Vol. 2*», No. 6 
Page 2 
Ecology and Management of Squirrels - V/-66-R 
C. M. Nixon, 
L. P. Hansen 
Wi'dlife managers and foresters must ^nize^that^^y^f^he^oaR-Mckory 
f °ectes after n cuUing.° n |n central and northern Illinois, ecological trends show 
that the new forests will be dominated by sugar maple, basswood, white ash, an 
b^k che?ry In southern Illinois, these species will be joined by tu -ptree 
and beech V The number of oaks and hickories present in these stands will depend 
on the number of stump sprouts produced and the number of seedling sprouts >4.5 
feet tall present prior to cutting. 
The effectiveness of managing these new stands for squirrels will be in 
direct proportion to the number of oaks and hickories that can broug t t 
seed-bearing age in the domin ^ t c °^ n ^J e «nu«ing'around oak and hickory 
ste:l n as S e^y P arage’5 man Some stems may have to be reieased several times before 
age 30? the age when oaks and hickories usually begin seed production. 
Another option would be to plant vigorous seedlings of 5 uchspeciesas 
Mortality 
vegetation, some of these seedlings should reach seed-bearing age. 
Roth release cutting and planting cost money. But rotation age for these 
standi is at TSalt 30 yjrs and without acorns and hickory nuts squirrel, deer, 
and"turkey 3 densities and harvests wi11 be drastically reduced, ^or example 
published data Indicate that stands dominated by sugar map e . 5 ^ P I«ndI of 
Vs XtZ Icrosl th? life of £ SSd (80 + years) or only for the seed-bearing 
^ .. 
harvests would double), the cost per animal would be low. 
Responses of Prairie Chick ens to Habitat Manipulatio n - W-66-R R.L. £«£££ 
To better document interactions between pheasants and prairie chickens, 
=t?r^r be 1st half^f April and 
spr i ng°on '"calm?* rain 1 ess'mornings'duri ng the first 2 hours af ter d aybreak ™\\ 
coverage is often supplemented by more intensive check.ng of each sanctuary 
and by 9 observations from blinds on several leks (booming grounds). 
This spring an additional effort to census pheasants was made during ]ate 
April and the first 3 weeks of May (peak crowing season). From 
sunrise to 20 minutes after sunrise, on calm rainless morn g , 
