5 Tips for Summer Squirrel Hunting Success

So, I wanted to give you a few tips for a more successful and enjoyable time out in the woods hunting squirrels this summer. Here are five of my best tips for summer squirrel hunting success!

1. Hunt Early and Late

Most states open their squirrel season between the beginning of August and September, while some open as early as May or June and go through most of the winter. Summer squirrel hunting can be challenging and is often ignored, but it can still be an enjoyable time and a great way to hone your overall hunting skills.

When is the best time to hunt squirrels in summer?

For more successful hunts, it’s best to be out in the woods during:
 

• The first two hours after sunrise
• The last two hours before sunset

The reason you’ll want to hunt during these times is because, like you and me, squirrels move the most when it is cooler out and are stagnant during the midday heat. This is when you’re most likely to see them scurrying across the ground or through the trees, which boosts your chances of a successful hunt.

2. Scout and Pattern Squirrel Behavior

To gain an even bigger advantage, you’ll want to spend some time doing a little scouting prior to hunting. Squirrels are creatures of habit and will often be active in the same areas, so identifying those travel patterns and high-activity areas will be a big help.

Having HuntWise downloaded on your phone is a great asset since it will allow you to plan your hunts on the optimal days and can help you scout out woods to hunt and locate water sources.

Plus, with HuntWise, you’ll have access to great learning tools such as blogs like this!

3. Focus on Food Sources

Focusing on food sources is a good strategy for summer squirrel hunting. One tip to pinpoint higher squirrel traffic areas is to look for nests in the trees. These are usually close to a water source or a nut-producing tree.

What do squirrels eat? In the summer, squirrels gravitate toward soft masses like berries, young nuts, and seeds or crops such as corn or soybeans. If you are looking to shoot some squirrels nearer to homes, bird feeders are very popular food sources that you can catch them visiting.

Some areas that you can focus on will have nut-producing trees such as oak, hickory, or walnut trees. Another good area that gets overlooked is the edge of the woods if it butts up to an agricultural field. If you are patient, you can have a great chance of catching squirrels, leaving the safety and cover of the woods to ransack the crops growing in the fields.

The key in any of these areas is to get settled in and be as still as possible.

4. Stay Quiet and Be Still

Like most wild animals, squirrels are easily spooked by movement and unusual noises. So, to be successful, stealth is of the utmost importance.

Now, all the vegetation will help to hide you, but you’ll still have to be vigilant to get close enough for a kill. A good strategy is to stop at the edge of the woods or just inside and listen first. You’ll want to listen for rustling leaves and squirrel vocalizations or “barks.”

After being still for a short time, you can begin to move slowly, further into the woods, and continue to stop and listen. If you do spook a squirrel, they will start to chatter or bark and run for cover high in a nearby tree. At this point, you can get an idea of where they are and get a shot.

Or, if you cannot see them, move into a good spot, preferably next to a tree or cover, and wait. Eventually, they will start to move again, and this can provide you with a shot opportunity.

5. Choose the Right Gear

With all that being said, if you have a Saturday morning picked out and have done a little scouting to know where they are running and are ready to get out in the woods to fill your bag limit, you first need to equip yourself with the right gear.

In these hotter summer months, you will want to opt for lightweight and breathable camo clothing. This will do two things: one, help you stay cool, and two, help you blend into your surroundings in the woods.

You will also need to decide on the type of weapon to carry with you. You have multiple options when making your decision. To preserve the most amount of meat, you should stick with a small rifle like a .22 or .17 with a scope or a small shotgun load like a 410. Even an air rifle can be effective in killing squirrels.

Bonus Squirrel Hunting Tips for Success

The main goal when harvesting any type of animal is to be able to eat the meat their body provides, so you will want to do your best to shoot the squirrels in the head. But a shot through the guts will also kill them and knock em’ out of a tree while saving nearly all the meat.

If you expect to be out in the woods for a while, it could be a good idea to bring a small pack with bug spray and water. Mosquitoes and ticks are especially bad during this time of the year.

Try HuntWise for Successful Summer Squirrel Hunting

Summer squirrel hunting is a great way to pass the time until deer season gets here! It's also an excellent way to get the kids or new hunters in on hunting as a pastime and a way to put some (bite-sized) food on the table.

You probably see plenty of squirrels running around during the warmer months, but getting out in the woods to find and hunt them can be quite challenging. The tips we shared today should help you get these critters into your rifle sights. And, using HuntWise to scout and plan ahead will help you have a successful day hunting squirrels.

Don't miss out on summer squirrel hunts! Download HuntWise and try it free for your first week!

Use the "squirrel" selector in the app to gain insights into squirrel activity in your area, then get after 'em.