squirrel research

[kingfisher1]

DNR plans to dedicate $5,000 to squirrel research.

http://www.twincities.com/ci_11705040?IADID=Search-www.twincities.com-www.twincities.com

Thoughts?

[JohnWester]

Southeast Asian hunters encourage DNR to better manage Minnesota's squirrel population

here's a thought...
DON'T SHOT EVERY DAMN ONE THAT YOU SEE!!!
We hunted a woods for years, and years... shot a few now and then, never shot them all.  there were always squirrels.  There, managed.

NEWS FLASH!!!
If you shot them all... the population will dwindle.
give me $5000, I'll "study it"

[kingfisher1]

Southeast Asian hunters encourage DNR to better manage Minnesota's squirrel population

here's a thought...
DON'T SHOT EVERY DAMN ONE THAT YOU SEE!!!
We hunted a woods for years, and years... shot a few now and then, never shot them all.  there were always squirrels.  There, managed.

NEWS FLASH!!!
If you shot them all... the population will dwindle.
give me $5000, I'll "study it"

well said.  I agree.  Leave some to breed for next year!!  That way you can make squirrel soup next year as well!

Why we're at it, let's set aside $5000 for bunny research!

[22lex]

5,000 isn't much.

Fear mongerers about the state of the economy are going to publish more and more of this to stir up the "transparency" of the MNDNR thanks to their special taxpayer event last year.

[JohnWester]

let me elaborate here... I read the article, I understand family traditions, cultural, ect... but the article fails to say the rest of the story...  these people go out with the whole family (quite large by our standards) and they shoot squirrels.  Buy the articles own admittance, "even the mother is a good shot".  Now I realize that I may be stereo typing a bit, but why do you think the numbers are dwindling on WMA's?
Serious, there is no hint of conservation when a "family" goes out.  They will shoot everything.

I have witnessed it first hand, not with squirrels but with pheasants.
I was at a WMA down in southern MN, and watched as about 12 SE Asians walked a field and shot everything that got up.  Hens, and roosters.  I called tips, but unfortunately i was on the other side of the WMA and couldn't get their vehicle plates because they were parked on the opposite side.  Man was I pissed and that WMA was never the same as long as I've been down there.  Haven't been back in years...

It is common today for Hmong hunters to travel to nearby Iowa and Wisconsin and as far away as Ohio and Arkansas to hunt squirrel.

all I can say is, other states... watch out and protect your resources.

and I agree $5,000 isn't much... but this is how it all begins.  You are witnessing the birth of another DNR blunder... soon we'll have squirrel slot limits and a squirrel stamp for $5 (it'll be optional the first year)

[The General]

Not to mention 3 of the wildlifes around here that had some nice numbers of trees that were all cut down.  One of them even had a nice grove of trees.  Needless to say now you can't find anything one them.  The deer are gone and so are most of the Pheasants.  I do see some ducks and geese in the spring but nothing during the hunting season.

[JohnWester]

Not to mention 3 of the wildlifes around here that had some nice numbers of trees that were all cut down.  One of them even had a nice grove of trees.  Needless to say now you can't find anything one them.  The deer are gone and so are most of the Pheasants.  I do see some ducks and geese in the spring but nothing during the hunting season.

are you implying that a certain group cut said trees down?

[sandmannd]

I agree with John Wester on what he said in his first post.

5k is not that much but is it needed? You don't need to shoot everyone you see and you don't need to catch every fish you catch either. I have seen fish caught out of season and turned them in. Seen first hand as a game warden came to me to check my license and the dude started scurrying up the hill. I gave him my license and told him that dude had two bass at least in his bucket. He went after him and busted him. 

They need to learn  conservation. It's not fair that a good majority conserve and a few drain it and then want money thrown at restoration!!

If you are that concerned about the squirrles, start a group up and take some initicative on your own for cripes sake!! Pheasants Forever, Ducks Unlimeted, etc have had great succes. How about starting Rodents Run Rapid or some  and get it back on your own?

[kingfisher1]

agreed sandmannd.

Start your own "Tree Rats-R-Us" org or something.  Then you can do all the conservation, research and restoration that you want.  Or better yet, don't shoot everything you see!  What is next?  Cowbird restoration?  I know, lets put $5K aside for crow research so we can better manage them!

[beeker]

we had an old retired neighbor do some squirrel research.. he would live trap em and then pin em down and paint a colored stripe on them.. almost like a skunk but with blues, yellows and greens.. then he would drive those stupid things a few miles away and release em.. he wanted to see if they would find their way back to his bird feeders. I don't think they ever did as I'm sure the squirrel councilors were trying to talk them through what happened to em.

I don't squirrel or bunny hunt but beleive that there should be plenty of em around for those that do. maybe they could start a "tagging" process for em like with deer, you put in your name for a lottery drawing.
  it's not a problem with the squirrels but a problem with the culture that has to harvest every dang thing it sees,

[kingfisher1]

Beeker, did your neighbor get $5K for the research?  If not, maybe he should contact the DNR!

[beeker]

I'm guessing the paint he used was lead based so he may want to lay low

[kingfisher1]

I'm guessing the paint he used was lead based so he may want to lay low

   

 

[Bobby Bass]

5000.00 for squirrel research, estimated 30,000 to 40,000 squirrel hunters so that is what 12 to 16 cents per hunter. These hunters spend close to a million dollars on licenses and of course they are hunting other small game besides squirrel but 16 cents don't sound like a lot to me. We don't have Fox or Grays up here except in the city we have Grays so we need to travel down south to hunt squirrels which me and my buddies have done a few times. Just because you don't Hunt squirrels does not mean that others who pay the same fees and license to hunt them should be belittled. I don't suppose anyone would be saying anything if 5k were spend on another deer research project, say if deer turn to the right more then to the left when crossing a dirt road ... 

[HD]

I'll tell ya what Bobby......You come down here, and I'll pay ya 15 cents a squirrel....Shoot as many of the little varmits ya want! 


Hunter

[MnSportsman]

I don't post much, but I read  a lot on these forums... Particularly the websites & Forums where I am a member.

(To preface my comments...let me add....I learned how to hunt wild game, by hunting Squirrels & Rabbits... So did my sons... Now I have a grandson. I have a lot to say, But will keep it short...)

 
$5000.00 isn't much, but it is a start.

I'm not gonna "poke a finger" in the face of the ethnic group that brings this up. Particularly since I agree with them...( & I don't care much for C.N.< the P.P. reporters' reporting style just doesn't suit me... But then... I don't know him)
 
But, the ones you are mentioning,the folks that are bringing this up....
 they have a valid point....
   The small game population has dropped in the areas I hunt..  & the same group that is asking for some attention about the small game population.... well they hunt the same areas. Yes, there is some coyote population having an effect.. But the 'yotes "ain't that good". Particularly on "tree-rats".

  There is something "upsetting the balance". I'd like to know what that is. & preferably before my sons & my grandson get "out there" again, to remember the "old times", & for the youngsters to  learn the "old ways"...

I think that $5000.00 ain't a bad start on finding out what it is.

[Bobby Bass]

I'll tell ya what Bobby......You come down here, and I'll pay ya 15 cents a squirrel....Shoot as many of the little varmits ya want! 


Hunter

We talking Grays and Fox squirrels, not that pesky little red ground squirrels and I'll take ya up on it...     

[HD]

I hardly ever see a fox squirrel anymore, but I got alot of grays.....And, as long as your pick'in off the grays, you can whack a few reds for target practice! (Their tails are good for fly tie'in)






                                                           

[Bobby Bass]

A little morning hunting and some afternoon fishing, sounds  like a prize package! 

[trout whisperer]

lets see....at ten bucks per hour.....5000.oo dollars..that 500 hrs of study...at 40 hrs per week....thats almost 13 weeks of squirrel study...i bet we learn a bunch.....ah nuts..what a waste of five grand...of taxpayer money......

why not take five grand...and buy fishing lis for kids//single/mom/dads...or fishing poles for st judes.....who thinks this sq fodder up????

[kingfisher1]

lets see....at ten bucks per hour.....5000.oo dollars..that 500 hrs of study...at 40 hrs per week....thats almost 13 weeks of squirrel study...i bet we learn a bunch.....ah nuts..what a waste of five grand...of taxpayer money......

why not take five grand...and buy fishing lis for kids//single/mom/dads...or fishing poles for st judes.....who thinks this sq fodder up????

well said.  As much as I am an advocate for the DNR, what a waste.  I agreed with you 100% trout whisperer.  they can do so much more with that $5,000.  What are they going to learn with that money? That the squirrels eat nuts and birdseed?  That they prefer to live in trees?  That they're being overharvested and that's the reason for the decline in numbers? 

[dakids]

As a young hunter I sharpened my woodsmanship on squirrels and rabits.  Great practice for bigger game when I got older.   I took my daughter hunting in the exact spot where I shot my first squirrel 30 years ago.  She shot her 1st one off of the same black walnut tree that I shot dozens off of.  It has to be 100 years old.  

Me and my 3 brothers shot every one that we could.  We hunted 3 different woodlots totalling 120 acres.  We would shoot about 75 squirrels every year.  They would be pretty tough to shoot by the end of the season.  
 
I think 5,000 is a small start.  I don't know if there are fewer squirrels where I hunted as a kid, but no one hunts in the woods where I did as a kid. The biggest change that I noticed is there are now houses in 2 of the woodlots that I hunted as a kid and are no longer pastures with cows keeping the grass short.  There are now very few fox squirrels in those 2 spots, but more grays.  

With the limited amount of public land available around the metro it doesn't suprise me when there are fewer squirrels.  They get hunted very hard.  

[MnSportsman]

TW & KF1

Are you really serious?

Just a ? for ya...

Who in the MnDNR makes $10.00 an hour?

& if ya think that is such a large number of $$ to spend... WHat happened to the $130,000 party they just had last year...

C'mon...
Gimme a break.

[Go Big Red!]

dakids-

Better hide the flying squirrel at deer camp or that will disappear!!!!

[kingfisher1]

If they can get $5,000 dedicated to squirrels and improving squirrel numbers, can I get $5,000 dedicated to improving the numbers and quality of sheephead? 

[Go Big Red!]

If they can get $5,000 dedicated to squirrels and improving squirrel numbers, can I get $5,000 dedicated to improving the numbers and quality of sheephead? 

 

[JCAMERON]

I think there are some really oppinionated bias' here. What if that 5K was going to walleye research, or URL crappie research?

[MnSportsman]

KF1...

Why not?

But ... get in line.. They got there first...

What's a little piddly amount like $5000.00?
It's not like a party fund?

 

[Go Big Red!]

I think the opinions are coming from those, including me, who take squirrels and their hunting for granted.  I was never one to specifically hunt squirrels but would take one or two when grouse hunting or rabbit hunting. 

[kingfisher1]

I think the opinions are coming from those, including me, who take squirrels and their hunting for granted.  I was never one to specifically hunt squirrels but would take one or two when grouse hunting or rabbit hunting. 

agreed.  I don't go out in the qoods specifically for squirrels.  But if I see one while grouse, duck, goose, or whatever hunting, and see one, I'll usually swat it.