Hey guys,
I am having trouble finding squirrels in E TX for spring season.
I took a weekend trip to Sam Houston this previous weekend for some spring squirrel hunting. I had no luck and saw no squirrels over 16 hours. I think I was not looking in the right places -- I have never squirrel hunted outside of Bastrop (hill country) and didn't know what to expect in the pineylands.
I checked a variety of habitats all over the forest (although they were all pretty similar), sitting still for ~20 minutes at least once in each one: dense thick medium sized pine; open tall pine w/ some scattered small oaks/gum; palmetto forest w/ pines/hardwoods.
I am hoping to have a successful trip before the season ends (E TX is the only place I can hunt w/ a rimfire) and I have a friend who has never hunted wanting to join for the next trip.
I would really appreciate any pointers on what squirrels are eating right now in E TX . Or if there are more productive WMA's I could check on my next trip (Sam Houston is 2.5 hours away, Davey Crockett 3.5, Gus Engeling 4, Sabine Forest 4.5). I am not looking for your secret spots (but i'd take them !!), just any pointers to help locate some squirrels on the next attempt.
I will share a tip for Hill Country Fox Squirrels in Spring: Most of their nut caches have run out but nothing is producing fruit or acorns yet, so they are eating the growing buds of trees. Cedar elm, pecan, and butternut trees leaves bloom in sequence. So at each peak leaf cycle (being when the leaves are most soft and tender) squirrels will have a pretty big preference to one vs. the other. You will see them a lot in cedar elms when the leafs first start to emerge (early spring), but towards May-ish the butternut trees (late leafers) are putting out leafs and catkin buds that they will move towards.
I am having trouble finding squirrels in E TX for spring season.
I took a weekend trip to Sam Houston this previous weekend for some spring squirrel hunting. I had no luck and saw no squirrels over 16 hours. I think I was not looking in the right places -- I have never squirrel hunted outside of Bastrop (hill country) and didn't know what to expect in the pineylands.
I checked a variety of habitats all over the forest (although they were all pretty similar), sitting still for ~20 minutes at least once in each one: dense thick medium sized pine; open tall pine w/ some scattered small oaks/gum; palmetto forest w/ pines/hardwoods.
I am hoping to have a successful trip before the season ends (E TX is the only place I can hunt w/ a rimfire) and I have a friend who has never hunted wanting to join for the next trip.
I would really appreciate any pointers on what squirrels are eating right now in E TX . Or if there are more productive WMA's I could check on my next trip (Sam Houston is 2.5 hours away, Davey Crockett 3.5, Gus Engeling 4, Sabine Forest 4.5). I am not looking for your secret spots (but i'd take them !!), just any pointers to help locate some squirrels on the next attempt.
I will share a tip for Hill Country Fox Squirrels in Spring: Most of their nut caches have run out but nothing is producing fruit or acorns yet, so they are eating the growing buds of trees. Cedar elm, pecan, and butternut trees leaves bloom in sequence. So at each peak leaf cycle (being when the leaves are most soft and tender) squirrels will have a pretty big preference to one vs. the other. You will see them a lot in cedar elms when the leafs first start to emerge (early spring), but towards May-ish the butternut trees (late leafers) are putting out leafs and catkin buds that they will move towards.
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