Squirrels

[Guest Jimithy]

Why aren't WMU's 1 - 36 listed in the 2010-11 Hunting regs under the Small Mammals, Squirrels Section.

It states that for most of Ontario Squirrel Hunting opens sept 15 etc, with daily limits of 5 or 10 but WMU's 1-36 are not even printed.

Does this mean that the squirrels have no season? Have an always-open season? Are they not supposed to exist in these WMU's and therefore are not written into the regs?

Specifically I am interested in WMU 13... Any thoughts?

Jimithy

[Thefishleclair 175]

That means you cannot hunt them if therre is no listing for them, Used to be the same for deer in WMU 15B. There never was a season for them there until the MNR relized that deer were present. So no hunting them in 13.

To bad cause I have been seeing them where I trap and hunt. plus all over town.

[Guest Jimithy]

From the OOD Hunt Ontario PDF

http://www.mnr.gov.on.ca/stdprodconsume/gr...mnr_e001284.pdf

"It is important to remember that the red

squirrel (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus), found

throughout Ontario, is protected as a furbearer

under regulation and may not be

hunted. Similarly, flying squirrels

(Glaucomys sp.) are specially protected."

All of the squirrels I have seen since I started paying attention are red.

Apparently the Grey Squirrel does not live this far west / North according to a habitat map in that PDF.

On another note, that PDF also says that Rabbits don't live here either but I have definitely seen them so the accuracy of the data comes into question.

Does the fact that they are fur bearing mean that licensed trappers ARE allowed to hunt / trap them? You might be in luck after all fishleclair.

[uncle 19]

I have seen grey squirrels (flying squirrels ) in the Dryden area but they are nocturnal and less noticeable than their red cousins.

[Guest buckcrazy25]

From the OOD Hunt Ontario PDF

http://www.mnr.gov.on.ca/stdprodconsume/gr...mnr_e001284.pdf

"It is important to remember that the red

squirrel (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus), found

throughout Ontario, is protected as a furbearer

under regulation and may not be

hunted. Similarly, flying squirrels

(Glaucomys sp.) are specially protected."

All of the squirrels I have seen since I started paying attention are red.

Apparently the Grey Squirrel does not live this far west / North according to a habitat map in that PDF.

On another note, that PDF also says that Rabbits don't live here either but I have definitely seen them so the accuracy of the data comes into question.

Does the fact that they are fur bearing mean that licensed trappers ARE allowed to hunt / trap them? You might be in luck after all fishleclair.

There are lots of grey squirrels in thunder bay, people also call them black squirrels, and the rabbits showed in the map in the article are cotton tails rabbits, not the snowshoe hare that inhabits n.w ontario

[Thefishleclair 175]

Does the fact that they are fur bearing mean that licensed trappers ARE allowed to hunt / trap them? You might be in luck after all fishleclair.

I am a licensed trapper and yes we can target red squerriels and I do for the fur, The squerriels that are hunted for meat are the Grey/Fox squerriels. They are big and are the ones you see running around town.

[Guest Jimithy]

I am struggling to understand why the MNR would maintain zero season for squirrels if they do in fact exist here.

I guess its something like:

1. The black / grey squirrels are invasive and/or only live within the city limits where coincidentally, one cannot fire off a gun,
2. and the majority of the squirrel species in the area are of the protected variety and thus, for the greater good, all squirrels are permanently closed here... or something like that.

[Thefishleclair 175]

I am struggling to understand why the MNR would maintain zero season for squirrels if they do in fact exist here.

I guess its something like:

1. The black / grey squirrels are invasive and/or only live within the city limits where coincidentally, one cannot fire off a gun,
2. and the majority of the squirrel species in the area are of the protected variety and thus, for the greater good, all squirrels are permanently closed here... or something like that.

My guess is there was never any around and so never added to our WMU, Now that we have a population here it may change in the next few years, Sandhill cranes are another new critter to our area that are hunted in other provinces. Racoons seem to be showing up here more too!