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a squirrel in mariposa county 1 543 copy sierra sun times
A Grey Squirrel in Mariposa County
Sierra Sun Times file photo

September 9, 2019 - California’s 2019-2020 general tree squirrel season will be open from Saturday, Sept. 14 through Sunday, Jan. 26, 2020. Tree squirrels may be taken only in the open zone during the open season, from between one half hour before sunrise to one half hour after sunset. A map of the state’s tree squirrel hunt zones can be found on the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) website, along with the full tree squirrel regulations.

Four types of tree squirrels are game species in California. The Western gray squirrel and the Douglas squirrel are both native to California while the Eastern fox squirrel and the Eastern gray squirrel are introduced and not native to the state. These tree squirrels can be hunted in the open zone during the open season under authority of a hunting license in California. No other validations are required.

A fifth species of tree squirrel, the Northern Flying Squirrel, is not a game species and may not be taken. Flying squirrels are small, native tree squirrels that are seldom encountered due to their nocturnal nature and preference for mature forest habitats with complex canopy structure.

Tree squirrel population levels fluctuate from year to year based on prevailing weather conditions and the annual production of nuts, acorns and seeds for forage.

California received above-average rainfall during 2018-19, with a particularly wet spring season. “With a return to favorable weather patterns, and good acorn production, there should be ample opportunities to hunt tree squirrels this year,” said Matt Meshriy, an environmental scientist with CDFW’s Upland Game Program.

In recent years, approximately 10,000 to 15,000 hunters have reported hunting tree squirrels annually and their combined statewide bag has ranged from 50,000 to 75,000.

National forests provide some of the best opportunity to hunt tree squirrels in California. Bureau of Land Management lands and CDFW wildlife areas may also provide opportunity for squirrel hunting. Please note that nonlead shot is now required when taking any wildlife with a firearm anywhere in California. Please plan accordingly. For more information please see the CDFW nonlead ammunition page.

Squirrel Habitat in California
Squirrel hunting is a good starting point for the new hunter because tree squirrels are widely distributed throughout the California squirrel hunt zone and provide ample opportunities for hunting. Tree squirrels can be taken with small caliber firearms, such as a pellet gun or .22 caliber rifle or small shotgun (although 10 gauge shotguns are the largest shotguns allowed by regulation they are not recommended for squirrel hunting), which may be more comfortable or appropriate for a younger hunter. Tree squirrels are also relatively easy to clean and prepare for consumption, allowing younger hunters to master all aspects of harvesting wild game.
Knowing where to hunt is key to the success of any hunter, regardless of age or experience level. Some species are more prevalent in certain parts of the state than others.

  • Western gray squirrels are found throughout the state except in Imperial, Contra Costa, San Francisco and King counties. Their typical habitat is in mature stands of conifer, hardwood and mixed hardwood-conifer habitats in the Klamath, Cascade, Transverse, Peninsular and Sierra Nevada mountain ranges as well as in riparian stands in the Central Valley.
  • Douglas squirrels are found in conifer, hardwood-conifer and riparian habitats of the Sierra Nevada, Cascade, Klamath, North Coast and Warner Ranges. They may inhabit altitudes from sea level to 11,000 feet elevation. They live in a majority of California counties including Alpine, Amador, Butte, Calaveras, Colusa, Del Norte, El Dorado, Fresno, Glenn, Humboldt, Inyo, Kern, Lake, Lassen, Madera, Mariposa, Mendocino, Modoc, Mono, Nevada, Placer, Plumas, Shasta, Sierra, Siskiyou, Sonoma, Tehama, Trinity, Tulare, Tuolumne and Yuba.
  • Eastern fox squirrels are a non-native species that was first introduced in California more than 100 years ago in Los Angeles County. They have been expanding their range in California’s valley, foothill riparian, redwood and valley foothill hardwood habitats ever since. They are able to out-compete native gray squirrels in many human-altered habitats thanks to their broader dietary preferences, tolerance of open and urbanized areas and the fact that they produce two litters of pups annually compared with only one litter for the native gray squirrel. Today there are many localized populations of Eastern fox squirrels living mostly in and around urban and nearby rural settings including vineyards and orchards that surround coastal metropolitan areas. Eastern fox squirrels are reported to inhabit Alameda, Contra Costa, Los Angeles, Marin, Merced, Mendocino, Orange, Sacramento, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Shasta, Solano and Ventura counties.
  • Eastern gray squirrels are a non-native species that was introduced to California. They have continued to expand their range, similar to the Eastern fox squirrel. They prefer heavily wooded areas and thrive in urban parks, and occur today in the San Francisco Bay Area, extending south through Santa Cruz County as well as in urban settings in the Central Valley and adjacent to the Calaveras River. There is little evidence that Eastern gray squirrels have displaced native California gray squirrels to an appreciable degree, however, Eastern gray squirrels are known to compete with and displace Eastern fox squirrels where they co-exist in California.

Source: CDFW