Jonesboro, AR – (JonesboroRightNow.com) – Aug 28, 2024 – For many hunters, the foundations for hunting were laid in the pursuit of small game. The lessons of stealth, awareness of sign, game care, ethics and patience were gained in these pursuits. With the growth in populations of big game animals, many new hunters are skipping small game hunting and missing out on these basic lessons. Squirrel hunting can provide those lessons and is one of the most readily available small game pursuits. Here are a few ideas to help with a successful squirrel hunt.
The number of squirrel hunters has declined, but not due to lack of opportunity. A long season, May 15, 2024 – February 28, 2025, and a liberal limit of twelve fox or gray squirrels provide great opportunities to chase bushytails and rekindle that fire for small game.
Northeast Arkansas offers a variety of habitats that provide squirrel hunting opportunities. Bottomland hardwood forests, cypress and tupelo swamps, and the foothills of the Ozarks provide a great menu of hunting choices, depending on the appetite of the hunter. There are several great public hunting opportunities across NEA.
There are several acres of bottomland hardwood public opportunities. Dave Donaldson Black River WMA (25,482 acres) near Delaplaine, Earl Buss Bayou DeView WMA (4,501 acres) near Weiner, and St. Francis Sunken Lands WMA (30,574 acres) that has intermittent tracts from the Missouri Bootheel to Trumann, provide plenty of area to pursue bushytails.
Upland areas that provide opportunity are W. E. Brewer Scatter Creek WMA (5,002 acres) in Greene County, northwest of Paragould and Harold E. Alexander Spring River WMA (13,939 acres) in Sharp County, just south of Hardy. Shirey Bay Rainey Brake WMA (11,308 acres) in Lawrence County near Lynn combines a bit of upland with some bottomland.
The bottomland areas can be a little harder to access due to water. With a little map study each provides ample ground to walk in and hunt. Add a boat or kayak and the access improves greatly. The upland areas provide a little more access with county roads and walkable trails. Squirrel populations vary from year to year, but Harold E., Black River and the bottomland areas of Rainey Brake always seem to hold a good number. Scatter Creek seems to have less squirrels than the other areas, but there are pockets with good numbers.
As far as tactics, keep it simple. I like to cover lots of ground, walking slowly and quietly. Fresh sign like nut cuttings under a tree are a tell-tale indicator of the presence of bushytails. Frequent stops to listen are beneficial as shaking limbs, a shower of cuttings hitting the forest floor or chatter and barks will give away the location of a squirrel.
Squirrel hunting takes a minimal amount of gear. A firearm, a vest or pouch to carry the game and bug spray are some of the basic tools. I prefer a 20 gauge with heavy loads during the early season, but I might switch to a .22 later as the leaves fall. Do not forget the bug repellent. There will be plenty of mosquitoes in the bottomland forests while ticks and chiggers will be the downside in the upland areas. I also like a squirrel call. A call is easy to master and adds a nice layer of fun to the hunt. As far as clothing, dull colors are best, but camo is not as important as stealth. I usually wear a hunter orange hat while squirrel hunting as a safety precaution.
A small game license is required to squirrel hunt, and a free General Use WMA permit is also required to hunt the WMA’s. The appropriate licenses, maps, regulations for each wildlife management area and other information can be found at www.agfc.com.
A squirrel hunt can teach a hunter much about the woods and hunting, provide an easy hunt for the family, and put some nice meat on the table. Get out there and enjoy some time in the woods of NEA and I hope to see you out there.
