Pennsylvania Game News - October 2023 - 10

are drawn to those trees to pick them off.
You can often spot them going up the
trunk of one of beech tree, then moving
from one to another along their large
horizontal limbs.
Early in the season, there's another
food source favored by squirrels that's
too often overlooked by many squirrel
hunters: soft mast. Blueberries, wild
grapes and black cherries are all potential
food sources to target, especially through
September. These foods are high in sugar
and don't last long, so - much like bears
do - squirrels target them heavily and
often while they're still around.
If you're lucky enough to find a spot
like this, find a comfortable seat and
settle in. It may take some doing to spot
squirrels in the treetops, but you'll know
they're there because you'll hear them
dropping chewed-up pieces of beechnuts
to the ground.
Most importantly remember that, in the
end, it doesn't matter how much success
you have in filling your game vest with
what some of us still consider Pennsylvania's
most exciting game animal. A
day in the early fall woods, carrying a
well-sighted-in double-deuce, is a reward
unto itself.
And if you're lucky enough to have a
youngster or other new hunter by your
side, you can feel good knowing you're
building the foundation of a future hunter.
Try to enjoy it as much as they do!
FALL MAST 2023
The 2023-24 squirrel season may prove a
challenging one, at least from a food source
perspective, which might shape your hunting
for other game, too.
Spring frosts impacted mast-producing
trees, especially north of I-80.
And on top of that, there was another
massive outbreak of spongy moths across
multiple regions of the state.
On the positive side, it looks like this
might be another good year for hickory
nuts. They seem to have endured the frosts
well, especially those stands located in the
bottomlands of big valleys. If you can find
some hickory mixed among white pines
along a stream bottom, the squirrel action
could be fast and furious. Bushytails are
likely to be running from the ground, where
they collect hickory nuts in bunches, to
nests and caches hidden in the pine boughs.
Acorns might be spottier, especially in
areas hit by both the frost and the moths.
Here's a suggestion, though: scour the
Game Commission's and Department of
Conservation and Natural Resources' webpages
to identify those blocks of forest that
were sprayed to keep spongy moths at bay
in 2023. You're much more likely to find
healthy oak stands there. Those areas will
likely hold more squirrels, too.
As for beechnuts, they're hit and miss.
Sadly, there aren't very many healthy
American beech trees left in the state, not
after beech bark disease swept through in
the mid-to-late 20th century.
Healthy beeches still can be found, scattered
among pines or oaks, in the central
and southern parts of the state. Check the
ground beneath these trees to see if there
are remnants from last year's seed crop.
Any prickly little pods on the ground indicate
the tree is still producing viable seeds.
Hunting squirrels is a lot of fun, which is part of why
it's a good way to introduce newcomers to hunting.
But a lot can be gained from better knowing the
woods where you'll be pursuing other game, too.
10
Jacob Dingel
Pennsylvania Game News - October 2023

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