Fox Squirrels and 

 Gray Squirrels 



/// Illinois 



LOUIS G. BROWN 

 LEE E.YEAGER 



SINCE the passing of big game in 

 Illinois, fox squirrels and gray 

 squirrels have never ranked lower 

 than second among game mammals of this 

 state in importance to hunters. First 

 place is now a toss-up between these tree 

 squirrels and cottontail rabbits, with the 

 latter declining in public esteem because of 

 recent epidemics of tularemia (Yeatter & 

 Thompson 1943), a disease more com- 

 monly associated with rabbits than other 

 game. 



Despite the long-standing importance 

 of squirrels, very little information has 

 been available upon which to base Illinois 

 hunting regulations, management and res- 

 toration measures relating to them. Laws 

 in regard to hunting seasons have been 

 varied, and at times grossly unsound bi- 

 ologically. The most common problem 

 pertaining to seasons is that of mid- or 

 late-summer hunting. Such hunting is 

 demanded by many hunters, particularly 

 in the southern part of the state. The 

 Illinois squirrel season for the biennium 

 of 1939-41 opened, in this area, on July 

 15. The date was set back to August 1 

 in 1941, but again advanced to July 15 

 in 1943. 



These early opening dates, as would be 

 expected, resulted in numerous complaints 

 from conservation organizations and from 

 some sportsmen. Lawmakers and admin- 

 istrative personnel, in coping with the 

 situation, were greatly handicapped by the 

 lack of specific information, despite recent 

 investigations in Ohio, Michigan and 

 other states. In particular, information 

 on squirrel breeding was scarce, and it 

 was feared that such as was available was 



"llliiii.i- F(-i]er;il Aid Hiihllratlr.n No. 4. 



not fully applicable to Illinois conditions. 

 A season similar to that in Ohio or Mich- 

 igan, considered sound, would retard the 

 opening date in Illinois 2 months or more; 

 and Illinois hunters, to whom summer 

 squirrel shooting is traditional, could be 

 expected to oppose strongly and in good 

 faith such a restriction on their sport. 

 For educational purposes as well as for 

 administrative use, therefore, a fact-finding 

 study was needed in Illinois. 



The Federal Aid Project on which this 

 report is based was proposed jointly by 

 the Illinois Natural History Surve>- and 

 the Illinois Department of Conservation. 

 Formally known as "Squirrel-Raccoon 

 Investigation and Management in Illinois, 

 Project 14-R," the study was initiated on 

 July 1, 1940, and terminated as a project 

 on June 30, 1942, although some field 

 work, in connection with other projects, 

 was continued through 1944. Early in 

 the investigation it was found that, despite 

 the similarity in some squirrel and raccoon 

 habitats, the two phases of the study could 

 not be carried on adequately at one time 

 by one man ; only the seruor author was 

 available for field work during the greater 

 part of the investigation. Accordingly, 

 the raccoon phase was dropped except for 

 observations that could be made inciden- 

 tally or as a part of regular squirrel studies. 



OBJECTIVES OF PROJECT 



The project had two main objectives, 

 as follows: 



1. Determination of squirrel breeding 

 seasons and related biology, the informa- 

 tion derived to be used in recommending 

 biologically sound squirrel hunting seasons. 



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