One of Utah’s most common animals is the squirrel. It seems in some places you can not drive 5 feet without almost running over one of these little guys. So, can you hunt squirrels in Utah? The answer to that is yes if it is a ground squirrel. (See picture below)
Ground squirrels are considered nuisance animals. Meaning that there are so many of them they are starting to be a problem. As such there are no laws that govern the taking of ground squirrels in Utah. The only time you cannot hunt them is at night. There are also no bag limits on ground squirrels. As Utah’s laws are always changing it is good to always double check on these laws. You can check these laws by visiting the Division of Wildlife Resources website.
While the ground squirrel has no regulations when it comes to hunting there is one squirrel in Utah that does. The Abert squirrel is highly protected in Utah. There is no hunting the Abert squirrel. Look at the picture below to help identify what an Abert squirrel looks like!
How to Hunt Squirrels
Hunting squirrels can be very easy. Because there are so many of them all you have to do is walk through forested areas and watch for them They can be in the trees or on the ground. Do not use a large gun to hunt them. Squirrels are tiny and if you use a larger gun than a .22 it will likely destroy the small amount of meat that is on their bodies. It is best to aim for their heads to prevent large amounts of meat waste as well. If you are hunting them to eat, it would be good to try to find 3 to 5 good sized squirrels per person.
So, can you hunt squirrels in Utah? Yes but make sure they are ground squirrels.