# Fox Squirrels Making a Comeback?



## DJPineHillFarms

It has been a long time since I've seen abundant Fox Squirrels around my neck of the woods. We picked up a new farm last year that is prime habitat for them, so for the last 18 months, I've been sure to incorporate plantings that can benefit those sorts of critters and even went as far as making some large nesting boxes. I only run trail cameras from July (i was late this year) to January, but here are some of my favorite pics of them. I very much enjoy watching them while I deer hunt or enjoy coffee at camp.


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## DJPineHillFarms

I have several hundred of these, so I may post a few more if there is any interest.


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## Capt Quirk

I saw a fox squirrel out here for the first time, after only being used to the common greys.  I swear I thought someone released a lemur. Then I started seeing more of them. They are some big rats!


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## NCHillbilly

I am 50 years old-half a century. I have spent a large portion of that time in the woods. I have never seen a fox squirrel.


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## Hillbilly stalker

We have quiet a few round here. Nice pics !


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## coolbreezeroho

I have seen a few in Wilkes and Lincoln counties.


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## red neck richie

Yup. We have quiet a few in Oglethorpe county. Ive seen several. I will admit I thought it was a small skunk first time I seen one.


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## coolbreezeroho

red neck richie said:


> Yup. We have quiet a few in Oglethorpe county. Ive seen several. I will admit I thought it was a small skunk first time I seen one.


Same here....just didn't have that waddle that a skunk has ...


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## Jeff Raines

If they keep going to that feeder in that wide open clearing,the hawks will have an abundance to eat


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## Jeremiah Glaze

There's been no shortage of fox squirrels, I've seen a lot of them and treed a few.  Just have to have the right habitat for them.


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## Nicodemus

Good many around here. Down at our cabin there`s more fox squirrels than cat squirrels.


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## fishfryer

NCHillbilly said:


> I am 50 years old-half a century. I have spent a large portion of that time in the woods. I have never seen a fox squirrel.


I'm 69 years old,over 2/3 of a century and I've never seen a red squirrel.


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## Mark R

I do lots of squirrel huntin . I don't see as many fox squirrels as I used to . Beautiful critters . I  give the fox squirrels a pass . Shoot em with a camera .


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## DJPineHillFarms

Jeff Raines said:


> If they keep going to that feeder in that wide open clearing,the hawks will have an abundance to eat


Ive worried about that, but they tend to always feed with other animals to use them as an alarm system, or they will hide directly under the feeder. 


Mark R said:


> I do lots of squirrel huntin . I don't see as many fox squirrels as I used to . Beautiful critters . I  give the fox squirrels a pass . Shoot em with a camera .


Yessir, they get free passes on our place and plenty of sunflowers, beans and millet to eat on. I hope that they thrive here.


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## Rabun

I've seen two fox squirrels...one in central PA and one on a central GA golf course.  Glad to hear they are making a come back.


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## NCHillbilly

fishfryer said:


> I'm 69 years old,over 2/3 of a century and I've never seen a red squirrel.


We've got plenty of red squirrels/boomers, but no foxes left that I know of. From what I've read, there used to be several colonies of fox squirrels in the Smokies before the industrial logging in the early 1900s. There are supposed to be a few around the area where I have a little piece of land in SC, but I haven't seen one yet. I keep my eyes open for them.


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## Pig Predator

I hadn't ever seen one either until I started pewin pigs in swga. They have an abundance of them(pigs and fox squirrel). The first ones I seen were out in a field and was pretty much on their hind legs the whole time unless they were moving. I thought it was some kinda black prairie dog thing.


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## antharper

Beautiful animals , thanks for sharing , see quite a few in the 2 areas of the state I hunt !


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## Pig Predator

In fact, most of them I see are on the edge of fields/woods.


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## Nicodemus

I never see one in the swamp. Just about all ours are in the longleaf savannah`s. They like to sleep late, unlike cat squirrels, and prefer more open woods.


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## Beagler

See very few around here. My grandson seen one on my land a couple months ago, he said he was going to kill it come squirrel season, I warned him that wouldn’t be a good idea. Lol


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## DJPineHillFarms

I've been blessed to hunt and work all over the country and it is so odd to me that each region's squirrels have their own attitude and demeanor. Highcountry, little red squirrels in the west will sit on your pack and eat trailmix while you doze beside them, Albert's squirrels in the Alpine region of Arizona will cut pine cones, carry them 50+ yards just to try and drop them on you, Red squirrels up in the Ozarks seem to spend most of their free time licking salt off the roads, and these guys just cruise around being fat and happy, without much of a care in the world. I'm trying to take on a few of these traits myself!


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## JackSprat

WE had a few in Oconee County, GA.  

One had very distinctive markings, and lived several years.  Always in the same grove of trees.

We didn't shoot them.  No one would eat them, no reason to.

Another one would climb up the first 2or 3 rungs of a ladder stand, and just sit there and stare at you.  If you didn't make a sudden move, he'd sit there for a half hour.

In SE GA, we had a good population in the old pines,.  One early spring saw 6 in one tree, each one a different color phase.  About 3 decades before cell phone cameras, so no pict, it's one I would love to have.  Old swampers told me it was  5 guys after a girl.


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## lampern

Is it legal to shoot fox squirrels on WMAs?

In SC they outlawed fox squirrel hunting on WMAs for whatever reason


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## delacroix

They're common lots of places, just not places nor times the average deer hunter goes. Take a sq. dog up a pine ridge mid-day. You'll get tired of looking at them.

They take more killing than a grey sq. They're kinda chewy even cooked down. Taxidermy fees on a squirrel are prohibitive.


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## DJPineHillFarms

lampern said:


> Is it legal to shoot fox squirrels on WMAs?
> 
> In SC they outlawed fox squirrel hunting on WMAs for whatever reason


I honestly dont know, but I know where there are several on Corps of Engineer land in NE Georgia, if your're looking for some.


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## Jeff Raines

I believe timber practices have a negative effect on the fox squirrel population,specifically the short term rotation where a fast growing loblolly is planted then clearcut in 20 years.
Fox squirrels thrive in a longleaf pine stand that is controlled burn every few years.The state bought a couple thousand acres beside sheffield wma and expanded that wma.The tract contains a lot of old longleaf pine and from what I have seen the sate is being very proactive with longleaf management there.


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## WoodlandScout82

The woods I used to hunt in floyd co. They thrived in the old stands of hardwoods.


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## NorthGeorgiaHunter

I saw one in the lower end of Banks County back in the spring.


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## stonecreek

Have noticed a big increase in last couple years around farm in and around our pine heads. They are simply some of the best looking creatures running around here. Richard


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## ripplerider

The only place I've ever seen them was in Madison county. They're interesting creatures with all their color phases. They seemed to spend most of their time on the ground.


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## Miguel Cervantes

NCHillbilly said:


> I am 50 years old-half a century. I have spent a large portion of that time in the woods. I have never seen a fox squirrel.


You need to get down to the low lands and pines to see some good ones.


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## COYOTE X

Used to be a rare occasion for me to see fox squirrels both in the piedmont and south central Georgia farms. The last twenty years have made them a very common sight. I enjoy how close they'll get without being alarmed, or just being curious. Coolest one was in the pecans at home. Black face, red body, white tipped tail. Never seen another like him. The fox squirrels always get a pass and can have all pecans they want (Unlike the grey tree-rats)  
COYOTE X


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## fireman32

I see quite a few here in S. Dooly.  They do like thinner pines and have seen some in a pecan orchard.  Mostly the grey with black heads,  but have seen a red, black and two solid white ones in Macon County.


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## HermanMerman

Our recently lost property in Telfair County was a fox squirrel magnet before the pines were cut.  Always had a soft spot for them, one of my favorite animals to see in the woods.


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## Capt Quirk

Somebody mentioned the Fox squirrel is tough to eat.  How are they really?  They are a lot bigger than the Greys,  should take less to fill a pot.


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## Hillbilly stalker

As long as you take the glands out of the arm pits and rear legs, they are fine. The boars rut and smell pretty raunchy sometimes .


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## JackSprat

Capt Quirk said:


> Somebody mentioned the Fox squirrel is tough to eat.  How are they really?  They are a lot bigger than the Greys,  should take less to fill a pot.



You could say the same thing about  a cat.

i think they tend to live longer than gray squirrels, and just get old and tough.

I sure wouldn't target them for the pot if there are grays around, most of which will be this years young.


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## DJPineHillFarms

Cool one from the weekend. Theyve been loading up on the beans and peas too. Ive got one more black one and a red/chocolate brown one so far this year, but this is the most I've captured in one photo.


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## livinoutdoors

Capt Quirk said:


> Somebody mentioned the Fox squirrel is tough to eat.  How are they really?  They are a lot bigger than the Greys,  should take less to fill a pot.


They are ok meat wise but i much prefer greys


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## Dustin Pate

My wife's uncle has a large farm in Spalding County that is loaded with them. I culled an almost solid black a couple winter's ago to put on the wall.


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## HunterJoe24

Kill at 1-2 every year on some land in Pike. We're loaded with them there. One of them a couple years ago was all black


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## Jester896

I have always wanted a black one...just can't.
There are a good many around here


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## redeli

we have fox squirrels


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## madie

We have a good mixture of Grey and Fox squirrels here in Western KY..And we have a place, and the only place that I am aware of around here, these white squirrels will show up every so many years, and then we don't see them again for several more years..This pic was took last fall about a mile from my house..


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## ucfireman

Brevard in NC is known for the white squirrels, I stayed  there by accident 2 years ago, beautiful area, I didn't see a white one but there was literature everywhere about them.


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## Darkhorse

The north end of my place is  large mature pines and that's where the fox squirrels live. They come to my place to eat the pecans. To get here they have to cross a large pasture with 5 horses, just walk and run right under them. The horses just watch them. I hope one doesn't try to cross my stallions pasture, outcome might be different.
Most of the time the fox squirrels are old and ratty looking but this year we had an almost solid white female that visited every day around 11 in the morning. She had a slick almost white coat with grey accents, she was nice and fat and sleek. A very good looking fox squirrel that we enjoyed watching.
Then one day I found her dead under a pecan tree. I suspected a snake but could find no evidence, I never did figure out what killed her.
A couple of days ago I saw a dead one on the side of the road. This one was dark with a black head. It was crossing from a cornfield into my old pines.
Robert Ruark went on a squirrel hunt with the old man in one of his books. Ruark, as a boy hunted with a .22 single shot. They loaded up with both gray's and fox squirrels. When I read this I had never seen a fox squirrel, so this book just nourished a desire to hunt them. When I was hunting them there were a lot more of them around. We hunted them in old pecan orchards off the dirt roads far from town.
I haven't shot one in years. Don't plan on ever shooting one again. All the one's on my place get a free pass.


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## ChanceHill

This one thought I was trespassing at my own cabin last February.  He let me know how he felt about it.  He had his mate there with him, but she stayed quiet. The video isn't that great, but the sound is pretty good.  May need to turn up the volume to hear it.


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## rwh

this year i haven't seen as many but there have been a lot of pines cut around here.  i did get a few pictures of one in a pecan orchard the other day.  i'm looking for a black phase to mount.


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## Barebowyer

I have been seeing lots of them in Laurens county this year although that has been the case the last few years as well


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## gtmcwhorter

Seen a few growing up hunting in Richmond County and at the family farm in Warren County. First time I ever saw one I thought it was some type of mutant from the chemicals/smell at the paper plant on 56.


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## Curvebow05

ucfireman said:


> Brevard in NC is known for the white squirrels, I stayed  there by accident 2 years ago, beautiful area, I didn't see a white one but there was literature everywhere about them.


There is a big mural on the side of one of the buildings in downtown there if I'm not mistaken. We used to detour through there on our way to west Tenn growing up just to see them. The squirrels up in parts of Michigan are all black. Interesting and pretty little critters.


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## Curvebow05

There are plenty of fox squirrels down on Fort Stewart and the surrounding areas. The WMA's down this way have them as well. This pic is from Di-Lane last weekend. Lighting isn't the best but pretty cool to see.


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## lagrangedave

madie said:


> We have a good mixture of Grey and Fox squirrels here in Western KY..And we have a place, and the only place that I am aware of around here, these white squirrels will show up every so many years, and then we don't see them again for several more years..This pic was took last fall about a mile from my house..View attachment 941607


That's an oriental non native squirell there...………..


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## transfixer

We have quite a few on our lease in Oglethorpe county,  multi colored ones mostly,  haven't seen a solid white one ever.


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## Nicodemus

lagrangedave said:


> That's an oriental non native squirell there...………..




?

Looks like a leucistic .


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## Rabun

Nicodemus said:


> ?
> 
> Looks like a _leucistic_ .



Had to look that one up.  All my born days have never seen a white squirrel.


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## killerv

They say a fox squirrel is extremely territorial and will stay in about a 1/4 acre spot unless something drives it away. I've had my share get mad at me while under their tree while turkey hunting. Got a gray with black head and an all black one coming to  a feeder. The gray/black one would literally run towards the feeder when I would make it go off and almost get to me before he realized I was there.


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## AllTerrainAngler

There's some public land near me loaded down with them.


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## Mark K

If you have the habitat they are very abundant...almost to the point of being a nuisance! Had 6 on one trail cam pic. They keep on, they are going to become stew!!


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## Josh B

I see this guy all the time in Walton. We had a lot in Putnam too.


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## transfixer

We've got quite a few on our lease in Oglethorpe co,   we were sitting at camp around lunch Saturday when one came into camp , went over to one of the guys campers where he has a few small antlers that he has picked up in the woods hanging on nails,  the squirrel picked up one of the antlers and starts chewing on it,  I started to walk closer to get a pic, and he took the antler and went up a tree with it !  lol   guess he didn't want to be disturbed while eating ?


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## Tentwing

I don't see as many in North Georgia as I did when I was young, and now that I live in middle Tennessee I have yet to see one up here. The biggest one I have ever seen was  at Calloway Gardens one year it had a body almost the size of my forearm , and I run about 230 .


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## jfarrell30339

NCHillbilly said:


> I am 50 years old-half a century. I have spent a large portion of that time in the woods. I have never seen a fox squirrel.


Not gonna lie...first time I saw one was in the spring and I was like holy crap what is that...they are wild looking and I want to get one.


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## HunterJoe24

Killed this one in Pike about 2 yrs ago. We're slap full of them


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## transfixer

Saw three different ones this weekend,   counting the one that seems to visit our camp every time we're there,  he just comes walking in like he owns the place, goes over to one of the guys campers and starts chewing on one of the antlers that are tacked up over there.


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## jimbo4116

Every golf course down here with a mixture of pines and oaks lining fairways has a few fox squirrels.  Moultrie's Sunset CC has a pack that will steal your crackers out of your cart. 

I see them occasionally in the wild.  They are territorial. They will fight until the bloodiest limps off.


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## mamatried

How rare are the all black fox squirrels? Most of the fox squirrels I have seen in sowega counties are typically large and grey. I have only seen 2 truly black ones, both in Lee County.


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## Nicodemus

mamatried said:


> How rare are the all black fox squirrels? Most of the fox squirrels I have seen in sowega counties are typically large and grey. I have only seen 2 truly black ones, both in Lee County.




I`ve seen jet black ones in Wheeler, Worth, Lee, Dougherty, Baker, and Seminole. I see more that are gray with some black markings. On rare occasions I`ll see one that is black with yellow guard hairs sprinkled throughout the coat. Also solid black with a white nose. I saw one in Seminole county that was black with red scattered like that. It was one of the prettiest ones I`ve ever seen. Weirdest colored one I guess I ever saw was gray with an all black belly.


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## mamatried

Nicodemus, Baker County is ate up with them, figured I would have seen an all black one there. Thats funny that you mentioned black and red ones. My dad use to talk about black and red fox squirrels he use to see in Colquitt Co. when he was a kid. Still waiting to see one.  Black and yellow would be interesting to see as well, would make a fine mount for the office.


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## jimbo4116

Nicodemus said:


> I`ve seen jet black ones in Wheeler, Worth, Lee, Dougherty, Baker, and Seminole. I see more that are gray with some black markings. On rare occasions I`ll see one that is black with yellow guard hairs sprinkled throughout the coat. Also solid black with a white nose. I saw one in Seminole county that was black with red scattered like that. It was one of the prettiest ones I`ve ever seen. Weirdest colored one I guess I ever saw was gray with an all black belly.



I have seen all black with white nose. Black and Gray, Reddish orange, brown and black. More Gray and black than others.
Was thinking I read or heard that the all blacks were junveniles and would eventually take their hereditary markings. Going to have to research that.

Have seen two fight to the point one lost a hind foot. All but severed and bleeding badly he tried to climb into a tree but couldn't.  We dispatch him with a .22.


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## Stroker

Iv'e seen them in Talbot county. Saw a road kill one Sunday on the home, started to pick it up for a mount but he was messed up bad.


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## Jester896

I have seen black ones in and around Pinebloom in Baker and a couple other places in Baker.  Baker, Dougherty, Lee, Terrell is where I see black ones regularly.

I have seen some in Terrell that looked black but when the sun hit them right you could see the saddle on their back a little darker black than the rest of them.  I have some pictures of a black one in Terrell that I would see just about every time I sat that stand...had white around his nose and in his ears.


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## FOLES55

Seen an all black with a white nose this evening. Amazing animal.


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## Longhorn 16

This guy strolled by this morning.


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## HunterJoe24

Saw one the other day on the same property that I shot one in the pictures somewhere in this thread. That's 5 different ones I've seen in the past 3-4 years


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## josef2424

I have seen one red/black fox squirrel in Hancock county. It seemed huge compared to the average grey squirrel.


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## Stroud Creek

I live in Alabama about 20 miles west of LaGrange, I’ve seen more Fox Squirrels over the last couple years than I’ve seen in the last 20 years.


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## lesscott02

Saw one about 2 weeks ago in Wilcox, and one this summer in Houston.


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## joepuppy

I'm out in the woods daily with my job, and I've seen record numbers around mid GA. Definitely making a comeback. My dad whooped me good for killing one when I was 10, so they will forever get the pass from me. Some lessons stick with you.


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## Davans




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## kmaxwell3

I have a few around my house. We do not shot them.


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## mguthrie

I killed one in Ohio when I was a kid. They're red, like a fox up there. I've only killed one in ga. It's the grey with black head variety. Ive been seeing quite a few in Walton county lately. Had one in he driveway at a jobsite last week


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## Mark K

We have an over abundance of them where I hunt. One of my bottom stands has more Fox squirrels than Greys. They all are about to get thinned out. When you have 6 Fox squirrels fighting with 6 Grey squirrels it creates quite a ruckus. I’ve seen fox squirrels climb up in a trough type feeder and run the deer off. That’s when it’s time to thin the herd, lol.


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## Wayne D Davis

Ive seen more this season than ever....red, blonde, solid black. I bet I seen 20 this year. I think they are on a come back.


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## ssmith

Got plenty where I hunt . Three  color phases . Grey , black, and tan or fox  color. Had one mounted last year . Could count on seeing one at 10 am during deer season .


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## hambone76

I’ve seen two on my lease land in Carroll County in eight years. 
We were covered up in them on my old club in Macon County.


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## Mr Bya Lungshot

Wayne D Davis said:


> Ive seen more this season than ever....red, blonde, solid black. I bet I seen 20 this year. I think they are on a come back.



I think we huntin the same spot.


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## HIGH COUNTRY

I have seen more this year than in recent past years, was lucky enough to see two small solid black ones along with a larger grey with black head one in small pecan trees right by the road.

Had a beautiful one come up and start eating some corn near a deer stand last sunday am, makes me want to get a real camera to take cool pics like that.

I shot a couple when I was real young, but they will get a pass today.

I had a widlife artist here in SW ga carve one out of wood and place on a wooden log, I like that just as much as a mounted one prob better actually.

If anyone wants info, he is very reasonable and I will give you his contact info if you send me a private message (I have two bobwhite quail, an owl, a baby fawn, and the fox squirell by this artist)...  Trying to figure out what I want for the next piece of work.


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## mizzippi jb

Post up a pic ! Would love to see it


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