If Senate Bill 548 passes on Tuesday it will remove gray squirrels from the definition of “game animals” allowing anyone, anytime, for any reason, to shoot them. The current hunting season for gray squirrels is Sept. 1 through Jan. 31 (5 months) and with Fish & Game permission, they can be shot, with Fish & Game permission, at any time if causing a nuisance. They are currently protected for most of their breeding season which runs from March through October. Protecting gray squirrels during their reproductive period is a responsible approach to wildlife management that benefits both the squirrels and the ecosystems in which they live.

Gray squirrels play a crucial ecological role by dispersing seeds, contributing to forest regeneration, and promoting biodiversity. However, apparently some New Hampshire legislators, have decided it is okay to “kill at will” any gray squirrel all year round even when they are nursing their young. Since very few people eat gray squirrels, and no one sells their pelts, the bill must be to satisfy the need for some people to kill a living animal. Sad that some legislators have to curry favor with those who get their “jollies” in this manner. If this bill passes, New Hampshire would be unique, the only state on the eastern seaboard with no closed season on one of our valuable and delightful wildlife species. Is this what NH is all about?

Weldon Bosworth

Gilford