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[Teeder]

We have a black squirrel mounted. My son and I were our checking beaver traps and saw him. All we had with us was a ruger single six .22 mag. My boy popped him way up in a tree, one shot.
Last year, when we were in out hunting box, there was a black squirrel with a red tail. That was awesome looking!

 

[Teeder]

I believe they are just a color phase of a gray, and should be the same size.

 

[Rubee]

What Teeder said. They are excellent eating but older ones can be tough.
Oaknut-that signal fire tree is a beauty.

 

[Mortenson]

Best (longest) holders for me right now are, pictured in order, droptine, 30-06 and gold rush. They're each dropping a few but holding on well. Date Nov 21, 2022.

 

[gunfun13]

30-06 has started to become a disappointment to me. It holds, but loses the integrity of it's flesh very early. 3 weeks ago I had to ride an ATV past mine on my way to swap some cam batteries, so I shook some down. Covered the ATV and myself in applesauce.

It also seems pretty biennial. Light crop every other year.

Droptine is really turning out to be a rockstar for me. Very fast growth and heavy annual crops. My only previous knock has been that it holds too well. Not the case this year as I bet over 50% has dropped...during about the best time possible. I've read that some crabs/apples drop better as they mature, hoping that is the case and it's not just related to weather this year.

 

[sandbur]

30-06 has started to become a disappointment to me. It holds, but loses the integrity of it's flesh very early. 3 weeks ago I had to ride an ATV past mine on my way to swap some cam batteries, so I shook some down. Covered the ATV and myself in applesauce.

It also seems pretty biennial. Light crop every other year.

Droptine is really turning out to be a rockstar for me. Very fast growth and heavy annual crops. My only previous knock has been that it holds too well. Not the case this year as I bet over 50% has dropped...during about the best time possible. I've read that some crabs/apples drop better as they mature, hoping that is the case and it's not just related to weather this year.

By drop better do you mean drop earlier or later?

I see variation in my trees from year to year.


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[sandbur]

The Courthouse crab has a good year.

It is the smooth barked rootstock. The rough barked one is a flowering crab.


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[gunfun13]

By drop better do you mean drop earlier or later?

I see variation in my trees from year to year.


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I mean that they actually drop instead of hanging on to become dried out mummies that persist until leaf out.

 

[Oaknut]

Signal Fire fruit is still brite red and holding tight, but the squirrels are really working on it now.

 

[Oaknut]

All Winter Hangover is holding tight as well, but the fruit has darkened considerably, and it is now nearly black.

 

[sandbur]

All Winter Hangover is holding tight as well, but the fruit has darkened considerably, and it is now nearly black.
View attachment 47814

Wow, that tree is loaded.


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[sandbur]

Signal Fire fruit is still brite red and holding tight, but the squirrels are really working on it now.
View attachment 47813

I am surprised you can get by with no protection on that tree.


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[Oaknut]

I am surprised you can get by with no protection on that tree.


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Bur,

It was fenced until a year or so ago, but I needed that fence for a smaller tree. And its only 30-40 yards outside my den window & elk usually don’t come this close to the house.

 

[Oaknut]

Wow, that tree is loaded.


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Bur,

AWHO has never held it’s fruit this late for me, but I now believe that raccoons have been taking it. Apparently that stove pipe coon guard is working.

 

[sandbur]

I just drove my wife to work and snapped a picture of the tree Midwest Deer Trees calls No Bull.

I have not tasted it, but it looks like a good deer tree.

He has started taking orders.


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[bigboreblr]

It seems like the body of the black squirrels I see are slightly smaller than the average grey. Does anyone else notice this?


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Black squirrels usually get predated sooner in life. They are essentially grey squirrels with more melanin, much like siamese cats.

 

[Teeder]

Black squirrels usually get predated sooner in life. They are essentially grey squirrels with more melanin, much like siamese cats.

I agree with that. It seems rare that they get old enough to get any size to them. This guy was outside my hunting blind during PA rifle season a couple weeks ago. This area has red, gray, black and fox squirrels that you can see all at the same time. After a few days of sitting I noticed every single time I saw a red squirrel chasing another squirrel, it was a black he was chasing. Little racists!

 

[H20fwler]

Right now on the feeder outside my window.
We have black phase grays here in town maybe 50/50. Some are blackish with gray mixed in. It used to be rare to see them.


The town north of us has black phase fox squirrels maybe 75% in the town are. When we first see them driving through I always think mink because they are so big. They have variants too, black with some red salted in or black with reddish tail.
When our kids were young we used to make a game out of counting the black ones they were so plentiful there. Same way up at our duck camp in Ontario but those are all just jet black and it’s rare to see a normal colored fox squirrel.

They used to be very rare around here when I was a kid, it was a big deal to get a black phase hunting.

 

[H20fwler]

Black squirrels usually get predated sooner in life. They are essentially grey squirrels with more melanin, much like siamese cats.

I agree with that, seems like the cats and hawks get more dark ones here than just grays.

And within city limits there are so many more black ones than I ever see in the country.

 

[Bowsnbucks]

And within city limits there are so many more black ones than I ever see in the country.

Direct opposite here. If you want to see a black squirrel - head for big woods for a much better likelihood.