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Proposed Squirrel Seasons

5K views 37 replies 27 participants last post by  BOOTOXEN 
#1 ·
I was checking the proposed seasons and bag limits on the PGC website and saw that squirrel season was unusually early. September 14th is the proposed opening day of the season, and September 7th is the opening day for youth.

I don't recall the season ever starting that early, is there any reason to this? I'm still chasing geese and doves that early! I guess I can tote the .22 with me while scouting for deer and maybe bag a few. I didn't get to make any squirrel BBQ last year, because there wasn't many around last year due to the small amount of acorns the previous year in the area that I hunt.

PA Waterfowler
 
#3 ·
not a very good idea considering archers will be in those fully greened up trees at that time of year, I'm thinking this will make it alot more dangerous, plus put more people into the woods to disturb the relaxed deer movement and travels normally associated with archery hunting this time of year, from October on to the old start of squirrel season.
 
#4 ·
lonnielou688 said:
not a very good idea considering archers will be in those fully greened up trees at that time of year, I'm thinking this will make it alot more dangerous, plus put more people into the woods to disturb the relaxed deer movement and travels normally associated with archery hunting this time of year, from October on to the old start of squirrel season.
I was on the fence regarding the earlier dates... now I'm for the change.
 
#5 ·
lonnielou688 said:
not a very good idea considering archers will be in those fully greened up trees at that time of year, I'm thinking this will make it alot more dangerous, plus put more people into the woods to disturb the relaxed deer movement and travels normally associated with archery hunting this time of year, from October on to the old start of squirrel season.
I'm in agreement with you. I don't think Archery and squirrel season should overlap. I suggest running archery season From the 3rd week in Sept until the 3rd week in October. Then closing archery season and starting the general small game season.
 
#6 ·
I haven't hunted sqirrels in 30 yrs. because I was archery hunting. Maybe I will get out this year. I have a lever action Browning .22 I haven't used.

You will have a fight on your hands, dap, if you try to move archery season away from the rut.
 
#7 ·
Freepistol said:
I haven't hunted sqirrels in 30 yrs. because I was archery hunting. Maybe I will get out this year. I have a lever action Browning .22 I haven't used.

You will have a fight on your hands, dap, if you try to move archery season away from the rut.
I realize that. My issue really isn't with the overlap of seasons it's with the attitude of some archery hunter's thinking that their archery hunting activities should take precedence over all other hunting seasons.
 
#8 ·
It's funny too in that 4 of the six weeks of archery season overlap with squirrel season now. And it has been that way for a while. What's the big deal? If archers follow the rules. they wear f/o to the stand and have f/o displayed near their location while hunting. Shouldn't be a safety issue at all. I bowhunt alot and don't have an issue with squirrel hunters. Even had a squirrel hunter bump a buck into me that I got once.
No idea how anyone can perceive this as a bad thing.
 
#9 ·
Actually there is no FO requirements for archers during small game. It is only for overlap with fall turkey and the Muzzloader/Jr/SR antlerless season that FO is required. In previous seasons there was only 1 week of archery before youth squirrel season came in anyway. There is plenty of foliage in the southern part of the state for the first couple weeks of small game season anyway and to my knowledge there hasn't been a safety issue. Also just how many squirrel hunters have you ran into in the last 5 years. Very few people participate anymore. I just don't see it being a big deal.

For my kids and I I am excited about this early squirrel season. We are always trying to split our limited time between archery and squirrel hunting. Now we can concentrate on squirrels for a few weeks and then we can chase the tick toters.
 
#11 ·
kudu58 said:
You're right. I just checked it. Don't know why I thought you needed f/o for squirrel. Guess I've been wearing it when I didn't need to...
If I was hunting on public land where there is alot of small game hunting, I would wear FO when moving. Better to be safe than sorry.
 
#13 ·
This is the best idea the PGC has had in a long time. Give the sportsmen and women of PA the opporuntity to hunt an abundant resource at a time of the year when it is wonderful to be in the outdoors.

Figures the archery hunters would be whining about it...they seem to whine about everything these days.
 
#15 ·
Zemenar, I don't understand what that link has to do with anything. That link takes me to a listing of the 2012-13 seasons and bag limits.

I was talking about the proposed 2013-14 seasons and bag limits on the PGC website. This upcoming years seasons and bag limits.

PA Waterfowler
 
#18 ·
Curly Maple said:
lonnielou688 said:
not a very good idea considering archers will be in those fully greened up trees at that time of year, I'm thinking this will make it alot more dangerous, plus put more people into the woods to disturb the relaxed deer movement and travels normally associated with archery hunting this time of year, from October on to the old start of squirrel season.
I was on the fence regarding the earlier dates... now I'm for the change.
Oh god don't disturb the archery hunters.They might change the direction a deer goes.Give people more opprutunity to go out and hunt. How many squirrel hunters do you know it it underutilized, if they aren't hurting anyone let them hunt.It will be fun this year.
 
#19 ·
lonnielou688 said:
not a very good idea considering archers will be in those fully greened up trees at that time of year, I'm thinking this will make it alot more dangerous, plus put more people into the woods to disturb the relaxed deer movement and travels normally associated with archery hunting this time of year, from October on to the old start of squirrel season.
 
#22 ·
Only greedy people are adverse to sharing the woods with other hunters, whether they be archery, muzzle-loader (flintlock), or any other hunter. The biggest buck I ever shot was the 2nd week of rifle on SGL when guys were telling me there were no deer or they were all chased off the property.
 
#24 ·
Why not just lock your stands up? Chains and a pad lock, or those cable locks specifically for tree stands. Unless they are stand hunting, I don't know too many hunters that carry bolt cutters with them.

What kind of stands are you using? If I'm using hang on's with climbing sticks, just take the last couple sticks off and stash them in the brush. Ladder stands, I take a piece of ply wood an lock it to the ladder part so the theives can't climb up it.

Unfortunately times are changing, and more and more "hunters" are turning into theives. Don't let them ruin your hunt, just out smart them.

PA Waterfowler
 
#25 ·
I see so very few small game hunters out that I don't see the huge harm to archers' prospects. Must be other areas. Last fall, I saw all of two small game hunters in SE York County. Would give me a chance to do some early flintlock shotgun squirrel. Got a new beagleXJack Russel pup that shows promise as a squirrel dog.
 
#26 ·
zimmerstutzen said:
I see so very few small game hunters out that I don't see the huge harm to archers' prospects. Must be other areas. Last fall, I saw all of two small game hunters in SE York County. Would give me a chance to do some early flintlock shotgun squirrel. Got a new beagleXJack Russel pup that shows promise as a squirrel dog.
No doubt I will be out hunting and enjoying the heck out of it, but to play devil's advocate, this thread shows that there is going to be quite an increase in people out there stomping around, so comparing years past to what could come is premature and nonfactual.
 
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