Ever since men were men and boys were boys the opening of squirrel season marks the day when hunters begin to emerge from their eight month hibernation in order to treat their cabin fever with the only medicine they have in their arsenal to battle this intense illness… time in the great outdoors.  It is that time of year when we can finally pull our camouflage out from storage and wear it with only a mild risk of being ridiculed. We once again set our alarm clocks earlier on the weekends than we do during the work week, and yet, when they awaken us in the morning we cheerfully hop out of bed, turn them off, and eagerly ready ourselves for what we have been waiting for all these long, drawn-out days; a chance to test ourselves and give ourselves an excuse to spend a day reenergizing the cores of our souls surrounded by the peaceful and tranquil sounds, smells and sights that Mother Nature provides us. 

I have always felt that squirrel hunting is an often overlooked opportunity by hunters. You don’t see any hunting shows dedicated to the pursuit of the bark scraping, limb diving, nut cracking critters, but don’t let the apparent lack of interest from the “Hollywood Hunters” fool you.  Squirrels offer numerous and marvelous opportunities to hunters of all ages and experience levels.

My first hunting expedition ever was a whopping 200 yards out my parents’ back door when I was four years old. My father was taking me squirrel hunting with him, and I was as excited as I ever have been, knowing that I was finally going to be a part of what I was certain was going to be the most spectacular safari ever attempted by mankind. My father let me carry my BB gun, knowing full well that the best I could do with it was to give a squirrel a minor headache, but I was sure I was coming home with a bag full of squirrels. Despite all of the squirming and yapping that I am sure I did, my father was able to come home with a couple of squirrels and we had a fried squirrel lunch together. This little story is not uncommon among those who were lucky enough as children to have a parent that would take them hunting and there is no better time to take a child hunting than during early squirrel season.

This year squirrel season opens on Monday September 1st. Now, this is important for two main reasons when it comes to taking a child hunting. The first is that it still gets light fairly late in the morning, which allows you more time to get them up and ready to go without having to completely give up your own night’s rest. The second and much more impactful reason is that the weather is perfect this time of year. Probably the biggest mistake someone can make when introducing a child to hunting is dragging them out on a cold morning and making them be uncomfortable all day. Kids will quickly associate the discomfort with hunting, and once that is done it is difficult to undo. 

Another major benefit that squirrel hunting allots us when we are introducing children to hunting is a high probability of success. Let’s face it, most children have the attention span of a goldfish and if we cannot keep them interested in the task at hand, then they will find something else to occupy the wheels spinning at light speed between their ears. 

This all is not meant to say that squirrels do not hold numerous benefits to the seasoned hunter because they most definitely do. Squirrels provide us with something that we have not had in quite some time (unless you enjoyed late winter coyote hunting) and that is a live target.  Shooting paper at your own pace and placing the cross hairs on a moving, breathing target are two entirely different scenarios. Over the years I have been amazed at how many people can shoot the dot off of an “i” (literally) as long as the target was paper, but as soon as that target turned into a live mammal they couldn’t hit water from a boat or the broad side of a barn. There is target shooting and there is hunting. Squirrels provide us with the numerous opportunities we need in order to learn that difference.

Since squirrel hunting is done from the ground, it also provides us with a wonderful way to hone our stalking skills. Squirrels have not survived the ages by being easy prey, so one must learn to stalk slowly, smoothly and silently in order to close the distance or get to an open position from which you can shoot. This skill, which can be sharpened now in the early season, can pay big dividends later, especially if you intend on hunting deer from the ground. 

Another, and quite frankly the most important, benefit that squirrel hunting provides is simply the time away from the stresses and endless chores of normal, modern day existence.  Taking time out to sit or stalk quietly though the woods allowing yourself to be absorbed into the surroundings works wonders to slow and calm a mind dizzied by problems at work, home maintenance issues or any of the other gazillion thoughts that bounce around our heads like BB’s in a railroad boxcar. Taking time to step out, away, and back to a place that has no such worries and no such stresses helps us reduce all of the noise in our heads and allows us to instead focus our attentions on the things that are truly important in life.

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