# black squirrels



## HOOTER (Sep 21, 2009)

I'm just wondering if they will run fox squirrels off because I see alot more of them now then I used to. Any info would be nice, thanks, Hooter


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## Brown duck (Dec 16, 2005)

Not likely. Has there been a change in the habitat where you find them? The two species usually occupy slightly different habitats. Could be a cyclic population, too.


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## LumberJ (Mar 9, 2009)

There has been a HUGE influx in the number of Black Squirrels in my area. I have seen them chasing other squirrels off, but I'm not sure if they are actually replacing them altogether.


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## wally-eye (Oct 27, 2004)

Not sure but I've got all three in my yard/woods, grays, black and fox...although in the past month or so I'm seeing a lot more red squirrels which are pestering all the other three species. I had the red squirrels mostly cleared out last year but I guess it's time for mr. pellet gun again..:evil:


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## HOOTER (Sep 21, 2009)

Ya, I have the reds too, but I've been popping them as I see them. I've seen what looks like a cross between fox and blacks also. but haven't seen any grays. Hooter


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## No.4shot (Oct 22, 2002)

I saw a cool jet black squirrel sunday. It had a white tipped tail. Looks like after deer season I will go and shoot him. Maybe talk the wife into letting me get it mounted.


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## jaywkr (Apr 7, 2008)

Both gray and fox squirrels can be found with a black color variation.


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## William H Bonney (Jan 14, 2003)

HOOTER said:


> I'm just wondering if they will run fox squirrels off because I see alot more of them now then I used to. Any info would be nice, thanks, Hooter


Yes, they will take over. 

Up until about 10 years ago, I had never even seen a black squirrel, now our neighborhood is completely over run with them. We only have a handful of fox squirrels around. Black's are nasty too,, they'll throw the babies of another squirrel and take over their nests. I live in the suburbs and we have EVERY kind of squirrel imaginable. Blacks, grays, foxes, reds, grounds, flying, 13 lined, half black/half fox and all mixes in between. Just yesterday morning, I saw about 4 or 5 blacks chasing around a female gray and taking "turns" on her.. it was like a gang rape, never seen anything like that in my life.:SHOCKED:

I keep my live trap out all year long and I kill 'em all, except the fox squirrels,, and the cat I caught last night..:lol:


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## Matt3ddsteel (Jan 10, 2002)

I've been hunting the same property in saginaw county for about 14 years and just this season have been seeing black squirrels.


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## Wildwood_Deckers (Sep 9, 2005)

I can't see the logic in a black squirrel chasing off other varieties since the black is only a color mutation... so what you are actually seeing is either a black fox or black grey squirrel... 

Clyde


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## k9wernet (Oct 15, 2007)

I'm seeing more squirrels in general in my yard (in the city) and I believe it's due to a huge acorn crop. I'm seeing far more fox squirrels (and the dogs are killing more :sad, but I'm also seeing red and black squirrels this fall for the first time since moving in 5 years ago.

KW


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## flyfish (Dec 4, 2001)

I also live in Lansing, never used to see black squirrels here. Lots in East Lansing. Just saw one the other day on Penn ave. Furthest west I' ve seen them.


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## William H Bonney (Jan 14, 2003)

Wildwood_Deckers said:


> I can't see the logic in a black squirrel chasing off other varieties since the black is only a color mutation... so what you are actually seeing is either a black fox or black grey squirrel...
> 
> Clyde


 I'm not well versed on the genetics aspect of these squirrels, nor their thought processes towards other squirrels. 

Here's what I've noticed in my neighborhood though,, the blacks and greys are noticably smaller than the normal colored foxes. With that said,, the grey I saw getting "harassed" by the blacks the other day,, was HUGE,, and had a snow white belly. I've got all kinds of video and pictures of these squirrels and their behavior. I'll see if I can scan these pic's somehow. Not too long ago, there were a few squirrels that were completely "half and half", black and fox. It looked like they were wearing a pair of pants...:lol:


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## Skibum (Oct 3, 2000)

Black squirrels are simply a color phase of gray's. It is not uncommon to find them the predominant color phase in localized area's.


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## duckhunter382 (Feb 13, 2005)

I was always told that fox squirrels would rape the greys and destroy their nests and the black is only a phase of the grey. they all taste the same in my book so if you think they are a problem just shoot them.


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## john warren (Jan 25, 2005)

my theory is......
blacks and greys are a more active squirrel. this is why many hunt them with shotgun as they move much more in the tree then does a fox.
i don't think i have ever gotten a grey or a black that was just sitting still on a limb.
their constant movement may irritate fox and so they move out.
they are a bit more aggresive too so they may squable more with fox adding to the movement.
not sure if this is reality or not.....but like jamie on mythbusters says,,,," i reject your reality, and substitute my own"


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## sigman (Nov 2, 2006)

Tons of bushy tails around my house. Just started seeing black ones about 6 or 7yrs ago. Have fox, gray, and black. They all seem to get along here. Still more fox than the others. But only a couple grays. I hunt in Pinckney and might only get one black a year if I am lucky.


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## AR15 MAN (Jan 24, 2009)

I also have all 3 in my woods and all the black's I see are always smaller than reds or browns. so I think the reds and brown probably beat on the black's. Also they get shot easier because of their color, I can pick them out easier.


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## jaywkr (Apr 7, 2008)

A black (melanistic) Eastern Gray


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## sigman (Nov 2, 2006)

A friend of mine lives in westland and there is a red, not fox, red ,that lives in a tree across the street. I have seen him chase fox and black every time one get close to "his" tree. Funny to watch.


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## Doe (Sep 23, 2009)

Black squirrels are the majority that I see. Very rarely do I see fox squirrels anymore. I've even seen more grays around than fox. Hell, there's a family of 5 black squirrels living in my neighbor's tree. They're pesky critters too. I almost miss the fox squirrels! (But my aim's getting better.)


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## William H Bonney (Jan 14, 2003)

Doe said:


> Black squirrels are the majority that I see. Very rarely do I see fox squirrels anymore. I've even seen more grays around than fox. Hell, there's a family of 5 black squirrels living in my neighbor's tree. They're pesky critters too. I almost miss the fox squirrels! (But my aim's getting better.)


I don't even shoot the fox's, we had one as a pet for a while, it got chucked outta the nest by a black and the dog brought it in the house, still bald and blind. Coolest "non-dog" pet we ever had. Ever since then,, I shoot everything except the fox's. I'm not even puttin' a dent in 'em either.


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## Roosevelt (Sep 21, 2007)

I kill em all and have never seen a red or black attack another squirrel period. I've seen em all chase each other and if one goes in another's hole then it's game on, but, I've seen greys and fox cuttin in the same tree and being quite polite about it. I think the black is just a color phase of a grey and if you see more it's because the habitat supports em better. i.e. the blacks blend in better and get preyed upon less.

Natural selection!

I have all three in my woods along with reds. The only real difference I see is that greys will run into their hole quicker than any other. They are the most observant and wary of the bunch. Fox's will just sit there and let you shoot em. Their not too wary at all. Reds will sit there and sqwawk at you. Blacks will run on the ground more than the others do and are pretty wary.


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## Doe (Sep 23, 2009)

William H Bonney said:


> I don't even shoot the fox's, we had one as a pet for a while, it got chucked outta the nest by a black and the dog brought it in the house, still bald and blind. Coolest "non-dog" pet we ever had. Ever since then,, I shoot everything except the fox's. I'm not even puttin' a dent in 'em either.


*No, no...I was just kidding, brother. I wouldn't shoot the reds or the foxes. I never see any!*


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## fasthunter (Sep 15, 2006)

Black squirrels are just a melanistic version of the grey squirrel. Greys will give birth to litters of both mixed. Some grey, some black. I'm not sure about the blacks chasing the foxes out, but they do tend to prefer different habitat. Seems like I see alot more greys in really large mature tracks of oaks. When I'm getting into the fox squirrels more it's usually in smaller wood lots or near the edges of the forest. However, I do know this from first hand experience of watching squirrels while bowhunting deer. Chipmunks are tough little critters. Far more aggressive than the squirrels. They chase of the squirrels nearly everytime. They must have small guy syndrome. Kind of like little ankle biting dogs:lol:


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## fasthunter (Sep 15, 2006)

Roosevelt said:


> I kill em all and have never seen a red or black attack another squirrel period. I've seen em all chase each other and if one goes in another's hole then it's game on, but, I've seen greys and fox cuttin in the same tree and being quite polite about it. I think the black is just a color phase of a grey and if you see more it's because the habitat supports em better. i.e. the blacks blend in better and get preyed upon less.
> 
> Natural selection!
> 
> I have all three in my woods along with reds. The only real difference I see is that greys will run into their hole quicker than any other. They are the most observant and wary of the bunch. Fox's will just sit there and let you shoot em. Their not too wary at all. Reds will sit there and sqwawk at you. Blacks will run on the ground more than the others do and are pretty wary.


 I've noticed that for the most part with what I observe squirrel hunting as well. Greys are definitely more wary and I see them far less in the middle of the day. I usually hit them good in the early morning and late afternoon. The foxes I can spot at anytime. They are less wary too which is good. They are my favorite due to there size:evil::corkysm55


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## thelastlemming (Sep 11, 2009)

As said above black and grey squirrels are just color phases of the same animal (just like some barn cats are black, orange, grey ect.) Grey squirrels are a little more aggresive than the fox squirrels, but do not normally run them out of an area. It probably has more to do with habitat. Fox prefer urban and farm land. Gray's are generally found more in the woods. Of course they overlap quite a bit in their home areas.


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## multibeard (Mar 3, 2002)

When I first started hunting squirrels in the middle '50's seeing anything but blacks was unusual. At that time it was ILLEGAL to shot a black squirrel. Some one thought they were some thing special so gave them protection.

That protection remained until someone realized they were just a color phase of the grey squirrel. At that time it was unusual to see a grey so we were shooting mainly fox squirrels.

This fall squirrels are few and far between probably due to the hard winter last year.

I will shoot greys or blacks before I shoot a fox squirrel. They may be smaller but they are easier to skin and the meat is a lot to easier chewing.


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## Fabner1 (Jan 24, 2009)

When I frist bought my place we had only Fox Squirrels. Since that time (25 years) I have mostly Grays. They have white ears. I hardly ever shoot Squirrels anymore but if it came tough time I think I could remember how!


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