Barking up the right tree

Using dogs isn’t the most-popular way to hunt squirrels, but it is an effective method that some outdoorsmen employ. Cur and feist breeds make up a good portion of squirrel dogs, but many other species of canines — including “junkyard dogs” — can be successful squirrel dogs.

Mike Warner of Rembert has hunted with a variety of species, from mountain curs to miniature dachshunds, and he said curs and feists are far more consistent to work with than other species.

“The best squirrel dog I ever had was a boxer,” said Warner, “but it’s the only boxer that ever panned out for me. Curs and feists — every one of them I’ve ever owned turned out to be very good squirrel dogs. Curs generally wander a little farther and check back in more often. Feists stay a lot closer.

Another difference in the two breeds, according to Warner, is that curs rely heavily on smell. Feists, on the other hand, hunt primarily by sight and hearing.

With little leaf cover on hardwoods this time of year, dogs can really be useful, especially in the middle of the day when squirrels often wander the forest floor and can stay just out of gun range as hunters approach. With a dog on its tail, a squirrel will gladly climb the nearest tree, offering hunters a clean shot. Having two or more hunters surround the tree will cut down on the hide-and-seek game squirrels are so good at.

While hunting with guns is only legal for five months of the year, hunting with dogs is legal year-round. The South Carolina Squirrel Hunters Association, headquartered in Whitmire, holds several nationally sanctioned squirrel hunts with dogs each year, and it plays host to the annual USDR World Hunt. Bench shows and treeing contests make up a portion of these events. For more information, visit www.sqdog.com.

Squirrel hunting with guns and dogs is legal from Oct. 1 through March 1, and a dog-only season runs from March 2 through Sept. 30. On private land, hunters are allowed to harvest 10 squirrels per day; the limit can be made up of any combination of gray and fox squirrels.

It is legal to use shotguns, rifles (including air rifles), handguns, and even bows to hunt squirrels.

While squirrel hunting is allowed on some WMAs, each WMA has its own set of regulations, including limits, dates, days of the week and whether dogs can be used or not. Check WMA regulations closely in the SCDNR regulation booklet. Some WMAs do not allow the hunting of fox squirrels, making it paramount that a hunter be able to distinguish between a fox squirrel and a gray squirrel.