Mass Squirrel Hunting Regs

[Marc Adamchek]

Hey, anybody from Mass hunt squirrels? I was looking through the abstracts last night and if I read it right, blaze orange is NOT a requirement for hunting squirrel(?) I really want to try to get into some trekking in the fall and the squirrel season is open for about a month befor bird season, mid-Sept - mid-Oct. Seems a nice time of year to trek into some woods and do some camping. It would be great to be able to stick to period gear.

 

[bigbore442001]

Hunter Orange is only needed when hunting for birds during the bird season on wildlife management areas that are stocked with them. The other time you have to wear it is during the shotgun or muzzleloader seaoson for deer.

You should have no problem going after squirrel without orange in September. Just make sure that you are hunting in Worcester county or westward as the squirrel season opens in late October east of that line and it is shotgun only.

 

[Marc Adamchek]

Many Thanks, Big Bore! I'm sticking to my woods in western Mass, so there shouldn't be a problem. Come the middle of October I'll be chasing birds, anyway. It just seemed, well, exciting to be able to trek for a month in late summer-early fall in period gear without a trace of blaze-orange taking away from the experience. (I realize that you guys are just about the only ones who can possibly understand why that might be important). Now all I've gotta do is get written permission from the district WM rep to start a fire come nightfall and I'll be sailing back in time!

 

[bigbore442001]

Don't you just love bureacracy?

 

[J.M.]

Hi guys, I thought I was the only guy in Mass that still hunted tree rats (thats what my friend calls them). I just got into flinters and use a 20ga fowler. I have hunted squirrels in WMA areas during bird season orange required and muzleloading deer season where orange was not required but necessary due to numbers of other hunters (no sense being mistaken for a buck). Marc, I did make a trip early season , but the times I went the wind gusted so bad I never saw a thing. I'm going to give it a whirl next season as the weather was nice and no one was in the woods but me. I havent gotten into trekking, but I'm sure it would be a fun experience that time of year. I was also thinking about getting a RI license since their squirrel season runs till the end of Feb and you can hunt Sundays, might be worth checking out as it gives another 2 months of hunting with the flinter. Good luck, and keep us posted. By the way, are you going to use a rilfe or smoothbore?

 

[bigbore442001]

In the Ocean State, you have to wear orange while hunting small game from September( I believe) to Febuary 28th or 29th if it is a Leap Year.

But it would be fun to hunt when it seems that everything else is sort of dead, season wise. Rhode Island lets you hunt with a small caliber muzzleloading rifle. I want to say 36 or 38 caliber round ball or you can use a shotgun.

 

[J.M.]

Hey BB, I dont mind wearing orange as I'm not into trekking anyway. I thought it might be a good deal to get a small game license and extend my oppotunities outdoors. I love hunting with that fowler!

 

[Marc Adamchek]

J.M. - Actually, I'm hoping (a REAL lot!) to have a nice fowler by the end of this summer, and I figured squirrels would be a natural for this type of weapon. Also, I love the idea of being able to be in the woods hunting SOMEthing for as long a period as possible. By the way, if you run into my wife please don't mention the fowler plan.

 

[arcticap]

Here's Connecticut's Reg.'s:
2006 Gray Squirrel season dates -
Sept. 1 - Sept. 30
Oct. 21 - Dec. 30
Jan. 2 - Feb. 28

Red Squirrels have no closed season.
No Sunday hunting.
400 Square inches of orange required.
Up to .36 caliber muzzle loading rifle shooting PRB allowed on State-owned land, otherwise you are limited to #2 shot or smaller diameter on State-controlled lands (for small game muzzle loading).
Non-Resident Firearms Hunting License - $67.

 

[creino]

Marc just remember that bear season is coincident with early squirrel season here in W. Mass when thinking about apparel. You know that the bear season is growing in popularity with the large increases here and you're more likely to come across a bear hunter near corn fields as the tassels change color. Just something to keep in mind, but yeah great kickoff to hunting season is squirrels. Hit up a local farmer for access. Most won't care about a campfire if you introduce yourself and it opens up more opportunities in other seasons other than the WM areas. Otherwise head over to UMass and stir up the PETA folks by using clubs on the sidewalk hoppers there. (On the squirrels--NOT the PETA folks) I'll look for you on the news. Actually without the ground snow this year and the mild winter the squirrels should be fat and numerous since they cycled down the last few years with the heavy snow. The acorn cycle bottomed out too and should start rising again.

Also, pick up a copy of Woods and Waters (by the Republican's Frank Sousa) and look for the Mepps advertisement. They will buy squirrel tails. Not profitable but will support the fishermen and it is nice to "use" everything.

 

[Marc Adamchek]

Tonka - GREAT call on the bear season, thanks very much!Definitely something I don't want to forget if I plan on camping loaded up for squirrel! Yeah, those black bears are starting to show up seemingly everywhere. I walk my brittany in Facing Rock WMA (Ludlow) 3 or 4 times a week, and hunt there sometimes in season as well. Ran into a bow hunter last deer season, who was spooked about 3 minutes earlier by a "big bastard", in his words. He was trying to call in deer with a pair of antlers and a black bear responded! Like I said, this was on my way out, houses were less than 1/2 mile away. It's heartbreaking seeing all the woods around here disappear on a daily basis for more human dwellings. Animals are running out of space too quickly. On a better note, thanks also for the other tips in your post, they are appreciated.

 

[creino]

I'm farther up the valley (Zone 4A)than you but its already time to take in the birdfeeders here. Bruin bent over the old man's birdfeeder two nights ago.

Not quite convinced animals are running out of space. Coyotes are doing great feasting on family cats here. Bears just love birdseed and suet, and I had a moose directly below my stand on a well known state reservation during deer season. So I think a couple of things are going on. Maybe fewer hunters, more restrictions, and animal adaptation. But it doesn't explain the lack of deer. Ever notice how many crows are around here lately? Next year I'm going to get one of those 10 ga Pedersoli shotguns and do some crow hunting. Check this out... Crow Busters