Harvest Analysis of a Maryland Gray Squirrel Population

Gray squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis) harvest was investigated on a 2,320-ha Maryland study area from 1976 through 1981 using harvest/recovery estimates (Brownie et al. 1978) of marked squirrels. The minimum percentage removed by hunters was estimated to be 7% of adults and 9% of young and subadults. Hunting pressure, expressed as the number of trips, averaged 1,641 annually over a 17-week season with the majority (95%) occurring in the first 6 weeks. Average annual survival rate estimates were 0.52 for adults and 0.46 for subadults and young. However, survival esimates were variable. Results showed that current harvest levels could be sustained.