Vol, 17> No. I 
Page 2 
Ecology and Management of Squirrels M. Nixon, 
S. P. Havera 
A sample of 126 cooperating squirrel hunters from the Southern Zone were sent 
questionnaires asking their preferences for opening and closing dates for the 
squirrel hunting season ar.d for the size of the daily bag limit (four, five, or 
six squirrels). A total of 88 hunters returned their questionnaires. 
Over one-half of the hunters (54.5 percent) approved of the August 1 opening 
date, but the remaining opinions ranged from June i to September 1. Only 17*0 
percent wanted the season to open before August 1, and 83*0 percent felt that the 
squirrel season should open August 1 or later. 
Hunter opinions on closing dates were more variable than on opening dates, 
with preferred closing dates ranging from September 15 to December 31* Less than 
one-half of the hunters were satisfied with the present closing date, November 15, 
and nearly 41 percent wished to close the season on November 1 or earlier. Only 
11.3 percent wished to continue hunting squirrels after December 1. 
Hunters in the Southern Zone seem to be generally satisfied with the present 
bag limit of five squirrels (63*6 percent approval), with only 8.0 percent favoring 
the six-squirrel hunt and 28.4 percent favoring a four-squirrel limit. 
In summary, the majority of our sample of hunters from the Southern Zone 
prefer an August 1 or later opening date, with a closing date no later than 
November 15. Over 90 percent of these hunters oppose a six-squirrel bag limit. 
Responses of Bobwhite s to Habitat M anipulation J» A. -Ellis 
Harvest data collected on the Dale and Forbes areas during the upland game 
season of 1973-74 indicated a decline in the harvest of quail when compared with the 
season of 1972-73- On Forbes, 186 quail (7-6 per 100 acres) were harvested in 
1 373— 74 , a decline of 42 percent from the previous season (13-0 per 100 acres). 
The effort expended to hunt quail in 1973 - 74 declined 50 percent from the previous 
year. 
On the Dale Area, 221 quail (20.1 per 100 acres) were harvested in 1973-74. 
This harvest total was 14 percent less than in 1972-73 (23-3 per 100 acres). The 
effort expended to hunt quail in 1973-74 was the greatest ever recorded on the 
Dale Area —1,027*5 gun-hours-- 13 percent greater than was recorded in 1972-73* 
The January portion of the 1973-74 season, 22 percent of the total season, 
accounted for 16 percent of the harvest on Dale but only 5 percent of the harvest 
on Forbes. Weather conditions, snow and ice, made hunting unattractive during 
most of January. 
