midwest squirrel hunters

[jakeemt]

How bad is the drought affecting the acorn mast in your area? The hickories are falling here in eastern MO but I've found lots of tiny immature acorns. I wonder how it will affect the mast in october. What have you guys been seeing

[SQUACKS]

lots of walnuts here are bout half size and shriveled up. doubt there is a nutmeat in them.
hickory trees that have nuts seem to be ok.
couple of weeks and i'll be in a place where i can make a little better assesment on the mast crop in s. Il.
                                             luck!

[tacklebury]

We're solid here in Michigan.  I think we got hit some because of the many ponds that are dried up, but the drought came after a good wetting early on.  We have been blessed with good crops here also.     This was my opening morning today.
 

[jedman]

  Here in NW  Ohio we have only seen mild drought. Acorns are very plentiful this year and I am looking towards a good year for hunting.   

[keith44]

I have worked the past five weeks straight through (no days off) and have not been out yet.  This Saturday however I'm takin' my .22 Mag on a day long hunt and scout trip covering three farms in two counties here in Western Ky.  I'll let ya know what I see in the way of mast, squirrels, and signs of squirrels.

[keith44]

I'm breaking for lunch, so far the acorn mast crop looks poor, squirrel populations are down from years past.  Walnuts are small and have little meat inside, the Oaks all look stressed (early color change in leaves).


Hickories are plentiful, some have a smaller or thinner outer hull.  These are shriveled and have little meat.  The larger hulled ones are well filled and moist (like a fresh nut should be). 


As far as the squirrel population, where I normally see 10 or 12 there have been none, or one.

[keith44]

Ok covered the last (largest) farm this evening, Pecan trees have low yields this year, Persimmon trees have fruited, but the fruits are smallish, and some trees are dropping green fruits.  On this farm I was able to get a good look at some really old oaks.  Most had some acorns, but also showed very few nut buds for next years crop.  The walnuts on this farm did not bare at all. There is one section of this farm that was planted entirely in Ponderosa Pines.  The pine cones on these look normal, but a steady diet of pine seeds gives the meat a kerosene taste.  How do I know these were planted?  I rode the setter in 1970 and put them in the machine that planted them.    It's not looking good for squirrels, locally, for a few years.