From my prior posts you know Dad, James Arnold, was a woodsman but not a real big hunter. He did however hunt for turkeys, squirrels, rabbits, and the like on occasion. He would at times tell me of a story. My Dad wasn't one to tell tall tales however the story always seemed a little far out.
My Dad has told the story of squirrel hunting in and around his home in Wilcox County Alabama He told me that he hunting without a dog and was just waiting for them to come out of their nests. He had already shot a couple of squirrels with his trusty old Stevens Double barrel. He had just sat down to relax and let things settle to see if more of the little guys came out. He heard a huge commotion. He told of "the trees growing dark with squirrels" and innumerable amount moving through the trees as he sat under the trunk of that tree. My dad didn't start shooting. It actually scared him with the large amount of animals that he saw moving. My father used the word " migrating". He was shaken at the sight of the squirrels and guess it was something that made an impression on him.
Was it a tall tale? I did go out and do a little research. From Skinnymouse.com "Flyger, who died last year at age 83, reported squirrels in North Carolina in 1968 were so determined to swim across lakes that wildlife officers in boats couldn’t force them to turn around. Unfortunately, squirrels aren’t great swimmers, and 45 carcasses were found in two weeks in the spillway of the Cheoah Dam in North Carolina. Hundreds more were found dead on highways. Motorists reported squirrels seemed to be dancing in the roads, apparently spooked by traffic after spending most of their lives in the woods."
From the same publication, "The same Easter freeze that devastated the state’s peach crop could lead to a phenomenon unseen in these parts for nearly 40 years a massive squirrel migration.
Sure, the term sounds funny — picture squirrels in little covered wagons heading west — but it’s serious stuff.in September 1968, squirrels searching for more hospitable living conditions along the Eastern Seaboard ended up dead along the highways and floating in lake spillways throughout the Southeast.
Wildlife officials have no idea whether another September migration is near, but they do see a repeat of one factor in thin the last one — the Easter freeze wiped out white oak acorn production.
Old Hunting tales carry us back to times and memories of the past. We relive our hunts or remember our friends and loved ones and their experiences. I am sure that you have some story that father or uncle told you. Don't be so quick to discount it as there may be some truth to it. Good luck creating your hunting stories and remember to share the outdoors with a child.
