# Road Kill, North GA



## Vernon Holt (Sep 30, 2013)

Road kill is a common occurrence on virtually every roadway in the state. Those who observe and take note of such things have been amazed at the number of squirrels presently being killed on N. GA. highways. 

Having driven from Ellijay to Calhoun and back last week, I was taken aback by the number of squirrels that had fallen victim to vehicles.  I regret having failed to count the dead squirrels, but there must have been fifty or even more.  Along with the squirrels, there was one dead cottontail, one possum, zero skunks, armadillos, and zero deer.

After taking note of this, I began to ponder why such a general movement or migration of the squirrels??

Squirrels are highly dependent upon acorns for their survival.  This is especially so since they have already depleted pine mast, dogwood berries, and hickory nuts.  Keep in mind that squirrels have forethought and normally store quantities of acorns in hollows, crevices, and even in the ground for future use.  When there is none for storage, this adds to the uncertainty for their future.

It is inherent in squirrels and all creatures for that matter, to move from their customary home range and search for greener pastures.

Question:  Is it possible that the general scarcity or total lack of acorns responsible for the noticeable increase in squirrel roadkill on N. GA roadways?

Comments anyone??


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## j_seph (Sep 30, 2013)

Is it squirrel mating season?


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## Jim Thompson (Sep 30, 2013)

Vernon, here is another thread about them all over the roads too http://forum.gon.com/showthread.php?t=772092&highlight=squirrels

kinda crazy


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## humdandy (Sep 30, 2013)

IMO, the squirrels know a very harsh winter is coming and they are searching high and low for food.

Just my .02.


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## northgeorgiasportsman (Sep 30, 2013)

I've taken note of the same thing before.  Not just squirrels but coons as well.  When the acorns run out, so does the game.  If you want to hunt squirrels in the mountains, better do it now because late squirrel season will be fruitless this winter.


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## Nugefan (Sep 30, 2013)

humdandy said:


> IMO, the squirrels know a very harsh winter is coming and they are searching high and low for food.
> 
> Just my .02.



I agree ....

Now we are loaded with acorns around my place ...


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## ghadarits (Sep 30, 2013)

*The skunk migration should be starting any day now.*

I don't know if anyone has noticed this but it seems like every fall there is a skunk migration or something because there will be dozens of them on hit on 365 between Gainsville and the Toccoa exit. that makes for a STINKY ride coming and going.


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## Vernon Holt (Sep 30, 2013)

Jim Thompson said:


> Vernon, here is another thread about them all over the roads too http://forum.gon.com/showthread.php?t=772092&highlight=squirrels
> 
> kinda crazy



Thanks Jim.  I missed that for obvious reasons.  I have long ago passed up on the Low Information Forum.


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## MFOSTER (Sep 30, 2013)

j_seph said:


> Is it squirrel mating season?



It never ends at my house


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## Vernon Holt (Sep 30, 2013)

*Road Kill N. GA - Squirrels*

Squirrels mate every year with regularity.  This level of squirrel movement seems not to happen with regularity.

Every winter in N. GA is a very harsh winter.  Squirrels are very well equipped for the weather, otherwise they wouldn't be plentiful here.


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## GA DAWG (Sep 30, 2013)

I cut open 8 persimmon seeds today. All 8 was spoons. The squirrels must know this to and are in panic mode gathering nuts for winter. They keep it up and they will top Possums for most rd kills. I'll tell ya what else I've seen. Walked through a pine thicket other night hunting. I've never saw so many pine cones cut up by the squirrels.


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## pnome (Sep 30, 2013)

I've noticed a lot of them in my driving to and from the club.  136 in Dawson is littered with them.


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## Resica (Sep 30, 2013)

Vernon Holt said:


> Squirrels mate every year with regularity.  This level of squirrel movement seems not to happen with regularity.
> 
> Every winter in N. GA is a very harsh winter.  Squirrels are very well equipped for the weather, otherwise they wouldn't be plentiful here.



If those squirrels think North Georgia has a hard winter every year, they ought to come north.  Been seeing more dead raccoons than normal along the roads here, but not squirrels.


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## Jim Thompson (Sep 30, 2013)

Vernon Holt said:


> Thanks Jim.  I missed that for obvious reasons.  I have long ago passed up on the Low Information Forum.



yeah I thought about that after looking at the replies in it.  Course thats what he gets for posting it there


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## Nascar Nutt (Sep 30, 2013)

We were also in Ellijay last week and couldn't believe the number of squirrels dead on the side. I've never seen that many dead squirrels in my life, it was crazy. We also saw a black bear dead on the side of the road just south of Ellijay.


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## crackerdave (Sep 30, 2013)

northgeorgiasportsman said:


> I've taken note of the same thing before.  Not just squirrels but coons as well.  When the acorns run out, so does the game.  If you want to hunt squirrels in the mountains, better do it now because late squirrel season will be fruitless this winter.



Takes more wind than I've got in me, to hunt up there!

Mr.Vernon, that sounds logical to me!


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## 7mmMag (Oct 3, 2013)

Funny you mention this. I counted 22 from the bridge in ellijay to the Gilmer co. Sheriff office (about 4 miles) just yesterday. Suicidal little creatures.


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## ranger374 (Oct 3, 2013)

They just found out that the gov't shut down, and they are no longer getting free acorn stamps, and their free cell phone plans expired at the beginning of the month.  they are in a mass panic raiding all the nut stores and rioting in the streets.  Casulties at this time are unknown due to the CDC being shut down and not being able to send anyone out to count the dead.  

They planned a march to DC, but with the gov't being shut down, they have no one to tell them how to do it nor to fund their travel expenses.  They are at a total loss of how to survive without the gov't.


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## buckeroo (Oct 4, 2013)

I have noticed this as well. I counted around 50 last weekend from the end of 400 to 53 in Dawsonville. It is unreal!


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## MERCing (Oct 4, 2013)

We spent this last week at a cabin in Elijay and I've never seen so many dead squirrels on the roads. There was even a little cartoon in one of the papers up there as a conversation between two squirrels waiting to cross the road and one commenting that it would see the other one on the other side....and the other one commenting " maybe not" ,lol.      We saw several crossing the road near fields with no trees anywhere nearby.  Looks like Hawks would be having a blast up there but I only saw a couple of them during the whole week.


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## animalguy (Oct 6, 2013)

I'm a nuisance trapper and after catching hundreds of squirrels, mostly in attics, it's my opinion that this is the absolute peak of squirrel population. I too notice the road kill. Many juveniles are at the age of independence and the young ones are DUMB. I think that like other animal populations, most road kill mortality occurs when juveniles become mobile.


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## shakey gizzard (Oct 8, 2013)

This dude is on the move! http://forum.gon.com/showpost.php?p=8142214&postcount=2


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## Timber1 (Oct 23, 2013)

I bet Dee's Road Kill Cafe down in White Ga. is lovin it.


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## Offroadtek (Oct 24, 2013)

Ain't nothing like the great squirrel migration of 68'. Ya'll see the report on this on the DNR site? 
http://www.georgiawildlife.com/node/3465


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## tree cutter 08 (Oct 24, 2013)

Ive seen more game dead in the road than ever before. Everything but a hog in the last couple of weeks. Even yotes and fox and bear.


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## ironhead7544 (Nov 10, 2013)

I drive 200 to 300 miles a day.   I too have seen a lot more dead animals on the road.   All types, deer, yotes, coons, possums, foxes, bobcats, you name it.  I think it is a population thing.


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## crackerdave (Nov 10, 2013)

How 'bout our government hiring the unemployed to build "underpasses" and the mortality rate will drop for the four-legged critters and us two-legged ones in our cars can be on our fat, dumb, and happy way?


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