Vol. 15 ) No. 1 
Page 2 
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operators on the FCMU would delay the mowing of their roadsides (as 
agreed) until the date specified was a primary aspect of the program on 
that area. Frequent mowing of roadsides by farmers, beginning in June, is 
typical practice throughout much of central Illinois; in this area, it is 
uncommon to find a roadside that is unmowed on July 31* Thus, for farmers 
on the FCMU to refrain from mowing until the date requested by Department 
biologists constitutes a departure from past practices. 
During the summer of 1967, before the farmers on the FCMU had been 
contacted, checks were made on the progress of mowing operations on the 
study area. Nearly 60 percent of the roadsides had been mowed by June 15 
and nearly 90 percent by July 15* 
Last summer (1971), as in 1970, cooperating farmers on the FCMU 
generally adhered to the delayed mowing agreement, although there was a 
slight increase in the percentage of roadsides mowed. In 1970, about 10 
percent of the roadsides of cooperating farmers had been mowed by July 31 *» 
about 14 percent were mowed by that date in 1971* These percentages 
contrast with 97 percent of the roadsides mowed by this date in 1967* By 
August 15, 1970, about 60 percent of the roadsides had been mowed, and by 
this date last summer 68 percent had been mowed, compared with nearly 
100 percent on this same date in 1967* 
3 . Ecology and Management of Squirrels 
C. M. Nixon, 
R, E. Greenberg 
A total of 72 squirrel-hunter cooperators returned usable huntlng-report 
booklets for the 1971 hunting season. This total represents a 37-5 percent 
return after one follow-up reminder to return the booklet. 
Cooperators were requested to provide information concerning each 
squirrel hunt, including the number of hours hunted, the county hunted, 
the number and species of squirrels killed, and the breeding status of 
female squirrels. Hunters were asked to note whether each female was 
pregnant or nursing when killed. For each pregnant female, the hunters 
were asked to count and report the number of unborn embryos. 
Data collected from the hunter cooperators will be analyzed for 
distribution of hunting pressure, sex and age of squirrels killed, number 
of pregnant and nursing females killed, and average litter size for eac 
species. 
Each of these parameters will be examined at biweekly periods, 
beginning August 1, to determine the effects of the time of hunt on these 
data. 
A total list of 500 cooperators is anticipated for the hunting 
of 1972 and 1973- 
seasons 
