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MONTHLY WILDLIFE RESEARCH LETTER 
« 
Department of Conservation and Natural History Survey, Cooperating 
Glen C. Sanderson and Helen C. Schultz, Editors 
Urbana, Illinois 
September, 1972 
Vol. 15, No. 9 
Manipulation of Pheasant Habitat G. B. Joselyn 
Efforts by the Department of Conservation to seed graded roadsides 
throughout Ford County were described in an earlier report (MWRL 15(5):1-2). 
The roadsides graded in 1970, 1971; and 1972 were seeded on 7 days (70 
hours) during the period September 6-20, 1972. Brome and alfalfa were seeded 
along 67 miles of roadside (one side) comprising 134.2 acres in 7 of the 12 
townships in the county. 
Newly seeded roadsides will be fertilized with 0-46-0 at a rate of 
approximately 90 lbs per acre either this fall or early next spring. Signs 
will be placed at the end of each seeded roadside next spring to inform the 
public why the roadsides remain unmowed. 
Ecology and Management of Squirrels C. M. Nixon, 
R. E. Greenberg 
The squirrel harvest in 1971; estimated at 1.8 million, was the lowest 
reported since 1956, according to hunter-kill reports. The previous low 
occurred in 1970, when the harvest was estimated at 2.3 million squirrels. 
During the base period of 1956-69, the harvest averaged 2.8 million squirrels 
per year. The squirrel harvest in 1971 was 22 percent less than the harvest 
in 1970, and 36 percent less than the average for 1956-69* 
All of the reasons for this sharp and sudden decline in the squirrel 
harvest in 1970-71 are not determined. During the period 1956-69, squirrels 
were the most stable of our major upland game species. 
However, one of the reasons for the decline in the squirrel harvest 
may be simply that fewer hunters than usual were interested in squirrels. 
During the base period of 1956 - 69 , the number of squirrel hunters ranged 
from 184,000 to 262,000 (45 to 52 percent of the resident hunters) and 
averaged 225,000 (48 percent). In 1971, there were only 181,000 (39 
percent) squirrel hunters, the lowest number (and proportion) recorded 
since 1956. 
Hunter success, in terms of the average number of squirrels bagged 
per hunter trip, was also down in 1971, compared with previous years. 
Illinois squirrel hunters reported an average bag of only 1.7 squirrels 
per trip, compared with 1.8 squirrels in 1970 and 2.0 squirrels during 
the period 1956 - 69 . 
hmiihm. 
ll 10 
siu.tY Silfi 
OCT 1 0 197 
