ABUNDANT SQUIRREL POPULATION BODES WELL FOR HUNTERS
Squirrel season opens September 1st
AKRON, OH – The curtain rises on Ohio’s 2007-2008 hunting season on September 1st with the opening of squirrel season according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Wildlife.
When they hit the woods in search of squirrels these early season hunters should find plenty of game. “The high squirrel population in 2006 coupled with an average to good mast (food) crop and mild winter should result in excellent hunting throughout Ohio again this season,” said Wildlife Management Supervisor Dan Kramer.
As a result of that healthy population, hunters will be able to harvest six squirrels, the same limit for many years now. Squirrels may be hunted from a half hour before sunrise until sunset, up through January 31, 2008.
“Hunters should be able to locate concentrations of squirrels around trees with abundant hickory nuts and acorns this fall. Look for fresh shell cuttings that indicate squirrels have been feeding in the area.” The abundance of nut crops is a good indicator of squirrel populations the following year. Squirrels have higher survival and reproduction after years with an ample supply of acorns and hickory nuts. Both the fox squirrel and the gray squirrel occur in nearly every county in Ohio. However, the fox squirrel is most widespread in the agricultural landscapes in the northeast and western regions of Ohio. Conversely, the primary range of the gray squirrel is the extensively forested east-central, southeast, and south-central regions of Ohio.
Squirrel season will be closed on the following areas during the Special Area Early Muzzleloader Deer Season, October 22-27: Salt Fork State Wildlife Area, Shawnee State Forest, and Wildcat Hollow. Squirrel season will also be closed during the statewide deer gun season which begins November 26 and runs through December 2 with an additional weekend December 15 and December 16.
A resident Ohio hunting license costs $19.00 for an adult, $10.00 for hunters under the age of 16. New hunters may want to take advantage of the Apprentice License program that began last year. This license opportunity allows new hunters and trappers to sample the experiences of hunting and trapping under the mentorship of a licensed adult prior to completing a hunter or trapper education course. For more information, contact Wildlife District Three at (330) 644-2293.
Licenses are valid through February 28, 2008 and are available at any Division of Wildlife district office and many retail outlets. A complete list of other hunting seasons is contained in the 2007-2008 Hunting & Trapping Regulations, available wherever licenses are sold or online at www.ohiodnr.com