Vo 1. 20, No. 4 
Page 2 
Ecology and Management of Sguirrels ^ 
- 3 - C. M. Nixon, 
S. P. Havera 
By human standards, the winter of 1976-77 was one of the worst in this 
century.. Record low temperatures for much of December and January were 
accompanied by above-average snowfall and high winds. Y 
illinois y wildl!f e fe,t w- SUCh extreme weat her conditions would decimate 
I lmois w Idl.fe populations. In some parts of Illinois, ground-feeding 
d ' "eluding the ring-necked pheasant, were hard hit by 9 the severe winter 
! J 685 ! 006 5peci6S ° f wMd l «fe, the fox squirrel" the winter of 
77 docs not appear to have been too severe. 
We examined 31 adult female fox squirrels during livetrappinq conducted 
?emales e % V , MarCh Vermi1io " bounty, Illinois. We found that 29 of ?he!e 
t r (33-5 percent) were pregnant (2) or already nursing young (27). This 
Ve rmi?[on ""county |„* f °“" d - ^tra^p [n^ in 
"9 
and th» alS ° f ° Und b ° dy we, ' 9hts to be withi " the normal range of early spri 
and the sarcoptic mange infestations to be lower than normal. P 
.i WaS 11 that Vermilion County fox squirrels were able to withstand 
the severe weather so well? W e believe that the answer lies with the above 
average tree seed crops of 1976 . There were bumper crops of white post and 
bur oak acorns over much of oii • . , p T wn,te > post, and 
deposits lact f°,7 Illinois, allowing squirrels to accumulate fat 
bumper crops of IZTley S^gS^^nUr.^ST' 
provided squirrels with an abundant food supply all ™n"e[? SPn " 9 ' 
their'annua'l'd'in! 5 ,re dependent tree seed crops for most of 
squirrels this !*'• Th ® e * cel ! ent condition of the Vermilion County fox 
tree seed crop P The 9 uD la’Tf l,I,0ny t0 , the im P° r tance of an abundant and varied 
and hi t ■ P ' . u P' and f otests of Illinois, dominated by various oaks 
and hickor.es, provide an excellent food source if they are protected 
u'ts^nf^^^e^ha^^^^nd^re^f^r^irrn a 9- 
:::niia,n^ r oftln or 
densities of 1-2 per acre and legalists oH V£e[ Tac^es*^' 00 ^' 
harvests. K levels substantially over present 
* S : iStan£ . Pr0jeCt Leader S> P ‘ Havera res igned affective 15 April to 
™ Sectton'of W W nd,[J: R N : s r[h Hi5t0ry Survey ' s envi ronmentaI Research 
