Chipmunks are Abundant in CNY in 2020 and You Can Hunt Them

Those cute little chipmunks are everywhere this year, and that's been causing some problems, maybe even in your yard right here in the Utica-Rome area.

According to NYup.com, Ron Giegerich, manager of the Roosevelt Wildlife Collection at SUNY ESF IN Syracuse, said that during this past mild winter, the chipmunk and squirrel populations were more active than usual, when they normally don't move around much until March or April.

The activities of the animals led to more breeding.

Giegerich, who lives in the Onondaga County town of Pompey, told NYup.com that this summer chipmunks destroyed the concrete foundation of his barn with “multiple holes.” Facing the possibility of further damage, he went on the offensive. One of our neighbors here in New Hartford took the same action when chipmunks attacked her gardens.

So, there are two facts: (1) Chipmunks are more plentiful in Central New York this year and (2) you can kill them.

Even though they're cute, chipmunks fall under the category of nuisance animals and are “unprotected," which means they can be hunted year-round without limitations. As long as they are damaging one’s property or threatening one’s safety, no hunting license is required, according to the New York State Department of Conservation.

If you're wondering about using non-lethal trapping approaches, those are problematic. The DEC says it's illegal to move or relocate an animal off one’s property, because that just creates an issue for someone else, such as a neighbor.

For more tips on preventing and controlling nuisance aninmals on your property, check out this info from the DEC.