Running bushytails

Late season brings challenges for small game hunters

For many people, the end of deer season means the end of hunting season, but Mississippi sportsmen can still hunt squirrels and rabbits through Feb. 28, 2023, with a limit of eight each per person per day.

Early in the season, squirrel hunters walk quietly through forests a few steps at a time, looking and listening for activity. They regularly sit for long periods on fallen logs, stumps or against trees scanning the treetops for movement.

For late season squirrels, sportsmen must change their tactics. Squirrels depend heavily upon the annual mast crop, or the amount of acorns and other food sources nature produces each year. With most of the mast fallen off the trees by late winter, bushytails spend more time on the ground foraging for something to eat or searching for their hidden stashes than they do in trees.

In many ways hunting squirrels later in the season often more closely resembles rabbit hunting. Toward the end of the season, focus more on the ground than on the trees. Also, make some noise. Rather than stalk quietly through the woods, noisy hunters might kick up squirrels foraging on the ground, possibly some bonus bunnies. When startled, a squirrel will naturally run for the nearest tree. In trees devoid of leaves, squirrels find fewer places to hide and could present good targets. However, sportsmen need fast reflexes and a good aim to hit furry little speedsters running on the ground or in the trees!

Since squirrels spend more time on the ground in late winter, many sportsmen hunt them with trained dogs. Squirrels on the ground leave considerably more scent for dogs to find. When dogs tree a squirrel, hunting teams spread out around the tree to spot the bushytail.

Public land options

Mississippi sportsmen can hunt squirrels and rabbits on many wildlife management areas, U.S. Forest Service land, national wildlife refuges and some U.S. Army Corps of Engineers properties. Some of the best squirrel hunting occurs in the Delta National Forest. It spreads across 60,898 acres of hardwood forests in Sharkey County near Rolling Fork. Sunflower WMA takes up most of the forest. Sportsmen might bag a black squirrel in the delta, making a handsome mount for a wall.

Some other good places to hunt squirrels include Twin Oaks WMA near Rolling Fork, Mahannah WMA about 12 miles north of Vicksburg, O’Keefe WMA in Quitman County and Malmaison WMA near Greenwood.

In South Mississippi, head to Pascagoula River WMA in George and Jackson counties. The property consists mostly of swamps and lowland hardwood forests. Hunters need boats to reach much of the riverine tract. Lucky sportsmen might even find some big swamp rabbits. The DeSoto and Homochitto National Forests also provide squirrel hunting opportunities along the creek bottoms. The fields and pine savannas hold good cottontail populations.

Season dates and other regulations might differ on various public hunting areas, so always check before hunting anywhere. For more information see www.mdwfp.com.