POTTER OUTDOORS: 'Tree rats' still running wild years after boom

Hark back 50 years ago when the Tri-State literally went nuts over squirrel hunting.

Contests took place and prizes given usually for the most tails bagged in a season or the longest measured tail.

Unfortunately, these scoring parameters encouraged over-bagging and tail stretching, but they drew business into gun and sporting goods stores, so unethical practices were generally winked at.

Squirrel hunting was so popular that Indiana, Illinois and Kentucky hunters annually bagged one million per state. Squirrels were eagerly consumed and tall tales of marksmanship were told around family tables and campfires.

Back then squirrels were an everyman's game animal. Doctors, farmhands, lawyers, blue collar workers, kids, preachers and priests religiously hunted them all season long.

Big timber areas along the Ohio, Green, Wabash and White rivers drew sportsmen from near and far. Some allege that it was the boom days of squirreling (1925-1980) that prompted the initial posting of no hunting signs to ward off strangers.

Midsummer squirrel seasons that segued into early fall translated into lots of young, tender squirrels for the table and most everyone agreed by the end of October, squirrels needed protection from hunting. By the 1990s, Tri-State squirrel seasons began losing popularity, so the idea was to rev them up by gradually extending seasons into late winter.

Why the liberalization? Squirrels are currently the most abundant and under-utilized small game species in the Tri-State thanks to their ability to live and thrive in urban areas. Burgeoning squirrel populations are a recipe for mange and other diseases making hunting the more humane population control.

Overall, the environment profits from fewer squirrels because they constantly gnaw on tree limbs, commercial fruit, vegetables, house shingles, clapboards, bird eggs, electric wires and hydraulic hoses. These voracious forest dwellers are basically what the British call them-tree rats.

Just because they are relatively plentiful doesn't mean squirrel hunting is easy, but it can be. Squirrels follow the mast sources (nuts, seeds and berries), so finding what they're currently feeding on is the best place to hunt.

This year, despite a record drought, area mast sources have produced a bumper crop. Squirrels have been on hickories and walnuts since late July and are starting to move to pecans. The challenge is finding a favored tree where squirrels have ganged up.

Most state fish & wildlife areas have plenty of squirrels, especially if you're willing to hike back away from roads to find them. Consider it a favor to the forest by removing a few squirrels this season, but check current state and local hunting laws before heading afield.

n The Twin Bridges Chapter of Waterfowl U.S.A will continue to enroll kids through Aug. 18 for a Sept. 1 youth dove hunt at Bluegrass Fish & Wildlife Area. Sign-ups are all day at Buck's & Jake's Sporting Goods near Boonville.

TBC will also have a smoke-out barbecue sale Aug. 18 at the Rural King Store on Morgan Avenue in Evansville. All cooking will be done by Dewig's Meats, featuring pork butts, ribs and pulled pork. For questions about either event, call Terry Rager at 812-985-0939