Squirrels with warbles

[Vetmx]

Almost every squirrel I shoot in this area has warbles. The bumps must be itchy because most of the squirrels are going bald around the lumps. This one had 2 lumps and my exit wound blew the warble up. Last year none of the squirrels I shot here had them. Wonder why.

 

[zumakid70cc]

I got two so far with them.

 

[Ezana4CE]

@Vetmx That sucks! From my observation I have noticed that certain insects have seasons where they thrive in abundance. This year the weather and environmental conditions in your areas may have been conducive to bot fly reproduction. Have you noticed anything like that with different insects over the years?

 

[Vetmx]

Well the bot flies must have went on a rampage here this year. Haven’t shot a deer here yet to see if they got victimized.

 

[Ranchibi]

Vetmx, those warble bumps look disgusting like a gigantic blackhead that well, moves! LOL! Excellent shooting as usual! Nice pics.

 

[gendoc]

seen a few here in the greater south, but not more than normal.
if your eating them. soak in brine while refrigerated over night.
or do what you want.

 

[doninva]

We seem to get them on squirrels around here if cow's are close by, just my obersavation over about 40 years. After we get hard frost they seem to disappear. JMHO, Don

 

[zumakid70cc]

I've talked with a few people who hunted squirrel and they tell me not to hunt them till after the first frost.

 

[The Codger]

I've talked with a few people who hunted squirrel and they tell me not to hunt them till after the first frost.

I've also heard this but we always hunted just about as soon as we could.
A few years back a guy I hunted with left a squirrel lay because it had warbles, game warden had shown up and asked the usual questions. When Mike walks out and the questions start Mike mentions the squirrel that he left because of the warble, GW was upset, go get it NOW!

I'm thinking Mike has a fine coming, lost hunting privileges and maybe his shotgun. An uncomfortable 10 minutes passes and here comes Mike, GW takes the squirrel, cuts around the ankles of the rear legs, up the back of both to the rectum, severs the tail joint, stands on the squirrels feet and pulls off the hide about like you would a sock.

There it is, the warble is between the meat and the hide. GW explains a few things to Mike, looks at me and I agree,,,,, you know I did.

GW leaves. All is well, we eat lunch do the usual cleanup and head back into the woods

 

[Vetmx]

I shot 2 red squirrels after that gray this evening. They were in perfect condition. See, even bot flies hate red squirrels.

 

[Vetmx]

I’m hunting 20 miles from where I was warbling yesterday. Just shot a squirrel and he’s Mr. Warble too.

 

[zumakid70cc]

I got one yesterday that had a huge warble.

 

[Filnez]

Botfly larvae, disgusting things, I hate those. I've seen five on a squirrel before. They get on cats too; I have a girl that I named Dixie who had one right above her left eye when she was a kitten outdoors and it got infected and was swelling her eye shut. I brought her in the house and carried her to the vet, left a scar over her eye. The warbles don't seem to bother the squirrels that much but I have seen several of them get infected and cause big oozing sores on cats. Maybe they claw at them and the squirrels don't?

 

[fuznut]

More common in rabbits than squirrel around here some years worse than others. After a good freeze never see. Try not to let it bother you has no effect on the quality of the meat. Just your phyche.

 

[Sicumj]

I have noticed Grays are bad for warbles when in the same area as cattle. I too have seen several on a squirrel. Some have them so bad it affects their walking.

 

[jwrabbit123]

I never saw this on a squirrel here , but I know if you shoot a rabbit here in warm weathr their is worms under skin , but again rabbits scarce with all the yotes so I dont ever see more then a few a yr

 

[TiredRooster]

Thats very normal in early season before it gets real cold. After the first hard freeze/frost they will drop out of the squirrels. They don't harm the squirrel in any way, but I always wait till after the first hard frost before hunting them.

 

[ray1377]

It must be a temp/climate thing or something that has to do with the fly laying the eggs. Reason I say that is most years when you shoot the first squirrel and it has a warble. There is a 95% chance every other squirrel you shoot will have them as well. I always wait to hunt them until after the first good hard frost. After that happens there is no worries for the rest of the season. I've seen them in squirrels, cats and dogs, but never saw a rabbit with one.
Ray