Originally Posted by white owl
Originally Posted by Phillip_Nesmith
Are there any tree squirrels in Montana or is it ground squirrels only out there?

Both. The tree squirrels are fox squirrels. As far as I know, the fox squirrels are mainly along the lower elevation parts of the bigger rivers, like the Yellowstone and Bighorn. I have seen fox squirrels along the Yellowstone River as far west as Columbus, which is about in the middle of the lower part of the state. I know they are in the town of Missoula, so it would be natural for them to spread out along the cottonwoods on the Bitterroot and Clarks Fork rivers. I mostly hunt them at the fishing access sites if they allow hunting. I use a 22 Hornet with a flat nose bullet (either cast, or the Speer 46 gr FN) loaded to about 1200 fps.

I moved here from Ohio where squirrel hunting was my #1 passion (along with ducks). I thought my squirrel hunting days were over, unless I wanted to hunt red (pine) squirrels in the mountains. When I saw my first fox squirrel, I went to Scheels and tried to buy a small game license. The girl had no idea what I was talking about. Fox squirrels have no closed season, no limit, and no license (same with cottontail rabbits). After 25 years of hunting them here, I finally last year ran into some guy with his 3 grandsons hunting squirrels. They're the first squirrel hunters I've seen here. Most people can't believe it if I tell them I hunt tree squirrels to eat.
They don't know what good eating they are missing out on.


The last time that bear ate a lawyer he had the runs for 33 days!