Squirrel kits at den entrance
This week’s main Gazette-Mail outdoors feature describes how West Virginia wildlife officials’ choice to open an early September squirrel hunting season has drawn fire from a pair of highly knowledgeable retired Division of Natural Resources biologists.
The biologists, Jim Pack and Jim Evans, both spoke out against the early season while it was still only a proposal. Evans made an informal “citizen comment” at the Natural Resources Commission’s February meeting, while Pack made a more formal presentation at an early August meeting.
Both told the commissioners that the early season would cause thousands of squirrels to go to waste because they would still be infested by “warbles,” or botfly larvae, which usually don’t mature and leave their hosts until early October, when West Virginia’s squirrel season usually opens. The two biologists also cautioned that squirrel kits born in summer are usually not weaned until October, and that they would probably die in their dens if their mothers were killed during a September hunt.
On the other hand, DNR proponents of the early season say it would help recruit more young people into the hunting pastime. They also argued that squirrels are so abundant that they could legitimately be hunted year-round without adversely affecting the population.
All the arguments are food for thought, but are somewhat moot under the circumstances. The Natural Resources Commission has already approved an early opener for Sept. 10, 2011.
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Given the number of Squirrel Deaths last year due to starvation, and road-kill (also caused by the shortage of mast) doing this Now, before the population has had a year to recover a little bit is stupid.
Maybe hold off on this untill next year?
They are holding off until next year. The early season will open Sept. 10, 2011.
This is unfortunately typical WV parochialism. WV DNR can’t seem to look at neighboring states and speak with their biologists. KY has had an August season for decades and a June season for the last 7 years. There has been no measurable population impact; in fact, it provides a more efficient use of the resource and gives sportsmen more time afield. As for botflies, of the litterally hundreds of KY squirrels I’ve killed during the summer months, well less than 1% contained the larvae.
I’ve hunted for the last 20 years taking all game in WV. Nothing better to kick off the fall hunting season by an early squrrile hunt. Never have I shot one that had boltflys or warbles. I’ve been able to take and introduce young hunters because of this early season. On all the land I have to hunt all over WV there is plenty of squrriles this year. I see no harm in it