Squirrel hunting is often overlooked but there are plenty of them and they have one of the longest seasons with one of the biggest bag limits in Michigan.

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Meat Prices Are High

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Inflation has the price of meat and vegetables up through the roof these days. I have a little bit of property and am considering growing a garden and hunting for all my own meat.

Woman looking in freezer
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I already do get quite a bit of meat from hunting and a good load of fish from fishing but I'm considering getting back into small game hunting more to help fill the freezer.

I know the pandemic had more people growing a garden and with inflation that will continue, but I think more people will take up hunting to put some meat on the table.

Squirrel Hunting is a Great Way to Introduce Youths To Hunting

Red Squirrel Leaking Sap in Spring
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The first time I went hunting when I was a kid, my dad introduced me to squirrel hunting. It was something he loved to do as a kid and growing up in Kentucky, that was also a way to put food on the table for the family.

Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
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Sometimes after dad would take me out squirrel hunting, he would let me shoot the .22 rifle a few times. That is where and when hunting got into my blood. Thanks, Dad.

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Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
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We would often get some fox or grey squirrels, skin them up, mom would cook them up and we would be one happy family. Well, maybe not my mom, but she's always been a good sport about all the animals and fish I've brought home over the years for her to cook. Thanks, mom.

Michigan Squirrel Hunting

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Seneca Riggins, Townsquare Media/ThinkStock/GettyStock
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You don't need much to squirrel hunt, just a license, a .22 rifle, or a small shotgun like a 4-10 or a 20 gauge. Anything bigger than those you will just shoot up the meat and who wants to have to pick out all those bbs from a shotgun?

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Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
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In Michigan, there is a lot of state and federal land to squirrel hunt and just about every section of woods is full of them. If you know where some hickory trees are, you can just sit there and they will come to you.

Michigan squirrel season starts September 15 and lasts until March 31. That is a long hunting season and one of the longest for eatable wild game in the state. The bag limit is 5 a day. Now think about how many squirrels you can get in a freezer with that much time to hunt. Now I am a firm believer in only shooting what you can eat so keep that in mind in deciding how many you and your family can eat.

There are a ton of ways to cook squirrels so here is a link to 40 recipes.

Newaygo County Parks, Lakes, Rivers & Campgrounds

If you are looking for somewhere to take the family to get outdoors, Newaygo County has just about everything Michigan has to offer in one county.

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