2024/2025 Squirrel Hunting Thread...........

[Gum Slough Muzzleloader]

The Aberts is an unusual squirrel. Most of them are black with some white markings but I did see one that was all gray about the same color as an eastern gray but definitely an Aberts with the tufted ears. They are bigger than our local fox squirrels (which don't inhabit the mountains).

Here in Colorado I've never seen one north of hwy 285 but as one travels south of 285 they become more common. By the time you get to the area west of Colorado Springs they are even more common. As @yellowhammer pointed out, they are common around Ft Carson which is just south of Colorado Springs.

The Aberts lives among the Ponderosa pines which grow in the mid range of elevations from about 6500' up to as high as 8500 and even 9000 if the area is sunny and dry. at 7000 to 8000 feet it's typical to find ponderosa on the south facing hillsides and lodgepole on the north sides. Ponderosa grows more or less spread out so it's not thick cover. Older growth ponderosa can be very large and tall. often the ground cover is pine needles and grass but sometimes mixed with scrub oak.

I don't think Aberts get hunted much at all. I've never come across another hunter who was pursuing Aberts. In fact, there is not much squirrel hunting in Colorado at all. Nobody hunts the Pine squirrels that I know of other than me and my grandsons. Probably because their diet is spruce and fir cones they are thought to taste like pine but it's not so. Also they are small so it takes a few to make a meal. They are not piney tasting at all though so many are missing out.

The Aberts is also a cone eater and once again, no pine taste.

The way I hunt them is to simply move slowly through the poderosa growth and keep a close eye out. They are often caught on the ground but will usually flee into a tree before you can get a shot. In most cases the ponderosa are spread out enough that they often can't travel from tree to tree. But that doesn't mean it will be easy because they are very good at hiding and the tree can be tall. However, they do have a habit of going all the way to the very top of the tree and there clutching to a large tuft of pine needle growth. That's usually a long shot. As much fun as hunting them with a muzzle loader is, I don't like to shoot at them without a backing to catch the ball so in those cases it's best to use a smoothbore. Some of my favorite Aberts hunting ground is public land but interspersed with private ground with homes.

View attachment 363786

Thanks for posting information.

Them squirrels are just too cool.

 

[10 spot]

Long cruise, tell me about the Aberts squirrels. Are they common? Do they get hunted a lot? Etc. They’re beautiful squirrels.

 

[10 spot]

It's not a alberts squirrel but it'll have
To do, one at a time seems best I can do.

 

[Jim K]

The Aberts is an unusual squirrel. Most of them are black with some white markings but I did see one that was all gray about the same color as an eastern gray but definitely an Aberts with the tufted ears. They are bigger than our local fox squirrels (which don't inhabit the mountains).

Here in Colorado I've never seen one north of hwy 285 but as one travels south of 285 they become more common. By the time you get to the area west of Colorado Springs they are even more common. As @yellowhammer pointed out, they are common around Ft Carson which is just south of Colorado Springs.

The Aberts lives among the Ponderosa pines which grow in the mid range of elevations from about 6500' up to as high as 8500 and even 9000 if the area is sunny and dry. at 7000 to 8000 feet it's typical to find ponderosa on the south facing hillsides and lodgepole on the north sides. Ponderosa grows more or less spread out so it's not thick cover. Older growth ponderosa can be very large and tall. often the ground cover is pine needles and grass but sometimes mixed with scrub oak.

I don't think Aberts get hunted much at all. I've never come across another hunter who was pursuing Aberts. In fact, there is not much squirrel hunting in Colorado at all. Nobody hunts the Pine squirrels that I know of other than me and my grandsons. Probably because their diet is spruce and fir cones they are thought to taste like pine but it's not so. Also they are small so it takes a few to make a meal. They are not piney tasting at all though so many are missing out.

The Aberts is also a cone eater and once again, no pine taste.

The way I hunt them is to simply move slowly through the poderosa growth and keep a close eye out. They are often caught on the ground but will usually flee into a tree before you can get a shot. In most cases the ponderosa are spread out enough that they often can't travel from tree to tree. But that doesn't mean it will be easy because they are very good at hiding and the tree can be tall. However, they do have a habit of going all the way to the very top of the tree and there clutching to a large tuft of pine needle growth. That's usually a long shot. As much fun as hunting them with a muzzle loader is, I don't like to shoot at them without a backing to catch the ball so in those cases it's best to use a smoothbore. Some of my favorite Aberts hunting ground is public land but interspersed with private ground with homes.

View attachment 363786

Thanks so much. Very interesting. I read an article once about a guy who traveled around the country hunting the different species of squirrels. I forget how many there were.

That’s a great looking squirrel!!

 

[Jim K]

On you tube if you do a search, squirrel grand slam a guy in Ohio gets a black, grey, fox and red in one day. He uses a shotgun but it’s still a neat video I’ve watched a couple times. Might watch it again tonight. Check it out guys.

 

[longcruise]

It's not a alberts squirrel but it'll have
To do, one at a time seems best I can do.View attachment 363839

That's a nice fat one.

That’s a great looking squirrel!!

Honestly, I've never seen one that pretty. In my area they tend to have much less white.

There's a similar squirrel in Arizona called a Kaibob squirrel. Seems I read some years ago that they were protected.

 

[10 spot]

That's a nice fat one.

Honestly, I've never seen one that pretty. In my area they tend to have much less white.

There's a similar squirrel in Arizona called a Kaibob squirrel. Seems I read some years ago that they were protected.

If referring to the gray squirrel pic I posted, earl

 

[10 spot]

If referring to the gray squirrel pic I posted, earlier all of them are white belly"a and under chin.

 

[Jim K]

That's a nice fat one.

Honestly, I've never seen one that pretty. In my area they tend to have much less white.

There's a similar squirrel in Arizona called a Kaibob squirrel. Seems I read some years ago that they were protected.

Yeah, those Kaibab squirrels are beautiful too.

 

[Trigger]

Oh man I froze a little today that rabbit trying to freeze me to death..

It wouldn't come out
At one point I went into where it kept crossing right that same spot..

Thick real thick thick.. dog started my way so I was like OK ok OK I got down on one knee to see into this mess.

That rabbit crossed 2 feet in front of my face staring into that stuff. I was like lol

I saw that rabbit 4 times but no shot.

 

[Trigger]

What in the word is that.

Squirrel.

That thing must be fat

 

[Boomerang]

There's a similar squirrel in Arizona called a Kaibob squirrel.

So if you were to cook that squirrel on a stick, would it be considered a shish kaibob?

 

[Greg Selner]

The Aberts is an unusual squirrel. Most of them are black with some white markings but I did see one that was all gray about the same color as an eastern gray but definitely an Aberts with the tufted ears. They are bigger than our local fox squirrels (which don't inhabit the mountains).

Here in Colorado I've never seen one north of hwy 285 but as one travels south of 285 they become more common. By the time you get to the area west of Colorado Springs they are even more common. As @yellowhammer pointed out, they are common around Ft Carson which is just south of Colorado Springs.

The Aberts lives among the Ponderosa pines which grow in the mid range of elevations from about 6500' up to as high as 8500 and even 9000 if the area is sunny and dry. at 7000 to 8000 feet it's typical to find ponderosa on the south facing hillsides and lodgepole on the north sides. Ponderosa grows more or less spread out so it's not thick cover. Older growth ponderosa can be very large and tall. often the ground cover is pine needles and grass but sometimes mixed with scrub oak.

I don't think Aberts get hunted much at all. I've never come across another hunter who was pursuing Aberts. In fact, there is not much squirrel hunting in Colorado at all. Nobody hunts the Pine squirrels that I know of other than me and my grandsons. Probably because their diet is spruce and fir cones they are thought to taste like pine but it's not so. Also they are small so it takes a few to make a meal. They are not piney tasting at all though so many are missing out.

The Aberts is also a cone eater and once again, no pine taste.

The way I hunt them is to simply move slowly through the poderosa growth and keep a close eye out. They are often caught on the ground but will usually flee into a tree before you can get a shot. In most cases the ponderosa are spread out enough that they often can't travel from tree to tree. But that doesn't mean it will be easy because they are very good at hiding and the tree can be tall. However, they do have a habit of going all the way to the very top of the tree and there clutching to a large tuft of pine needle growth. That's usually a long shot. As much fun as hunting them with a muzzle loader is, I don't like to shoot at them without a backing to catch the ball so in those cases it's best to use a smoothbore. Some of my favorite Aberts hunting ground is public land but interspersed with private ground with homes.

View attachment 363786

Awesome looking squirrel

 

[oldschoolhunter55]

The Aberts is an unusual squirrel. Most of them are black with some white markings but I did see one that was all gray about the same color as an eastern gray but definitely an Aberts with the tufted ears. They are bigger than our local fox squirrels (which don't inhabit the mountains).

Here in Colorado I've never seen one north of hwy 285 but as one travels south of 285 they become more common. By the time you get to the area west of Colorado Springs they are even more common. As @yellowhammer pointed out, they are common around Ft Carson which is just south of Colorado Springs.

The Aberts lives among the Ponderosa pines which grow in the mid range of elevations from about 6500' up to as high as 8500 and even 9000 if the area is sunny and dry. at 7000 to 8000 feet it's typical to find ponderosa on the south facing hillsides and lodgepole on the north sides. Ponderosa grows more or less spread out so it's not thick cover. Older growth ponderosa can be very large and tall. often the ground cover is pine needles and grass but sometimes mixed with scrub oak.

I don't think Aberts get hunted much at all. I've never come across another hunter who was pursuing Aberts. In fact, there is not much squirrel hunting in Colorado at all. Nobody hunts the Pine squirrels that I know of other than me and my grandsons. Probably because their diet is spruce and fir cones they are thought to taste like pine but it's not so. Also they are small so it takes a few to make a meal. They are not piney tasting at all though so many are missing out.

The Aberts is also a cone eater and once again, no pine taste.

The way I hunt them is to simply move slowly through the poderosa growth and keep a close eye out. They are often caught on the ground but will usually flee into a tree before you can get a shot. In most cases the ponderosa are spread out enough that they often can't travel from tree to tree. But that doesn't mean it will be easy because they are very good at hiding and the tree can be tall. However, they do have a habit of going all the way to the very top of the tree and there clutching to a large tuft of pine needle growth. That's usually a long shot. As much fun as hunting them with a muzzle loader is, I don't like to shoot at them without a backing to catch the ball so in those cases it's best to use a smoothbore. Some of my favorite Aberts hunting ground is public land but interspersed with private ground with homes.

View attachment 363786

wow that's a nice looking critter. thanks for posting that pic

 

[oldschoolhunter55]

Yeah, those Kaibab squirrels are beautiful too.View attachment 363876

dang that's a pretty one. never seen one before thanks for showing

 

[yellowhammer]

Can you imagine a Kaibab & Southern Fox hybrid!?! The result would probably look like something from the planet Pandora...

 

[Jim K]

Ol ETipp and I are making a road trip. We’re driving west for those stuffed ear squirrels. Then we’re driving to India for one of these

 

[Gum Slough Muzzleloader]

Ol ETipp and I are making a road trip. We’re driving west for those stuffed ear squirrels. Then we’re driving to India for one of these View attachment 364041

I can't wait to see pictures and read about the hunt!

 

[longcruise]

Ol ETipp and I are making a road trip. We’re driving west for those stuffed ear squirrels. Then we’re driving to India for one of these

What!! looks like a monkey.

 

[Jim K]

What!! looks like a monkey.

That’s a wild looking squirrel isn’t it? I wonder if they hunt them in India. I’ll have to ask one of the Indian phone scammers sometime.