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Which squeaker toy for dogs is better?

Dogs like squeaker toys because they are interactive and designed to simulate prey. These noisy toys trigger an instinctive response in your dog that makes playing endlessly satisfying, as if he were hunting alongside his wild ancestors.

If you want a happy pet, look for a squeaker toy that’s durable and packed with interactive features. The Outward Hound Hide-A-Squirrel Puzzle Toy is the best choice because it’s whimsical, squeaky, and features a fun puzzle that will keep your dog engaged for hours on end.

What you should know before buying a dog squeaker toy

Types of squeaky toys

There are many types of squeaker toys to choose from, and every dog ​​likes something a little different. For a more comprehensive list of general dog toy categories, check out BestReviews’ complete dog toy buying guide.

• Stuffed Squeaky Toys: These soft and squeaky toys are usually in cute shapes or designed to look like animals. While they may not always be particularly durable, dogs of all sizes and ages love squeaky plush toys.
• Balls and chew toys: These squeaker toys are usually made of a hard plastic material like nylon and are tough enough to resist regular rodents. These are great for dogs that love to compulsively chew on things, and many of these toys double as tossable balls if your dog likes to play fetch.
• Puzzle toys: A great way to stimulate your dog’s brain, puzzle toys often include squeaks and are perfect for easily bored pets. These toys often incorporate some sort of reward into their design, such as a treat or stuffed toy.

squeaky toy tips

• Many dogs chew on stuffed toys trying to get to the source of the squeaky sound. If that happens, be prepared to retrieve the plastic squeaker or your pet could swallow it.
• Put dog toys away when not in use and retrieve them only when your dog wants to play. This will give your pet a new thrill every time his toys reappear.
• If your pet can chew hard plastic, make sure there are no sharp pieces left. Shredded bits of plastic can cut your dog’s mouth without him realizing it.
• If your dog spends a significant part of the day alone, consider a puzzle toy or durable toy that will keep his brain active when you’re not around.

What to look for in a quality dog ​​squeaker toy

Durability

Perhaps the most important thing to look for in a squeaker toy is durability. Most dogs have extremely powerful jaws, so choose a manufacturer you trust that makes durable construction a priority in their products. Details like double stitching and puncture-proof squeaks are good indicators that a squeaker will last.

Safety

Squeaker toys are meant to spend a lot of time in your dog’s mouth, so safety is key. Look for a brand you trust that uses safe materials, like food-grade and BPA-free plastic, and avoid anything with small parts that your pet can swallow.

Size

Find a squeaker toy that is the right size for your pet. If the toy is too small, it can be a choking hazard; if it’s too big, your dog may have trouble playing with it. Choose a balanced toy that is small enough for your dog to carry but large enough to support its jaws.

How much can you expect to spend on a dog squeaker toy?

Expect to pay $3-$30 for a squeaky dog ​​toy. Keep in mind that cheaper dog toys are often less durable and may need to be replaced more often.

Dog Squeaker Toy Frequently Asked Questions

Can squeaker toys be washed?

A. The most durable squeaker toys can be added to a regular load of laundry without a problem. Just be sure to use cold or lukewarm water, as hot water can damage the squeaker part of the toy.

What should I do if my dog ​​swallows the squeaker?

A. Call your vet immediately. While there’s a good chance your dog will get through the part without a problem, you should see a professional to make sure there isn’t an obstruction.

What is the best squeaker toy for dogs?

Superior squeaker toy for dogs

Outward Hound Hide-A-Squirrel Puzzle Toy

What you need to know: This popular dog toy includes an elaborate and interactive puzzle to keep your dog entertained.

What you’ll love: The log-shaped plush toy includes six squeaky squirrels that your pet can hide and discover. The squirrels can then be tossed around for a game of fetch, while the log itself doubles as a toss toy.

What you should consider: Parts of the toy could be destroyed by a determined chewer.

Where to buy: Sold by Amazon

The best investment for your money

Medium Gnawing Squeaky Ball

What you need to know: This inexpensive squeaker ball is great for playing fetch and tough enough to take a lot of chewing.

What you’ll love: This affordable squeaker toy is made from BPA-free, food-grade plastic, and the spikes around the ball are designed to massage your dog’s gums. Users say that the ball is very durable for the price.

What you should consider: The squeaker is very loud, which is fun for the dog, but unpleasant for some pet owners.

Where to buy: Sold by Amazon

Honorable Mention

ZippyPaws Skinny Peltz

What you need to know: These popular squeaker toys are unstuffed and double as a pull toy.

What you’ll love: These squeaky toys come in two sizes and are designed to look like three adorable woodland creatures: a fox, a raccoon, and a squirrel. Each toy contains three squeakers and no messy stuffing.

What you should consider: Several users said that their dogs were able to start the squeakers relatively quickly.

Where to buy: Sold by Amazon

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Patrick Farmer writes for BestReviews. BestReviews has helped millions of consumers simplify their purchasing decisions, saving them time and money.

Copyright 2022 BestReviews, a Nexstar company. All rights reserved.

JERRY DAVIS For Lee Sports Wisconsin

MCCONNELSVILLE, Ohio— The Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Wildlife today announced the purchase of an additional 6,898 acres in the Appalachian Hills Wildlife Area in southeastern Ohio. The acquisition brings the total acreage of Ohio’s largest wilderness area to 54,525 acres of public land for hunting, fishing, trapping, birding and outdoor recreation.

Legend: The Appalachian Hills Wildlife Area has hundreds of lakes and ponds
offering excellent fishing opportunities.

“The latest addition to the Appalachian Hills Wildlife Area adds vibrant land to an area already known for its fabulous hunting and fishing,” said Wildlife Division Chief Kendra Wecker. “We are proud to expand outdoor recreation opportunities for all Ohioans and protect wildlife habitats. Thank you to the Ohio athletes who came together to promote and support this purchase.”

The Division of Wildlife’s latest acquisition in the Appalachian Hills is the final installment in a series of additions that have taken place since 2020. Funding for the cumulative purchases came from $68 million in capital improvements and wildlife funds.

Legend: The grasslands of the wildlife area are home to many birds.
including hard-to-find species like the bobolink.

“The acquisition was made possible by the support of Governor Mike DeWine and the Ohio General Assembly so that people can now enjoy this outdoor expanse in perpetuity,” said ODNR Director Mary Mertz.

The Appalachian Hills Wildlife Area is located in Guernsey, Morgan, Muskingum, and Noble counties near McConnelsville. It connects a network of habitats between Jesse Owens State Park and The Wilds, an outlet of the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium. Located in the unglaciated part of Ohio, the area’s terrain is varied and rugged, criss-crossed by many small streams and rolling hills. It is mainly forest land, but also has abundant grasslands and some wetlands.

More than 350 lakes and ponds dot the landscape in the Appalachian Hills, providing anglers with abundant fishing opportunities for bass, bluegill, catfish and more. Appalachian Hills is one of the best places in the state to fish for bass that qualify for Fish Ohio recognition. Thousands of acres of varied habitats have resulted in excellent whitetail deer and wild turkey hunting. Hunters can hunt for all kinds of other game in the area, which has abundant numbers of squirrels, rabbits, and furriers.

Bird watchers can find species such as long-eared owl, northern harrier, prairie warbler, bobolink, and scarlet tanager on the property. The Appalachian Hills Wildlife Area is also one of the few places in Ohio where northern shrikes can be found in the winter. Hiking enthusiasts can find great trails, including 24 miles of the 1,400-mile Buckeye Trail. This is one of the few wildlife areas that allows camping in designated locations, with nearly 300 campsites spread across six designated areas.

Those interested in visiting the Appalachian Hills Wildlife Area can find maps, species information, fishing tips, and additional resources at wildohio.gov. Download the HuntFish OH mobile app for free resources on the go.

While appearing at CineEurope to promote other projects, Taylor-Johnson also spoke about her experience on “Kraven the Hunter” so far. According to Variety, the actor says it’s been interesting playing “Spider-Man’s number one rival” because the notorious big-game hunter “isn’t an alien or a wizard. He’s just a hunter, a human with conviction.” That sound good. Although, in addition, Taylor-Johnson says that Kraven is also “an animal lover and a protector of the natural world.”

Hope for?

In the comics, Sergei Kravinoff leaves his homeland of Russia to become the world’s greatest hunter. To do so, he targets Spider-Man because he believes that defeating the hero will grant him that title. But when it comes to hunting more conventional prey, he has a code of honor that dictates a fair and honorable hunt that usually only involves his bare hands. Clearly he has respect for the creatures (and creature-themed people) he hunts to some degree because of this code, but I’d hardly say that qualifies him as an “animal lover” and “protector of the natural world.” “It’s more of a ‘let’s kill the biggest, baddest animals in the world and use their heads and skins as trophies and clothing’ kind of thing.”

I mean, there’s a chance the lion head vest he’s wearing is fake, but it’s not likely.

Considering that nothing will turn the audience against any character faster than seeing them kill animals for sport (no matter how honorable), Sony clearly had to take some liberties with “Kraven the Hunter” if they decided to go ahead with the project. . But making him “an animal lover” and “a protector of the natural world” is such a drastic departure from who Kraven is as a character.

Outdoor enthusiasts are encouraged to be cautious and take steps to minimize contact with Ohio’s tick species this summer, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Wildlife. Ticks are found throughout Ohio and sometimes carry potentially dangerous diseases.

When you spend time outdoors, take precautions to prevent a tick from attaching to your skin. Treat outdoor clothing with permethrin-based repellents according to label directions. Tuck pants into socks or boots and shirts into pants to keep ticks off clothing. It can be helpful to wear light-colored clothing, which will make it easier to spot ticks. Thoroughly check clothing and skin for attached ticks after any outdoor excursion, and don’t forget to check pets and gear, too.

Any attached tick should be removed as quickly as possible to reduce the risk of tick-borne diseases. To remove a tick, use tweezers or gloved hands. Grasp the tick as close to the skin as possible and pull it out with even, steady pressure.

Ohio has three species of medically important ticks: the American dog tick, the black-legged tick, and the lone star tick. All three species have the potential to transmit diseases to humans and pets. The highest risk of tick-borne diseases occurs from June to August, but Lyme disease is possible year-round.

The American dog tick is the most common tick in Ohio and is found in grassy areas. It is most active during the summer months and is the main transmitter of Rocky Mountain spotted fever. Black-legged tick populations have increased in Ohio since 2010, especially in wooded areas. This species is active year-round, including winter, and can transmit Lyme disease. The black-legged tick is also known as a deer tick because it is frequently found on white-tailed deer. Lone star ticks are found primarily in southern Ohio in shady, grassy areas and are active during the warmer months. This species can also transmit various diseases.

More information on these and other tick species, as well as photos to aid identification, are available on the Ohio Department of Health website. For more information on tick-borne diseases and their symptoms, visit cdc.gov/ticks.

Ticks can transmit disease within 36 to 48 hours of the initial bite. It is important to regularly check for ticks and remove them as soon as possible. Outdoor recreation increases the chance of finding ticks. Urban and suburban development also increases risk as people are in close proximity to mice, white-tailed deer, and other tick hosts. Pets in an outdoor environment should have tick control.

It is important to note that unlike humans and pets, wild animals such as deer are not affected by the black-legged tick and do not suffer from the ill effects of Lyme disease. Hunters should remember that hunting and dressing deer can bring them into close contact with infected ticks. Lyme disease cannot be spread by eating venison.

• Park visitors have a new place to dock their boats, eat lunch and gather with family at Alum Creek State Park. The new marina building includes retail and boat rental space, offers pizza and snacks, accessible public restrooms and showers, and a covered outdoor patio space. The facility replaces the previous marina building that was built in the 1970s and complements the recently renovated docks and fuel system installed at the main marina.

• Applications for hunting opportunities on Ohio controlled public lands will be accepted beginning Friday, July 1, according to the ODNR Division of Wildlife. These hunts provide special opportunities for hunters to pursue deer, waterfowl, doves and more on public lands during the 2022-23 season. The application period is open for all hunters until Sunday, July 31.

Controlled hunts take place in select areas around Ohio and are available through the Division of Wildlife and the Division of Parks and Boats. Available hunts for the 2022-23 season include deer, waterfowl, doves, pheasants, squirrels and quail. The Wildlife Division offers hunts for adults, youth, people with reduced mobility, and mentors with trainees. Firearms and archery options are available.

Hunters can apply for controlled hunts by completing the application process online using the Ohio Wildlife Licensing System or by calling 1-800-703-1928. There is a $5.50 service fee for the phone option. Each hunt requires payment of a $3 non-refundable application fee. Clients can apply for more than one hunt, but can only apply for each hunt once a year.

All applicants, youth and adults, must possess a valid Ohio hunting license and meet age requirements. Junior hunters must be under the age of 18 at the time of the hunt to participate. Adults must be 18 years or older at the time of application. Those applying to hunt deer will also need a valid deer permit to apply. Find more information at wildohio.gov on the controlled hunting page.

Participants may use a deer management permit during controlled deer hunts. Deer management permits are $15 and can be used to hunt antlerless deer only. Deer management permits are valid on private land and select public hunting areas through Nov. 27. They are also valid during authorized controlled hunts between September 10 and February 5, 2023.

Hunters are randomly drawn from submitted requests. Selected applicants will be notified and provided additional information about the hunt by Monday, August 8, including a permit, rules, and a map of the hunt area. Each controlled hunt opportunity is unique, and applicants are encouraged to thoroughly review all site-specific information, including rules and requirements, before applying. Application statuses can be viewed through the Ohio Wildlife Licensing System.

Until next time, Good Hunting and Good Fishing!

Ken Parrott is an Agricultural Sciences teacher at Northmor High School.

In the summer of 2003, just weeks after an outbreak of monkeypox sickened about 70 people across the Midwest, Mark Slifka visited the “super-spreader,” he told me, “that infected half of Wisconsin’s cases “.

Chewy, a prairie dog, had already succumbed to the disease, which he almost certainly contracted in an exotic animal facility he shared with infected rats from Ghana. But his owners’ other prairie dog, Mono, named for the way he climbed up his cage, contracted the pathogen and survived. “I was a little worried,” said Slifka, an immunologist at Oregon Health and Science University. All the traits that made Monkey a charismatic pet also made him an infectious threat. He hugged and nibbled at the owners of him; when they left home, he wrapped himself in their clothes until they returned. “It was sweet,” Slifka told me. “But I was like, ‘Can Monkey be in his cage when we come over?'”

Slifka came home without smallpox, and the 2003 outbreak fizzled out. But that wave of cases was close: a chance for the virus to establish itself in a new animal host. A long-lasting species jump, similar to what SARS-CoV-2 has turned into white-tailed deer, and monkeypox will be “with us forever” in the US, says Barbara Han, a disease ecologist of the Cary Institute, in New York. In central and western Africa, where the virus is endemic, scientists suspect that at least a couple of rodent species intermittently splash it onto humans. And as the largest monkeypox epidemic in history outside of Africa continues to unfold (more than 2,700 confirmed and suspected cases have been reported in roughly three dozen countries), the virus is now receiving many more shots at the door. This time, we may not be so lucky; the geography of monkeypox could soon change.

Any new jump could reshape the future of this virus and ours. Experts consider the possibility unlikely: “Low risk, but it’s a risk,” says Jeffrey Doty, a CDC disease ecologist. Existing animal reservoirs make some diseases nearly impossible to eliminate; the appearance of new outbreaks could generate future outbreaks in places where they are not currently common. If researchers can identify some of those animals and keep them from mixing with us, we might be able to avoid some of those problems. But that’s a big Yes. With so many susceptible animals, discovering which ones harbor the virus could send researchers on a year-long race, with no clear goal.

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Scientists first discovered monkeypox in the 1950s, in two species of monkeys housed in a Danish animal facility; hence the name, which will probably change soon. But in subsequent decades, the best evidence that the virus persists in animals came from rodents in central and western Africa, including rope squirrels, sun squirrels, Gambian rats and dormouse. All signs point to rodents being “responsible for maintaining this virus in the wild,” Doty told me, so he and his colleagues are most concerned with those mammals as they ponder which animals in non-endemic regions may represent the greatest risk in the future.

but a batch of rodents scurry across the planet: about 2,500 species, together making up about 40 percent of known mammals. Although not all species are capable of carrying monkeypox (for example, guinea pigs, golden hamsters, and common mice and rats are not), many of them can.

Building the case for an animal reservoir tends to require years of fieldwork, rigorous safety protocols, and a lot of luck. For some viruses, the reservoir narrative is relatively clear: Hendra virus, an often fatal respiratory infection, typically jumps from bats to horses to people; most hantaviruses, which can cause lethal fevers, establish themselves in one species of rodent each. Monkeypox, however, is much less demanding than that. Experts suspect multiple animals keep the virus seeping into the wild. How many, however, is anyone’s guess.

Read: Monkeypox could be nothing, or it could be the next syphilis

The gold standard for establishing a reservoir requires isolation of active virus, proof that the pathogen was photocopying within a viable host. But in the wild, “you can break your back and end up getting only five animals of a species,” Han, who has been using machine learning to try to predict possible reservoirs of monkeypox, told me. “And how much are five animals?” They may lack the virus in question, even if other members of their population harbor it; they may have been caught at an age, or during a season, when the pathogen is not present. And among the animals that harbor the virus, a reservoir may not always be the most obvious species: rodents may be among the most frequently detected carriers of monkeypox, but outbreaks in zoos and laboratory experiments have shown that the virus it is capable of infiltrating anteaters, rabbits, and a sizable handful of primates, along with mammals other than mice. In several of these species and others, scientists have found antibodies that recognize poxviruses, suggesting past exposures; they have even discovered the DNA of the virus. Yet only twice has anyone found active viruses in wild animals: a rope squirrel from the Democratic Republic of Congo in the 1980s and a sooty mangabey, found in the Ivory Coast about a decade ago.

Even those cases were not a cake walk. More is needed to “find out which one is a reservoir, versus which ones get infected, but aren’t really responsible for keeping the virus circulating in people,” Jamie Lloyd-Smith, a disease ecologist at UCLA, told me. The fact that an animal can transmit the virus to us does not mean that it will.

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For that to happen, humans must have enough contact with animals that exposure is likely, for example in routine bushmeat hunting, or in fractured landscapes where animals forage in and around homes. people. Lloyd-Smith, who has been surveying Congo residents, said parsing out what is risky and what isn’t is harder than it sounds: Most of the people she talks to interact with forest creatures all the time. “It’s not like, ‘Oh, it was the people who ate the salmon mousse at church breakfast,’” he told me. To further complicate matters, wild and domesticated animals can act as intermediaries between humans and a true reservoir, says Stephanie Seifert, a disease ecologist at Washington State University. Researchers sometimes have to traverse webs of interaction, moving through Kevin Bacon-style degrees of separation, to identify the original source.

Revealing those natural origins is key to preventing the virus from moving into new real estate and perhaps breaking existing leases. In West and Central Africa, for example, where some people’s livelihoods depend on hunting and eating wild animals, “you can’t just say, ‘Don’t interact with rodents,'” Seifert told me. But with more research, says Clement Meseko, a veterinarian and virologist who studies the human-wildlife interface at the Nigerian National Veterinary Research Institute, perhaps experts could finally identify just a couple of species and then recommend sustainable alternatives instead. its place. Improved sanitation to keep rodent pests away from humans could also help. The same could happen with the distribution of vaccines to people living in high-risk regions of endemic countries, or perhaps to the wild animals of concern themselves. (Immunizing animals is a pretty lofty goal, but it may still be a better alternative to euthanizing animals, which “often doesn’t work,” Lloyd-Smith said.)

Read: Monkeypox vaccines are too complicated for the masses

In the US, amid the current wave of monkeypox cases, the CDC has recommended that infected people avoid interacting with pets, livestock, and other animals altogether. Although no cat or dog is ever known to have contracted the infection, “basically we don’t know anything about monkeypox in common companion animals,” Doty said. For now, it’s best to play it safe.

And the most significant way to prevent the virus from developing into a new animal species, Han said, “is to control the human outbreak.” The range of monkeypox species is already formidable, and in today’s world, humans and animals collide more often. Amid the ongoing outbreak, Meseko, who is spending the year completing a fellowship in St. Paul, Minnesota, has been taking note of “how free squirrels are everywhere.” Whatever threat they may pose to us, “animals are also in danger from humans,” he told her.

After all, human activity brought monkeypox to the US in 2003 and a cabal of prairie dogs that included Chewy and Monkey. “They wouldn’t have been exposed geographically without us moving around this virus,” Seifert said. And the human desire for pets brought those prairie dogs into dozens of Midwestern homes. People mobilize disease; our species also represents an immense infectious threat to the planet. The current outbreak of monkeypox, for example, is larger and more human-centric than those documented in the past. And the more opportunities the virus has to infiltrate new hosts, the more opportunities it has to expand its species range. Leakage from animals may not be detected until it is too late; perhaps, some experts pointed out, it happened a long time ago, seeding a reservoir that helped spark the ongoing epidemic. “We don’t have evidence of that right now,” says Grant McFadden, a poxvirus expert at Arizona State University. “But that could change on a dime.”

Following in the footsteps of Poison Y MorbiusSony is releasing a spin-off movie of another classic Spider-Man villain: Kraven the Hunter. It’s due out next year and stars Aaron Taylor-Johnson in his third (!) superhero role. But a new interview is raising some questions about the direction of this new franchise, after Taylor-Johnson characterized Kraven as an “animal lover.”

Created in the 1960s, Kraven is a major game hunter who dresses in outrageous costumes made from animal skins. While he generally plays a villainous role, his personal code of honor means he sometimes slips into anti-hero territory.

Like most long-running Marvel characters, he’s evolved a lot over the decades. However, many fans were quick to mock Aaron Taylor-Johnson describing their version of him as an “animal lover and protector of the natural world”. The main reaction to this news is that people are immersed in the idea of ​​“Kraven the member of PETA”, and predicting that the film will be a flop like Morbius.

Well, we made a Venom movie without Spider-Man. A Morbius movie without an audience. Now it’s time for a Kraven movie without hunting. https://t.co/DFnf3f7Syd

— Ashley talks about comics! (@ComicGirlAshley) June 21, 2022

Kraven’s most famous story has him attacking Peter, burying him alive, eating live spiders, dressing as Spider-Man, and beating criminals to death.

for reference. https://t.co/B9hbubCYKK

— The call comes from inside Nash (@Nash076) June 21, 2022

The image of a vegan pacifist Kraven the Hunter is an easy punchline, but most of this backlash (you might be surprised to hear!) is people reacting to a quote out of context. in the original Variety article, Taylor-Johnson confirmed that Kraven will still be a hunter in the upcoming film. He will only be portrayed as an anti-hero rather than a full villain, much like the Poison the movies represent Eddie Brock.

To be honest, this direction makes a lot of sense. Marvel movies are aimed at a wide audience, including children, and a lot of people just don’t want to see a movie where a lot of animals are sacrificed. It seems that Sony is trying to retain Kraven’s general personality (“a hunter, a human with conviction”) in a way that allows him to be a conventional anti-hero. And as some Marvel fans have done he pointed, this still reflects the comics. While Kraven has a dark and violent legacy, he also has more upbeat stories, such as a recurring comedic role as Squirrel Girl’s friend and ally.

In the context of this upcoming film, the Jurassic Park The franchise is a worthwhile comparison. Those movies simultaneously portray dinosaurs as both dangerous monsters and friendly and/or vulnerable wild animals. if it’s from sony kraven the hunter follows a similar route, Kraven can easily be an action hero, a hunter, and a “protector of the natural world” at the same time.

With one of the longest hunting seasons in Missouri, more hunters have found that hunting squirrels in the winter can fill the gap until the spring turkey season begins in April. The squirrel season that began May 26 will continue through February 15 with a daily limit of 10 and a possession limit of 20 bushytails.

Harry Jackson, now 80, recalled how he used to start hunting squirrels around Memorial Day, when ticks, flying insects and thick brush made hunting difficult, but a few years ago he discovered that hunting in the winter months you can succeed without fighting the above drawback. He pointed out that the fact that the leaves are gone offers a better view in the forest so he can spot the squirrels more easily. He said: “In the winter months, you have the advantage of seeing squirrels without heavy cover, and you don’t have to fight ticks or mosquitoes. You don’t have to wear camouflage like you do when hunting waterfowl, deer and turkey.” … I usually find a good spot where I can see active squirrels and be ready when they’re in range.”

I went on my first winter squirrel hunt the day after Christmas when I found a .22 single shot rifle under the Christmas tree. My brother took me to a place that he had hunted and was always successful.

It was a great day for winter as the temperature was in the 50’s with little wind. We found a spot near a stream where we could see 100 yards into the woods. It wasn’t long before my brother pointed out a red squirrel moving through the leaves on the ground. I watched as he approached, rifle at the ready. About 30 meters ahead, he stopped and I fired. We had the first bushytail of the day with my new gun.

Water shakes off green leaves as squirrels dart through the branches. A green canopy and extensive foliage limit visibility for both hunter and prey. Spring squirrel season is one week away from opening.

Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fish and Parks small game biologist Rick Hamrick said the forest foliage and action of spring squirrel season is similar to early fall squirrel season.

Spring squirrel season lasts 17 days from May 15 to June 1 with a daily limit of four squirrels. MDWFP has a shorter season and half the bag limit in the spring than in the fall because the department wanted to be conservative in its approach when they brought the season back in 2014. He said he’s not sure how long the state went without a season. of spring. before 2014.

“We’re starting out being a little bit conservative not knowing what kind of crop we might get,” Hamrick said. “Most of the young squirrels from the winter period are pretty well weaned by the time we get to the (spring season). We’re pretty sure it’s not having too much detrimental effect. It is probably less detrimental compared to the end of winter (fall season).”

Squirrel hunting in the spring is also different because the squirrels have a different diet than they do in the late fall hunting season. Acorn, nut and seed stores are likely to have sprouted by the time the season starts, he said.

He said that the squirrels that carry seeds, nuts and acorns contribute to the planting and regeneration of forests, he said. Young trees grow and produce cocoons, which can be a food source for squirrels.

Insects, young tree bark, shoots, fruit, and larvae all contribute to the squirrel’s diet in the spring months. Hamrick said the spring season is known as berry season in some states because squirrels like to eat berries. Identifying food sources is still important for spring hunting, as it is for fall squirrel hunting.

“They have quite a diverse diet for seed eaters,” Hamrick said. “Usually they use a wide variety of foods. Gardeners will know that when they start harvesting tomatoes… They are a little more opportunistic than people think they are.”

After spring squirrel season ends, hunters can hunt frogs, raccoons, and nuisance animals in the three months before pigeon season opens. He said there are a few reasons why the season starts on May 15 and ends on June 1.

The spring turkey season could be extended through mid-May based on state statute, he said. The May 15 start date keeps them out of conflict as long as the spring turkey season is extended. There aren’t that many hunters who want to hunt in spring squirrel season, either, she said.

The harvest data shows that spring is considerably lower in harvested squirrels than the fall data, he said. This data is collected through phone surveys and surveys that hunters complete when they leave a Wildlife Management Area such as Sandy Creek.

“In Mississippi, not many people will want to go out (and hunt) in June. The weather gets a little nasty for hunting at that time,” Hamrick said. “Squirrel-dog hunters are probably more interested at that time to work with their dogs. We give them a little more opportunity to get out. They can have more time to keep their dogs fit and work with the squirrels.”

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