Squirrel hunting

I’m not aware of any federal land or opportunities to hunt in NC. We do have thousands of acres of game lands available to go after all kinds of game. The go outdoors nc app is a good resource and there are decent maps of the game lands available. Another tool I use is onX hunt. It lists private property owners and game lands boundaries as well
 
dman24 said:
I’m not aware of any federal land or opportunities to hunt in NC. We do have thousands of acres of game lands available to go after all kinds of game. The go outdoors nc app is a good resource and there are decent maps of the game lands available. Another tool I use is onX hunt. It lists private property owners and game lands boundaries as well
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National forest is federal land. The four biggest chunks of game lands in NC are all national forest.
 
I did not know that you have a season for hunting squirrels. I used to hunt them and groundhog/chipmunks/pest animals on ranches for beer money in college.
 
Engineerguy30 said:
I think I paid off my 10/22 in 2 weekends hunting pests.
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The man has obviously never had one fried, and then gravy on the side made from the drizzlings.

Squirrel meat is very very rich (warning, you can get sick on it!), but it tastes wonderful.

It just does my heart wrong to hear those little rat filets being called "pests" :)
 
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tanstaafl72555 said:
The man has obviously never had one fried, and then gravy on the side made from the drizzlings.

Squirrel meat is very very rich (warning, you can get sick on it!), but it tastes wonderful.

It just does my heart wrong to hear those little rat filets being called "pests" :)
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Haha, thats what I love about moving from the West Coast (Oregon) to NC, is what passes for food here.

Is it looked down upon to just take them out?
 
Engineerguy30 said:
Haha, thats what I love about moving from the West Coast (Oregon) to NC, is what passes for food here.

Is it looked down upon to just take them out?
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Well... I have to admit I ate a field rat once (in Colombia, in the southwest mountains in an Indian tribe). It as well was delicious. Indians made it for me as a special honor.... and no, in fact. Most people just shoot them. It is a shame.
 
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Engineerguy30 said:
Haha, thats what I love about moving from the West Coast (Oregon) to NC, is what passes for food here.

Is it looked down upon to just take them out?
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There are some pecan farmers who get depredation permits to shoot them because they wreak havoc on their crops. But in general, yeah it’s not cool to just shoot them to have something to do. If you have never ate one, you are really missing out! They are very tasty and make some of the best gravy.
 
I use conibear traps around my yard and in the back, they love marshmallows btw. I was plinking them with my .22 until they started getting wise and avoiding me. Kept gnawing holes into my attic, Everytime id close one they'd open another. 510 traps solved the issue.

IMG_20240226_163834456_HDR.jpg
 
I get a depredation permit from NC Wildlife to shoot them out of season, because they wiped out my pecans, eat all my apples and pears, eat a lot of my blueberries and chew holes in my drip irrigation. I try to eliminate as many as possible during squirrel season, but it is never ending.

I have tried eating squirrel, but don't care for it. My grandfather used to eat all I could get him. I have given a bunch away to a friend of mine.

@Jeff704, do you having a trapping license? According to the game warden, I would need a trapping license to trap in my yard, unless it was under the depreciation permit, however, all traps must have your name and info attached to the trap.

Statewide Trap Regulations​

  • All traps must have a weather-resistant permanent tag attached with either the trapper’s name and address or the trapper’s Trapper Identification Number (TIN) and the Commission’s phone number (800-662-7137). The TIN can be found on your trapping license.
 
Depredation permit. I go get one a couple times a year(when the need arises), No fee, just basically have to ask permission to protect your own property from pests. Not that I agree with the way they do things but it's not hard to get one. But I don't skin or eat them, just pest control now and then. Not sure about the actual hunting them for sport or for skins/meat regulations though.
 
My understanding is that a NC depredation permit is to harvest what you kill. Without one, you can kill the pests, but you are required to leave them where they drop. Can anyone confirm or correct this?
 
Not sure but I just wasn't taking any chances on a nosey neighbor calling the fish and wildlife when they see their furry rat friends hanging off of my tree lol 😆
 
The ones I've rid my yard of went in the wooded ditch, usually disappear overnight.
come to think of it.. 🤔 I should 'a put a camera there.
 
Just picked up 3 - 110 Conibear traps that I had delivered to the local Ace Hardware. If it's not raining tomorrow, hopefully I'll get them set out and see if I can get rid of some more of them.

About 20 yds., CB short from an old iron sighted Winchester 67 single shot, right in the middle of the back of the head.

1710523547347.png
 
beamernc said:
Just picked up 3 - 110 Conibear traps that I had delivered to the local Ace Hardware. If it's not raining tomorrow, hopefully I'll get them set out and see if I can get rid of some more of them.

About 20 yds., CB short from an old iron sighted Winchester 67 single shot, right in the middle of the back of the head.

View attachment 756282
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Nice shot
 
Picked one off this evening, missed the second one. He lays in the yard for a while. I learned to not grab them immediately when I was a teen.....they are tearing my place up. We never had squirrels until the past few years.
 
beamernc said:
Winchester 67 single shot,
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What a great classic simple ultra reliable rifle. I've got my great grandpa model 67 that I've been shooting and putting squirrel, rabbit and few other critters on the dinner table for 35 years now. And he put plenty of critters on the table with it long before I ever got it.
 
My favorite bolt action single shot is the Remington Model 41. I also like the Marlin 65 from Sears. I figure someone's great grandfather used 'em to git squirrels for the table during the Depression. Wish they could tell stories!
 
MacEntyre said:
My understanding is that a NC depredation permit is to harvest what you kill. Without one, you can kill the pests, but you are required to leave them where they drop. Can anyone confirm or correct this?
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Depredation permit requires them to stay on the farm. I get them for coyotes to use traps out of season and they must be destroyed on the farm. Deer depredation permit is the same, can’t leave the farm.

I have a pecan orchard which should be coming into production next year and will take full advantage of a depredation permit and all the neighborhood kids to manage squirrels.
 
MacEntyre said:
Can you get rid of predators on a farm without a depredation permit, if you leave them where they fall?
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You can get rid of predators or prey if caught in the act of destroying property. You can shoot coyotes year round with no permit, but shooting isn’t as effective as trapping, and to trap out of season you need a permit.
 
MacEntyre said:
Can you get rid of predators on a farm without a depredation permit, if you leave them where they fall?
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I knew a corn farmer who had a literal PLAGUE of deer and went and got a depredation permit. He literally shot over 50 of them in one night, and went out and buried them with a backhoe. 2 nights later he came driving in and said they were in his corn like some biblical plague of locusts. I dunno if that actually answers any questions, but I do know that in Orange County (one of the most woke counties in NC) it was at the time VERY easy to get a permit. I don't know if -given the new info in here- he actually needed one, but it was extremely easy to get.
 
I am in the city limits and have a ton of Pecan trees and we are working alive with squirrels. I would like to know how to trap them, not to actually do anything right now, but if there ever comes a time...........

I suppose I should bet a permit and learn something. They are definitely into our raised beds.
 
Active shooter said:
You don't have to take them to a neighbors house you can let them go in the woods.
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You're most likely killing them by moving them anyway, by moving them from their known shelter and the food they work all year to hoard for the winter. Most estimates on the web say 90% die from relocation.
 

BBD280 said:
You're most likely killing them by moving them anyway, by moving them from their known shelter and the food they work all year to hoard for the winter. Most estimates on the web say 90% die from relocation.
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The squirrels I was having a problem with weren't at my house they were at my property destroying my protein feeder. Every time I made an improvement to stop them they would figure out a way around it. I went to the trap because nothing else worked. I'm not going to kill them over it. I finally built a new feeder and mounted the legs higher and haven't had a problem with coons or squirrels since.
 
beamernc said:
I get a depredation permit from NC Wildlife to shoot them out of season, because they wiped out my pecans, eat all my apples and pears, eat a lot of my blueberries and chew holes in my drip irrigation. I try to eliminate as many as possible during squirrel season, but it is never ending.

I have tried eating squirrel, but don't care for it. My grandfather used to eat all I could get him. I have given a bunch away to a friend of mine.

@Jeff704, do you having a trapping license? According to the game warden, I would need a trapping license to trap in my yard, unless it was under the depreciation permit, however, all traps must have your name and info attached to the trap.

Statewide Trap Regulations​

  • All traps must have a weather-resistant permanent tag attached with either the trapper’s name and address or the trapper’s Trapper Identification Number (TIN) and the Commission’s phone number (800-662-7137). The TIN can be found on your trapping license.
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It'll be a cold day in hell before I ask permission to eat tree rat
 
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