I normally don't shot at squirrel's while deer hunting... always afraid I'll spook something off. In fact, I've never even taken one with a trad bow. But today I couldn't believe it when I saw a black squirrel chasing a grey squirrel a few trees away. It's the first one I've ever seen. Before I knew it he was right in front of me and I couldn't resist...
(http://i1105.photobucket.com/albums/h344/timsalters/IMG_7498_zps39b6bf65.jpg) (http://s1105.photobucket.com/user/timsalters/media/IMG_7498_zps39b6bf65.jpg.html)
My first arrow with a field tip impaled his back leg and he was trying to run off with it. The second arrow with a broadhead to the shoulder ended it immediately.
(http://i1105.photobucket.com/albums/h344/timsalters/IMG_7500_zps9e3a23a7.jpg) (http://s1105.photobucket.com/user/timsalters/media/IMG_7500_zps9e3a23a7.jpg.html)
(http://i1105.photobucket.com/albums/h344/timsalters/IMG_7501_zps9849f32f.jpg) (http://s1105.photobucket.com/user/timsalters/media/IMG_7501_zps9849f32f.jpg.html)
I skinned him carefully and I'm tanning his coat and tail. Quite a trophy! You guys see many black ones?
Tim, That is a trophy. We have a few here in Louisiana and they are really cool looking. Been quite a few years since I shot one. Congrats and good shooting!
That should cook up nicely. If you like the way they taste come on up north we have a ton of black squirrels so many it's hard to hear the deer. Lol
Tim, can't say I've ever seen one on this side of Oklahoma! You got any arrows stuck up in a tree somewhere :bigsmyl: :bigsmyl:
Pretty cool, congrats,
Cool.
Black squirrels are a color phase of grey squirrels. Some locations have lots, some have few or none. In my area if Michigan, there's more black squirrels than fox squirrels.
There is a college near me in Philadelphia that is loaded with them. Their mascot is actually the black squirell. I have a buddy who lives in Queenstown, Maryland and the town has a load of white squirells. I saw 7 in his backyard at one time. Of course his wife won't let me harvest one. Very cool trophy and nice shooting. Congrats.
We use to see quite a few in central minnesota....good shooting!
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Glenn
Van Wert Ohio has so many that if you see a squirrel that is NOT black, consider your self lucky
QuoteOriginally posted by Chad Orde:
That should cook up nicely. If you like the way they taste come on up north we have a ton of black squirrels so many it's hard to hear the deer. Lol
I've got him in the fridge. Probably cook him up tomorrow. Got a good black squirrel receipt? :)
QuoteOriginally posted by goldflinger:
Tim, can't say I've ever seen one on this side of Oklahoma! You got any arrows stuck up in a tree somewhere :bigsmyl: :bigsmyl:
Pretty cool, congrats,
:biglaugh: That's funny Ed! Of course, that's the real reason I don't normally shoot a squirrel's... I get all my arrows suck in trees! :archer2:
He gave me a three yards shot on the ground!
We see a black one every once in a while. They sure are neat.
The black squirrel is the town mascot of Marysville, KS. The place is full of them. Cool trophy and nice shooting!
Thats awesome! Never seen one like that!
Thats cool. I've killed a couple of black fox squirrels here in W. Ky. (not with a bow) Not very common here. Never seen a black grey squirrel. Congratulations!
I have more and more every year in my creek bottoms, not big but fast..around Konawa Okla.
Not uncommon for a north east Ohio deer sit to see a fox, gray, black and chipmunk in one day. Glad you got him, good eats for sure.
Used to see them all the time in Michigan. Never saw one in Oklahoma though. Good shooting.
That is cool, I have only seen one in this part of the country.
What a cool critter, congrats!
Never seen a black one. Only gray and red.
That is cool! Good shootin'! I thiught that black squirrels were another species from up north(?). I've seen 'em on T.V., but never around here. You get him around Ft. Gibson?
QuoteOriginally posted by Fattony77:
That is cool! Good shootin'! I thiught that black squirrels were another species from up north(?). I've seen 'em on T.V., but never around here. You get him around Ft. Gibson?
Hey Michael... Yes, I did. Near two-mile south on private land.
Nice shooting!
We have them in my neck of the woods too.
That's way cool! I'll hafta keep an eye out for 'em when Gruber opens up for squirrel again.
Congrats!! Black squirrel do look cool. I may have this one turned into a wall mount. Yeah, maybe weird but they look cool and this one fared well on one side. I took this guy a few weeks ago.
(http://i1192.photobucket.com/albums/aa337/ceme24/null_zps63561064.jpg)
There is a town about 8 miles north of me, Milton Pa, that is polluted with them. They are larger, way outnumber the grays, and will run them off every chance they get. This is the only place I have ever really seen them.
In NYC we have just as many black as grey. But where I hunt I only see grey.
I have seen a number of black fox squirrels over the years. They are really neat animals.
I remember Father Jim Grinner taking a couple with his self bow on a squirrel hunt around Tahlequah Oklahoma probably twenty-five years ago. They were black fox squirrels. The only ones I have ever seen. Congratulations, pretty neat.
Loaded with them in western Michigan, my yard has 5 or 6 that make the rounds. I see all kinds 40 miles north at camp.
Good shooting!
Black squirrels ARE grey squirrels. Same species, different color phase. Think what cinnamon bear is to black bear.
It sounds like in the pre-settlement days before the eastern old growth forests were all cut down, black squirrels made up the majority of the grey squirrel species.
If you're in a part of the country where you don't have black squirrels, I bet it's really cool to see one.
From the web...
As a melanistic variety of the eastern grey squirrel, individual black squirrels can exist wherever grey squirrels live. Grey mating pairs can not produce black offspring. Grey squirrels have 2 copies of a normal pigment gene and black squirrels have either 1 or 2 copies of a mutant pigment gene. If a black squirrel has 2 copies of the mutant gene it will be jet black. If it has 1 copy of a mutant gene and 1 normal gene it will be brown-black. In areas with high concentrations of black squirrels, mixed litters are common. The black subgroup seems to have been predominant throughout North America prior to the arrival of Europeans in the 16th century, since their dark color helped them hide in virgin forests which tended to be very dense and shaded. As time passed, hunting and deforestation led to biological advantages for grey colored individuals. Today, the black subgroup is particularly abundant in the northern part of the eastern grey squirrel's range. This is likely due to the significantly increased cold tolerance of black squirrels which lose less heat than greys. Black squirrels also enjoy concealment advantages in denser northern forests.
Large natural populations of black squirrels can be found throughout Ontario and in several parts of Ohio, Maryland, Michigan, Indiana, Virginia, Washington, D.C., Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Pennsylvania. Populations of grey squirrels in which the black subgroup is predominant can be found in these six areas as well as in smaller enclaves in Missouri, New Jersey, southern New York, Illinois and Connecticut.
Here's an interesting tidbit, concerning Michigan...
Black squirrels are abundant in Battle Creek, Michigan, and according to legend were first introduced there by Will Keith Kellogg, founder of the Kellogg Company, in an effort to destroy the local population of red squirrels. The story continues that this same population of squirrels was further introduced to the campus of Michigan State University by John Harvey Kellogg for the same purpose.
I sat this AM in Northern Mi had aleast 6 of them around me all the time, primarily the dominant phase we see, once in a while I see a true Gray! they are very tough to kill even when you hit one!
That's awesome. My parents subdivision in Vidalia la is full of black fox squirrels with white faces. Only place I've ever seen that. That's awesome that you got a black cat! That skin will awesome!
I saw 2 last year will hunting
Very nice trophy, congrats. The Bronx is loaded with them. More than regular grays it seems. Ive seen them in northern Adirondack ares but none around me.
neat...never saw one of those but was hunting back in early 90s and a big squirrel was also chasing a grey squirrel....I always called them fox squirrels but know some call the smaller versions fox squirrels as well if red tint. Anyhow this big thing barked for half and hour on ground at me and then I shot it bit at the arrow when it missed and went up a big white oak. The Zwickey didnt miss though and a friend did a mount while I was in Kuwait after Desert Shield...
he mounted it on a hollowed out piece of white oak and took the actual arrow I hit him with and made it look as if I missed...AGAIN!
(http://pic40.picturetrail.com/VOL285/1460516/24043253/405966632.jpg)
That squirrel of yours is a pretty trophy for sure....hope you ate him too! :)
Mojostick - thanks for all the info! Interesting stuff!
Brock - that's a cool mount! Haven't eating him yet but he's in the fridge and on the menu for this week.
QuoteOriginally posted by Gordon Jabben:
I remember Father Jim Grinner taking a couple with his self bow on a squirrel hunt around Tahlequah Oklahoma probably twenty-five years ago. They were black fox squirrels. The only ones I have ever seen. Congratulations, pretty neat.
Gordon, I don't know who Father Grinner is but I was talking with a good friend at church from Tahlequah. His name is David Wolfenbarger and he got me into trad bow hunting about 8 years ago. The first thing he did was took me squirrel hunting. I was in disbelief when I saw him drill a squirrel while it was running atop a high branch. He hunted with a 95# HH bow. He told me today he has killed many black squirrels around Tahlequah.
That's a black fox squirrel. The southern fox squirrel comes in a variety of color phases. Solid black fox squirrels are common and in some areas the predominate color phases. I've never seen a black grey or cat squirrel in the south but that doesn't mean they aren't found elsewhere, or one might just show up at my bird feeder in the morning. :)
In south Georgia squirrels raise year round and we raised several litters of fox squirrels when I worked there in the 1970s. I had a solid black pet fox squirrel that would ride in the truck with me and play around on the dash and sit on top of the seat when I would stop for coffee. He certainly received a lot interest when folks would walk by my truck.
Very cool. I have never seen one before here
in Iowa.
Tsalt, you are a lucky man to have a friend like David to teach you about bow hunting. David and Eugene Wolfenbarger were just incredible squirrel hunters along with Larry Duncan. It just doesn't get any better than hunting squirrels along the Illinois River with them. Fifteen squirrels in one day was not unusual for the three of them. I know most people won't believe that but it's true. I'm sure David has taken many black squirrels as they are fairly common where he hunted. They would buy a thousand cedar shafts and three thousand feathers at a time. The only problem I had with them was that they didn't look long for a lost arrow. Would like to see them again.
I've got quite a few on my property in central WI. As a matter of fact, I see them all the time. Very easy to spot.
That one is a pope and young!
Neat thread. Thanks for sharing the pics guys. I have never seen one though I hear we have them in northern pa. I would love to shot one.
I wish we had them in Indiana. How do they taste compared to Fox and greys?
Very nice!!
We never had these in northeastern Ontario until a couple years ago. Now it's polluted with them. I have 5 red oaks in my back yard and they produced lots of acorns this year so these black beasties invaded. I've shot 4 of them so far but it hasn't made a dent. They are very hard to get close to and never stop moving. It's good practice. Unfortunately they got into one of my sheds and made quite a mess.
It's interesting that our native red squirrels run the big black ones off all the time. I wouldn't have believed it if I didn't see it.
QuoteOriginally posted by Gordon Jabben:
Tsalt, you are a lucky man to have a friend like David to teach you about bow hunting. David and Eugene Wolfenbarger were just incredible squirrel hunters along with Larry Duncan. It just doesn't get any better than hunting squirrels along the Illinois River with them. Fifteen squirrels in one day was not unusual for the three of them. I know most people won't believe that but it's true. I'm sure David has taken many black squirrels as they are fairly common where he hunted. They would buy a thousand cedar shafts and three thousand feathers at a time. The only problem I had with them was that they didn't look long for a lost arrow. Would like to see them again.
Gordon, yes I am lucky to know David and I'm thrilled that you know him as well. Larry Duncan went with us once and we hunted the Illinois river bottom just as you described. I was hunting with a compound at the time and David was talking about shooting rabbits and squirrels with his long bow. Honestly, I thought he was exaggerating.... boy was I wrong.
You are right about them killing 15 squirrels in a day... In fact, Traditional Bowhunter Magazine (I think that was the magazine... not positive) did an article on David, Eugene, Larry and some other guys. The writer of the article showed up with his 45# bow and couldn't believer those guys were squirrel hunting with 100# bows!!
David showed me the pic from the article. I'll have to see if I can get a copy of it from him and post it on this thread.
David is not only an incredible bow hunter, he is one of the most generous guys I know. When I showed up to squirrel hunt with him he gave handed me a longbow, a leather arm guard, and a back quiver full of arrows and said, "here, these are yours!" I was hooked!! He later gave me a hand me down recurve that I took my first trad deer with. He has been a great mentor. And incidentally, he is one of the most faithful members of the church I pastor...which is how I met David.
really cool!!great shooting!
We don't have any "grey" squirrels here in CO. At least I've never seen any. We have Fox squirrels but have never seen a black one.
We do have these Aberts Squirrels that are black
(http://i896.photobucket.com/albums/ac170/longcruise/Wildlife/Nickandaberts_zps39138064.jpg)
Funny thing is the only Squirrel that I ever saw in CO that was grey was one of these Aberts that was light grey for some reason.
On Vancouver Island, the west side of Canada we only had Red Squirrels until a few years ago. They now are considered an invasive species and the Dept. of Wildlife says try to eradicate them. Impossible.
They are way cool. I remember the first one I shot. Now the woods is full of them. I need to head home one of these years I'd like to get one mounted.
Very cool. I have seen them in Florida and Colorado but never here. Nice trophy, I'd get him mounted.
Monterey - those Aberts squirrels are cool. Need seen one of those either. That must be related to bats with those ears!
Kentucky - thanks... Not getting a mount but I am tannig the hide.
Tsalt, they are cool. There is a relative in AZ that looks much alike called a Kaibab Squirrel.
The Aberts lives in poderosa pine environments and can be tough to hunt. If they can be spotted on the ground and "tree'd" they tend to go to the very top of the tree. A tough shot. Often they can be spotted on the ground but somehow manage to dissapear even in a relatively open stand of pines.
Season opens tomorrow! Maybe should make up some hide stretching boards.
I found it interesting that there is quite a large colony of black squirrels in northwest Washington state near the Canadian border.
My daughter attends Western Washington University in Bellingham and has reported numerous blackies on campus with some of these squirrels being overly aggressive toward students.
A bit of searching says these are a "morphed" eastern grey which was introduced here in WA about 100 years ago. Our native Western Gray has been nearly eliminated by these greys.
Some say the black color phase is nature's way of helping survival of the species since black fur helps keep the animal warm. If that's the case, then why is the polar bear not black?
I also remember seeing lots of black squirrels when I was in southeast Georgia. The locals told me they were just a color phase of the fox squirrel down there.
I sat one of my stands for the first time this past week and would you believe I had a nice, black fox squirrel come by and eat an acorn about five yards from my tree. I did my best to make it into a black gray squirrel but it didn't work. :) It spent a great deal of time in the area and later I plan to move a camera there and hopefully get a photo or two.
We raised a few litters of southern fox squirrels when I worked in south Georgia many years back and typically a litter rarely contained two of the same color. It is interesting at the variety of color combinations the southern fox squirrel comes in.
Black phase grey squirrels are quit common in NE Ohio now-a-days, in fact more common the the greys in towns...
Mojostick - "Black squirrels are a color phase of grey squirrels".
Not necessarily, many mammals come in melanistic phases, including the fox squirrel which Liquid Amber explained and wanted to ask Tsalt if he knew if his was a grey, or fox squirrel species? Viewing from the photos, it looks more like a melanistic fox squirrel to me too...
ceme24's is a black grey squirrel, which we have around here...
I have a few photos of different colored phased grey squirrels but don't know how to post pix on this site...
Saw one on our place in Arkansas Saturday.First I have ever seen there. The property borders is bordered by the Red river. Lots of fox squirrels which I understand the black is a color phase of the fox here. As stated we see a few here in Louisiana.
QuoteOriginally posted by monterey:
We don't have any "grey" squirrels here in CO. At least I've never seen any. We have Fox squirrels but have never seen a black one.
We do have these Aberts Squirrels that are black
(http://i896.photobucket.com/albums/ac170/longcruise/Wildlife/Nickandaberts_zps39138064.jpg)
Funny thing is the only Squirrel that I ever saw in CO that was grey was one of these Aberts that was light grey for some reason.
Actually the black ones are Kaibab squirrels, the grey are aberts. Same squirrels, just different color phases. They live on opposite sides of the Grand canyon, but there is some overlap in the areas they live.
I have a camp in the southern tier of New York and there are a bunch of them there. I live about 3 hours south of my camp in PA and I've only seen one or two there in my whole life. Very neat looking. Nice trophy!
We have a few up here,...But that's a BIG tree rat :eek: :clapper: