and can already taste fried squirrel and a big helping of mashed taters with squirrel gravy ... mmmmmmmmmm
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<br>B.I.C.
<br>wannatikka

ROTR,
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<br>We have fox squirrels here in NW MO. I still hunt them with an old S&W pellet rifle equiped with a BSA 2-7x scope. The .22 pellets are clean killer within the practical range of my rifle and sneaking around the woods is good practice for when it counts!
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<br>Sincerely,
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<br>Bearrr264

I miss those big ole fox squirells..They are a lot bigger than most of the grays we have...Every once in awhile I'll see one that has some red on it, but not often.
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<br>I have never tried a pellet gun on them..That sounds pretty tough.
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<br>I have an old single shot Remington(my favorite .22 of several) that I bought at a police auction of confiscated guns. It isn't much to look at, but it is death on squirells
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<br>Mike
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Never had a problem with them when I was growing uo in northern Illinois, they did taste better after a good freeze. Rabbits were another matter, they could be quite wormy in warm weather.
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<br>Down here in my part of Florida the little Greys are so small as to almost be a waste of ammo if it was't so much fun. Takes a whole mess of them to make a good stew.

Pellet guns are outlawed for hunting in Texas. Sure nice and quite in town for those squirrels that insist on invading the attic. -- no

Need 1,
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<br>There are three (3) reasons why I use the pellet rifle:
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<br>1. It is quiet and I can hunt in small rural wood lots that are close to dwellings, without endangering the occupants. If you miss a shot with a .22 LR, you can't control where the bullet comes down. A pellet, on the other hand, isn't going to travel nearly as far, so you can "manage" your potential impact area more closely.
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<br>2. It requires me to be a quiet stalker. I figure that if I can "walk up" a squirrel, I can usually do the same to a deer.
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<br>3. There are some communities that don't allow for the discharge of a firearm within their borders, however, a pellet rifle is not considered a firearm in most places. It is also useful when float hunting along a river bank for squirrels and bullfrogs.
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<br>Also, if the weather doesn't cooperate, rain/snow/muddy roads, I can shoot 50' inside the tool shed when my wife is at home and get my daily pracitice done without bothering her. She, like most musicians who I have met, is pretty tightly strung! If she isn't home, I can shoot 50' inside the house if I'm really careful, but don't tell her if you see her!
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<br>Sincerely,
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<br>Bearrr264

Our season in PA doesn't start for 3 weeks yet. It's usually late enough that we have a frost or two prior, but to tell the truth, I never thought about it. I usualy skin them as soon as I get them, mainly so the meat cools quicker. I carry a plastic bag or two in my jacket pocket.
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<br>Hunting them with a shotgun is like using a spotlight to hunt deer. I wait till the leaves have fallen enough to use a .22 or .22 magnum. It's just more fun to me.
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<br>There are also alot of fox squirrel around here, and I try to avoid killing them unless they're good size. Another reason to use a .22 with a good scope. Without, it's hard to tell an average gray from a small fox.
<br>7mm

Squirrel season opens here in Texas Oct. 1. I have five bird feeders in my yard and about a dozen squirrels. All fox. By the time the season opens they are going to weigh nine pounds apiece. What I don't render for lard I am going to fry in their own grease. Right now they just sit on the feeders and cuss me if I am late with the sunflower seeds. Come Oct 1 I am going to introduce Mr Squirrel to Mr Ruger's MK 2 22 pistol.
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<br>BCR

WHAT'S THIS??? Every time I turn around you are coming up with a strange gun. Where you hiding all these things? Bet you got a safe down in the back pasture somewhere. -- no

Ya talked me into it boys. I am going out Sunday morning. I got a bunch of lesson plans to make for my seventh graders, so I dont know when I will be checking back in, but you gents have given me the go ahead.
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<br>Thanks
<br>BZ

Dear NYSavage Fan;
<br>I'm headed up to PA in October to do some squirrel
<br>hunting, visit family, and drool over guns that I cant
<br>afford right now. I have a .25-20 that I hope to try out
<br>if not, I'll just borrow a .22 rifle from my uncle. I have
<br>always enjoyed hunting squirrels with a rifle and a good
<br>scope, head shots only, my Grandmother makes the
<br>worlds greatest squirrel patties. Still on the look out
<br>for the ultimate squirrel rifle. Good hunting tomorrow
<br>NY Savage Fan and dont use a shotgun!

Hmmmmm, I've hunted squirrels beginning in August all my life, and never any problems, other than you REALLY need to clean them as soon as possible. The last couple years, I've been using a Ruger 77/22 Hornet reamed out to K hornet. It's a head shot only proposition, but that's ok cause if I don't get a perfect shot, it's a clean miss.
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<br> Chad

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<br>My Dad has the same problem! they are going through 10-20 Lb's of seed a week! The dang things can barely climb trees to run from their yap dog/mutt!
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<br>Mike