# Can’t find the squirrels



## Joesirianni (Dec 15, 2018)

I don’t know if it’s the areas I hunt (bald mountain rec area and wetzel rec area) or my lack of experience but the last 5 times I’ve gone out I haven’t seen more than 3 skittish gray squirrels. Are these areas just over pressured or should I keep looking? Any advice on where to hunt and tactics you use to hunt around south east Michigan would be appreciated. Also if anyone is interested in hunting together send me a pm I’m always looking for people to go out with


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## mjh4 (Feb 2, 2018)

Keep looking around. They seem to be out a lot more on sunny days than cloudy days.


Sent from my iPhone using Michigan Sportsman


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## ridgewalker (Jun 24, 2008)

We have seen far fewer squirrels this season. In our area, I believe it is due to an increase in predators.


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## Joesirianni (Dec 15, 2018)

ridgewalker said:


> We have seen far fewer squirrels this season. In our area, I believe it is due to an increase in predators.


Guess I better get some coyotes calls then lol


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## Waif (Oct 27, 2013)

Squirrels are just starting to move after the recent cold spell.
Days of not even leaving nests....

Your skittish sightings were still sightings. 
The squirrels I watch regular sound off at perceived concerns beyond 50 yards even. 

When they are on the defense I have found there is often one that is the watch guard.
And announces an intruder at quite a distance.
Took multiple hunts involving one to stop it.
It left the others vulnerable.
(I don't recommend taking more than a brace of squirrel off a site). 

Many squirrel run the same routes above ground.
When they are active , all you need is to be on the route at the right time.


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## ridgewalker (Jun 24, 2008)

We have seen an increase in coyotes, fox, hawks, and eaters of the young like racoons and opossums.


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## Waif (Oct 27, 2013)

ridgewalker said:


> We have seen an increase in coyotes, fox, hawks, and eaters of the young like racoons and opossums.


A decade plus of watching the same woods and squirrel numbers stay low.
A neighbor boy used to kill them and we had more then.....

Sporadic acorn crop is one factor. Domestic cats another.

A pair of hawks nested for multiple years in sight.
They kept the squirrel numbers down to a minimum. A mother could be heard scolding quite regular and the young ones behavior studied.
The more ambitious ,risky behaviors were killed off first by hawks.

One morning I watched one of the hawks land hard feet first (of course) into a squirrel nest.
A learned behavior to flush or nab a squirrel?...
No squirrel was in that nest at the moment. Interesting though.


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## ridgewalker (Jun 24, 2008)

Waif, I forgot to mention cats that have been dumped off and that have gone feral. That is a shame. I wish they would stick to catching deer mice.


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## Waif (Oct 27, 2013)

ridgewalker said:


> Waif, I forgot to mention cats that have been dumped off and that have gone feral. That is a shame. I wish they would stick to catching deer mice.


A former neighbors cat killed a litter one by one by climbing a big poplar. (Holed/den.)
Momma was a tough fox squirrel and I was surprised that damn cat got her too.

When I ran hounds , feral cats suffered. 
Not domestic cats with homes they returned too , but stinky chewed up ground hog hole dwelling/winter rabbit hunting (or whatever they could kill) demons.
Though I do not applaud domestic cats running loose either. I watch them watch the squirrels.


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## Joesirianni (Dec 15, 2018)

Waif, when you ran hounds, how often did you tree squirrels into their nests and what did you do when that happened


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## Waif (Oct 27, 2013)

Joesirianni said:


> Waif, when you ran hounds, how often did you tree squirrels into their nests and what did you do when that happened


Sorry. Rabbit hounds were the reference..

I did run a squirrel dog for years.
Don't recall any nests involved in pursuits.
My non barking (at squirrel) boy would watch them when he had my attention. His muzzle and ears pointed at a stationary/little moving squirrel.
He could follow tree to tree when needed as well.

Squirrel did not see him as something to panic about. Not from a safe position anyways.
I don't kill squirrel around the house so those could cuss him all they wanted.
Squirrel not familiar with him reacted like they would with most other ground bound predators. 

While a female could seek a den tree , one would need to be near. A dog (in my experience anyways) does not create enough pressure to panic a squirrel when it has height in timber.
They will climb high if they get uptight...

Nests are off limits. Home free.
If a squirrel made it into/used one during my running a dog hunting I did not see it. One could have though.
Have watched then go in at late evening while deer hunting. And around the house of course at varied times.

Most keep tabs on whatever the nearest threat or entertainment is and prefer to watch from a vantage point. Real upset ones run a route. Often a known one. And put distance between themselves and the threat.


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## Joesirianni (Dec 15, 2018)

Oh ok, I didn’t know how that worked, thank you. I could see how having another set of eyes to track it could help


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## Thirty pointer (Jan 1, 2015)

They were out in force at my bird feeder this morning took this pic there are more besides these that were not there .Our hawks are lazy and won't touch squirrels







rels they much prefer rabbits .


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## River raider (Dec 25, 2017)

One of our camps has so many bald eagles it's hard to find a squirrel in the open oaks. Have to hunt the swamps .


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## Joesirianni (Dec 15, 2018)

More squirrels around your feeder than I’ve seen in the woods all season


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## mfs686 (Mar 15, 2007)

Joesirianni said:


> Waif, when you ran hounds, how often did you tree squirrels into their nests and what did you do when that happened


I hunted with a group of squirrel hound hunters once before. Trying to introduce my then girlfriends son to different types of hunting. A treed squirrel ran into a nest. One of the hound owners unloaded his .22 into the nest and said he needs to reward the dog for treeing the squirrel. The boy looked at me and said "that doesn't seem right". I told him it wasn't and that was the end of that hunt. 

As we were leaving I ran into the guy who was in charge and he asked how it went. I told him of the incident. He apologized and told me that was not how they do things. Guess there's always one.

As for hunting this time of year it is sometimes better to stay put for a bit. They don't have any leaf cover so they are on high alert. That and they don't tend to stay active all day unless it is a warm sunny day. 

Of course their are exceptions.


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## Thirty pointer (Jan 1, 2015)

Few years back there was over 30 there at once .That's not ideal for other small animals especially birds as they will eat young birds in the nest if they come across them .I have seen them carry birds that have just left the nest across my yard .


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## Waif (Oct 27, 2013)

Two grays in the yard.
One has gone about 30 yards since I left and returned from an errand.
It's headed towards the other. The usual two that chase each other....


Might be the weather. And time to put on the feed bag before it changes again.
Maple buds are on the menu yet again. Little else exists , there being only a few acorns this past fall.


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## Shoeman (Aug 26, 2000)

Won't be long until mating season


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## Thirty pointer (Jan 1, 2015)

Shoeman said:


> Won't be long until mating season


Agree ...lots of fights this morning some were vicious .


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