Squirrels in Davy Crockett National Forest

Has anyone hunted squirrels here? Any observations? I want to take my father squirrel hunting this fall. It's been 35 years since we've harrassed squirrels together.

If it is anything like Sam Houston Natl. Forest, the place should be covered up in squirrels. The trick to seeing squirrels is to find a likely spot, sit down and be quiet and still for a while. They will start appearing like ghosts and will be all around you shortly.

Also, I don't know why it works, but take a .22LR shell and tap it on a quarter in your hand.. For some reason, this brings them out pretty quickly. Don't know exactly why, but it works.

I've heard of the 22/quarter thing but never tried it. Do you have to wear orange in the wma?

There will be a ton of them there this weekend!

Affirmative on the orange. Wouldn't think of going in those woods without it.

You are likely to p!ss off a bunch of deer hunters if you go there this weekend popping off .22 rounds at tree rats though. Not a safe place to do that.

I used to hunt on a place that bordered the DCNF & believe me, there are tons of squirrels out there. But I wouldn't try it this weekend unless I was in an armored vehicle. It will sound like a war zone tomorrow morning.

Thanks for the replies. No, won't go until later in the year or maybe early January. By then we should have the whole place to ourselves.

Try Cochino Creek area off highway 7 outside Ratcliff or the Big Slough area in Ratcliff. I hunt these areas from time to time with my squirrel dogs and always do pretty good.

Thanks ddixon. I will try those areas. Looks like we will go in early Janaury. Thanks for the help.

I hunted area from Hwy 21 at the Neches River...all cat squirrels
Only hunter there that did well was Leon Compton, and his twin
bro. they were raised in Weches....had'm corralled....ditto on
watch out for deer hunters...the ole boys from Houston, Dallas
that never get a new rifle and get it bore sighted and go crazy.
DD

Thanks Don. Never tasted cat squirrels to my recollection. Mostly Grays and a few fox. Are they decent?

Cats and grays are the same thing...

What is the difference between hunting the National Forest and the WMA? Is the forest shotgun only?

the couple times we hunted squirrels we waited till late DEC early JAN and went all over the Big slough and down most of the spots that had proper terrain for them and did not see anything.

I am a little worried about that too. I thought I would read up on early winter squirrels. I don't remember hunting them that late in the season before, but then, it has been 35 years. I looked at google earth, which fortunately, was photographed in December, so you can see the dicidious (sp?) trees pretty well. I assume those are hardwoods and a good portion will have dropped nuts. I would expect the squirrels to be on the ground but I'm not sure.

In the WMA you will need a type 2 permit. Only area in Davy Crockett National Forest that you would need this would be the Alabama Creek Wildlife area in Trinity county. Also you are allowed to use shotgun or rifle. Make sure you have your orange on our local game wardens do check.

An oddity I have noticed, it seems squirrels are attracted to hunter orange. Sooo many times I would be sitting waiting on a deer and had squirrels sneak up on me and start pointing me out to the world!