The late-season muzzleloader squirrel hunt runs January 4 to February 17 in 2003. Persons holding a current and valid firearm license and rifle permit may hunt for squirrels from sunrise to ½ hour after sunset with a muzzleloading rifle (.36 caliber or smaller loaded with a single projectile - see the Hunting Digest for complete rules). Good marksmen (and women) put meat on the table and in doing so prepared themselves for revolutionary war against a British enemy that did not practice marksmanship. The expert rifle marksmanship of early patriots was gained through hunting experience, necessary for survival in the Colonial period. Hunting squirrels with a muzzleloading rifle is a traditional activity that actually played an essential role in the establishment of our country. Squirrels prefer living and nesting in cavities and use cavity trees as focal points of their home range.

Forest stands containing old mature or dead trees with cavities in the limbs and trunks are often a good location to hunt squirrels. During periods of snow cover, squirrels will dig up acorns buried in the fall, thereby giving away their location.

Although they will eat other foods, mast becomes critical to the squirrel's late season survival. Chewed hickory nut shells are a good sign squirrels are present in an area. Gray squirrels are an animal of the hardwood forest, preferring stands with mature nut-producing trees (mast) that yield acorns, hickory nuts, walnuts, and a few others. (Information about getting started in hunting New Jersey is available on the Hunter Education page.) Shotgun season for squirrels in New Jersey runs to February 17, 2003, and muzzleloader season reopens on January 4. Squirrel populations are thriving and abundant in the Garden State, and mid-winter can be the most enjoyable time to hunt squirrels - ticks are not active, leaves are down and squirrels are active in the brisk temperatures over a snow-covered landscape. Hunters who ignore late-season squirrels are missing a great hunting opportunity. Natural Resource Interpretation Technician Late Season Squirrel Hunting in New Jersey Late Season Squirrel Hunting in New Jersey New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife

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