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Spring offers sportsmen and women some great turkey hunting but it also offers small game too. Spring squirrel season opens up May 9 and concludes on June 14 for Grey, Red and Fox squirrels.

Squirrel hunting is perfect for younger hunters who can simply walk a short distance and have a great opportunity to harvest some small game for the freezer and table. The TWRA has stated for years that the squirrel is the single most underutilized game animal in the state.

There are several methods of hunting squirrel including sitting still under the canopy of trees and looking for movement, slowly walking through the woods and another method more popular with older hunters is the use of dogs to help the hunter find the squirrels. Hunters can use air guns, rim fire rifles, archery tackle and shotguns.

Many hunters love the taste of a squirrel and there are many different ways of preparing them for the table such as stews, dumplings, buffalo fried squirrel, red wine chili and even pasta dishes.

Many that enjoy the fried flavor of the squirrel often compare it to chicken but others can’t get past the name to even try it; however, they are plentiful and an excellent way of introducing young hunters into hunting.