Two generations ago, most of the southern states ranked the humble squirrel as their number-one game animal. The great comeback of whitetails and wild turkeys has changed that situation quite dramatically, but squirrels are still plentiful in many areas and remain a rewarding quarry. Certainly such is the case in ‘Bama’s Talladega National Forest, where mixed hardwood and pine forests form ideal habitat for the treetop tricksters.
In the Talladega area, you can hunt squirrels during their most active periods early and late in the day, then devote your remaining hours to the redeye bass. These lovely fish with distinctive blue markings on their anal fins and tails thrive in the clear, clean streams, such as Shoal Creek. This watery jewel is found in the Choccolocco WMA, which features some 40,000 acres of hunting. The National Forest Headquarters is also here.