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Illinois Natural History Survey Bulletin 



rol. 23, Art. 5 



tained the largest number of nests. Oak 

 leaves were the most widely used nest 

 material, partly because of abundance, but 

 also, the writers believe, because oak leaves 

 and twigs are highly suited to the type of 

 construction found in squirrel nests, fig. 



34. Nests were found in every common 

 Illinois tree species, including cypress and 

 Osage orange. In most cases they were 

 made from leaves of the host tree, but 

 other material also was used. Thus, nests 

 of tupelo gum leaves were found in cypress 

 trees. Crotches of larger limbs were the 

 most common construction sites observed, 

 but there were many sites in forks, between 

 slender branches and, not uncommonly, 

 in the topmost branches of tall trees, fig. 



35. Unlike the Bryant fox squirrel, as 

 reported by Dozier & Hall (1940), nei- 

 ther Illinois species was found to choose a 

 characteristic nest position in trees. 



Ordinarily, the nests observed by the 

 writers were not lined, but the inner leaves 

 had become frayed and served as lining. 

 Finely shredded bark was at times used for 

 this purpose, and occasionally grass, fine 

 roots, and even rags and paper had been 

 utilized. Some individuals, particularly 

 female fox squirrels, seemed to be addicted 

 to the barking of trees, fig. 36, for the 

 purpose of obtaining nest material, and 

 no doubt for other reasons. The use of 

 bark in tree-cavity nests has been reported 

 previously (Yeager 1936). 



HUNTING 



Material gathered during the course of 

 the present investigation included infor- 

 mation on the method of hunting squirrels 

 in Illinois, on the annual kill and on crip- 

 pling losses. 



Hunters and Hunting Methods 



In Illinois, no field sport except rabbit 

 hunting is confined more to rural and 

 small-town populations than that of squir- 

 rel hunting. Whereas waterfowl and up- 

 land bird shooting draws its devotees large- 

 ly from urban and professional groups, 

 squirrel hunting is mainly the diversion of 

 farmers, laborers and local business men. 

 This is true particularly in the important 

 southern zone. The sport is highly prized 

 by those who participate in it, both for its 

 recreational value and because it means 



"meat on the table." To thousands of 

 Illinois citizens, a "mess of young squir- 

 rels" is a delicacy annually looked forward 

 to ; and to some the resource represents an 

 important and often needed food during 

 the late summer and early fall, fig. 37. 

 Squirrel hunting tactics are very simple. 

 With experienced hunters, no form of 

 hunting is more likely to result in game 

 bagged, because an understanding of squir- 

 rel habits practically insures success. If 

 persistently hunted, however, both fox and 

 gray squirrels become wary, and under 

 such conditions stalking them requires a 

 considerable degree of skill. 



Squirrel hunting, except when a dog is 

 used, is primarily a stalking and waiting 

 game. During the mast season, one of the 

 most successful methods is for the hunter 

 to sit or stand quietly near hickory, walnut 

 or oak trees currently being "worked" by 

 squirrels. Often hunters reach such feed- 

 ing sites by daybreak and shoot the animals 

 as or soon after they emerge from nests 

 in the vicinity, or approach from outlying 

 territory. Under such conditions the 

 killing of one squirrel does not result in 

 cessation of feeding by other squirrels for 

 more than a short time, often only a few 

 minutes. Indeed, limits of five squirrels 

 are often killed at a single site, and some- 

 times from a single tree. The writers 

 have several records of five squirrels killed 

 from one tree in the space of a few min- 

 utes. In such cases, the hunters shot the 

 feeding animals before they could escape 

 into surrounding cover. It is not uncom- 

 mon for bags made under such conditions 

 to be composed of both fox and gray squir- 

 rels. 



Stalking is a favorite method of hunting 

 when conditions permit. During dry pe- 

 riods, leaves and twigs are noisy when 

 walked upon, making stalking difficult or 

 impossible. When such conditions pre- 

 vail, hunters advance from point to point, 

 remaining quietly for a time at each. 

 Points that offer a good view of the sur- 

 rounding territory are usually selected. 

 Thus, the end of a ridge, especially when 

 bordered by a narrow valley and with tim- 

 bered slopes beyond, offers a favorable 

 waiting site. When quiet stalking is pos- 

 sible, such as after a rain or early in the 

 morning, hunters walk slowly through the 

 woods, either overland or along trails, 

 pasture fences or dry creek beds, taking 



