# Do you need license to hunt chipmunks???



## bubo2069 (Oct 31, 2001)

I like shootin the little buggers, and just wondering if its illegal or if I need a license.


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## NEMichsportsman (Jul 3, 2001)

I am not certain of the legalities. 

I am curious would there be a practical purpose to this? Or is the killing aspect necessary to make target practice an interesting activity?

jp


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## Hunter333 (Jan 19, 2000)

Whats the point of shooting them anyway? If you need the thrill of killing, hold your breath, it is a good way to kill lots of brain cells!


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## Neal (Mar 20, 2001)

Bubo~ Welcome to the site. That is a very good question, you might want to ask it in the "Questions about hunting/fishing laws" Forum. It is moderated by a conservation officer who would probably give you your best answer. For you other two, use your heads, instead of casting judgement on someone. I'll explain it to you. Chipmunks, like almost all animals, if not stayed in check will over populate an area and become a nuisance, just like racoons, possums, rats, groundhogs and deer. Chimpunks can be very distructive to properties by finding there way into your home or cabin. keeping their populations in check can keep them and their damage under control. Simple management.

Neal


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## boehr (Jan 31, 2000)

Anytime you take (shoot) wild game you must have a license. There is no closed season on chipmunks.

As for my personal opinion, I think of chipmunks like I do the majority of songs birds. I would not kill them. They tick me off building nests in my shed every year but it's not that much of an inconvience.


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## Hunter333 (Jan 19, 2000)

Neal... you stated "For you other two, use your heads, instead of casting judgement on someone. " My thoughts pertained to bubo's post "I like shootin the little buggers, and just wondering if its illegal or if I need a license." Nothing was mentioned about them being a nuisance, just "liking to shoot the little buggers." I took that as a feeling of joy, not one of necessity. If I was wrong in thinking that he is out there blasting them for fun rather than trying to stop the hoards of wild chipmunks from overtaking his home, I apologize. If my feelings were correct in the for fun arena, I shall continue to cast judgement on those that kill for the fun of it!


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## Neal (Mar 20, 2001)

Hunter~ I see your point and I can see where you are coming from. I guess I was giving him the benefit of the doubt. Maybe I jumped too early. I guess you would dis-approve of crow hunting then?

Neal


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## NEMichsportsman (Jul 3, 2001)

Neal,

I did read your follow up and do appreciate your more moderate tone. I merely asked what his reasons were. I made a supposition that liking to shoot the buggers is the same as enjoying to kill them....I do not feel that is a big stretch of the words.

I didnt ask for anyone elses reasoning...heck I have had to trap chipmunks when they infested my place up north, that is a quality of life and property protection/nuisance issue. I really dont want to respond to your game management argument as I could see endless debates over the "carrying capacity" per square mile for chipmunks. LOL

Since you commented about my attitude about crows- I personally dont shoot anything that I wont eat. Except for nuisance animals, to date I havent found any critters that have bothered me to that extent. I know other people who do (some of my best friends shoot varmints). 

I do not like indiscriminate senseless killing of any species. I still am anxious to hear if Bubo was dealing with a nuisance and if so what was the nature of the nuisance, or if he was just target practicing with live targets?

jp


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## Banditto (Jun 9, 2000)

Even chipmunks have their good points. 

One time a chippy climbed inside my flambeau decoy (hollow inside) and ended getting trapped inside the head of the decoy--animating my decoy for about an hour. 

It was well worth the laugh and boy was the bugger glad when he finally figured out how to climb out.


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## bubo2069 (Oct 31, 2001)

I don't just shoot them b/c its fun or anything like that, but they have been a real problem the past couple years by my Grandparent's house in the UP. so when I go up there usually in August I shoot a few, and I don't want to be doing anything illegal. So I just want to know if I can get a License to shoot them. I think they are just fun to watch too my Grandparent's dog(Cairn Terrier) is acually a chipmunk dog! she will help me locate chipmunks, and it's really funny to watch her work. I like to take Teddy Bear(my Grandparent's dog) to find chipmunks even if I don't shoot them, and I think the dog has a blast when she is looking for them.


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## Hunter333 (Jan 19, 2000)

In my area of the world, crows are not a nuisance. Do i approve of crow hunting when the hunter kills the bird and leaves it on the ground? NO, I do not approve of killing any animal just because. If I kill it, I eat it. If I am not going to eat it, i just enjoy watching it.


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## flydunker (Sep 20, 2000)

NEMICHSPORTSMAN,

Good reply!!!!!!!!!! It is my feelinga also. My father taught me many years ago, when I was out killing birds and red squirrels. If you are not going to clean and eat it then do not shot it, and it has stuck and I am now passing that on to my boys. You can see them thinking about it when they take aim.

flydunker


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## NEMichsportsman (Jul 3, 2001)

Bubo-

Welcome to the site I hope that you will continue to participate in the future. I hope that you didnt get the feeling that I was bring harsh or judgemental. You didnt elaborate very much in your 1st post and I was kinda put off with the wording. 

There are a lot of great sportsmen here with a lot of knowledge and opinions. You will learn a lot and probably kick off some friendships if you continue to partccipate.

jp


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## bubo2069 (Oct 31, 2001)

guys I'm sorry for not being more specific. I just like hunting them. I have never hunted before, but I'm taking hunters safety this weekend, and plan to do some squirrel hunting soon and I know you need a license to hunt those. I plan to hunt alot of hunting in my lifetime, and I have plenty of time being only 17. I just recently bought a Ruger 10/22, and I plan to buy a 12ga. shotgun very soon to shoot some clays and hunting. I don't know if I should try and eat the chipmunks I shoot, I think there is too little meat. would it be like skinning a squirrel? I know how to skin a squirrel but have never attempted it.

Well anyways, thanks for the info guys


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## bubo2069 (Oct 31, 2001)

NEMichsportsman, Where in Oscoda do you go? I used to go up there to my Granpa's cottage on Cedar Lake before he Died.


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## Hunter333 (Jan 19, 2000)

bubo, welcome to hunting and to this site! i am sorry if I jumped on you after your post. there are a lot of opinions here and you will probably hear all of them  I hope that you come back often and ask lots of questions!! As for chipmunks, I have never eaten one and cant imagine it would be worth it to try.


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## NEMichsportsman (Jul 3, 2001)

> _Originally posted by Hunter333 _
> *As for chipmunks, I have never eaten one and cant imagine it would be worth it to try. *



they taste like chicken 

jp


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## rick (Dec 3, 2000)

I watched a tv show where groups of people out west go out and shoot prarrie dogs by the hundreds just for fun. No more than target practice. It's those kind of shows that give hunters bad names.
Now that I think of it I can't say for sure if these people were hunters or just people who shoot guns. I'm sure they were precieved as hunters by the non hunting people who saw the show.
Myself, If you aren't going to eat it don't shoot it. I raised my kids this way and red squirrel don't taste all that bad though not much meat.


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