The Vermont hunting season for gray squirrels begins September 1 and continues through December 31, according to the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department.
"Vermont has a healthy population of gray squirrels, concentrated in southern Vermont and the Champlain Valley," said Hunter Education Coordinator Nicole Meier. "They're a fantastic small game species for new hunters to learn the basics of reading the landscape, making a safe and ethical shot and cooking wild game."
In Vermont, gray squirrels are often hunted with a .22 rifle, a shotgun or archery equipment. The department recommends that squirrel hunters wear a blaze orange hat and vest anytime they are afield.
The best habitat types for squirrel hunting are stands of nut-bearing trees like oak, hickory and beech. The daily bag limit is four gray squirrels, and the possession limit is eight.
"Gray squirrels are incredibly tasty -- many would say better than rabbit," said Meier. "You can find great gray squirrel recipes in classic cookbooks, trendy culinary magazines and anywhere that publishes wild food recipes."