Bushytails & Cottontails

With more than 2 million acres available to the hunting public, North Carolina offers plenty of opportunity for those who love to chase small game.

Uwharrie National Forest

Located in west-central NC, the Uwharrie (U-warr-ee) covers some 50,000 rugged acres in Davidson, Montgomery and Randolph counties. The Yadkin and Pee Dee rivers serve as the forest's western boundary; Troy sits centrally located at the crossroads of highways 109, 134 and 24 and provides hunters with lodging, supplies, fuel and other necessities.

In the forests' northwestern corner, the Badin Lake area is popular with hunters. Squirrel and rabbit hunters, should they wish onsite rustic lodging, will find developed camp sites plentiful near the water; undeveloped (roadside/primitive) camping is also permitted, with restrictions, in the interior of the forest proper not far from Highway 109.

Twenty-five miles of winding roads provide vehicular access to the hills and ridgetops (if squirrels are the game) and lower brushy draws and valleys should your quarry be cottontails.

Pisgah National Forest

This 502,000-acre public forest, located in western NC, takes its name from the mountain on which Moses stood as he first glimpsed the promised land. And certainly not to be blasphemous, but the phrase "promised land" couldn't describe the Pisgah (Pis-cah) more accurately, particularly if it's squirrels rather than salvation you seek.

This large, incredibly scenic forest is separated into four ranger districts: Grandfather RD (186,000 acres encompassing portions of four counties), Pisgah RD (156,000 acres roughly south and west of Asheville), French Broad RD (78,000 acres north and west of Asheville) and the Toecane RD (74,000 acres), headquartered in Burnsville and which includes the nationally recognized Blue Ridge Parkway as well as Mount Mitchell, the highest peak--6,684 feet--east of the Mississippi.

With numerous campgrounds and more than 800 miles of trails, the Pisgah offers nearly 37,000 acres of designated wilderness area, with two new areas awaiting approval at this writing. You won't feel crowded here.

Nantahala National Forest

The Nantahala (Non-ta-hay-la) sits in extreme western NC and covers some 528,000 acres, spilling south into northern Georgia and northwest onto the fringes of Tennessee. It features nearly 200 miles of the 2,100-mile long Appalachian Trail, and two large impoundments (Nantahala Lake between Andrews and Franklin, and the northern portion of Chatuge Lake on the NC/GA line) provide angling opportunities.

Small game hunters should concentrate their squirrel hunting efforts on mast, or in dry seasons, water. Area biologists, available during the week at the district offices, can be excellent sources of information. Bunnies are typically found lower and in brushy cover; old abandoned farmsteads are a fantastic place to start a pack of hounds.

October Squirrel Tips

Combine leafless surroundings, a scoped .22 rimfire and bushytails that have come to recognize humans as un-good and you have all the ingredients for a true test of your woodsmanship and marksmanship skills.

Camouflage can play a major role in your success or failure in the squirrel woods, but a more significant element is movement. Learn to look with your eyes; scan as much as possible without moving your head or upper body. When you find it necessary to move slightly, do so slowly and smoothly, and lead with your eyes.

Marksmanship is often overlooked when it comes to this educational aspect of squirrel hunting. Fine-tune your skills inexpensively with a .22 rimfire during the off-season, then put that piece into use during late October.

Information

• NC Wildlife Resources Com: Wildlife Management, 1722 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, NC 27699; (919) 707-0050; www.wildlife.state.nc.us
• NC National forests: U.S. Forest Service, P.O. Box 2750, Asheville, NC 28802; (828) 257-4200