Popular squirrel hunt gets underway Friday
The statewide squirrel season that opens Friday remains more than a sideshow.
“Harvest surveys suggest roughly 30 percent of Ohio hunters pursued squirrel each of the past five years,” said Mark Wiley, an Ohio Division of Wildlife biologist. “We estimate the number of Ohio squirrel hunters to be around 110,000.”
Squirrels come in various colors and species, a few of which don’t raise much interest in hunters. Targeted during the season that runs through Jan. 31 will be fox squirrels, most often found in the agriculturedominated northern and western counties, and grays, most often found in the wooded southern and eastern counties.
Both squirrel species can be found around greater Columbus, particularly in transition counties such as Delaware that contain the preferred habitat of each. Fox squirrels, which tend to be somewhat larger than grays, are most active during the day and spend more time on the ground than do other squirrels. Gray squirrels are most active at dawn and dusk.
Black squirrels, which represent a heavily pigmented subgroup, can be found among both fox and gray squirrels. Red, or pine, squirrels are small, making them less attractive than either their fox or gray brethren. The tiny flying squirrel, though found in Ohio, is a seldomseen night prowler.
Squirrel hunters can expect a season similar to recent ones, Wiley said.
“For the past three survey years, that is 2013, 2014 and 2015, squirrel hunters averaged about seven days afield, harvested about four fox and three gray squirrels per season,” he said. “Black-phase gray squirrels make up about 10 percent of the gray squirrel harvest. Red squirrel harvest rarely is reported.”
The two-part dove season also begins Friday. The first phase runs through Nov. 5. The second phase runs Dec. 16 through Jan. 8. As many as 15 doves can be bagged daily. Mourning and a more recent arrival, the Eurasian collared dove, can be hunted.
Friday also marks the opening of the seasons for rail (Virginia and sora); moorhen, aka gallinule; and common snipe.
An abbreviated early Canada goose season, during which five Canada geese may be taken daily, begins Saturday and runs through Sept. 10. The short teal season also begins Saturday, running through Sept. 17 with a daily limit of six.
Teal numbers in North America remain above the long-term average. Canada goose numbers in Ohio continue at a robust level.
Complete regulations are posted on the Web at wildohio.gov. The downloadable booklet, 2017-2018 Ohio Hunting and Trapping Regulations, contains details about hunting each species.
On the waterfront
A petition asking Congress to support a bill that would prohibit commercial aquaculture facilities within the Great Lakes is being circulated by the National Wildlife Federation with the backing of numerous hunting and fishing advocacy groups.
A federation letter points out what it terms a “growing threat.”
The petition requests congressional cosponsors for a bill proposed by Dan Kildee (D-Michigan) that “would ensure that native fish populations are protected from the numerous environmental concerns associated” with the growing of fish inside giant cages placed within Great Lakes waters.
Among the potential byproducts of such growing facilities that long have been in use at a number of coastal ocean locations would be “domestic fish escapement, incubation of harmful diseases, fish sewage build-up on the lake floor, and the introduction of antibiotics, herbicides and hormones to an already stressed Great Lakes ecosystem,” the letter states.
Parting shots
Ground is scheduled to be broken at 2:30 p.m. Monday for the Oxbow Road boat ramp in the northern section of Hoover Reservoir. … Catchable channel catfish will be released in three ponds at Delaware Wildlife Area on Tuesday: Pond No. 35, north of Ohio Rt. 229, will get 300; pond No. 30 on the dog training area will receive 200; and pond No. 31 in the field trial area will get 200.