Hunters ready to head to the woods don’t have to wait much longer, because squirrel hunting season begins August 15, according to the Georgia Department of Natural Resources’ Wildlife Resources Division (WRD).
“Many people may think hunting is only about sitting still and waiting on your target to come to you, but squirrel hunting often provides more action, so you may be moving around in pursuit of ole’ bushytail – this creates a perfect opportunity to engage an energetic youth or someone new to hunting,” said Alan Isler, Chief of the WRD Game Management Section.
Squirrel season begins August 15, 2021 and lasts through February 28, 2022, and hunters can pursue both gray and fox squirrels. The maximum daily bag limit is 12 per hunter. However, new this year, some WMAs have a limit on harvest of fox squirrels.
Georgia’s wildlife management areas (WMA) offer access to nearly one million acres of hunting opportunity, and squirrel hunting is allowed on WMAs at specified times during the statewide squirrel season (https://georgiawildlife.com/allwmas). Hunters are advised to check the current hunting regulations for specific WMA dates and info (http://www.eregulations.com/georgia/hunting/).
The Two Species
Both gray and fox squirrels can be found throughout Georgia. The gray squirrel, abundant in both rural and urban areas is the most common species. Though mostly associated with hardwood forests, grays also can be found in mixed pine/hardwood forests. Predominantly gray, with white under parts, gray squirrels appear more slender-bodied than fox squirrels, weighing anywhere from 12 ounces to 1.5 pounds.
Fox squirrels have several color phases, varying from silver-gray with a predominantly black head, to solid black, to a light buff or brown color tinged with reddish-yellow. Generally larger than grays, fox squirrels range in weight from one pound to nearly three, and are more closely associated with mature pine and mixed pine/hardwood habitats, and especially in the Piedmont and Coastal Plain regions.
