From left, Cile Nance, the author, JD Mariucci, Rick Mariucci, and Harrison Nance with a morning’s bag of squirrels. (Photo by Ian Nance)
December 12, 2025
By Ian Nance
Unlucky deer hunters complain they see only turkeys during deer season, and unlucky turkey hunters complain they see only deer during turkey season. But do you know what’s seen during both of those seasons, and seemingly never when actually hunting them? That’s right, squirrels!
Yes, when the winter urge to small game hunt calls, notions of settling the score with the bushytails that chattered at you all fall are overwhelming.
So, you arrive at daybreak and cruise the woods expecting they’ll scamper down the trees and scold your presence, but they’re nowhere to be found!
Squirrels, more than other game animals, sense disturbances in the Force when they’re being hunted, but folks don’t necessarily take squirrel hunting all that seriously, either, and their efforts, or lack thereof, are detrimental to a bag limit.
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If you’re hoping to change this, let’s take a few moments to examine the necessary how, where, and when of successful squirrel hunting.
1. For Whitetails and Bushytails I once shared camp with a fella who I was convinced would amble into a hammock, not see a deer, shrug, and return to the smoldering fire before daylight. Laugh, but this is how some people squirrel hunt.
Including me, at times, I confess. I’ve had to look in the mirror and admit it’s not them, it’s me. Put some respect on the squirrel’s name and hunt them with the deference one affords deer.
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Sure, sitting in a treestand solely for squirrels would be an insufferable chore, but mind the middle ground. Rather than plodding through the woods hoping to rustle up some grub, slip into an area quietly and sit for a spell. Carefully and quietly glass feeding areas and surrounding canopies. If one place doesn’t produce, quietly creep to the next location.
No need to play the wind or rattle antlers, but slow down and squirrel hunt kinda like you would for deer, and the shot opportunities will increase.
2. Aqua Squirrels For the reasons noted above— stealthily covering ground—floating a lazy creek in a canoe or jonboat for squirrels is a savvy method wherever there is navigable water leading through canopies.
Especially popular on large public lands in the Panhandle, a river runs hunters through the thick of the action. Food caches are easily buried here in the fall and readily available along the banks during winter months. Pros at floating claim that slow-moving boats don’t trigger a squirrel’s alarm system quite like terrestrial hunters.
Even if you’re not willing to involve paddlecraft, concentrate your efforts towards hardwood creek bottoms. Oak canopies mixed with taller pines near water provide ample food, security, and are certain to house your quarry.
3. Timing is Everything Seeing squirrels in bunches during the fall and spring isn’t an accident. The food is widely available then, but bucks are rutting, and gobblers are gobbling, and squirrels are usually pushed to the middle. Winter is tougher to hunt, though. The easy mast crops have petered out. The naturally skittish animals are more exposed to predation as the leaves have fallen from trees. And, yeah, you can’t kill them from the couch, but overcast, windy, or foggy mornings are the pits for squirrel hunting.
I understand most folks hunt when they can, but crisp blue bird mornings and evenings with light winds are ideal. You like being out in those conditions. The squirrels do, too.
A mixture of hardwood creek bottoms with tall pines provides ample food and shelter for gray squirrels. Florida Squirrel Hunting Regs On private lands, gray squirrels may be taken year-round by rifle, shotgun, pistol, muzzleloader, air gun, crossbow, or bow. The daily bag limit is 12 squirrels, with a possession limit of 24. Fox squirrels are not legal game in Florida.
For public lands hunting season dates and bag limits, please consult with the brochures of the property of your choosing. This information can be found here . Unless exempt, hunters will require a general hunting license. Management area permits are typically required for WMAs, but again, please check the local regulations.
Top WMAs for Squirrels According to Lauren Claerbout, FWC Public Information Coordinator, the top five squirrel-producing WMAs in 2024-25 were:
Homosassa Green Swamp West Andrews Guana River Half Moon Other WMAs worth visiting are Big Cypress and Apalachee, in the South and Northwest Regions, respectively. These, however, only represent public lands with manned check stations. Millions of acres of productive squirrel woods are in the WMA system for hunters to explore, most of them open to small game hunting during at least a portion of the year.
This article was featured in the November 2025 issue of Florida Sportsman magazine. Click to subscribe .
