# Nighttime Squirell hunting-Legal?



## 4Wheel (Jul 13, 2008)

Is it legal to take them at night?


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## wartfroggy (Jan 25, 2007)

The legal answer is no
On a side note.....haven't seen too many active squirrels after dark, so why would you want to?


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## ENCORE (Sep 19, 2005)

There's a lot of squirrels active at night. You just don't see them. However, they're Flying Squirrels, not fox, black or grays. We've got them coming to feeders every night. Some place around here, I've got some really close up pictures of them. They're a blast to watch! They just love penut butter!
As far as hunting squirrels at night, No. Post your question in the law forum.


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## 4Wheel (Jul 13, 2008)

I was only asking because my home state we can hunt them at night. They are very active at night and with dogs they become even easier to shoot. So sorry if I didn't know the Michigan laws all that well.


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## glongworth3232 (Oct 18, 2006)

The only question that is a stupid question is one that goes un asked. I myself have never seen a squirrels at night but i have never looked 4 them I guess. Just seemed a little funny to me. No need to leave the site, there are a lot of good guys on here but if u cant take a little bit of teasing then maybe this isnt the website 4 u. Good luck and take care


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## OH-YEAH!!! (Jun 18, 2009)

ENCORE said:


> There's a lot of squirrels active at night. You just don't see them. However, they're Flying Squirrels, not fox, black or grays. We've got them coming to feeders every night. Some place around here, I've got some really close up pictures of them. They're a blast to watch! They just love penut butter!
> As far as hunting squirrels at night, No. Post your question in the law forum.


Some nights in the summer we wake up to find our cat throwing herself at the window as she tries to get the flying squirrels that decimate our bird feeders!

It's so frustrating to fill a feeder at sunset thinking "well, at least the lawn rats wont get this seeed til tomorrow" only to wake up to an empty feeder!


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## Roosevelt (Sep 21, 2007)

Hunting hours ends for most animals 1/2 hour after sunset and starts 1/2 hour before sunrise.

oh, and the reason I posted is because a couple weeks back about 10 minutes before the end of shooting hours a whole bunch of grey and fox squirrels came out. They were all in one tree, about 10 of them and gathering nuts like crazy before all the leaves fell.

I'm pretty sure they were still there into the night. First time I'd ever seen that.


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## cantonrat (Oct 9, 2009)

If squirrels have been active and feeding in the late afternoon, they'll sometimes keep feeding after darkness, for a while. Can't say as I've ever seen one on the ground after dark, maybe in the city somewhere. 

For me, in the timber, shooting hours probably end almost an hour before legal time ends. YMMV.


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## 4Wheel (Jul 13, 2008)

Thanks


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## Rupestris (Aug 25, 2000)

Roosevelt said:


> oh, and the reason I posted is because a couple weeks back about 10 minutes before the end of shooting hours a whole bunch of grey and fox squirrels came out. They were all in one tree, about 10 of them and gathering nuts like crazy before all the leaves fell.
> 
> I'm pretty sure they were still there into the night. First time I'd ever seen that.


I've seen it too. Out near Manchester while deer hunting. Right around the end of legal hunting time there were black or gray squirrels that were very active. I watched 'em while waiting for a friend to make his way back. 

I remember wishing I had brought some small game loads. :evil:


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## LarryA (Jun 16, 2004)

Actually, except for flying squirrels, squirrels can not see very well at night. I can't remember if it is the rods or cones of mammal eyes that enable animals to see at night. Squirrels are known to have fewer than many other mammals.

If you see squirrels after night fall, it is usually on moon-lite nights. Some times when **** hunters tree on a den you will see a squirrel out on a limb looking very confused. That happens when the **** enters the den and evacuates the squirrel. I have seen such squirrels who refuse to move until morning.

Red squirrels or pine squirrels are able to see in darker light than fox or greys, but they have their limitations too. 

Based on squirrel biology I would assume daylight hours would be much more productive. The only times my hounds are bad about squirrels are on late winter moon-lite nights.


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