Squirrel hunting promises action-packed experience

BY BOB FRYE

Declining trend

Pennsylvania squirrel hunters don't have to worry about too much in the way of competition.

As recently as 1993, for example, there were an estimated 311,103 squirrel hunters, according to the Pennsylvania Game Commission. That was more than hunted pheasants, rabbits, ruffed grouse, spring and fall turkeys and black bears.

They were successful, too. The harvest that year was nearly 1.6 million squirrels.

Both squirrel hunting participation and squirrel harvests have steadily declined over time, however.

In 2014, the most recent year for which estimates are available, there were 120,538 squirrel hunters. They took 467,888 squirrels.

That still is more people hunting squirrels than pheasants, rabbits and grouse. But spring and fall turkeys and black bears now are more popular with sportsmen.

That likely is a reflection of the hunting calendar, said the commission's Matt Lovallo. Someone into whitetails, for example, can spend almost their entire autumn chasing just deer because of extended seasons.

“There's just so much opportunity out there. People have to pick and choose,” he said. “And I think a lot of people these days are more interested in big game than anything else.”

— Bob Fry

The perfect quarry for starting out kids in the woods, that's how they often are described.

And true enough, they are that.

But to hear their fans across the country tell it, squirrels are a whole lot more, too. They are a fine game species in their own right, one that's fun to hunt and tasty on the table.

Nate Wilder certainly is a fan.

The Raleigh, N.C., man has a website —squirrelhuntingjournal.com — devoted entirely to hunting the tree climbers. It attracts visitors from all over the East Coast, including Pennsylvania, he said.

Like him, all of them are passionate about squirrel hunting, he said.

“There's a lot of allure to it to me,” Wilder said.

The reasons why are numerous. He likes squirrel hunting because of the camaraderie. He likes it because, unlike deer hunting, there's no need to worry about things like scent control. He likes it because he can move around a bit, rather than having to sit in one place for hours on end.

And as much as anything, he said, he likes the action.

“A lot of guys, if they're hunting deer, depending on where they're at, they pull the trigger once and they're maybe done. I like knowing that, potentially, I'm going to be able to pull the trigger a lot,” Wilder said.

He and a friend did that a lot last year, taking approximately 150 squirrels.

That same potential exists here.

There are some localized areas of the state where timbering has made a dent in squirrel habitat, said Matt Lovallo, supervisor of the game mammals section for the Pennsylvania Game Commission. But generally speaking, the state is home to lots of mature mast-bearing trees like oaks and hickories.

As a result, there probably are more squirrels out there for the taking than at any time in recent decades, Lovallo said.

“Statewide, I think you can say that,” he added.

Pennsylvania's season on squirrels opened Oct. 15 and runs through Nov. 26. It comes back from Dec. 12-24 and Dec. 26-Feb. 28.

Hunters can take fox, gray and red squirrels, with a daily limit of six combined.

Anyone who bags a few is in for a treat, so long as they're handled correctly, said Travis Gameson of Norman, Okla. He is a member of the “Okie Squirrel Busters” team that won 2016's Squirrels Unlimited World Champion Squirrel Cook-off (squirrelcookoff.com) last month in Arkansas.

Gameson's team produced a fried squirrel ravioli. Other competitors made everything from squirrel-stuffed mushrooms to squirrel sliders. All those giving away samples had lines of people eager for a taste, he said.

Most liked what they tried, he said.

“Squirrel meat is certainly not very gamey at all,” Gameson said. “It's a mild meat.”

That's not surprising, he said. For being technically rodents, squirrels are clean animals that feed largely on acorns, hickory nuts and the like.

Their flesh can be tough, though, he said. Squirrels are all muscle, so they are best cooked slowly.

Often, that means cooking them until the meat can be pulled from the bone, he said.

But done that way, and perhaps ground and mixed with something like bacon or pancetta to provide moisture, they're very good, he said.

“Squirrel is a type of meat you can just get really creative with. You just need to get a mess of them and start experimenting,” he said.

To get a “mess,” Wilder starts by “hunting the food.” He looks for stands of oaks and hickories then grabs a seat.

“Most of the time we go in right before daybreak and we're still. We sit and see what happens,” he said. “Usually we're pretty successful.”

Andrew Lewand of Rochester, N.Y., a field staffer with FoxPro, the Pennsylvania-based game call maker, said he sometimes gets squirrels by sneaking quietly through the woods. He looks for “cuttings,” or acorns and hickory shells that show evidence of squirrel feeding, and listens for leaves, nuts and debris falling from the tops of trees. All of that indicates active squirrels, he said.

Later, in late-morning and early afternoon, he falls back on another trick, using a squirrel call. The barks it reproduces sometimes sparks squirrels to respond.

“That's a pretty effective tactic, a more aggressive one, that can pay off when the action slows down,” Lewand said.

Both prefer to use a .22 rifle over a shotgun, firing standard velocity hollow point rounds. The relatively quiet report of such a gun is less intrusive and alarming to squirrels, they agreed.

It also hones precision shooting abilities, Lewand said. Squirrel hunting is great practice for many other types of hunting, he added.

“Dad called it deer hunting in miniature. The woodsmanship skills you learn squirrel hunting transfer to hunting deer and really anything, for that matter,” he said.

Gameson agrees and said he makes a point of hunting squirrels early each year, before big game seasons fill the calendar, in part to scout for whitetails.

“It's a great way to start a hunting season,” he said.

And end one and fill in all the time between, Wilder added.

“Yeah, they're mainly what I key on,” Wilder said. “When I want a lot of meat, I shoot a deer. But squirrels are it for me. We really look forward to it.”

Bob Frye is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach him at bfrye@tribweb.com or via Twitter@bobfryeoutdoors.

PA Bag Limits Official For 2014/2015

Allocation set for antlerless deer licenses, elk licenses.

The Pennsylvania Board of Game Commissioners today set hunting and trapping seasons and bag limits for the 2014-15 license year, which begins July 1.

A list of all seasons and bag limits appears at the end of this news release.

The commissioners also set the number of antlerless deer licenses to be allocated, as well as the number of elk licenses to be allocated for the coming license year.

The board voted to allocate 779,500 antlerless deer licenses statewide. Allocations by Wildlife Management Unit (WMU) are as follows, with the allocation from the previous license year appearing in parentheses: WMU 1A 47,000 (49,000); WMU 1B 30,000 (31,000); WMU 2A 46,000 (49,000); WMU 2B 60,000 (62,000); WMU 2C 38,000(43,000); WMU 2D 61,000 (61,000); WMU 2E 21,000 (22,000); WMU 2F 27,000 (29,000); WMU 2G 22,000 (28,000); WMU 2H 5,500 (6,000); WMU 3A 18,000 (23,000); WMU 3B 33,000 (39,000);WMU 3C 32,000 (35,000); WMU 3D 25,000 (32,000); WMU 4A 28,000 (28,000); WMU 4B 26,000 (24,000); WMU 4C 25,000 (27,000); WMU 4D 33,000 (35,000); WMU 4E 21,000 (26,000); WMU 5A 19,000 (19,000); WMU 5B 49,000 (50,000); WMU 5C 95,000 (103,000); and WMU 5D 18,000 (18,000).

In allocating antlerless licenses, the commissioners also voted to change the length of the firearms deer season in two WMUs. Hunters in WMU 4A – which contains portions of Huntingdon, Blair, Bedford, Fulton and Franklin counties – and WMU 4C – which contains portions of Dauphin, Lebanon, Schuylkill, Northumberland, Luzerne, Carbon, Lehigh and Berks counties – will have seven days of concurrent hunting for antlered and antlerless deer in the 2014-15 deer firearms season. In this format, only antlered deer may be taken during the first five days of the firearms season. Both antlered and antlerless deer may be taken from the first Saturday to the close of the season. 

Hunting licenses for 2014-15 go on sale in mid-June and become effective July 1. After hunters purchase a general hunting license, they may apply for antlerless deer licenses based on staggered timelines, which will be outlined in the 2014-15 Pennsylvania Hunting & Trapping Digest presented to each license buyer. The 2014-15 digest also will be available at the Game Commission’s website, www.pgc.state.pa.us in mid-June

The board on Tuesday also voted to issue 108 elk licenses (27 antlered, 81 antlerless) for the 2014 hunt.

While the licenses again will be awarded by lottery, the application process will follow an expedited schedule this year.

The drawing for the 2014 elk hunt this year will be held Aug. 16 or 17 at the Elk Country Visitor Center near Winslow Hill in Benezette Township, Elk County. That’s about a month earlier than last year’s drawing. And it means hunters who are looking to enter the drawing for the 2014 hunt need to get their applications in sooner.  Hunters may apply when 2014-15 hunting licenses go on sale and all applications are due by July 31.

Elk applications cost $10.70, and only one application may be submitted each license year.

Other modifications proposed for the 2014-15 seasons include: changes to fall turkey seasons in several Wildlife Management Units; new extended bear hunting opportunities in WMUs 2C and 4B; an expansion of the fisher trapping season to WMUs 1B, 3B and 3C; and increased possession limits for small game.

Hunters and trappers – particularly those setting vacations for this fall and winter – are advised that, once again, several seasons in the 2014-15 license year will open or run about a week later than they do in many years to accommodate calendar swings related to the timing of Thanksgiving.

Several highlights pertaining to 2014-15 seasons and bag limits follow:

SPLIT FIREARMS DEER SEASONS APPROVED

WMUs 4A and 4C shifted to split format.

The Board of Game Commissioners adopted a slate of deer seasons for 2014-15 that establishes the split, five-day antlered deer season (Dec. 1-5) and seven-day concurrent season (Dec. 6-13) in 14 Wildlife Management Units. The list includes WMUs 2A, 2C, 2D, 2E, 2F, 2G, 2H, 3B, 3C, 4A 4B, 4C, 4D and 4E. The package also retains the two-week (Dec. 1-13) concurrent, antlered and antlerless deer season in WMUs 1A, 1B, 2B, 3A, 3D, 5A, 5B, 5C and 5D.

The split format is new for WMUs 4A and 4C, and commissioners said changing the format is aimed at increasing deer numbers in those WMUs.

Hunters with Deer Management Assistance Program (DMAP) antlerless deer permits may use the permits on the lands for which they were issued during any established deer season, and will continue to be permitted to harvest antlerless deer from Dec. 1-13 in WMUs 2A, 2C, 2D, 2E, 2F, 2G, 2H, 3B, 3C, 4A, 4B, 4C, 4D and 4E. Fees for DMAP permits are $10.70 for residents and $35.70 for nonresidents.

DMAP permits also may be transferred to Mentored Hunting Program participants.

The board retained the antler restrictions in place for adult and senior license holders since the 2011-12 seasons. It remains the “three-up” on one side, not counting a brow tine, provision for the western Wildlife Management Units of 1A, 1B, 2A, 2B and 2D, and the three points on one side in all other WMUs. Those exempt from these antler restrictions are junior license holders, disabled hunters with a permit to use a vehicle as a blind and resident active duty military on leave.

BOARD EXPANDS BEAR SEASONS

WMUs 2C, 4B to offer bear hunting opportunity during deer season.

The Pennsylvania Board of Game Commissioners today approved opening up extended bear hunting opportunities to two additional WMUs in 2014.

WMUs 2C and 4B each would be open to bear hunting for four days in deer season, beginning the first Wednesday of the 2014 statewide general deer season Dec. 3.

Game Commission staff had recommended the additions based on increases in the bear populations within those WMUs.

WMU 2C has had a slightly increasing bear population trend. Highway mortalities of bears have been slowly increasing in the area, and there’s been a noticeable increase in human-bear conflicts there.

WMU 4B also has had an increasing trend of human-bear conflicts, and several incidents in recent years involving home entry or injury to pets and people. Highway mortality of bears also has increased there, as has the bear harvest, which has increased by about 20 percent annually since 2003. 

The board retained expanded bear seasons in the state’s most urban Wildlife Management Units – WMUs 2B, 5B, 5C and 5D – and will continue to allow the harvest of black bears with a bear license during all deer seasons from September through early December in these WMUs.

The extended bear season dates for 2014 are:

- Sept. 20-Nov. 15 in WMUs 2B, 5C and 5D, for archery only;

- Oct. 4-Nov. 15 in WMU 5B, for archery only;

- Oct. 18-25 in WMUs 2B, 5B, 5C and 5D, for muzzleloaders only;

- Oct. 23-25 and Dec. 1-13 in WMUs 2B, 5B, 5C and 5D, using any legal sporting arm for juniors and seniors, disabled person permit holders to use a vehicle as a blind and resident active duty in armed services.

The statewide five-day archery bear season opens Nov. 17 and runs through Nov. 21. The four-day statewide bear season is slated to open on Saturday, Nov. 22, and then continues on Monday and runs through Wednesday, Nov. 24-26.

Extended bear seasons have been proposed as follows:

- Dec. 3-6 in WMUs 2C, 4B, 4C, 4D and 4E; and

- Dec. 1-6 in WMUs 3A, 3B, 3C and 3D.

- Dec. 1-13 in WMUs 2B, 5B, 5C and 5D.

CHANGES TO FALL TURKEY SEASONS ADOPTED

Season lengths altered in some WMUs.

The Pennsylvania Board of Game Commissioners on Tuesday gave final approval to fall turkey seasons for 2014 and spring gobbler dates for 2015.

Decreasing populations in WMUs 3A, 3B and 3C prompted the adoption of a two-week fall turkey season in those WMUs. Previously, there had been a three-week season there.

The three-day Thanksgiving season segment will continue in WMUs 3A, 3B and 3C despite the one-week decrease in the earlier segment.

Also, 2014 marks the final year of the hen harvest rate and survival rate study. So those WMUs in the study area will continue with the season lengths implemented last year.

The board also opted to retain a three-day fall turkey season in WMU 5A, but shifted it from midweek to a Thursday-through-Saturday framework.

The fall season dates for 2014: WMU 1B, Nov. 1-8 and Nov. 27-29; WMU 2B (shotgun and bow only), Nov. 1-21, and Nov. 27-29; WMUs 1A, 2A, 2D, 2F, 2G, 2H, 3A, 3B and 3C, Nov. 1-15, and Nov. 27-29; WMUs 2C, 2E, 3D, 4A, 4B, 4C, 4D and 4E, Nov. 1-21, and Nov. 27-29; and WMU 5A, Nov. 6-8. WMUs 5B, 5C and 5D will remain closed for the fall seasons.

For the 2015 spring gobbler season, which will run from May 2-30, the board continued the change in legal hunting hours to reflect the following: from May 2-16, legal shooting hours will be one-half hour before sunrise until noon timeframe; and from May 18-30, hunters may hunt all day, from one-half hour before sunrise until one-half hour after sunset.

The board adopted the one-day Spring Gobbler Youth Hunt on April 25, 2015, which will run from one-half hour before sunrise until noon. All junior license holders and Mentored Youth Hunting Program permit holders can participate in this special one-day hunt, as well as the other spring season dates.

2014-15 HUNTING SEASONS AND BAG LIMITS

 

SQUIRRELS, Red, Gray, Black and Fox (Combined): Special season for eligible junior hunters, with or without required license, and mentored youth – Oct. 11-17 (6 daily, 18 in possession limit after first day).

SQUIRRELS, Red, Gray, Black and Fox (Combined): Oct. 18-Nov. 29; Dec. 15-24 and Dec. 26-Feb. 21 (6 daily, 18 possession).

RUFFED GROUSE: Oct. 18–Nov. 29, Dec. 15-24 and Dec. 26-Jan. 24 (2 daily, 6 possession).

RABBIT (Cottontail) Special season for eligible junior hunters, with or without required license: Oct. 11-18 (4 daily, 12 possession).

RABBIT (Cottontail): Oct. 25-Nov. 29, Dec. 15-24 and Dec. 26-Feb. 21 (4 daily, 12 possession).

PHEASANT: Special season for eligible junior hunters, with or without required license – Oct. 11-18 (2 daily, 6 in possession). Male pheasants only in WMUs 2A, 2C, 4C, 4E, 5A and 5B. Male and female pheasants may be taken in all other WMUs. There is no open season for the taking of pheasants in any Wild Pheasant Recovery Areas in any WMU.

PHEASANT: Male only in WMUs 2A, 2C, 4C, 4E, 5A and 5B. Male and female may be taken in all other WMUs – – Oct. 25-Nov. 29, Dec. 15-24 and Dec. 26-Feb. 21 (2 daily, 6 in possession). There is no open season for the taking of pheasants in any Wild Pheasant Recovery Areas in any WMU.

PHEASANT: Male or Female combined in WMUs 1A, 1B, 2B, 2D, 2E, 2F, 2G, 2H, 3A, 3B, 3C, 3D, 4A, 4B, 4D, 5C and 5D – Oct. 25-Nov. 29, Dec. 15-24 and Dec. 26-Feb. 21 (2 daily, 6 in possession). There is no open season for the taking of pheasants in any Wild Pheasant Recovery Area in any WMU.

BOBWHITE QUAIL: Oct. 25-Nov. 29 (4 daily, 12 possession). (Closed in WMUs 4A, 4B, 5A, 5B, 5C and 5D.)

HARES (SNOWSHOE RABBITS) OR VARYING HARES: Dec. 26–Jan. 1, in all WMUs except WMUs 3B, 3C and 3D, where the season will run from Dec. 26-29 (1 daily, 3 possession).

WOODCHUCKS (GROUNDHOGS): No closed season, except on Sundays and during the regular firearms deer seasons. No limit.

PORCUPINES: Sept. 1-March 31, except during overlap with the regular firearms deer season. Daily limit of three, season limit of 10.

CROWS: July 4-April 5, on Friday, Saturday and Sunday only. No limit.

STARLINGS AND ENGLISH SPARROWS: No closed season, except during the antlered and antlerless deer season. No limit.

EURASIAN COLLARED DOVE: Season dates shall run concurrently with mourning dove season. Shall be counted as part of the aggregate daily limits for mourning dove season.

WILD TURKEY (Male or Female): WMU 1B – Nov. 1-8 and Nov. 27-29; WMU 2B (Shotgun and bow and arrow) – Nov. 1-21 and Nov. 27-29; WMUs 1A, 2A, 2D, 2F, 2G, 2H, 3A, 3B and 3C – Nov. 1-15 and Nov. 27-29; WMUs 2C, 2E, 3D, 4A, 4B, 4C, 4D and 4E – Nov. 1-21 and Nov. 27-29; WMU 5A – Nov. 6-8; WMUs 5B, 5C and 5D – CLOSED TO FALL TURKEY HUNTING.

SPRING GOBBLER (Bearded bird only): Special season for eligible junior hunters, with required license, and mentored youth – April 25, 2015. Only 1 spring gobbler may be taken during this hunt.

SPRING GOBBLER (Bearded bird only): May 2-30, 2015. Daily limit 1, season limit 2. (Second spring gobbler may be only taken by persons who possess a valid special wild turkey license.) From May 2-16, legal hunting hours are one-half hour before sunrise until noon; from May 18-30, legal hunting hours are one-half hour before sunrise until one-half hour after sunset.

BLACK BEAR (Statewide) Archery: Nov. 17-21. Only 1 bear may be taken during the license year.

BLACK BEAR (Statewide): Nov. 22-26. Only 1 bear may be taken during the license year.

BLACK BEAR (WMUs 2C, 4B, 4C, 4D and 4E): Dec. 3-6. Only 1 bear may be taken during the license year.

BLACK BEAR (WMUs 2B, 5B, 5C and 5D): Dec. 1-13. Only 1 bear may be taken during the license year.

BLACK BEAR (WMUs 3A, 3B, 3C and 3D): Dec. 1-6. Only 1 bear may be taken during the license year.

BLACK BEAR (WMUs 2B, 5C and 5D) archery: Sept. 20-Nov. 15. Only 1 bear may be taken during the license year.

BLACK BEAR (WMU 5B) archery: Oct. 4-Nov. 15. Only 1 bear may be taken during the license year.

BLACK BEAR (WMUs 2B, 5B, 5C and 5D) muzzleloader: Oct. 18-25. Only 1 bear may be taken during the license year.

BLACK BEAR (WMUs 2B, 5B, 5C and 5D) special firearms: Oct. 23-25, for junior and senior license holders, disabled hunters with a permit to use a vehicle as a blind and resident active duty military.

ELK (Antlered or Antlerless): Nov. 3-8. Only one elk may be taken during the license year.

ELK, EXTENDED (Antlered and Antlerless): Nov. 10-15. Only one elk may be taken during the license year. Eligible elk license recipients who haven’t harvested an elk by Nov. 8, in designated areas.

DEER, ARCHERY (Antlerless Only) WMUs 2B, 5C and 5D: Sept. 20-Oct. 3, and Nov. 17-29. One antlerless deer with each required antlerless license.

DEER, ARCHERY (Antlered and Antlerless) WMUs 2B, 5C and 5D: Jan. 12-24. One antlered deer per hunting license year. One antlerless deer with each required antlerless license.

DEER, ARCHERY (Antlered and Antlerless) Statewide: Oct. 4-Nov. 15 and Dec. 26-Jan. 10. One antlered deer per hunting license year. One antlerless deer with each required antlerless license.

DEER (Antlered and Antlerless) WMUs 1A, 1B, 2B, 3A, 3D, 5A, 5B, 5C and 5D: Dec. 1-13. One antlered deer per hunting license year. An antlerless deer with each required antlerless license.

DEER (Antlered Only) WMUs 2A, 2C, 2D, 2E, 2F, 2G, 2H, 3B, 3C, 4A, 4B, 4C, 4D and 4E: Dec. 1-5. One antlered deer per hunting license year. (Holders of valid DMAP antlerless deer permits may harvest antlerless deer on DMAP properties during this period.)

DEER (Antlered and Antlerless) WMUs 2A, 2C, 2D, 2E, 2F, 2G, 2H, 3B, 3C, 4A, 4B, 4C, 4D and 4E: Dec. 6-13. One antlered deer per hunting license year. An antlerless deer with each required antlerless license.

DEER, ANTLERLESS (Statewide): Oct. 23-25. Junior and Senior License Holders, Disabled Person Permit (to use a vehicle) Holders, and Pennsylvania residents serving on active duty in

U.S. Armed Services or in the U.S. Coast Guard only, with required antlerless license. Also included are persons who have reached or will reach their 65th birthday in the year of the application for a license and hold a valid adult license, or qualify for license and fee exemptions under section 2706. One antlerless deer with each required antlerless license.

DEER, ANTLERLESS MUZZLELOADER (Statewide): Oct. 18-25. An antlerless deer with each required antlerless license.

DEER, ANTLERED OR ANTLERLESS FLINTLOCK (Statewide): Dec. 26-Jan. 10. One antlered deer per hunting license year, or one antlerless deer and an additional antlerless deer with each required antlerless license.

DEER, ANTLERED OR ANTLERLESS FLINTLOCK (WMUs 2B, 5C and 5D): Dec. 26-Jan. 24. One antlered deer per hunting license year, or one antlerless deer and an additional antlerless deer with each required antlerless license.

DEER, ANTLERLESS EXTENDED REGULAR FIREARMS: (Allegheny, Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery and Philadelphia counties): Dec. 26-Jan. 24. An antlerless deer with each required antlerless license.

Pennsylvania Game commissioners reject earlier squirrel opener

By Bob Frye

There will be no extra time for hunters to pursue squirrels this fall.

Fear of accidents that never occur and population stresses never seen apparently are the reasons why.

When Pennsylvania Game Commissioners recently met in Harrisburg to discuss seasons and bag limits for the 2014-15 hunting season, the package before them called for a youth squirrel season that would run from Oct. 11 to 17 and an opening day for everyone else of Oct. 18. Those got preliminary approval. A vote on final approval is set for the board's next meeting in April.

Commissioner Ralph Martone of New Castle proposed a change, however. He suggested opening squirrel season statewide for everyone on Sept. 13. That would bring Pennsylvania into line with other states, he noted.

This past year, Ohio and New York opened their squirrel hunting seasons on Sept. 1, Maryland its on Sept. 7, Delaware and West Virginia theirs Sept. 14 and New Jersey its Sept. 28.

An earlier opener would give people more opportunity to chase a species that's “underutilized,” Martone said.

Children in particular might benefit from the extra time, he said, when few other seasons are open.

“This is one of those opportunities where we can extend the calendar and offer that opportunity,” he said, noting that commissioners had received letters of support for the idea from the public.

The board rejected the idea by 6-2 vote, with only commissioner Charles Fox of Bradford County joining Martone.

A couple of commissioners who voted against the idea said they did so for safety reasons, worried about the possibility of squirrel hunters shooting camo-clad archers at a time when the leaves are still on the trees.

Brian Hoover of Delaware County, said that's “a significant enough safety issue at this time” for him to reject the idea.

Statistics provided by the commission's hunter safety division show there has not been a case of a squirrel hunter shooting anyone between at least 2003 and 2012. Spokesmen from Ohio, New York, Maryland and West Virginia said last summer they never have had a squirrel hunter shoot an archer, so far as anyone knows.

Still, commissioner Jay Delaney of Luzerne County said he was worried about safety, too, as well as with the possibility that hunters might shoot nursing squirrels.

Commissioner Dave Putnam of Centre County said that's not a real worry because the timing of the season “doesn't make any difference biologically,” even as he voted against a September opener.

“It's just a social issue,” he said.