Windsor's Grand Squirrel Hunt

by Alan Watson - Bertie County, A Brief History

Serving to provide food, eliminate predatory animals, while away the hours, and satisfy sporting instinct, hunting sometimes assumed the guise of public entertainment. In November 1836, a grand squirrel hunt originated in Windsor. Twenty men were selected for contending parties with the understanding that those who returned with the least game would provide a hot meal for the victors. When the hunt was completed, the winning party had killed 9,814 squirrels; the losers only 7,543.

That is a total of 17,357 squirrels! It doesn't say but I at first assumed it was a one day hunt. However after some quick calculations I am not sure. The winning team killed 491 squirrels per member and the losing team killed 377 per member. That would have to take more than a day, wouldn't it? Do you think there are that many squirrels left in Windsor today? We ought to restart the tradition. Are you in?

ROTFL