The archery deer season began Oct. 2 and continues into November. Since many bowhunters hunt from tree stands, squirrel hunters are asked to be careful whenever shooting at a squirrel moving through the forest canopy. Hunting should be a rewarding experience, especially when you're squirrel hunting. Productive locations for squirrel hunting include stands of oak, in forested areas adjacent to cornfields and in mature woodlots found in agricultural areas. The best hunting methods are walking slowly and quietly, also known as still hunting, and hunting from a stand, usually at the base of a tree.
Squirrels are typically on the move throughout the day.
Grouse, on the other hand, are in fair to good supply, but spotty. Our last peak in total grouse population was in 1994 and 1995. Based on this year's summer sightings by PGC personnel, I believe we bottomed out of the downward trend last year and expect grouse to improve for this hunting season. A majority of PGC wildlife conservation officers statewide reported they expected grouse hunting to be fair to good for the upcoming seasons. Their observations were based upon sightings and reports from hunters and other outdoors enthusiasts.