Aside from the dove hunting season that kicked off Sept. 2, squirrel season is the next small game pursuit when that season gets underway Sept. 14-28.

Squirrel season has a three-season run as it opens again Dec. 16-24 and Dec. 26 to Feb. 28. It’s one of the longest small game hunting seasons in Pennsylvania. Squirrels are also our most plentiful small game species.

Squirrel season is also an excellent time to introduce a youth to hunting as it gives them an outdoors education that they would not get in school, plus it gets them away from their electronic toys. Added to that, the season is still warm and doesn’t require a lot of hunting clothes as jeans and a sweatshirt would do. The only necessary requirement would be a pair of hunting or hiking boots, and a can of tick repellent as the nasty critters are heavy again this year - and a youth license.

As for choice of a firearm for squirrels, the choices are shotgun or rimfire (.22LR) rifle. For youngsters the .22 is preferable as it’s easier to shoot with virtually no recoil and with a scope, makes shots more precise. The shotgun would be for later on when the youths gain shooting experience, although it’s easier to down a bushy tail with a well- placed shot when a squirrel is sitting still or running along a tree branch.

In this early part of the season, the woodland tree canopy is thick requiring a close shot. Most veteran squirrel hunters rarely take shots beyond 30 yards, if that. Using a .22, you have to get closer, but for a youngster, it teaches patience, shooting skill and stealth to sneak up on a chatterbox up in a tree. Another method is to sit by a tree when seeing or hearing squirrel activity in the trees, and attempting to call one closer by sucking on the back of the hand which mimics squirrel chatter. There are also commercial calls on the market for that purpose.

An added benefit of hunting squirrels with a .22 rifle is that you won’t have to bite into a lead shot that and a possible trip to the dentist. Sometimes and despite the best cleaning efforts, an embedded No. 6 or 8 shot can be missed. With a .22 you don’t generally have that problem.

While on the topic of eating squirrel, they offer sweet meat as their main diets consist of nuts, berries, mushrooms, pine seeds, corn, while cherry and black gum fruits. And in spring they eat buds, flowers and winged fruits of red maple. In winter, they seek out the nuts they buried in fall. There are several squirrel cooking recipes on social media. And before throwing squirrel tails away, keep in mind Mepp’s the fishing lure maker buys them or trades for their spinning lures.

SALTWATER

REPORT

Northern New Jersey surfcasters tossing tins and epoxy jigs into frothy feeds are playing inshore pelagic roulette this week with bonito, false albacore, Spanish mackerel, small bluefish, and even some chub mackerel in the mix.

Inlets have come to life with schools of spearing and peanut bunker, which are keeping late-summer hardtail populations well fed. In many cases, when the surface action dies down as late morning approaches, shore anglers are slowing their retrieves and putting nice fluke on the beach with those same epoxy jigs and metals, while others opt for a live mullet, or the more traditional rig consisting of a bucktail jig and Gulp teaser.

Fluke fishing improved over some of the local reefs, where keeper flatties to 8 pounds were reported. Devout fluke anglers are dropping baited hi-lo rigs, bucktails and Gulp, plus live spot for fluke over the reefs. At times, bottom fishermen are even coming across blitzing albies and bonito and are cutting them into strip baits to try and box another keeper fluke for the table.