Pine Squirrel Hunting, Habitat, and Life History

Life historical past, habitat, and searching info for the pine squirrel, considered one of North America’s most ample tree squirrels

The American pink squirrel (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus), extra generally often known as a pink or pine squirrel, are charismatic critters who name conifer forests house. In keeping with the State College of New York School of Environmental Science and Forestry, historic naturalists described this species as “pugnacious, fearless, timid, saucy, curious, and loquacious.” These squirrely traits are readily obvious when traipsing round within the woods for any motive, whether or not it’s grouse searching, scouting for white-tailed deer, foraging for mushrooms, or simply mountaineering along with your canine. 

However how is it that pine squirrels are so prolific, but so difficult to hunt? 

Regardless of their tiny brains, pine squirrels aren’t dumb animals. They’ve the power to be all over the place and nowhere concurrently. They’re conscious of their environment, fast to key in on motion, and even faster to hunt cowl after they really feel threatened. Pine squirrels’ small our bodies make for difficult targets whether or not you’re capturing a shotgun or a .22, and their swiftness calls for good marksmanship.

For these causes, pine squirrel searching makes for a superb introduction to the searching world. For seasoned hunters, bringing a couple of pine squirrels house is a enjoyable solution to obtain a blended recreation bag.

Pine Squirrel Habitat and Life Historical past

American pink squirrels (or pine or pink squirrels, no matter you prefer to name them) have reddish-grayish fur all over the place besides for his or her bellies, that are a creamy white colour. In addition they have white “eyeliner” round their eyes. 

The smallest of the tree squirrels, pine squirrels aren’t as bushy-tailed or large-bodied as their grey, fox, or Abert’s squirrel counterparts. Nevertheless, their small physique dimension doesn’t imply they’re much less athletic than their bigger cousins. Curved claws and highly effective leg muscle groups enable pine squirrels to launch from tree department to tree department and scurry dozens of toes off the bottom in seconds.

Pine squirrels span throughout the whole North American continent. This species’ vary contains the Northeast, Appalachian Mountains, northerly Midwestern states, Rocky Mountains, most of Canada, and even Alaska. No matter what state or nation they’re in, pine squirrels want to reside in conifer forests and blended forests. Nevertheless, they are often present in northern hardwood forests as nicely. 

Areas of appropriate habitat embody locations the place mature bushes produce seed-bearing cones, fruit, or mast. Mature bushes additionally supply pine squirrels quite a lot of escape routes together with trunk cavities, thick clumps of branches, and 50- to 80-foot excessive crowns.

Giant, food-bearing bushes additionally present wonderful cowl for mom squirrels with younger. The pine squirrel breeding season takes place throughout the winter. Feminine pine squirrels gestate for roughly 38 days. On common, pink squirrel litter sizes vary between three to 5 kits, however they are often as small as one equipment or as giant as eight. Younger squirrels are raised in nests, which can be situated beneath or inside a midden or up in a tree’s branches. 

Younger squirrels mature shortly. Their eyes open 27 days after they’re born, they usually’re absolutely furred by day 30. By the point pine squirrels are 9 to 11 weeks previous, they’re establishing their very own territories. Crimson squirrels usually reside for 3 to 5 years, however people as previous as 10 years have been recorded. 

Pine Squirrel Conduct

Whereas pine squirrels are technically diurnal, they’re usually lively all through the day. Peak actions happen throughout the morning and late afternoon. Once they’re lively, they’re usually consuming, slicing and storing pine cones, forming middens (locations the place meals is saved for later), or touring to meals sources. Squirrels who’re out and about are additionally fairly vocal and ceaselessly chatter, growl, squeak, and produce alarm calls. Squirrels are typically much less lively in poor climate situations, like excessive winds, rainstorms, and blizzards.

In keeping with the U.S. Forest Service, in terms of establishing territories, house vary sizes rely on whether or not the pine squirrel is male or feminine, mature or juvenile, and the overall high quality of the general habitat. Older squirrels, particularly mature females, are likely to have the most important house ranges. On common, pine squirrel house ranges are typically between one and 11 acres. 

That mentioned, pine squirrels are very territorial. Researchers have discovered that they are typically essentially the most defensive of winter meals caches, middens, and the locations with the best meals densities inside their house ranges. 

What Do Pine Squirrels Eat?

As their frequent identify suggests, pine squirrels like to eat pine cones. Some research have estimated {that a} single pine squirrel can “42,000 to 131,000 pine cones per 12 months,” and “on New Brunswick jack pine websites, pink squirrels consumed a minimum of 47 cones per day.”

That mentioned, just like cottontail rabbits, they’re additionally very opportunistic eaters. Along with conifer seeds, they’re recognized to eat deciduous tree seeds, nuts, plant buds, sap, new leaves, fruits, mushrooms, eggs, small vertebrates, bugs, and nestling birds.  

Pine Squirrel Looking Methods

There are three foremost methods to hunt pine squirrels: nonetheless searching, stand searching, and searching with canine.

Nonetheless searching squirrels entails slowly strolling by means of good squirrel habitat with a .22 rifle or a shotgun loaded with 2 ¾ inch shells with No. 6, 7, 7.5, or 8 shot. When nonetheless searching, it’s vital to step quietly and intentionally, being cautious to not snap twigs, crunch by means of snow or dry leaves, or make different loud noises that alert squirrels to an intruder. Oftentimes, you’ll hear pine squirrels chattering earlier than you see them, and you can also make your approach in the direction of the route you heard them from. 

Stand searching squirrels is very similar to searching whitetails from a treestand; choose a superb place in high-quality squirrel habitat with a number of capturing lanes and anticipate squirrels to indicate up. There’s an argument to be made that rifles chambered in .22 and even .17 are simpler for stand searching than shotguns because of their skill to shoot farther distances. Stand hunters will typically catch squirrels touring to and from meals sources or chasing different squirrels out of their territory. Sit in your stand throughout sunny mornings and late afternoons with little to no wind, and also you’ll set your self up for achievement.

Learn: How you can Hunt Squirrels with a Canine

Whereas I’ve by no means formally hunted squirrels with canine, the gist of it’s that canine will find and tree squirrels. Then the hunter walks in and shoots the squirrels. I’ve personally watched my German Shepherd combine, Border Collies, and Small Munsterlander all tree pine squirrels. Nevertheless, the professionals usually use a small canine referred to as a Feist, a daring and brave breed.

Whether or not you’re nonetheless searching, stand searching, or searching with canine, when you see the squirrel, anticipate a superb shot alternative along with your firearm of alternative. When you wound the squirrel slightly than kill it, they have an inclination to retreat into nests, middens, root balls, and different locations that may make retrieving them troublesome or unimaginable.

Early vs. Late Season Pine Squirrel Looking

Relying on the place you reside, you would possibly be capable of hunt pine squirrels year-round or solely within the fall and winter. As somebody dwelling in Colorado, I contemplate the early season to be October by means of Christmas and the late season January by means of February.

The principle benefit of searching pine squirrels throughout the early season is accessibility. Seasonal roads are open and driveable. Strolling and mountaineering is straightforward for the reason that snow hasn’t fallen but. The climate can nonetheless be very gentle and borderline summer-like. Nevertheless, figuring out high-traffic areas might be tougher; snow helps give these locations away.

Not like tree squirrel species who name deciduous forests house, pine squirrels reside in conifers. Conifers don’t lose their needles within the winter, so there isn’t a good thing about elevated visibility for hunters throughout the late season. Nevertheless, as soon as the snow has fallen, it turns into a lot simpler to find squirrel highways, feeding areas, and standard stands of bushes. Squirrel tracks, shredded pine cones, and midden entry factors pop towards snowy backgrounds. 

No matter what season you’re searching in, squirrels don’t like excessive winds or excessive climate. When you don’t need to be uncovered to the weather, squirrels usually don’t, both.

Firearms and Shot Placement for Pine Squirrel Looking

As beforehand talked about, it’s beneficial to hunt pine squirrels with a small caliber rifle or a shotgun. In some states, like North Dakota, it’s authorized to hunt them with an air gun. When capturing a .22 or .17, attempt your finest to purpose for the top or the center and lungs. Pine squirrels are very small and don’t have quite a lot of meat on their bones already; obliterating the entrance shoulders or hindquarters will result in important meat loss. 

Learn: What’s Higher for Squirrel Looking, a Rifle or a Shotgun?

When capturing a shotgun, use a choke and shot dimension that’s acceptable in your capturing situations and atmosphere. You’ll most likely be utilizing your setup for ruffed grouse or blue grouse searching, which is ok. What you don’t need to be doing is capturing No. 6 shot at a pine squirrel with a full choke from 10 yards away. There won’t be any meat left to get well.

Like with any kind of searching, take moral pictures and don’t waste the meat. 

Pine Squirrel Looking Rules and Bag Limits

State wildlife businesses typically supply lengthy pine squirrel searching seasons and beneficiant bag limits. For instance, in Colorado, the pine squirrel season runs from October 1 by means of the top of February. The bag restrict is 5 squirrels and the possession restrict is 10 squirrels. Hunters can legally hunt squirrels with canine besides throughout large recreation searching seasons. 

Comparatively, in North Dakota, the tree squirrel season opens September 13 and closes February 28, and the bag restrict is 4 squirrels and the possession restrict is 12 squirrels. In keeping with the state’s laws, tree squirrels could also be “taken with shotguns, rimfire, pre-charged pneumatic air weapons and muzzleloading firearms, or with bow and arrows authorized for the taking of upland recreation.”

No matter the place you’re searching, all the time learn the native laws earlier than you head out into the sphere. In some states, pink or pine squirrels could also be a protected species, and in others, they’re a “nongame” species that may be hunted year-round with no bag limits. When you do occur to be searching in an space with no bag restrict, be respectful of the useful resource and solely take as many as you want.

Mission Upland all the time recommends that small recreation hunters put on blaze orange, particularly throughout large recreation searching seasons.

Cooking and Consuming Pine Squirrels

Not like their grey and fox squirrel family, pine squirrel meat isn’t all that white or plain-tasting. As a substitute, they’ve a darker, extra flavorful meat that tastes unbelievable in braises, stews, soups, pot pies, casseroles, and any hearty potato-based dish.

Relying on the age of the squirrel, the meat could also be kind of robust. I’ve discovered that the older the squirrel, the more durable the meat. To account for the variations in toughness, I simply braise the meat till it falls off the bone, usually an hour to an hour and a half. Then, you possibly can pull the meat and add it to simply about any dish.

Pine squirrels are a playful, wily, and entertaining critter. They’re an exquisite gateway into the woods for brand new hunters and supply low-pressure searching alternatives, usually with loads of probabilities to shoulder the gun. When you get pleasure from small recreation searching or blended recreation baggage, don’t flip your nostril up at pine squirrels. You simply is likely to be stunned by how a lot you get pleasure from chasing these critters across the forest.

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