In autumn, when all the leaves have fallen, these nests stick out like a sore thumb and can give you an idea of how many squirrels are using the woodlot. Fox squirrels tend to build more leaf nests than do gray squirrels.

There are three basic approaches to squirrel hunting, and all three are fun.

The first, the "Wait 'em out" approach, is probably how your grandpa hunted squirrels. With a good knowledge of where the best mast trees are, sneak in at daylight. Pick a location within range with a comfortable tree to lean your back against, and just wait.

When their stomachs tell them it's time to eat, squirrels head for their favorite mast tree like a charter bus full of tourists hitting the buffet line.

A good hunter can pick off several squirrels from the same tree in a morning's hunt. A scoped .22 rifle is perfect for this type of hunting, since it allows for long shots.

And the short, sharp crack of a .22 doesn't seem to spook the woods like the boom of a scattergun reverberating off the ridges.

Other hunters like to stalk-hunt through the woods, spotting their quarry from a distance and slipping it.

Again, a .22 is an excellent choice. But the scattergun evens the odds when you push your luck a little too far, and a squirrel figures out the jig is up. When the critters are scurrying up the nearest tree, the only shot offered you is at a small, fast-moving target.

The third method is to use a squirrel dog, bred for the purpose of treeing a squirrel and staying after him until you arrive. The game then becomes to spot the squirrel hiding high in the limbs and try to bring him to the game bag.

During the 2005-06 hunting season, 51,172 hunters spent 446,889 days in the woods and harvested 628,737 squirrels. This year, squirrel hunters have plenty of opportunity since the season runs from mid-August through February, with a daily bag limit of 12 squirrels.

With a few exceptions, all WMAs offer good squirrel hunting. Any stand of mature hardwoods anywhere in the state is going to be loaded with squirrels. Hardwood ridges provide especially good hunting, so some of the North Georgia mountain WMAs, like Pigeon Mountain and Blue Ridge WMAs are good choices.

WHAT ELSE?
Although rabbits and squirrels attract a significant portion of the attention from small game hunters, many other species offer opportunities too. Two to keep in mind if you want to try a new hunting experience are ruffed grouse and raccoons.

Hunting for either of these species is somewhat specialized.

RUFFED GROUSE
Ruffed grouse surveys over the last 25 years show a somewhat cyclic fluctuation in populations. Since 1996, unfortunately, the trend has been on the downswing.

Narrow habitat preferences limit ruffed grouse to a range extending from Canada to North Georgia.

Early-stage forests with a dense growth of small trees interspersed with shrubby vegetation and some larger mast trees provide the best habitat. Grown-over clearcuts are ideal. Grouse are opportunistic feeders, foraging on more than 300 different plant species.

In the southern Appalachians, where heavy snowfall for burrowing is rare, conifers and other evergreen plants provide protection from the winter cold. Grouse hunting is limited to the extreme North Georgia mountains. National forest or WMA land in the Cohutta Mountains is a good place to begin your search. Given the rough terrain and the grouses' wildness, a good pair of legs, a steady bird dog and quick shooting reflexes are required if you have any hopes of putting a bird in the bag.