How to Bait Squirrels for Hunting

Do you expect an animal to watch and wait for you to kill it? Of course not; they want to live as you do.

For successful hunting, you have to outsmart them. So, how can you bait squirrels for hunting?

Every person has their target from their duties, and so do hunters. A day well spent for any huntsman is when their goal for the day is achieved.

It is no surprise that squirrels hunting is a thing for many people.

While you are busy petting squirrels at home, someone is busy hunting them somewhere.

It’s time you know why squirrels are hunted and how to bait them for hunting. Here is the place to obtain this information.

Is Squirrel Hunting a Good Thing?

While this may appear as a closed question, presenting it on the table for discussion qualifies it to be a whole day debate. Why am I saying this?

You know well that some squirrel enthusiast somewhere would never welcome the idea of hunting squirrels; that’s how these critters are dear to them.

Perhaps that person could be you. Anyway, my intentions are peaceful!

On the other hand, a hunter’s perceptions are likely to differ from the pet freaks. The hunter has all the good reasons why they cannot stop squirrel hunting.

I hope you now understand me when I say squirrel hunting can be two-sided.

Now, back to our concern. Is squirrel hunting good? Let me tell you. The reasons behind hunting include therapeutic, sports, or subsistence purposes.

Therapeutic hunting is justifiable since it’s an excellent way to control the extravagant squirrel population.

Moreover, hunting squirrels to get food is allowed. These animals offer a flavorsome meal to many people. However, killing squirrels because you’re having fun is something different.

How to Bait Squirrels for Hunting

Hunting squirrels is a straightforward task; you don’t necessarily need to be an expert to qualify to engage in this activity.

While squirrels attract us with their physical appearance, these animals can be messy sometimes. They have teeth that grow throughout, and this gives squirrels a habit of gnawing on things trying to wear their teeth down.

Because of this characteristic, these animals can cause a lot of damage to our properties. If you have reached such an extent, keeping squirrels away would be the only solution at hand.

Pursuing a running squirrel to hunt it can be very challenging and gives a fifty-fifty chance of succeeding.

Instead of running after these pesky creatures, baiting would be a helpful alternative. Below are the tips for baiting a squirrel;

Tip#1: Locate an Area with Many Squirrels

If you want to see many squirrels, you should start looking for a place with abundant trees. Trees are natural homes to many squirrel species and also a reliable source of food.

Look for trees that produce nuts; in this case, oak trees are favorites for squirrels due to their acorns. You can still target other trees that have products, e.g., fruits that squirrels consume.

Moreover, squirrels are famous animals that live in attics. If you have some visitors in your attic, squirrels are number one to suspect.

Also, if your garden has some food growing, squirrels can be your regular guests.

If you want to know the best solution to protect your garden from squirrels, we have that article for you here.

Tip#2: Setting a Bait Trap for Squirrels

Having the correct type of bait trap for trapping squirrels is necessary for successful hunting.

Observe the area where squirrels frequently come to eat and stick around for some moments. It is the best site to place the bait trap.

Tip#3: Choose the Right Bait

Then, ensure you have a good quantity of favorite foods for squirrels to fill the bait trap.

For instance, squirrels treasure nuts, fruits, and seeds, hence can be excellent baits. They are meals with irresistible taste and smell for squirrels.

Peanut Butter Flavor

Pineapple, for example, offers a pretty sweet and succulent smell that can attract squirrels from a decent distance. Only use fresh fruits since they have a powerful smell that easily attracts squirrels.

I would also recommend you add peanut butter to the bait to make a more potent smell. Having the squirrels stick to one area increases the chances of hunting.

Tip#4: Ground Hunting

It is better and more secure to shoot a squirrel on the ground than on a tree. The latter method can be risky. First, the squirrel might get stuck on branches after shooting, or the branch can fall on you.

Try to target the head or the heart of a squirrel when hunting. Never shoot from the front or behind the squirrel to avoid the arrow or bullet penetrating deep inside the body.

During hunting, don’t expose yourself to squirrels; make sure to stay far. Some people use binoculars, and this is a good thing. Target a squirrel that is still rather than the one moving.

Can a Squirrel Learn to Avoid Traps?

Squirrels are intelligent, and their sharp memory is capable of remembering any encountered event. For instance, if a squirrel misses the trap severally, it can begin associating it with danger.

Also, squirrels can witness another squirrel being trapped, and if the same happens repeatedly, they can remember. Any time they catch sight of a trap, it appears to them as a threat.

An excellent example of squirrels that are famous for learning to avoid traps is the red squirrels. They are territorial and would instead look for a home to hoard their foods and not in the field.

That is the reason why these squirrels are primarily seen in our attics. Guarding their food appears as the essential thing to red squirrels.

Red squirrels learn to avoid traps when humans are trapping them from their houses.

When is the Best Time for Squirrel Hunting?

Knowing the best time for hunting squirrels saves you from wasting a lot of time in the field waiting for squirrels to come.

Because you see squirrels every day in your place doesn’t mean they are active the whole day.

These animals are outside the nest early in the morning and late in the afternoon to scavenge for food.

Harris Catch and Release Humane Animal Cage Trap

Additionally, squirrels prepare themselves early for winter. They catch foods in early- to mid-fall when the weather starts to cool and wait to consume them during winter. This is the best time of the year to hunt squirrels.

They come out in large numbers in search of food and store them in different places. Squirrels are also busy gathering food in the spring months.

During winter, the squirrel’s movement is minimized, and some species are hibernating.

Moreover, strong winds can discourage squirrels from moving from their nests, making it difficult to hunt them in such a condition.

Wrapping Up

Squirrel hunting is fun and legit, and it happens in most parts of the world. Squirrels can be destructive sometimes, causing severe damages to our properties. Foods are the main attractant for squirrels in human homes.

But, due to the destructive habit of these creatures, eliminating them from our houses is allowed. Also, squirrel hunting helps control the overabundance of the squirrels’ population, thus creating a balance in the ecosystem.

The best time to hunt squirrels is when they are outside their nests, including early in the morning and late afternoon. Also, the fall season is a good time for hunting squirrels since they’re busy stocking foods.