Hibernating?

J

Jack Roberts

Moderator - Deceased
Why do ground squirrels, I think they are Richardson's,(They look like miniature PDs) start hibernating so early?

About the second week of July they are gone not to reappear till the first of March. It is darn inconsiderate of them to end the shooting season so early in the summer.

Jack
 
Jack, we have gophers {Richardson's Ground Squirrel} here. They become active in the spring until late fall, usually till the snow flies and it is very cold. Sometimes through the winter on mild sunny days they will come out for freash air. Right now the YOY are out and playing chicken with vehicles on the road. It sure makes easy pickens for the birds.
 
Yep,

That's them, they have a suicide wish with traffic. They just wait till the last second and run across the road in front of a vehicle.

So why do the ones between here and the border hibernate at the beginning of summer and the canadian ones wait for cold weather?

Jack
 
Jack,
They know that most canadian guides can't shoot worth a hoot, so they stay active longer up there. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif
 
Jack,

I'm not familiar with the local ecology there, or ambient conditions, but is it possible that they go into a state of daily estivation - a condition much like hibernation in the winter, except in response to states of extreme heat or dryness, where the metabolism drops as a means of conserving both energy and water? They may be in estivation during the day and somewhat active during the crepuscular periods of dawn and dusk for now, then actually going into true hibernation as we approach the later, colder months. Just a thought.
 
Jack, I believe we have the Columbian Ground squirrel in this part of Idaho and they also go into hibernation about mid July. If you head to higher elevations you can stretch your shooting out a few more weeks. I've noticed a hot spell in early July can send them down early. They come back out again in force around the first part of April. The earliest I've ever shot ground squirrels here is March 7th. That was a very mild winter with almost no snow.

A friend of mine who lives in south east Oregon has the Belding's Ground Squirrel (AKA "Sage Rat") in his area and they come out earlier. They are smaller than the Columbian ground squirrels. He has shot squirrels on Valentines Day. These rats are almost as thick as grasshoppers and seem to not get as spooky to shooting as the ground squirrels that I shoot in north central Idaho. They do real well in irrigated alfalfa fields. They also hibernate early in the summer. You can burn through hundreds of rounds a day shooting sage rats and not seem to make much of a dent.

I know what you mean it doesn't seem fair. So do all the shooting you can now before they go to sleep again.
 


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