Vol. 20, No. 12 
Page 2 
a'ccoidi ng ty ?o eS the1 : b idtac e a „ n cr: o ra '' a PP eara "« of composition 
in ,977 fai ted to r ,oca te^ny 0 *^."^.°: S ° Uthb ? Und la " aa - The searches 
of the sparse breeding population documented fo^ h r- P -° tS ' presumab| y because 
of Conservation biologists. Fifteen red i a ^ lvln ? ston County by Department 
were found on brome-alfa fa » d 1 9 blackbird nests (6.6 per acre) 
rabbit nests and a pair ofa *1,^, ' 5 9Sr ^ on fescue plots. Two 
on fescue plots. Thirteen of^he™?? b^rkh’ tW ° f,ed 9 ,ln 9 s were also noted 
northbound lane, used only for construction' rd , n6 ^ tS wera found adjacent to the 
n a e : -abitat by redwings In of 
the prescribed brome-a^faifa^nffescue venation "°h h® 6 " re P^ esenta tive of 
show signs of becoming well-established * However, the plots now 
meaningful study at Odell in future years. Wh ' Ch W ‘ 1 ' a,,ow a more 
~ o 1 09 X and Management of Squirrels 
C. M. Nixon, 
L. P. Hansen 
metabolized more energy ' ^nd^ained *' mulated winter conditions ate more, 
any other diet examined! howeverJ °2 White ° ak acorns tha " 
the amount of a particular diet they eat °° d P re ^? rences of squirrels on 
d.et than another may be needed to Jttain he re!' 5 ^ T 9 ‘ More ° f ° ne s P eclf| c 
good health. t0 atta,n the re qu.s.te levels of nutrition for 
(9-5 9/day) 9 experUnce f d C by S femaie n fox f squfrrets • C ° r " 5 the ' ar9e wei 9 ht 9 a '" 
that white oak acorns germinate soon after fail-'” ° Ur f tudy are noteworthy in 
The period of mid-to-late fall is the time f u 'r 9 t0 th ® 9round ln the fall, 
food a nd rapidly gain|pg we . g| ; t ; S p t n 0pe t ; fn ! u t^ ! ^ X J q ^ r re 1s are eating more 
the key to increased survival and successful^i^p 0 ^ tHat tlme ' S a PP are ntIy 
fox squirrels. uccessful late-winter reproduction for female 
other^kl! 5 ^ JhTietr Wh i te ° akS - ba preferred over 
squirrels for white oak acorn i‘ f preferred. The preference of 
content of red and black oak acorns CaUSed by the hi 9 her tanni " 
f °r n Sq e Uirre,a that ° ak >» the most 
heavy, fox squi rrels^an survive and r» Y a* ” hen the white oak seed crop is 
severity of the winter. This fact was normal, y regardless of the 
of 1976-77, Which followed an l“ t“ t e „T‘ r ? d dUrin9 the Severe «l»t«r 
Illinois, the winter-sorina hr^T ° ak Seed year - In central 
highest in the past 7 years. f ° r femaIe fox squirrels was the 
The reverse also occurs in 1 qtt ■ 
other tree seed crops were b^ow normal, "the" br^rl^^ 
