I do. I read somewhere that states do this to let dog hunters have a month without interfering with the deer season.

SE Texas so same climate as you. May mornings 6:30-9:00 are still cool enough in a long sleeve t-shirt. Spray your entire outfit down with permethrin to keep the ticks and chiggers off. It works! Some DEET on your exposed flesh only and the squirrels seem not to care. Watch for poison ivy.

My overall numbers are lower in spring because they are harder to see. But I'm not into bag limits too much.

I still haven't mastered the timing on cleaning. Warm weather suggests cleaning game quickly but I'd rather wait til the hunt is over and do them all at once. Could be a couple of hours so hopefully that's ok. Dunno....thus far it's worked and I've eaten squirrels carried awhile before cleaning with no ill effects.

I'm also greatly afraid of bringing fleas home in the game bag. Some have said to leave em lay for a while after shot to let the fleas jump off. But I've lost game this way.

Anyone else have advice?

 

I do...Warm weather suggests cleaning game quickly but I'd rather wait til the hunt is over and do them all at once. Could be a couple of hours so hopefully that's ok. Dunno....thus far it's worked and I've eaten squirrels carried awhile before cleaning with no ill effects...Anyone else have advice?

I do too. Was raised to carry 2 or 3 bread wrappers and gut squirrels when they're killed. Clean them when I get home. Right off the bat you'll notice your game gab stays less bloody. Never had any spoilage or any food taint. Beyond that, the advice about ticks, chiggers and anything to do with fleas is worth trying.

Don't know if I'll get in the woods this year. Some major health issues are playing havoc with my fun activities. But It would be nice to have a few cool mornings and be in the woods.

Good Luck ...

 

Our State of Kentucky, has a Spring Squirrel season, (June) but I never go. I am certain there are young Squirrels being taken care of by their Mothers at that time. So if one harvest a female Squirrel, they might be killing four to six more indirectly.

 

I used to worry about this too. Did lots of research.

Game seasons in Texas as in most states are based around the mating habits. Peak birthing for squirrels is in Feb and the youths are largely independent by May....when our spring season is. This probably translates to June for Kentucky.

There is often a summer litter which is why fall seasons commence either in September or October depending on your latitude. October our youths are on their own.

Truth is that while there is a rut, biologists have found new litters in every single month of the year. So you're never completely safe from killing a mother with dependents. But if you stick to the seasons established by the biologists in your state you'll be hunting in the months least likely for this to happen.

I recommend reading Phil Goodrum, squirrel hunter and biologist.

Go get 'em!

 

Ours starts in May. Yep, I get after them when I ain't fishin.

 

theres a june season here in va i started hunting a couple years ago. I do see some pretty small squirrels but they are old enough to be out running on their own, i wouldnt worry too much about that part.

Im still trying to unlock how to hunt them this time of the year though because they dont act like fall squirrels. I figured its hot...so they will be running early and late but i normally dont see anything until 1030 or 11. And they usually arent foraging like you see in the fall....they will be on the move and moving big distances like they got somewhere to be....very odd

 

I use Walmart bags but inspect them for fleas and if there are any I hang them in bushes but try to keep an eye on them. The fleas will leave them pretty quickly. I have always wondered were the heck do the fleas come from to begin with.

 

Oklahoma squirrel season runs from May 15th all the way through January.

 

Oklahoma squirrel season runs from M15th all the way through January.

WOW! That's what I call a season:t

 

Kansas season is June 1 through to the end of Feb. I wish it would open around May1.

 

No joy here. Season runs from mid-November through February.

 

An early season would be nice here in PA but I don't think I'd hunt it cause you got too many young of the year. The squirrel population ain't what it used to be when I was a kid. There's lots in town an certain places but definitely not everywhere. You gotta worry about warbles too, which is a big maggot that matures under the skin an is quite GROSS an you can't tell if they got any till after you kill them. I'm surprised our game commission doesn't have one though since they want to get rid of all small game an the big game too except elk since they keep introducing more predators that'll decimate the population. Maybe they'll start stocking pigs an goats when they get all the native game wildlife killed off. An they wonder why license sales are in a dramatic downturn.

 

Opens May 26th here in Mo. and runs till next Febuary 15th, I'll be set up by the magic mulberry tree opening morning.

 

A question I always wondered about..mainly for you hunters in the southern states ....do you guys run into many venomous snakes hunting during the summer months ?...That’s something I never think about hunting in Northern Michigan. Ticks are usually our only concern up here. Our squirrel season starts Sept.15th and runs until March 1st ...so most of our hunting is cool to cold weather hunting.. Once the temps drop below 25 degrees the squirrels become inactive and heavy snow dens them up as well.

 

A question I always wondered about..mainly for you hunters in the southern states ....do you guys run into many venomous snakes hunting during the summer months ?...That's something I never think about hunting in Northern Michigan. Ticks are usually our only concern up here. Our squirrel season starts Sept.15th and runs until March 1st ...so most of our hunting is cool to cold weather hunting.. Once the temps drop below 25 degrees the squirrels become inactive and heavy snow dens them up as well.

A good pair of "snake boots" helps. Generally I'm moving very slowly and extremely aware of what I'm stepping on.

 

Just a few cottonmouths, copperheads and rattlesnakes. The one to watch for is the cottonmouth he is mean and usually will hold his ground and bite you. When he gets mad usually you can smell him. The copperhead will usually get out of your way and of course the rattler will let you know where he is. In warm weather you need to watch where you step. Look for squirrels and then scan the ground. They ain't that bad buts it's them dang skeeters that I hate!

 

Take vitamin B1 every day and the skeeters won't bother you; at least not as much. My experience with copperheads was that they will lay right there an let you step on them, then bite you. I've known several folks that have been copperhead bit and they didn't go to the Dr, just cleaned the bite and kept the bite low for a couple of days. They were in pain from it and swollen, but did ok.

 

Done the LA spring season in the Pearl River WMA a few times and this is my take away: Permethrin/Thermacell and a bug net are your best friends; snakes haven't been an issue, but I walk slow and scan constantly; always bring a half filled, small ice chest for game (cause the car gets hot); and though the limit is lower (3/day) it's still fun! Go try it this year

 

I wear them ouy in the fall/winter in PRWMA.
I dont mess with thr spring season...too much fishing to do😉

 

Which company offers the best permethrin to buy for clothing?

 

I've used Sawyer brand for just clothes but I hear Martin's makes a concentrate you can dilute and dunk big items.

!!!CAUTION!!! The liquid form is HIGHLY TOXIC to CATS! Will cause CNS failure. Once it's dried onto a material it is safe though.

 

You can go to your local C0-OP or feed store and buy permethrin cheap then mix it yourself for spraying on your clothes.

 

Yep, and it works good.

 

talking about permetherine Id like to pass along something I thought of after i bought some of the tick repellant clothing.....that seems to really help with ticks.

I bought a cheap pair of camo cloth gaiters from ebay ($8)and treated them heavily with permetherine......I retreat them every year at the start of hunting season. Just takes a second to slip these on over your pants (covers your from your shoes to your knees) and i didnt get a single tick on me the last 2 years (knock wood). The cloth kind are light weight and breath so they aint no hotter than wearing pants....give it a try

 

I use a thermocell for skeeters and it seems to work well. I think the pads use to be permethrin but they changed it.