By Joe Mosby

A squirrel season that covers most of the year is now in place for Arkansas hunters. As could be expected, questions have arisen.

The new schedule has squirrel hunting opening May 15 and running through Feb. 28. Gone are the old spring and fall squirrel seasons. Gone also are the North Squirrel Zone and South Squirrel Zone.

Arguments came forth each year on when squirrel hunting should begin, and it became tradition to open the season in the southern part of the state earlier than in the north.

Once upon a time, history tells us, the Arkansas legislature debated squirrel season hot and heavy and even varied it by county. Amendment 35 to the state Constitution, effective in 1945, created the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission as we know it today and took the legislature out of hunting season setting.

The longer squirrel season is the addition of latter-June, July, August and early September to the season — about three months.

All right, those questions.

“What was the reasoning behind making such a long squirrel season”?

Primarily, two factors. One was that Arkansas wildlife biologists and the AGFC’s commissioners felt there were plenty of squirrels in the state. In fact, some places have too many. Biologists say additional hunting should not impact their overall numbers. Their report to commissioners went on to say, “Liberalization during summer months may help alleviate some nuisance problems associated with squirrels in rural environments.” There are squirrel problems in some towns and cities as well.

The second factor was increased hunting opportunities, especially for young people.

For a number of years now the AGFC and especially its commissioners have focused on more hunting opportunity when the resource — meaning game animals, birds and fish — could remain abundant with more hunting.

“Isn’t it too hot to hunt squirrels in the summer?”

That is for an individual to decide, but mid-June, when the former spring season ran and early September when the old fall season opened are pretty warm periods. True, July and August are our hottest months.

“Are squirrels good to eat in the summer?”

Sure they are. Just as tasty as in the winter. But care is needed to keep the carcasses cool. Summer squirrel hunters will likely take coolers with ice in their vehicles instead of tossing the squirrels in the back of a truck for the ride home.

“Won’t squirrel hunters in the woods in summer spook the deer?”

No more than squirrel hunters in September spook deer, and this probably isn’t really a factor.

“What about my hunting lease that runs from October through February?”

Negotiate with the land’s owner. The longer squirrel season shouldn’t be much of an issue.

“Can kids be trusted to be out in the woods in summer with guns?”

As much as you can trust them any other time. This is something for individual parents and their youngsters to work out. Kids have all sorts of activities in summer these days, and going squirrel hunting is just one more choice.

“Does a young person have to have a hunter education card to hunt squirrels in the summer?”

Yes. The longer season does not change any of the other rules about hunting.

Squirrels once were at the top or near the top of hunted species in our state. Today, though, the emphasis among hunters is heavily on deer, with ducks and turkeys trailing well behind.

People hunt squirrels because it is fun, the successful hunter has something good for the table and there is little hassle connected with squirrel hunting.

Squirrel hunting still is an effective way for a parent or grandparent to introduce a son or daughter to hunting. Squirrel hunting requires patience and stealth. You’ve got to be quiet.

In addition, squirrel hunting is as good a method as we know to help a young person learn about woods, the outdoors and to be observant. The novice hunter learns to use those powers of observation, to pick out a small target on a tree limb. Squirrel hunting requires accuracy with a firearm as well, and trees are in full foliage in the summer.

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Joe Mosby is the retired news editor of the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission and Arkansas’ best known outdoor writer. His work is distributed by the Arkansas News Bureau in Little Rock. He can be reached by e-mail at jhmosby@cyberback.com.