Understanding Laws To Trap And Hunt Squirrels In New Jersey 

Squirrels are dangerous pests, just like other types of rodents. Squirrels damage New Jersey premises that supply food, water, and shelter. To get rid of squirrels in New Jersey, you should first learn the laws to trap and hunt squirrels in New Jersey to get rid of squirrels.

Moreover, a person must pass a New Jersey Fish and Wildlife education course before using a cable restraint. This blog talks about the rules for hunting and catching squirrels on land owned by the state of New Jersey.

Squirrel Types Found In New Jersey 

There are four species of squirrels in New Jersey:

The Eastern Gray Squirrel

The Gray Squirrel, also called the Grey Squirrel, is a tree squirrel that lives in the eastern and midwestern United States and the southern parts of Canada’s eastern provinces. Gray Squirrel, as its name suggests, has primarily grey fur, but it can also be reddish. It has a large, bushy tail and a white bottom.

People of both white and black colors are often found in cities, where the risk of being eaten by a predator is lower. The melanistic form, which is almost completely black, is most common in some groups and places, such as in a large part of southeastern Canada.

Red Squirrel

Jersey is home to the red squirrel. Local naturalists brought the red squirrel to Jersey in 1885, and it has been living in our small woods ever since. This endangered species needs the Island as a safe place to live.

At the beginning of the 20th century, North American grey squirrels were brought to mainland Britain. The red squirrel, which is native to the area, has to deal with the aggressive grey squirrel.

Because of this, the number of red squirrels in Britain has dropped by a lot, and they are now almost extinct. Grey squirrels were never brought to Jersey, which is a good thing.

Fox Squirrels

Fox squirrels live in open stands of forest with little understory vegetation. They don’t live in stands with a lot of understory plants. Small groups of big trees mixed in with farmland are the best kind of home for this animal.

Pines and acorns are significant components of the fox squirrel habitat due to their size and spacing. The varieties of pines and acorns may not necessarily play a significant role in determining where fox squirrels live. People frequently observe fox squirrels feeding hundreds of meters from the nearest woodlot. Likewise, fox squirrels frequently inhabit forest edge habitats.

Flying Squirrels 

In New Jersey, you can see TWO kinds of flying squirrels. The fur on these squirrels is cinnamon or light brown, and the fur on their bellies is white. Their big, black eyes, which help them see at night, are easy to spot.

Northern Flying Squirrels don’t store much food for the winter as most other squirrels do. Since they don’t hibernate and are active all year, they don’t need to store food as much as other squirrel species. But when winter comes and the weather gets cold, it’s common for many squirrels to gather to keep warm. 

Which Types Of Squirrels Are Legal To Hunt In New Jersey? 

Although New Jersey is a relatively small state, it still has a lot to offer hunters who live there or visit the state specifically for hunting.

• If you have a valid hunting license, you can hunt flying squirrels, fox squirrels, red squirrels, and grey squirrels of squirrel in the state of New Jersey. 
• However, if you don’t have the appropriate license to do so, it’s illegal to hunt any squirrels in the state of New Jersey.
• It’s against the law to hunt the endangered squirrel in the state of New Jersey because the state has designated it as such.
• If you have a valid hunting license and want to hunt flying, fox, or red squirrels in New Jersey during the hunting season, you can do so anywhere in the state.

Squirrels Hunting Season In New Jersey 

In the last few years, New Jersey has added more hunting days. Now hunters of all ages can go outside to hunt for more than 100 days. The hunting season for squirrels in New Jersey typically runs from September through November, followed by a season that runs from January through February. 

Both the permitted number of hours and bags per day is the same. You are only allowed to hunt squirrels only in possession of a valid hunting license and only during the designated hunting season.

Only people who live in the area and are legally allowed to do so are allowed to take part. At the right time of year, hunters can go after squirrels all over the state, except in places that are part of the National Forest or are clearly marked in some other way.

Laws Governing The Hunting Of Squirrels In New Jersey 

According to New Jersey Fish and Wildlife education, hunting squirrels in New Jersey entails the following:

• It’s legal to hunt squirrels in New Jersey, but you can’t use a. 22-caliber rifle to do it.
• According to New Jersey law, only these kinds of gunfire are legal.
• Hunting is only allowed if the hunter has this specific gun.
• It’s important to have this weapon so that killing is painless and the animal doesn’t have to suffer while it dies.
• Headshots are more likely to kill the animal right away.
• It’s not right to hurt an animal and then just leave it to die.
• New Jersey’s laws are good for the environment and don’t allow animals to be killed for no reason.
• Still, some animals have thought about letting people hunt because it helps animals.
• You can also hunt squirrels in the wild when they become dangerous to people.

Laws Governing The Trapping And Relocating Of Squirrels In New Jersey 

In New Jersey, several laws say how squirrels can be trapped and relocated:

• Every animal in New Jersey has a time of year when it’s legal to trap it. This is also true for squirrels.
• First, the trapper must pass a trapper education course. In New Jersey, anyone who isn’t trained can’t catch squirrels.
• A person needs to undergo training and get the right license. 
• However, the law says that squirrels must be set free after being trapped.
• Squirrels have been labeled as species that can spread rabies, so they can’t be moved without permission from the government.
• In private property, the owner allows squirrel relocation. If not, it’s against the law, and people who do it get fined.
• New Jersey law prohibits relocating and releasing squirrels on private property.

How Can You Shoot And Hunt Squirrels In New Jersey? 

In New Jersey, you can hunt and shoot squirrels by doing the following:

• You can shoot squirrels with a 0.22-caliber gun if you have a license. 
• It’s against the law to have a gun that isn’t on the list. So, you can only have the ones that are licensed.  
• Headshots are a good idea. If you cruelly kill an animal, you have to pay a fine.
• You can only hunt in certain places.
• By using the above methods, you can hunt and shoot squirrels on your own. 
• However, it’s always best to get permission from the right people or involve them so they can do their work independently.

Is It Legal To Shoot Squirrels With A Pellet Gun In New Jersey?

No, it’s not legal in New Jersey to hunt squirrels and shoot them with pellets and BB guns. However,  it’s legal to shoot squirrels with air guns. Modern air guns have enough power to kill such small animals. They are also quieter and lighter than some shotguns, which makes them perfect for hunters with smaller bodies.

Information about hunting with an air gun is now part of the basic course for shotgun hunters. There is no need for an NJ Rifle Permit. An air gun is a shoulder-mounted gun that shoots a missile or projectile with the force of a spring, air, or another non-ignited compressed gas. The barrel of an air gun can be rifled or smooth.

Is It Legal To Shoot Squirrels On Property In New Jersey?

It’s against the law in New Jersey to trap squirrels without the right permits, whether you are on public or private land. The only time this rule doesn’t apply is if the squirrel is causing damage to your property and you have tried everything else to get rid of it, like putting up a fence around the area where it’s causing damage. 

If you choose to trap a squirrel, you must release it within one mile and within twenty-four hours of the location where it was caught. You are also not permitted to take the animal to a state park or preserve.

Conclusion

The pursuit of hunting and shooting squirrels is legal in New Jersey. There are, however, some rules you need to follow. If you don’t possess them, you run the risk of being charged with illegal conduct. To hunt squirrels, you are going to require a gun that has been registered.

If a squirrel poses a threat to your safety, you can ask a licensed professional to put an end to it. You always have the option of reporting the situation to the authorities and requesting that they come to take a look at the squirrels on your property.