North Ga. Tree rats

[NorthGaBowhunter]

I just posted this here because I know most of ya,ll hunt north ga. I live and have hunted all around pickens and Dawson co. And over the years they are millions of squirrels. This year I wonder if they have been a disease or something. I have just seen a hand full all season. What about all of ya,ll????????????? Might just be me

 

[bowbuck]

Complete mast failure last year and cold weather for an extended time. I think a lot died. I went three trips in August and never saw a squirrel. Hickory nuts hanging in trees, none of them cut. Crazy year for sure.

 

[Big7]

I'm a little south of you but there are PLENTY here.

In the woods and in town.

 

[NorthGaBowhunter]

Complete mast failure last year and cold weather for an extended time. I think a lot died. I went three trips in August and never saw a squirrel. Hickory nuts hanging in trees, none of them cut. Crazy year for sure.

I new ther had to be something, in the past it's nothing to see 6 or 7 In one hunt. I have had several hunts am and pm when I did not see one and the trees are loaded with acorns. First time in my life I have seen this.

 

[GA DAWG]

Most of em got run over last yr in the great gray squirrel migration. I saw hundreds and hundreds dead.

 

[tree cutter 08]

Yea a lot did die last yr. About a dozen a mile on the roads. Squirrels were seen swimming lakes last fall. I did hunt deep last Saturday and seen a bunch. They were in the hickory nuts pretty heavy. Seen half dozen which still ain't much as usual but more than I've seen so far this year.

 

[Hammer Spank]

I hunted the first two weekends in Union county and only saw one. I usually see 20-30 a day when bear hunting.

They started showing up again on my cherokee county lease. Didn't see a single one after bow season last year.

I did find a lone ridge with red oaks last year during the mast failure and was seeing probably 50-100 a day up there.

 

[suchesbowhunter]

Gonna have to go with the hammer spank on this. As for Union Co I have seen well less than half of normal for the last several years. I had really thought about it until yall brought it up.

 

[Killer Kyle]

Gonna have to go with the hammer spank on this. As for Union Co I have seen well less than half of normal for the last several years. I had really thought about it until yall brought it up.

Same here. I didn't even give it a thought until this thread popped up. You're right. I think I have only seen two or three squirrels this entire season. Usually they're scampering all in the tree tops, cutting down hickory nuts and acorns, and driving me crazy. You guys are absolutely right. I've barely seen any at all this year.

 

[Hammer Spank]

I usually spend half my time stalking squirrels because I think there's a bear in the tree. Usually they're worth a little excitement anyway. It'll be interesting to see how quickly they repopulate.

 

[NorthGaBowhunter]

I remember other years of bad acorn crops and did not notice it. I bet you fellas are right it was NO ACORNS and a record COLD WINTER. I am surprised we have not seen a DNR right up on it.
And Hammer I am guessing by the end of spring we will think every last one came back!!!!!!!!!!!!
This should be the cover of the new Gon.

This might be the only year you all see more deer than squirrels.

 

[goshenmountainman]

I have only seen one since before bow season opened, hunted a spot yesterday that was loaded with red oaks last year and saw hundreds of them but didn't see any there at all. And there are plenty of acorns and hickory nuts to. Saw a squirrel today that was on its last leg, it had what looked like a case of real bad mange, had no fur on it or its tail and looked sick. I got to within 5ft. of it and it was in bad shape, makes me wonder if thats what has happened to all of them.

 

[The mtn man]

They migrated out last winter, that's why there were soooo many ran over. Like others said when they left they left, fisherman talked about seeing several swimming the lake every day, they will be back or the remaining ones will multiply pretty quick, they'll be back.

 

[SELFBOW]

I hunted 4 days in the mountains and only seen 3. It was odd.

 

[suchesbowhunter]

Hunted both Friday and Saturday on Coopers creek with my son and I can honestly say not one tree rat was seen. Granted there was wind, lots and lots of wind but to not see one is unreal.

 

[jetblasted]

Interesting topic. We have an old family cabin in Fannin that we're at at least once a month. I commented to my friend that I haven't noticed that many squirrels this year. The last many years we've put out about 200 lbs. of corn for the deer every trip up, and have upped the feeding because of the acorn failure last year. This past week, we put out our usual feeding and it remained untouched when we left several days later. Speaking of acorns. We noticed large marble sized acorns at 2,000 ft and acorns the size of your thumb at 2,200 ft. It's a bumper crop for acorns this year, it seems . . .

 

[Rulo]

Speaking of squirrels ……I was hunting on the ONF and in the middle of nowhere a found a dead squirrel below a tree. Dead as in the last 24/48 hours (not decomposed but limp) with the only visible injury being a wove(or whatever the moth larvae thing is called) on the back of the neck. Otherwise intact…..odd.Censored

 

[deadend]

I've got a ton in my Marietta yard but I've not seen one in the mountains since last year.

 

[whitetailfreak]

Ive seen very few on Cohutta

 

[Hammer Spank]

Speaking of squirrels ……I was hunting on the ONF and in the middle of nowhere a found a dead squirrel below a tree. Dead as in the last 24/48 hours (not decomposed but limp) with the only visible injury being a wove(or whatever the moth larvae thing is called) on the back of the neck. Otherwise intact…..odd.Censored

They do occasionally drop from the tree to their demise. I've seen it happen and so has a buddy of mine.