Where did all those annoying squirrels go?

[ghitch75]

Lots of squirrels here and the bobcats make trips to the house quite often. They aren't as shy as they were 10 years ago, or maybe there are just more of them View attachment 163726 View attachment 163727 .

we have a blue million squirrels ......... have a pic of a bobcat 150ft from the house......one just got hit yesterday on 58 between Springville and Owensburg

 

[Expat]

We have those little straggly ass black squirrels in Goshen. The numbers in my neighborhood seem down this year. They are not working my walnuts the way they usually do.

 

[rooster]

I noticed the couple of days I’ve been in the stand this year that there seems to be a shortage of mature squirrels. I see a fair number of them but they are all small juveniles.

 

[two70]

What location are these sightings, local to you?

A buddy cought what looks like a bobcat to me up here in the north. Didn't think they would make it all the way down to you guys

You have the direction of expansion backwards, bobcats started showing up in the southern half of the state about 20 years ago and have expanded northward since. By 2010 bobcat sightings were common in southwestern Indiana and by 5 years ago they were become more and more common in the central part of the state.

 

[Jaybird1980]

You have the direction of expansion backwards, bobcats started showing up in the southern half of the state about 20 years ago and have expanded northward since. By 2010 bobcat sightings were common in southwestern Indiana and by 5 years ago they were become more and more common in the central part of the state.

No I think the direction of expansion is from the south and the north. The bobcats in my location is almost definitely from Michigan, which has a pretty healthy population and is less than 40 miles from us.
Now the central part of the state could be coming up from the south I have no idea.

 

[Bill2905]

Black squirrels are common up in Mississauga, Canada (suburb of Toronto). I used to travel up there for business occasionally and the first time I saw one I definitely did a double take!

There were some black squirrels on the property where I used to deer hunt near Michigan City. I have been told that they are a variant of the gray squirrel.

 

[Bill2905]

My yard here in the NWI suburbs has been over run with gray squirrels for the last 10 years. We would see as many as 5 of them on the patio on occasion. This past summer, we didn't have as many. I have been at war with them off and on ever since my next door neighbor told me he found some tomatoes from my garden in a nest that he tore out of the tree in his back yard.

 

[shibumiseeker]

What location are these sightings, local to you?

A buddy cought what looks like a bobcat to me up here in the north. Didn't think they would make it all the way down to you guys

Talking a few years ago with Scott Johnson, IDNR nongame wildlife specialist. He said he radio tracked one male across the state. Had one male he tagged in my county found roadkilled 4 counties over.

FWIW, squirrel populations vary wildly depending on food supply and predators, and can go from almost none to hordes in a season.

 

[snapping turtle]

I have seen a few tree rats in my area with white tails. A few with white on the whole tail. These are fox squirrels. The ones with the total white tails always seem to be closer to town and then some further away have half white or big white tips.

Go out to the hunting grounds and I never see them. They are always just fox squirrels.

Not many grays around here.

 

[Hardscrable]

There were some black squirrels on the property where I used to deer hunt near Michigan City. I have been told that they are a variant of the gray squirrel.

A business man from Goshen ( central Elkhart County ) brought black squirrels to town 100+ years ago. They have become widespread in the area...now 25-30 miles radius from Goshen. You do not normally see them in rural areas but now about the only squirrels in the towns, cities. Smaller than fox squirrels and more “destructive.” Not uncommon to see fox squirrel with black tail.

 

[A-Aron88]

I'm clearly not the only one noticing a massive drop around here in the squirrel population. It's been VERY rare to see one and I can't say that I've even seen two at one time all spring/summer.

Maybe COVID got them.

 

[hereforthecootbash]

ive seen lots of pineys this year and less fox squirrels. more bobcats in the area than ever before so maybe thats got something to do with it but id think they would hit pineys just as much so who knows?

 

[71silverbullet]

Same day, 3 hours apart. Harrison County

 

[Bugzilla]

Several years ago some disease seemed to wipe out the population in our woods. Neighbor trapped some and released them in the woods. This year the population seems to be where it was. Mainly brown, some grey and an occasional black one. Still do not see many if any piney squirrels which is a good thing.

 

[1nderbeard]

Tons in our residential spot. They know they're free to do whatever they please. I see them at all times of the daylight.
I wish our neighborhood would allow hunting.

 

[bobjones223]

No worries guys, they are still here.

Sitting in the stand currently with at least 10 of them racing around.

 

[patience0830]

No worries guys, they are still here.

Sitting in the stand currently with at least 10 of them racing around.

Suppressed. 22 pistol in my hunting bag slows that down at a rate of 5 per day.